I'm at the top of a climb, beginning descent. It's snowy, and we're planning to ski down, but Simon and I both just bought new skis and the right ski of both pairs is broken in half. They have a design flaw; I examine them and see that the material reduces to a narrow sliver at one point, where the boots connect to the skis. As soon as you start skiing they break here.

I have a couple of blue plastic sitting pads, so I put them on the snow, one atop the other, and try glissading on them. They are very slippery, and should make for a thrilling descent. But we have between us only one ice axe. Something needs to be used for a brake.

I also have about a 40 foot pole that needs to be carried down the mountain. Another one of our team is preparing to descent in a huge vehicle with a trailer piled with goods. I put the pole on the trailer, and it causes some trouble when backing up and turning, but it seems it will be ok.

Nearby I find a short wooden stake, of the crude sort used for gardening or construction, which could be used instead of an ice axe for glissading. There is a pile of them. I grab one and go over to give my axe to Simon, but it seems he brought an ice axe after all. I show him the stake I was going to use for a brake, just for a laugh.

Everybody heads down the face, getting separated. I end up in some dogleg where I have to climb up a narrow trail onto a bluff. It's a tough walk.