The Climb Above the Clouds

In 2019, mountaineer Sarah Marquis described something that every serious climber knows but few expect the first time. On the ascent of a major peak, there comes a moment when you pass through the cloud layer. Below, the world is familiar — towns, roads, trees you can name. Then the clouds swallow everything. Visibility drops to nothing. You climb blind, trusting only the trail beneath your boots and the voice of your guide ahead.…