I swung from one hand and reached up and over to catch the narrow ledge. I looked up at the overhang and the stranded climber hanging from his harness. I did not bother looking down since it was over two thousand meters to the base of the cliff. I pulled up and shifted as I swung and reached and shoved my hand into a crack.

Slowly I worked my way to the climber and hung from one hand and clipped a follow me rope to his harness. I continued to move out and up and finally caught the edge and pulled myself up. Before long I was above the overhang and on a ledge a dozen centimeters wide. I stood and braced myself and then began to reel the follow me rope in.

The climber released the clip to his rope and swung and I pulled him up onto the ledge. I worked the chest pack I was wearing off and helped him into it. I grabbed the release and looked up and pulled. A large grav shroud popped out and up and he jerked as he was pulled off the face of the cliff.

He kept going up and the transport dropped and hovered as the crew chief leaned out. He used a grav tractor gun and began to lift and reel the man in. I watched until he was safe and the transport turned and headed away. I turned and reached up and began to climb. This was not my first rescue and I doubted it would be my last.

Everyone and their sister thought they could climb one of the many extremely tall columns. In this valley there were almost a fifty ranging from a hundred meters to the largest at close to six thousand. Rescue climbers took an average of eighty people off the columns each year. That was just the columns, there were several large cliffs along the north and south walls.

When I reached the top a old man sitting in the flyer looked up from the reader, “about time.”

I crossed to the other side and opened the door, “so what excuse did the idiot give?”

The old man laughed as he closed his door, “his clip jammed.”

I shook my head as the flyer lifted, “home James.”

He chuckled, “Mary is on another climb for two that got stuck on number twelve.”

I closed my eyes, “does she need help?”

He laughed, “nope. She just wanted to remind you that you promised to lead that class on the south wall.”

I nodded and we were silent until the flyer landed and I got out. I walked into the office and signed out and checked the listed climbs for tomorrow. I waved to the others before I left and drove home. Home was in a group of trees about thirty feet off the ground. It was small, only six hundred square feet minus the same size deck.

Dinner was quiet and then I sat on the deck to watch the day end. I was up early and dressed and went to get the flyer. I landed in the small parking area and climbed out as I checked the time. I pulled out my pack and harness and put the harness on. It was still several minutes before the transport settled.

I bit my tongue when I saw all the wealthy teenage kids climbing out. I should have known Mary would stick me with something like this. There were just over a dozen in the group, eight guys and five girls, all in their mid to late teens. They each had a pack and wore a climbing harness. I waited for the transport to lift and cleared my throat, “listen up!”

The guys snickered and made comments but the girls waited. I growled, “the next one to speak I am tossing off the fucking cliff.”

The guys shut up and I looked at each of them, “climbing is dangerous. The trail we are going on is supposed to be easy but that is if you have any experience. There are three small cliffs and two ice faces. There is also a wide crevasse and a half dozen very cold streams. Besides the danger of falling there is a danger of hypothermia if you fall into the water.”

I looked at each of them, “there is also a few of the larger predators so watch each other just in case. The last thing I am going to warn you about is heat exhaustion. Drink water, we have several stops where you can get more.”

I nodded and turned and started to walk, “follow me.”

Of course the guys started talking and making comments before we even reached the start of the trail. Ten minutes and I was planning ways to get even with Mary. We reached the first cliff and I turned, “spread out and take your time climbing up. Plan your route before you start and know where your next hand hold will be.”

The guys ignored me and moved straight to the cliff and started up. I shook my head and went to coach the girls. One in her late teens was wearing a long skirt but it was loose enough. I was the last to climb and followed the girl with the skirt and looked up. I grinned when I realized she was not wearing panties.

She kept her feet apart as she found holds. Finally I had to move to the side to help one of the guys. Once everyone was on top I gave them a few minutes to rest and take a drink. We started moving and I let everyone move ahead. I glanced at a girl when she fell back beside me, she was the one with the skirt.

She grinned, “like what you saw?”

I smiled as I kept walking, “it made me want to fuck it.”

She giggled as she bumped me, “during the next break.”

I glanced at her as she strutted ahead. At the next small cliff I held everyone back, “look at the face. See the chimney to the right? That is your path up this cliff.”

They went one after another and the girl with the skirt waiting to be last. She grinned at me, “I am Alexandra.”

She moved to the cliff and I followed and climbed right under her. Watching her tight slit above me kept my cock hard all the way up. At the top was a wide ledge with a narrow water fall that dropped into a small pool. From there it overflowed into cracks that went down and came out a hundred meters to the left at the base of the cliff.

I sent everyone to get water and gave them fifteen minutes to rest. Of course Alexandra pulled me away and around behind a group of bushes. She went to her hands and knees and lifted her skirt onto her back while spreading her knees wider. I looked around and then knelt and opened my pants. I felt her wet pussy before I slowly pushed into her.

She pushed back and sighed and I held her hips and started to fuck her. I used firm thrusts and she put her head down and covered her mouth. A few minutes and she was shoving back and her pussy was gripping my cock. She shook and shuddered and I was holding her as I fucked her hard and deep.

I shoved into her and held her as I spewed and pumped sperm. She jerked away and shoved back and her pussy kept squeezing. When I was done I pulled out and she laid on the ground panting. I fixed my pants and smiled, “the break is over.”

She looked at me and grinned, “until the next one?”

I bent to help her up, “sure.”

We walked around the bush and I got everyone up and we started for the next cliff. I frowned when I saw a vehicle hovering behind us and men dropping out. We were almost to the next cliff and I pushed through to the front, “go to the left side and start up.”

I looked back and had a bad feeling about those men. No one was supposed to be here except us. I pushed guys and girls to places to start climbing and finally turned to follow. The first few were at the top when the six men reached the cliff. One swore and ran to the cliff, “come down here!”

I gestured to the ones above me and continued to climb and a moment later one of the men fired a gun. The bullet shattered on the rock face a meter to the side of me. Only three were left on the cliff and I hissed, “keep going!”

I yanked a section of the cliff and moved up and away as a huge section pulled out and tilted and then began to fall. The men yelled and scrambled to get clear which gave us enough time to climb over and onto the top of the cliff. I came to my feet and pulled a girl and guy up, “time to go!”

This time we were moving in a fast walk and going through a huge crack in the cliff. It widened until it was almost two hundred meters across. A fast moving stream spilled out of a side crack and crossed in front of us. It would disappear on the other side of the wide crack we were in and drop down and into an underground river.

I checked my comm and pushed the kids to a thick rope, “across now.”

The comm had a flashing red bar but nothing would answer. One after another they pulled themselves across and moved back. I was last and was pulling myself across when I heard the men. I went faster and dropped and yanked at my emergency knife. I snapped it open and cut through the thick rope before spinning, “follow the path quickly.”

I pushed and got them moving as I looked back. We were finally out of sight and I relaxed and moved around and to the front. I walked quickly as I tried to think of what to do. On the other side of the next stream there was the remains of a mine and ... I looked back and then began to trot.

We reached the stream and I turned and gestured to one of the guys, “across.”

Like the last time they went one after another and I went last. I swung down when I heard the men yell. I used my emergency knife and cut the thick rope again and turned to push the guys and girls towards the trail, “hurry.”

We had just entered the trail when one of the men fired and a tree beside me shook. I glanced back but continued to push. Finally I hissed and moved up and looked around. I touched my lips and slipped off the trail and between bushes. They followed and a few minutes later we reached the ruins of the mining camp.

I ignored the building as I went right and to the large circle cut into the cliff. I looked back, “once we are inside try to stay quiet.”

They climbed in and I moved around them and to the front. I pulled out an emergency light and started to lead them into the mine. A hundred meters in, the shaft turned and we came to a fissure and light. An ancient bridge went across but I looked up and searched before I gathered everyone. I showed them rocks and small ledges they could use.

The guys started first and then the girls. I rubbed Alexandra’s butt and she grinned. I followed and tried to watch up and ahead of us. The climb went up two hundred meters before the fissure opened up onto a wide ledge. When I climbed over they were all laid back and I gestured to the other end of the ledge, “there is a small set of waterfalls on that end.”