An account

01/11/08 - Rating 5/5 Killer Camp Was on a wilderness style camp and had to go over all sorts of terrain, over numerous nights. During the first two nights people were noted as having disappeared and were assumed to have gotten lost or given up which meant we just let them go. Setting up camp during one of the nights, there was another group next to us by some water. I remember a man had this big, bright green zippable mattress/sleeping bag. He was lying in and appeared to be a very comfy sleeping box. A woman next to him who was probably his wife had one too. So everyone kept going as normal each day. Eventually the group got down to me, the instructor, another male and a female. On this day we stopped to do some rock climbing. Down through a small hole in a cave we were lowered by ropes to the base of a very high, rock cliff face. Below, the cliff swung in so we did not go any lower; because our (red) ropes were only set for vertical climbs. I began to harness up and just as I had, the instructor said something to me and pushed me out, through the hole. I fell unrealistically wide but had grabbed the rope that was supposed to be on my belt. Swinging back to the cliff through trees I had to pull my legs up through some dense foliage. Once on the cliff again I immediately started climbing the rope but the evil instructor pulled a section where he was standing to slide a jagged metal area on the rope around through my hands. Twice he missed because I stopped and held the metal harness clip at the end but had to give up climbing the rope. Here I felt really done for, having no safety line I began to give up. Then all of a sudden I had the 'Never Back Down' principle strike me repeatedly. Knowing I must survive to stop the killer instructor I started to tank it up the rock, using all my (minimal) rock climbing knowledge, small movements with three points of contact at all times. I could see the instructor above getting anxious now that his plan was failing. He appeared to be about to try throwing something to make me fall, when along came some famous American photographer in safari style getup. Mr <PERSON> seemed to know where we were that day, like he was just checking up on the group in passing through that area. He climbed down a series of rocks to my left and started going on about how nice it was here in Australia. He loved the sunset that was going down behind me. I saw the sunset briefly from his <PERSON> and it was really beautiful. Everything was golden, even the rocks and spares vegetation was bathed in the distant cloud's glow. Then Mr <PERSON> said something about finally understanding how daylight savings works, as he swung out on another climb's rope, still on my left. I asked him was not he Australia? And he replied to the effect that that was what he made everyone believe. I did not tell Mr <PERSON> about the guy trying to kill me; I was pretty sure he was out of it and foolish/bumbling enough to hinder me with useless banter, so I continued to climb. As I kept at it, never back down style, I never became tired which I attributed to my correct usage of technique rather than a dream. Once at the top/hole, I put on a burst of speed and threw myself up to the cave's ground, taking not only the instructor but the other male and female by surprise. Just then, <PERSON> came up, I proclaimed they had all tried to kill me and they all looked like they knew they were beaten; not going to try anything. *This was just after getting back from my school camp. *The sunset was spectacular and so was the rush from climbing so well.