[center][h1]Snowy Mountain - Slippery Slope Down[/h1]

[@LordVoldemort][@Solace][@FrostedCaramel][@LetMeDoStuff][@Ambra][@Aquanthe][@QT][@SheriffLlama][/center]

[color=Gray]Separated by a torrent of snow carrying wreckage and all manner of rubble down the mountain, the two groups of cadets stared dumbstruck as their path was destroyed before them.  Both teams trapped on separate ledges, unsure of the others' safety, with only the calming presence of the mountain guides and veteran soldiers keeping them under control, feared for their missing comrades but could do nothing but watch.  Several injured, mostly sprained ankles with the occasionally more series injury from dislodged boulders and rocks falling upon them during their escape, were being cared for roughly on each ledge but there was little that could be done in such cold temperatures.[/color]

"Looks like we go down the hard way."

[color=Gray]The guides and soldiers began to unload their packs, revealing a multitude of hooks, ice picks, ropes and small hammers, and laid them out carefully to check they had everything that they needed.  Once properly collected they hammered a hook a few feet away from the ledge and hooked some rope through a loop atop the hook before tying it off tightly while the other end was wrapped around one of the experienced guides.  Without explaining to the cadets, the guide climbed off the sheer face of the rest area and then, with two of the other guides feeding rope slowly to him, abseiled down the mountain face until he was at the next flat area.

Preparations were made and the cadets were lined up and shown what to do, with several guides at both the bottom and the top of the sheer drop to help them down quickly but safely.  The slab from the avalanche shifted constantly as debris moved and the sun's rays continued to melt some of the snow, making any attempt to walk on it completely unsafe.  Some of the cadets, of course, protested at leaving their fellows behind but their complaints were quickly cut off by the veterans.[/color]

"Can't walk on that 'til we've got you down to the base camp.  'Sides, no idea how many of you are missing 'til we meet up with the other group."

[color=gray]Both groups had spotted flares from the other, sent up to show that some, at least, had made it to each of the refuge points.  The injured came last, secured with rope around their midriff, up under their arms around their shoulders and around their thighs to create a rough harness.  They were lowered slowly with guides down below making adjustments to where they held the bottom of the rope so that they crashed against the mountain face any obstacles as little as possible.

The going was slow, with only three at a time ever able to scale down at any single moment and with the guides up top having to then scale down behind the others, with little assistance available, to join them before they could proceed to climb down the next stretch.  Between the groups the avalanche had crashed down several levels but the guides were reluctant to use the path below it at all, even where it hadn't been affected, in case something caused the remaining wreckage to slip down.  

As a result they carried on with the measured pace well into the evening, despite their early start.  Despite the encroaching night, the sun becoming less and less visible through the trees increasingly numerous the further they descended, the cold lessened with the reduced altitude.  Soon there was no snow, just sparse grass and rock which made the going easier and at last the guides relented and let the cadets follow the normal path down.

The sun had fully dropped below the horizon by the time the first of them tramped into camp, exhausted and overheating from the snowgear they all wore.  Directed to tents, able to sleep two, already set up for them they collapsed.  Soup and bread was brought to them and the usually rough and terse staff were more accommodating, although still in little mood to chat.  Over a dozen injured, the properly injured, were seen to by medics before being returned to their assigned tents.  As soon as the cadets were seen to, all of the guides and veterans left to begin their search of the mountain wearing grim expressions and with little hope in their eyes.

It quickly came apparent, however, that there were thirty fewer cadets than had set off up the mountain the previous day.[/color]