[tag=DT | tag=POS | □ | □]
[tag=DT | tag=POS | □=□ | □]
[tag=DT | tag=POS | □ | □ | □]
The first three climbers left the shelf one at a time , each belayed by those above , until they were stretched out down the narrow ridge like beads on a string . This ledge is located half way up the north ridge , about 250 meters ( 820 feet ) above the Col of Conquest , or 2,828 meters ( 9,280 feet ) up Cerro Torre . One of those fingers appeared crooked and beckoning . Sudan , the biggest country on the continent ( as big as the United States east of the Mississippi ) , has all those afflictions in proportion to its size . Slutter 's team had met up with Hillman and Biggs during the ascent , and the men had all snapped pictures of one another on the summit . In his office at Nike headquarters in Portland , Oregon , you 'd be hard pressed to pin 27-year-old Steve Rollins for an outdoorsman . [ And ] we spent an enormous amount of effort building decompression chambers that would allow those mapping crews to routinely conduct five-hour missions inside the cave at 100 meters ( 328 feet ) underwater . Not only is the Timex Helix ABT one of the least expensive altimeter-barometer watches on the market , but it shames the competition with an interface that 's actually user-friendly . Then , just as Puddle is about to give up , Toot ’ s surprising present finds him . But , you know , when you are running at the Poles you do n't feel like you're sitting at the top of the world or anything ; it 's just a bunch of ice all around you and no real atmosphere . Now , just over two days after taking his wrong turn off the Continental Divide , he was huddled on an icy mountainside , exhausted , hungry , injured , and slipping dangerously toward hypothermia . Did it really matter , after all , that he was abandoning his home in New York City and putting his future career plans on hold to move to the middle of nowhere ? Christensen had spent an hour fondly recalling every detail of those November days . An engaging intelligence showed in his features and his diction spoke of a decent education . Even though she rarely wore a uniform , opting for a sheriff 's department knit shirt and a non-regulation .38 in a fanny holster when on duty , the kids all knew who she was . Here ’ s World ’ s guide to where the science ends — and the science fiction begins . Holly Hobbie has worked as an artist for more than thirty years and is the author of the highly acclaimed Toot & Puddle picture books , as well as an illustrated memoir , The Art of Holly Hobbie .