Climb to Danger

              I dreamed I was climbing with three other people, our guide was a native of the region and there were two other women with us. The rocks were a most amazing granite that had hints of some cobalt stone flakes in it. The cracks and shady parts of the rocks were filled with dark brown soil and thick-leaved dark green vine plants. We kept climbing higher and higher, and moving around the face of the almost peg shaped mountain we were on. The holds were getting smaller and shallower. As we turned around a particularly large round rock, almost an overhang, the guide turned and said, “This is as far as I take you, infidels!”
              The guide let go and was lost against the greens and golds of the forested mountains until I saw his powder blue and white parachute open just above the jungle canopy far below us.
              “What are we going to do now?”
              “Find someplace level where we can rest and figure out how to get back down,” I said and began looking for a climbable path that would lead us to someplace like I described. I knew that we wouldn't really be able to retrace our steps, especially the last overhang.
              Somehow we managed to climb around the outcropping and I found a narrow ledge that seemed to lead a long ways down. Though it might be a dead end, it was wide enough in a couple of places that I thought that we could sit on it. Neither woman wanted to sit, however, as you would have to dangle your feet out over the edge. They both insisted that I find a better place to stop.
              We continued along the ledge until it petered out in the midst of an other outcropping of round topped stones. I spotted a fairly level v-shaped valley that was just a hundred feet or so across from the stone spires. I jumped out to the first one.
              “Where are you going!”
              “There's a valley on the other side of these spires, we can use them as stepping stones to get there.”
              The women looked unconvinced. I used a rope by running it around the top of the spire and tightening it up. I tossed them the free end. “Hold on to that, in case you miss, you can pull yourselves up.”
              They jumped over without incident and I untied the rope, repeating the process for the next half dozen jumps. At one point I had to tie the rope off and climb down and across about thirty feet of gap. I then climbed the other spire and tied the rope off like a zip line. I then had to repeat the climb to untie the rope from the first spire. (It seems I had the only climbing rope left in the group, which made we wonder what was in their packs.) The free climb down the spire was difficult and the two women had to haul me up to the second rock. As I sat there recovering, I spotted a path a few feet below where we were. I didn't know where it went, but it was obviously well traveled by fairly large animals, meaning sheep or goats, I supposed.
              The path took us right into the hidden little valley, where we knocked some rocks loose jumping onto some boulders overlooking the valley. The ledge was only about two feet wide that we landed on, with a rocky overhang. The rocks pattered against the stones below us, and two tiger cubs burst out of the rocks below and scampered into the forest, followed shortly thereafter by their mother. She looked back at us, not the least bit frightened or concerned. I made a chuffing noise and blinked my eyes at her. She chuffed back, after a moment's consideration, and vanished into the underbrush behind her cubs.
              “Oh, great, now tigers.” One of the women said, hugely disappointed.
              I was thinking that tigers were a good sign, it meant enough game to support top predators, and a usable path to water, and therefore the possibility of escape. Tigers could climb, but not really much better than people, faster, but not better, so I knew there had to be a path down to the valley below, and likely back to civilization. I was glad that none of the tigers looked thin.

              That was the last one of a series of three dreams I had, I tried to remember the first couple of dreams, even using the strategy of giving them titles. It didn't work. By the time I finished up my work day, even the fancy titles were forgotten. I know the first dream had a science fiction, distant future feel to it, and that Little John figured prominently in the second dream, but other than that vague bit of recollection, nothing. I am sure that if I could remember the titles I would be able to recover more. If I remember before falling asleep tonight. After that, not a chance.