With each passing moment, the winds whipped fiercely around us, transforming the once majestic mountain into a roaring tempest. I could see my companions waver, their faces etched with the weariness of the climb and the biting cold that seeped through our gear. Clinging to fleeting hope, we huddled together, sharing body heat and whispers of encouragement, yet the reality was inescapable: the mountain was asserting its dominance over us.
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