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Section B
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The text below is about a rock-climbing expedition embarked upon by two female climbers and a
renowned mountaineer that had gone awry. Read it carefully and answer Questions 5 to 12 in
Question Booklet – Section B.

1 Lauren McLean, a seasoned outdoor enthusiast, embarked on a climbing adventure with her
friend Dana Ries and an experienced mountaineer Michael Ybarra. Both women were eager
to learn from Ybarra. The trio spent two days clambering up difficult rock faces by day and
bedding down at night in dilapidated cabins at the Grand Teton’s Climbers’ Ranch before
tackling a challenging route called the Snaz the next day. 5

2 Ybarra climbed first, threading his rope through metal cams that he jammed into cracks in the
rock; such devices are meant to prevent climbers from falling too far if they lose their footing.
When he finished a pitch1, Ries and McLean followed, using the safety gear he had left
behind. Ybarra managed their ropes – a process known as belaying – reeling in slack until
the women reached his position. Then he climbed the next pitch, and the cycle began again. 10

3 As the day progressed, the weather changed from pleasant to ominous, signalling the
potential for a dangerous thunderstorm. There were two possible routes for the last pitch. As
was his practice, Ybarra opted for the harder one. It required the climbers to scale a three-
metre overhang, clinging to the bottom before heaving themselves over the protrusion. As
Ybarra ascended, the women could hear him grunting with effort. “If this is tough for him, 15
we’re in trouble,” Ries said, exchanging a worried glance with McLean.

4 After Ybarra disappeared over the bulge, Ries tried to follow but struggled to complete the
final pitch, leaving her dangling from her rope hundreds of metres above the canyon floor.
She and McLean yelled to Ybarra for help, but the wind carried away their voices. Lightning
crackled over a nearby peak. The pair knew they would be perfect targets if the storm came 20
closer.

5 McLean pushed herself off the wall and dangled next to Ries. “Why don’t you try shimmying
up my rope?” she said to Ries. “When you get to the top, tell Michael to lower me so that I
can reach the rock and start climbing again.” Grabbing her friend’s lifeline, Ries hauled herself
a few metres above their heads. 25

6 Ybarra was sitting on a broad slab near the top of the buttress, where he had anchored
himself to the rock so that he could safely belay his partners’ ropes. He seemed surprised
when Ries turned up alone, and he winced when she informed him of McLean’s position. “We
need to get her out of there before the wind shifts,” he said.

7 With storm clouds closing in, the situation became dire. Ybarra attempted to rescue her, but 30
a mishap with the belay system caused further complications. The clock was ticking as the
group confronted the possibility of spending the night on the treacherous cliff. Ybarra pulled
out his mobile phone and dialled emergency. A highly skilled search-and-rescue team was
alerted to the situation. Despite the challenges posed by the impending storm, fading light,
and limited manoeuvring space for the helicopter, the team managed to devise a plan to 35
extract McLean from the cliff using a helicopter and a specialised harness.

Adapted from Free Fall by Kenneth Miller

[Turn over

1 A pitch in rock climbing is a section of a route between two anchor points.

AISS 2E EOY 1184/02/2023