Frank carefully checked the batteries and memory card in his camera. This was going to be a once in a lifetime shot and he wasn't going to miss it because he hadn't gone over his equipment. The camera itself was strapped to his waist in a custom designed case that would protect the fragile lens but also keep the glass from fogging up at a crucial moment. The case also allowed him to work the camera with one hand with no risk of dropping the camera.
He checked with his safety crew and they gave him the thumbs up. Jim and the others would monitor his progress from the ground and let him know where his target was. Jim was also an expert climber and would be able to give advice on the best route to the nest.
Frank slapped his hands together and started up. He took a few practice shots while the climbing was still easy. The case worked perfectly. He climbed slowly but steadily up the sheer face of granite. He couldn't see any wings, but that was a good thing. He hoped to get close enough to the nest to be able to settle in and let the condors relax. Even after the astonishing recovery they had made in recent years they were still a rare and precious breed.
Frank came to the first of the really difficult parts of the climb. All the training that he had put in for this day paid off and he made the traverse with a minimum of trouble. The next stretch was a long climb up a crevice in the cliff. He took a drink from his bottle and tried to relax.
The crevice took a bit longer than he had planned but he was still in good shape when he reached the top. This was where things could get tricky. He was in sight of the nest for this stretch. Frank snapped some quick shots of the nest perched in the centre of a vast expanse of rock. He could barely see the tiny ledge that supported the nest. The nestlings were apparently sleeping. He couldn't see them anyway.
He worked his way up the cliff anxiously scanning the sky for the appearance of the huge wings that would mean the parent condors were back. Jim kept him up to date from below as well. He came to a section of cliff that was smooth and almost featureless. He had to move away from the nest and try to set some pitons to hold his weight while he moved across the rock. He found a good spot and set the piton. He was just swinging his hammer to lodge it securely when an adult condor flew within feet of him.
Frank dropped the hammer. He took a hand from the cliff face to grab his camera, but the shift in weight loosened the piton. He could either take pictures or hold on to the cliff. He took a moment to glance down. It was a long way down. He wasn't sure that the rope would hold if he slipped. He looked over to the nest and saw the young condors getting ready to fly.
Frank let go of the cliff and snatched up his camera.