Banner In The Sky

Early the next morning, the men make their final preparations. They bring three days of supplies, knowing if the Citadel can’t be conquered in three days, “it probably could not be climbed at all” (184). Old Teo insists on staying at the hut to prepare food for the climbers when they return. Franz sends a friend down to tell Ilse they found Rudi and he is staying at the hut. As Rudi packs his knapsack, he is filled with gratitude for Winter, Teo, and his uncle who “finally accepted him” (186). Rudi insists on bringing his climbing staff, despite Saxo’s insistence that it will entrap him somewhere. The other men take them where the trail parts in two directions: to the mountain or back to Kurtal. Teo reminds Rudi to remember what he learned and, if he is in trouble, to ask, “What would my father have done?” (188). They climb without stopping until they make it past the avalanche area. When they reach the base of the fortress, Saxo insists on going to the right, insisting that he does “not care what the boy has done” (191). When Winter refuses to follow his advice, Saxo scowls. As he climbs up the narrow shaft on the ridge, his staff begins scraping against the rock. While his uncle repeatedly tells Rudi to untie the staff, he manages to make it up with his staff in tow. They climb without an obstacle. When a large bird of prey swoops around, Rudi feels a surge of joy, and he yodels.

The group continues to climb up the spine of the ridge all afternoon. They have no issues, although Winter stops to cough a few times. When Franz and Saxo begin arguing about which direction to go, Winter says that both look doable and goes with Saxo’s route. As evening approaches, they set up camp near the shoulder of the mountain, staring at the “grim forbidding mass” (198) above them. 

During the freezing night, Rudi awakes only once, to the sound of Winter coughing in the other tent. The next morning, as they eat and drink tea, Franz questions whether the captain’s injury is made worse by the altitude, but Winter brushes this off. Leaving some supplies to lighten their load, the group resumes climbing up the ridge at a steady pace. Rudi worries that Winter is strained, foreshadowing his illness at the top of the mountain. even though he never complains. Rudi thinks Winter “most deserves to make it” (202). Rudi’s growing character shows the same commitment to his climber that his father did.

When they reach the base of the mountain, it seems like an “absolutely perpendicular wall” (203). There is no way to tell whether a route will make it up the whole wall, so they begin climbing through trial and error. They repetitively advance and retreat, showing Rudi that climbing is a slow and intentional process, not just “guts and glory.” This process also shows how small people are in contrast to nature, as Rudi realizes that they are “clinging like insects” (206). As soon as they choose not to climb up a particular funnel-shaped chimney, a “cascade of loose rocks” (207) tumbles down, showing how precarious their position is. After Saxo leads the way on a particularly challenging section, Rudi notices that Franz shows admiration for the “magnificent exhibition” (208), showing his ability to appreciate his skill despite their differences. Rudi slips for a moment. While he knows the rope will catch him, needing help from the others embarrasses him. When they reach an exceptionally dangerous section called the “Needle,” Winter insists on going first. The others know that Winter doesn’t consider himself a better climber but wants to take the risk himself before asking the others to do so. After over an hour of danger, Winter cannot make it across. Franz and Saxo both try, but neither makes it. Rudi asks to go through the inside: It is far too narrow for a man to fit, but Rudi thinks he could squeeze through, reach the top, and anchor a rope for the others. Although Franz hesitates, he allows Rudi to go, showing his increasing trust in him as their adventure continues.

Making his way through the cleft in the rock is nerve-racking. Not only does Rudi have to claw in the dark for hand holds, as it becomes increasingly narrow, he feels claustrophobic. When the walls bottleneck around him, Rudi realizes that he is stuck. Seized by panic, he thinks he is “suffocating in a black grave” (219). Calming himself, Rudi feels that he is “a mountaineer again” (219) and deliberates. He manages to work his arms upward. After slow maneuvering, Rudi creeps up the shaft until he can see daylight above. He shouts victoriously as he emerges through the Needle’s eye. Struck by the brightness of day, Rudi sees Kurtal beneath him and the summit above him. He ties a rope around a rock and tosses it down to the other climbers, who soon join him. Franz wraps his arms around Rudi tightly, showing that while Rudi earned respect as a member of the crew, Franz still feels fiercely protective of him.