As I stood at the base of the mountain range beside a remote African village, the male villagers all repeated the same question: Are you certain you want to climb the mountain?
It had1been climbed by local and foreign men, and local women, but a Western female, who had2 unaccompanied and wanted to climb the mountain, was quite 3.
I explained that I'd been4for some time-in research and in physical strength-and showed them the5I had got from their government authorizing my climb. I stressed that I'd be very6to keep their local traditions and hire one of their villagers as a guide, but it seemed to do little to reduce their7.
The male villagers told me that the" quick mud" I'd meet would swallow me. While they couldn't remember anyone this bad actually8, they seemed convinced it was a real 9. The village women, however, smiled at me, indicating their10for my climb.
The men11relaying stories of unpredictable danger. However, I was12 because my aunt's words kept 13in my ears-the greatest risk is not taking a risk, and we should always 14our dreams.
Eventually, the men agreed to a(n)15that seemed to put them at ease with my climb. Besides the local guide I'd hire, they also16 me to hire three men guards with guns, for protection.
As I started walking down the dirt path toward the mountain, I was17not only by my new mountain support team, but also by every village woman. While two women walked hand-in-hand with me, the others danced in circles around us as if in 18of a victory.
I knew I wasn't the first Western female to make the climb. But with the women villagers19accompanying me, I felt a strong sense of 20. And I suspected they felt the same.
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