An extremely long uphill on a good path, and ex-Marine started getting nauseous from exertion (he tends to hike too fast), and altitude. With the "jets" already at the top of the pass, he stopped to lie down along the trail after heaving up breakfast. A 15-minute rest, and Rob along with the two of us proceeded slowly up...and up...and up until the top was in sight with gorgeous views.

A brief bit of information on hiking at altitude. Unless you, like Ann, live at altitude, there is no such thing as hiking too slowly. Jacques, a wonderful mountain guide with Rob and us in Kyrgyzstan, taught us that. You are supposed to take a step...rest on the back leg...take another step...rest on that leg...all the way to the top, getting there rested and in good shape. The next time you watch a documentary about K2 or Everest and wonder why the climbers are hiking at a snail's pace, you'll understand.