I continued with whatever 'qualified climbers' I could con into this rather unpromising venture.

Actually, we're just glorified flagpole sitters.

I was spent up. I sure grabbed that girl of mine.

My once-keen analytical mind has become so dulled by endless hours of baking in the hot sun, thrashing about in tight chimneys, pulling at impossibly heavy loads, freezing my ass off.... so that now my mental state is comparable to that of a Peruvian Indian, well stoked on coca leaves...

As I hammered in the last bolt and staggered over the rim, it was not at all clear to me who was the conqueror and who was the conquered. I do recall that El Cap seemed to be in much better condition than I was.

He liked to play chess and do intelligent things, and I was a serious drinker and nonthinker.

I do recall that El Cap seemed to be in much better condition than I was,

Screwing is more enjoyable than drilling bolt holes !.

I couldn't catch a ball or any of that stuff. I could do only what required brute stupidity.