As the gondola descended from the summit, the thick cloud surrounding us disappeared in a fraction of a second. In that instant, it became crystal clear just how high off the ground we were (at least 1,000 feet), and just exactly how fast we were descending. It was a heart-stopping moment. When the view suddenly appeared, an old German man next to me yelled, "Ach! Mein Gott! Scheiss!" Even those of us on the gondola who didn't speak German knew exactly what he said, and we all agreed with him. The laughter helped reduce the sudden terror a little bit, but not much. The photo is blurred because my hands were shaking.