Hoggar Heights
"Tamilla guides climbers up the Hoggar Mountains. When mountaineer Klaus arrives conquering Algerian peaks, she shows him that some summits reach you. 'El jabal y'ayyet' (الجبل يعيّط) - The mountain calls."
The Hoggar rose like prayers from sand. Tamilla knew every approach.
"Summit expedition?" Klaus requested.
"El jabal ma yetconquerech." Mountains aren't conquered. "Yetzawrou."
They're visited.
Her routes defied climbing logic—easier paths that led higher, harder paths that taught more.
"Standard alpine approach—"
"El jabal y'ayyet."
"Mountain calls?"
"Y'ayyet l'elli yesma'."
She was substantial—mountain-built, body that moved through altitude like home.
"What's the difficulty rating?"
"Ma nratich."
"Every climb needs grading."
"El jabal y'aref grade ta'ou."
Days on the rock taught him. Klaus saw routes appear that maps didn't show.
"This passage wasn't here yesterday."
"El jabal yeftah."
"Mountain opens?"
"El jabal y'ayyet."
"What is the mountain calling?"
"Y'ayyet elli yhtaj yetla'."
Night brought different climbing—spirit routes, paths that led inward.
"Wayn rani?"
"Fi el jabal."
"Inside the mountain?"
"El jabal f'dakhlek."
"Tamilla..."
"El jabal qalli."
"Mountain told you?"
"Yqoul you're ready for the real summit."
She kissed him at altitude.
"Hada..."
"El qimma."
She undressed in thin air, her curves geological.
"Mein Gott," he breathed.
"El jabal," she said. "Ana jabal."
He climbed her like ascending—finding holds, trusting weight.
"Klaus," she moaned.
"Hna." He found her peak. "El qimma."
She summited beneath him, pleasure elevated.
"Dkhol," she gasped. "El tla'."
He ascended into her, and understood what climbing meant.
"El jabal y'ayyet," she cried.
"Jawbek."
I answered.
Their rhythm was climbing—reach, pull, rise.
"Qrib," she warned.
"M'aya." He summited into her. "El jabal y'ayyet."
They peaked together, pleasure elevated. Klaus held her through the descent.
"El expedition?" she asked.
"Complete."
"Wach lqit?"
"Not summit. Yourself."
His mountaineering transformed—pilgrimage over conquest, listening over forcing.
"El approach?" climbers asked.
"El jabal y'ayyet."
Now he climbs beside her, learning what summits miss.
"El mountaineer w el dalilat el jabal," they say.
"El jabal jab'na," Tamilla smiles.
"El jabal ykhallina," Klaus adds.
Some mountains climb their climbers.