What would the mountaineers do soon after they got up?

W: Last year my friend and I went climbing in the Himalayas. We followed an unhurried routine. Every day we would get up at 5:30 a.m., have a cup of tea, and be on the move after 6. Our kitchen staff would go ahead to select a suitable place for breakfast. Arriving at some pleasant stream after two or three hours, we would make a long stop; and while the cook was making the fire and preparing our breakfast, some of us would swim and rest, some would read and write, others would watch birds or catch butterflies and insects. We would reach camp in the early afternoon, so that we would have plenty of time to settle in, write diaries and reports for newspapers, and discuss future plans.
     Our climbs, as well as the leisure hours in camp, helped to form firm friendship. Through comparing our very different backgrounds and interests, and through discussing our experiences, we soon came to appreciate one another.
     At the same time, we also made Mends with our native guides. An arrangement which seemed to give mutual pleasure in our Himalayan travel was that each person was cared for by a faithful follower. This person would bring them their tea in the morning, lay out their sleeping bag at night, help them to carry their personal belongings and encourage them all the way whenever we faced difficulties and danger.