Chapter 1, A Boy and a Mountain Summary

Rudi Matt is a sixteen-year-old boy who desperately wants to climb the Citadel - the mountain that his father died on fifteen years earlier. Living in a small Swiss mountain village, he is constantly reminded of his "legacy." Unfortunately, Rudi's mother and uncle want him to have nothing to do with his father's occupation and have forbidden Rudi from climbing. Ignoring this, Rudi is out on a glacier when he saves the life of a famous climber and gains an ally in his quest to climb the Citadel. Rudi goes up against his family and has to fight some inner demons up on the treacherous slopes. Will he succeed?

As the chapter begins, Rudi Matt sneaks out of work at the kitchen. Teo, the cook, notices almost immediately but doesn't mind. Rudi runs...