Describe the first step on the way to the summit.

• A. 65 ft; 7:00 am; -35 degrees; no clouds; first 10 ft up a left crack, then a traverse across an unstable ledge, then a scramble between two boulders; top at 8:30 am.
• B. 50 ft; 6:00 am; -20 degrees; straight wall.
• C. 65 ft; 7:00 am; -35 degrees; no clouds; first 10 ft up a left crack, then a traverse across an unstable ledge, then a scramble between two boulders; top at 8:30 am.
• D. 100 ft; 7:30 am; -10 degrees; calm ascent.

Answer: (C)

The starting action is the crucial idea here: what you actually do first as you begin the climb. The best description specifies the initial movement you must perform right away—climbing the first ten feet up a left crack. This identifies the first step of the ascent, then it goes on to outline the subsequent moves (traverse across an unstable ledge, scramble between two boulders) that follow from that opening move. The other descriptions either skip detailing the very first move or describe a different starting feature (like a straight wall) or omit the initial action entirely, so they don’t answer the prompt as precisely.