After we had completed roughly 80% of the climb we crested a small rise and came face-to-face with our next obstacle. These malevolent beasts roamed freely on the mountainside and threatened to turn back even the heartiest of souls. The few hikers that we had passed making their descent we heard wailing sorrowfully at the misfortune of losing a member of their party to these behemoths. After a moment of uncertainty, we girded our collective loins and somehow found the strength to persevere.