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On the third day of her ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, Stephanie Nielson felt sharp pain, right where the scar bands wrap around her ankles. With the elevation increasing, she could feel the bands tightening, cutting into her legs like tourniquets. Still ahead was a grueling hike up the Barranco Wall, a steep ridge on the mountain's south side known for testing climbers' endurance.
Concerned about her discomfort, the doctors on the hike suggested that a porter carry Nielson's backpack through the tenuous stretch. But Nielson declined the offer. In 2008, she'd survived a plane crash that left burns on more than 80% of her body. She insisted she could carry her pack to the top.
