Matt and I felt the humming in our ears and static in the air at the same time but remained silent more out of curiosity than shock. It couldn't be - we're gonna' get struck by fucking lighting - the thought came to us. Visibility was down to 10ft, and we couldn't find the anchors to get back down the 15 rappels to the ground. Hail and snow had been falling off and on intermittently for hours, and now that we were on the summit of the Lotus Flower Tower in a full gale. 

Matt climbed down 15 feet unroped over the edge of the tower. It began to hail again, and it stung our hands and faces. The wind was howling so loud we had to yell even when we were standing near each other. After a few minutes he called up that he had set the anchor. I followed, eyes feeling like marbles. I couldn't fathom blinking as to let my guard down, and in that nuance of time; a foot could slip, a boulder dislodge, a lighting bolt could strike. I clipped myself into the two stoppers and waited as Matt went down first.

After hours of rappelling and fighting hypothermia we finally got back to the ground at midnight.