Like Hemingway, and like the character out of his novel The Sun Also Rises, Wilson Ford is a renowned novelist with a 'secret' that motivates him to act with abandon. In order to hone his skills, and to prove his mettle, Ford puts his courage to trial by performing daring, bold, and often outrageous deeds. Against his wife's wishes, Ford cajoles Bronson into a hike that pits the older Ford against a youthful Bronson in a dangerous trek.