In endurance sports 'hitting the wall' is a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores which results in sudden fatigue and disorientation. This quartet grew out of the experience of marathon running, though it does no try to describe the experience but aims to reflect something of the sense of exhaustion, disorientation, and exhilaration which can come from going to the limits of one's endurance. The piece was written for the Ligeti Quartet.