Altitude: 5260m to 6000m
Atmospheric Pressure: 590mbar to 510mbar
Trek: 6kms / 6Hrs
Slept Ok, probably 3 to 4 hours, spending the rest of the
time listening to music.
I have fever, so sometimes need the sleeping bag fully open,
sometime fully shut.
4 O’clock, Sergey
goes out to answer a call of nature, and I use this early morning call to start
getting dressed. I forgot how much mental strength is needed to get dressed in
-10DegC tent with clothes at the same temperature, when you need to swap every
item of clothing. When we start getting higher up the mountain, we usually go
to bed fully dressed which make it easier.
Sergey who can witness all my coughing ask me whether I’m
going for the summit, what a silly question J, even if deep down,
I’m also asking the same thing. Would I do more damage to my lungs and throat
by going up today? I reassure myself by pretending that I can always stop half
way up and wait for the others to come back down.
We set off in the dark, with head torches just about being
required.
It’s great to be back on the hill, walking in the snow, and
soon, we also get to our first “fixed” rope, which provides us with safety if
we were to fall in a crevasse, or just slip.
Also, when the slope become very steep, we can use the rope
as additional help to get us up by pulling on it, although this is non
preferred.
The first couple of hours go well, and I’m really enjoying
the view and the feeling to be in the mountain at last. This is so different
trekking, and it feels good to be up here, much less busy, and with a long and
harder day ahead of us.
As the day progresses, I get more and more in pain with my
throat and my lungs. I get the feeling that I only have 50% of my lung capacity
available. Whenever I try to use more, it triggers a coughing fit which sets my
throat and lungs on fire. This is becoming agony!
I start looking at the altitude on my watch: 5500m, not even
half way. To increase the difficulty, the way to the summit is a continual
slope, of more than 50Deg, covered with fresh snow, resulting in one step up, slide
one step down!
This is very quickly becoming a mental fight. I know I can
stop and turn around, but this would be the first time I give up on something
like that, and I’m not quite ready yet.
I convince myself to go up for another 50m, trying not to breathe
too deeply.
Eventually, Bruce, one of the guides catches up with me and
sees how much in trouble I am. He’s telling me to slow down, 2 steps up, stop,
take 4 breaths and so on.
What surprises me, is that he makes me realize that nobody
is behind me. I’m feeling so slow and I’m in pain, but it would seem after all
that it is the same for the others.
With my throat feeling like a 1000 knives, I eventually make
it to the summit, completely worn out and in much discomfort. I’ve tried to
drink some of my water, but even keeping it in my down jacket, it starts to
freeze up and doesn’t really relieves the pain in my throat.
I spend 1 hour at 6000m, looking around and taking in the
views, but also shivering from the occasional snow drifts.
I think my head is fine with the altitude, it’s only the
issue of the throat and lungs which cause me trouble.
It takes me 1 hour to get back to high camp to gather the
kit I had left over from last night, including sleeping mat, food, etc… and I
push on to Lobuche base camp.
It’s 11:30, but I
can’t wait to make it back down, and go straight to bed.
As I walk down, I start to think about the issue with my
lungs. Did I do the right thing to go to the summit today? Have I done any
damage to my lungs and throat? Are my lungs full of mucus and fluid, which is
why I can’t breath fully in? I must admit that the thought crosses my mind that
I might have to call it a day and go back home……. without having chance to have a go at getting to the summit
of Everest, and brought down by a silly cold (at 5300m!!). Even as the path
flattens, I have to stop at the smallest climb to catch my breath and in some
cases sit down. Things are looking very bleak.
As I get to base camp, the next group is there, waiting for
some news on how hard the day has been. They’re going up to high camp this
afternoon and up to the summit tomorrow.
I don’t feel most sociable, and retire in the dinning tents,
to drink hot water with honey and eat some Pringles and Bounty…. Energy.
I manage to wait for lunch, but afterwards, it’s straight to
bed until dinner, when Monica gives me some pills for my throat and also some
paracetamol for my temperature.
I must admit, I still cough a lot (which triggers hot
flushes), but I feel mentally better. After all, I can always switch group,
buying me a further 2 days of recovery, and luckily, we have another 8 days
before the Puja. Hopefully, my body will have recovered by then……… I hope.
It’s a rest day tomorrow, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow
night and decide whether to go up in 1 day (1400m ascent) and spend 2 nights at
the summit, fingers crossed.
It’s been a very, very tough day mentally, with lots going
through my mind and even the thought of having to give up on Everest. Hopefully
it won’t be the case, and my body will work it’s magic and recover once again.
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