Altitude: 4850m
Atmospheric Pressure: 587mbar
Well, 1st night in a tent indeed. As I got into my
tent after dinner, the thermometer was reading -8DegC and I was feeling it.
Luckily, I’d filled up my water bottle with hot water and I soon felt very cozy
in my sleeping bag, although any exposed skin was feeling a little chilly.
As we’d walked out of the dining tent, we’d been greeted by
the full moon lighting the whole camp site, and I didn’t need my head torch to
get to my tent. The downside of this however is that is was light for most of
the night.
I slept fairly well, enjoying my own space and woke up a few
time for a “pitstop” and soon my 1.5L pee bottle was brimmed.
In the morning, it sounded like I wasn’t the only one to
have this side effect of altitude and most of the people in the camp
whished they’d have a bigger pee
bottle!!
A couple of us didn’t even have one and had resorted to
using empty boxes of Pringles (apparently they are water tight)!! No joke!!
As I lay awake at 2am,
I listen to the noises of the campsite and I can confirm another side effect of
high altitude: HAFE (High Altitude Flatulence Expulsion). It’s a miracle nobody
dies of suffocation!!
For the first time this trip, we’re all woken up at 7am with hot towel to wash our faces and a cup
of hot sweet tea before we get to breakfast at 8am.
The sun is racing across the plain and soon melts the ice
outside and inside the tents.
Not everybody had a good night sleep, and there are a few
sore faces at breakfast. Headaches, twitchy stomachs and even throat infection
are a sign that this altitude is already catching out the human body. I must
admit, I feel fine, and my rest heart rate (52bpm) is only slightly up from sea
level (42bpm), and definitely down compare to when I was sick (65bpm). My
appetite is good and I stop myself from eating too much, as I don’t think we’re
burning that many calories yet, between short days walk and rest days. I don’t seem
to suffer from headache so far, which is good news and I make sure I keep
hydrated (at least to 3 liters per days).
I decide to have breakfast outside and pull a chair in front
of the dining tent and it’s not long before others realize it’s a shame to be
sitting inside when you can eat at the terrace!
In fact, as we stare at the summit of Lobuche (6100m), we
spot a team of climbers making their way up the snow field, on their way to the
summit. This will be us in a week’s time and we all make comments on how hard
and slow it looks, this should be fun!!
After breakfast, I make most of the sun to go for a short
walk up the hill to get a better view down the valley. We’re surrounded by 6000m+
peaks and the views on this sunny morning are fantastic. I also have a nice
view down to the camp, laid up with military precision.
The camp reflects Russell’s eye for details, with stainless
sinks, tents lined up, dining tents filled up with hot drinks (multitude of tea
flavor, coffee, hot chocolate) and snacks (Pringles, M&Ms, biscuits,, etc…)
.
It’s all there to make the climbers feel like home, without
thinking about being at home.
On the mountain, there is so much down time, from rest days
to waiting for weather window, that mentally, it is very helpful to have such
comfort around us, especially when thinking we’ve got up to 9 weeks ahead of us
in this environment.
One could imagine that the temptation of going home, back to
the luxury, the warmth and families could be quite high and not very productive
up here, so everything is organize as to make us feel “happy” here and I have
to say, everybody seem to agree that Russell’s the best at delivering this.
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