08-05-2012 – Base Camp – Expedition Rescue plan

Altitude: 5300m

Atmospheric Pressure: 560mbar

Trek: 0kms

Is today the day when we get back to thinking about climbing?

After sleeping on the cost of switching team, lots of thoughts cross my mind, am I going too far, should I just go home? Is it worth the money? Where can I find the extra money from? How about the risks? This whole thing is now costing me a huge amount of money, most of it borrowed. Bloody mid life crisis!!

Fact is, I’m here, healthy (ish) and acclimatised, it’s now or never. There won’t be another opportunity before a long time. As somebody I know says “If in doubt, push like F@@@!”.

So, let’s not give up so close to knowing whether I can make it to the top of the tallest mountain, not yet.

It’s funny how everybody else in the group has gone home (apart from the soldiers) didn’t those guys think it was worth continuing? How bizarre.

So it’s just Sergey and I (and the soldiers) left from the group.

I’d like to meet up with the new expedition to try to negotiate the cost and they’ve invited us for dinner tonight in their camp, should be interesting.

Until then, my mission for today is to wash my high altitude clothes, I’d put that on hold in case we had to go home, but now it’s looking likely we’ll go up, might as well make most of the sunshine.

Then, after lunch, I, decide to go down to Gorek Shep to update the blog. I haven’t done it since the last rotation, and since then, lots of stuff has happened, sorry about the delay with the updates.

I feel tired going to Gorek Shep, my legs not feeling as strong as I’d like, still, it’s a nice walk down, in a little less than 1 hour.

On the way there, I text my sister to see if she would agree to lend me the extra money at such short notice. A little later, she replies saying that she’s happy to let me have the money, but not so convinced about the level of risks………

Half way down, I overtake a long queue of yaks carrying Himex gear and on the way back I realize that most of the tents have been taking down….. We’re pulling off the mountain. By the 12^th, there’ll be nothing left of the Himex Base Camp…. Ouch.

After getting back, I just manage a quick nap before it’s time to get ready for dinner.

Monica, Adrian, Sergey and I head off for the Patagonicas Brother’s Camp. We set off at 6:30 and arrive at 7pm, just on time. The camp is at the complete opposite end of Base camp, right at the top, near crampon point.

We’re received by Georgie (Base Camp manager) and Damian (Owner, one of the twins) who has just come down from the mountain after having helped fixing the ropes above the Yellow Band (7400m) and up to the south Col, he is a little tired…..

Dinner if fantastic, great food and good atmosphere, those guys seems easy to get on with.

Adrian clarifies a few logistical things (sleeping bags requirements, stove, food, oxygen and masks, radios, shit bags). We then go onto the cost, but unfortunately, those guys are not open to negotiations, it’s that price or nothing, bummer!!

We leave, agreeing that Georgie would bring the paperwork down at lunch time, ready to be signed….. We’re climbing again!!!!!

On the long way back to our Base Camp, we get lost and it’s snowing, well, that the mountain.

It’s great to see Adrian as excited as us about going for a summit push. It’s really great to have him going up with us, there’s no way we would consider going without him, and I think he’s excited about going for yet another summit, he really loves the mountain!!

Also, Monica is trying to stay behind in Base Camp, to support us on the radio, and make sure we’re OK. It’d be great to know she’s around.

Those guys are amazing!!