We didn’t need to wait long. Spetember 28th to 30th mid-day was going to be the weather window. Perfect for us as we still would have 2 rest days before heading up for the 4-day summit push plan.
No one wanted to talk about it, but everyone was anxious. Will our bodies last in the extreme altitude? What about the strenuous climb from camp 3 to camp 4? Will our oxygen tanks work? There was one more factor which is our loads would be the heaviest on the summit trip. We would be carrying all of our stuff except for food and tents(which I am incredibly grateful that the Sherpa guides would be helping us with.)
There is only one way to find out. Bidding goodbye to the base camp staff, we marched on slowly. The plan for me was to move slow till camp 4 to conserve energy. Then turn on the gas from camp 4 to the summit.
The vinegar and the soy sauce were a huge win. I was able to keep down a normal portion of food. I also brought my own snacks which was also a great decision as I could keep my body fueled with food my body was already familiar with. Lastly, I brought protein powder to help my body recover every day, though the taste of the powder was less agreeable.
The climb from camp 3 to camp 4 was very tough. 2000 feet of loose snow wall at 45-70 degree angle was tough on our bodies and minds. At this point, you can choose to use oxygen. I decided to not use it for as long as possible. Surprisingly my body handled the 7000m+ very well without oxygen. That is until the sixth hour rolled around and we heard a climber passed away without the use of oxygen.
My Sherpa guide Pema suddenly turned to me and said: “There is climber died without using oxygen. You will his body up ahead. Put on your oxygen, don’t worry, I am here.” We were at 7250m, just a bit short of camp 4. I wasn’t going very fast. Perhaps it’s because of worrying about my energy level, perhaps it’s my speed, or perhaps it’s seeing Brent’s body, I decided to put on oxygen. I’m proud of myself for making it that far without oxygen. Perhaps I could have gone a lot further, but seeing Brent lying there without oxygen might have been too much for me to handle.
Then I saw him. Two Sherpa guides were using ropes to move Brent’s body. Faced with the sudden reminder of our own mortalities, I suddenly felt emotional. Passing by Brent was a slow affair even with oxygen. I gave my “climber’s salute” to the brave soul before slowly continuing my way to camp 4.
At camp 4, we all elected to not talk about it. Each thought and griefed their own way. We had a goal and job to do here. There was very little room for doubts now. We are going ahead tonight whether ready or not.
Three of us squeezed in one tent and try to get as much sleep as one can on the summit night. We are to start pushing at 1 am. Thinking of the tiring day, of Brent, of the uncomfortable oxygen mask, of the upcoming slopes, I slowly drifted asleep with Queen’s Gambit. Hopefully, I could wake up walking like a queen.
And I did. After a usual late start to my alpine start time, Pema and I started our summit bid. Slowly I worked my way out of the early morning struggles. I felt fast. 3 and half hours later, we are already at the bottom of the last climb to the summit. There was just one small problem, it was way too early. At 4:45 am, the sun was nowhere close to the horizon. It was cold and slightly windy. After talking to Pema, we decided to slow down the pace and stop to fix my oxygen mask problem. (It froze inside the house because I kept turning the oxygen tank off without knowing the actual effect of turning it off). Slowly, we saw the sun rises over the horizon. Then, we saw the summit and the end of the fixed rope. “That’s the summit,” Pema said. “Please use your safety on the edges.” As carefully traversed the knife’s edges close to the summit, we saw the Nepalese flag and the prayer flags. The summit. The destination we had been dreaming about.
It was a little over 6 am when I arrived by the flags that marked the summit. The summit was very small and Pema, worried about our safety with the approaching crowd was keen to have us staying for a very long time.
I didn’t have time to contemplate or get into any sentimentalist mood. Time to move down, all the way down.
Picking up more weight each camp I visited, I began my 10-hour packing and descending back to base camp. It was already dark by the time I arrived. Descending a bit over 7700 feet, my big toes took the brunt of the hit, literally. Finally sitting at the base camp dining tent, we congratulated each other for a very long but successful day. We ended with 100% summit, all skiers and snowboarder descend success, three no-O2 ascend success, and one no high camp support success. What a team! Huge thanks to my teammates, the Sherpa guide team, the Satori base camp team. Couldn’t have done it without all of them. (PC to Stephan Locher for the photos below)
And finally cheers to all who supported us, my amazing teammates, my tentmate Somat, and all whom I did not mention throughout my posts. Thank you!
