A Sad Day to Camp 3
Well they say bad things happen in 3 and boy did they on May
5th on Camp 3! Ronnie and my plan was just to set off from Camp 2
and go and “touch” Camp 3. I set off about 7 AM and was back by about 1 PM. The
good news is we made it up and down safe and sound and in really good time. I
was surprised, as I felt pretty lousy that morning and had no idea how I was
going to push through! I was by then 3 nights of sleep deprivation and feeling
pretty nauseous as a result. Then after
walking for less than an hour out of Camp I got news that a Sherpa from another
team had died at Camp 3. He had had tea and then died shortly thereafter. Someone
from his team shared the news with me on the route and it was a sad and
sobering moment. My heart went out to his family and friends and in my head I
just thought how now was the start of the accidents on the mountain, as the
summit push got closer and everyone got higher up the mountain. It is a sad
reality of this and many mountains unfortunately, and I was saddened by how
desensitized we had to be to death, as we all just carried on up the
mountain. Once I got on the actual
Lhotse face it was full focus up this vertical sheet of ice and every step had
to count! I was surprised I was breathing ok and moving relatively well, then
as I looked up and down I thought, “Georgina, now you are having fun….you are
totally fine and going to make it to Camp 3!” I was having fun, the challenge,
the incredible landscape, the fact that this was a final rite of passage before
the final push…it was all good. Yet, just before arriving to Camp 3, Jang Bu
and I stopped to chat to another climber I knew and his Sherpa and then the
Sherpa started smoking! Then I really felt like I couldn’t breathe and was
amazed he could manage this cigarette! Just as I was going to ask Jang Bu to
get away from this guy, this horrible call came in on the other Sherpa’s walkie
talkie….I have honestly never heard screams like I did on that call :( Turns out on of the
Sherpas from another team was hit on the back of the head by a falling piece of
rock or ice on the Lhotse face! Luckily he was helped down to Camp 2 and
helicoptered off the mountain to Kathmandu. I am not sure if he was climbing
with a helmet ,but it is a sad reality that many Sherpa do not. At that point Jang Bu told me that the
mountain was too dangerous that day and that we would make it to Camp 3, drop
our load, and head down. As we approached Camp 3, Jang Bu went ahead to find
our tents and then popped up and announced he had found them….I mustered out a
“wooohooo!” We then chilled out with the Adventure Consultants crew and took a
little rest. At that point, as I was about to start taking some photos, we saw
the Sherpa body retrieval effort go by. It was very sad indeed and an
incredible effort by over 7 Sherpas to get this body down. There are two sets
of ropes going up the Lhotse face, so the body went down one set and all the
other climbers used the other set of ropes whether going up or down. Needless
to say the one set of ropes got crowed quick, especially as there was a team of
at least 15 headed up and about 15 of us headed down. At one point about 20
people were on one section of rope and 2 anchors! Trying to pass the team
coming up consisted of clipping around them. At one point one of the climbers
from that team coming up, took my safety off and just held onto it, I quickly
grabbed it out of his hand and reclipped! That is a big no no, you never take off
someone else’s safety. Just one of the many problems of having inexperienced
climbers on this mountain. Once we got down to Camp 2, I also found out a
climber from another team had to be choppered off due to pulmonary edema.
Basically, the same helicopter had to touch down on Camp 2 three times: to get
the body, rescue the injured Sherpa, and rescue the ill climber. All very
sobering and my heart went out to the families involved; I was so very grateful we were all safe and a
good reminder you can take nothing for granted on this mountain.
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| Happy to be making my way up the Lhotse Face! |
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| Jang Bu showing me how it's done! |
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| We Made It To Camp 3! |
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| Body Retrieval Effort Down the Lhotse Face |
Sherpas are AMAZING
The human effort and spirit of the Sherpas is truly
remarkable. I have said this before, but every day I am here I am moved and
inspired by them and their genuine good heart and nature. Just like Phuri went up to the South Col and
back to Camp 2 in time to make dinner with a smile. Their physical strength and
endurance is something super human. Their kindness and care after us westerners
is extraordinary. I couldn't be here without them, like most on this mountain.
Jang Bu, my Sherpa for this trip is incredibly kind and diligent about my
safety and well being He has begun to strategize with me about our summit push
and gave me coaching tips for during my rest time. Meanwhile, while I am
resting he will be pushing up to the South Col to make sure things are in place
for our big push.
On our decent back through the ice fall, I was about to get
on one of the vertical ladders when I looked over the ledge and was greeted by
a big smile from one of the ice fall docs that was securing the ladder and
cutting away excess rope. He said a nice big hello, asked which team I was on,
then went down the ladder and called up, “didi, you can come now.” He was the
sweetest and making all of our lives safer by securing ladders along the ice
fall.
More on this in a future post as well.
The Everest Community
I mentioned this the last time, but climbing Everest takes a
community and a big thank you to all the Sherpas, Ice Fall doctors, expedition
leaders, doctors, and more that help keep us climbers safe. Even among the
climbers, for the most part if we can help each other in some way we do. I was
grateful for one of the Spanish climbers that happen to have eye drops at Camp
2 and helped me with my super sore eyes! It is really an incredible effort by
an amazing community and more on that in future posts, but I wanted to
acknowledge the fact, as I have become more aware and so very grateful. I know
on the summit push things become a bit more cut throat, I did after all have
about 15 people pass me as I fell ill on my last summit attempt, but I also
recognize that is part of the deal. Things seem to change that night.
Mind Games
I alluded to this the last time, but the mental games have
begun, especially in the sleepless nights in a freezing tent, or when people
are falling ill around you. You have the moments of thinking “what am I doing
here again.” Then you reach a major milestone and you realize that even though you are uncomfortable there is so much passion and love for what you are doing it and why
you are doing it. This is an Everest for Congo climb and the women of Congo I
read about back in 2007 in Glamour magazine gave me the drive and inspiration
to turn a dream into a reality of climbing mountains. Their story and their
strength gave me and still give me strength and have made an impact in my life
to push limits I didn't think possible. It may sound crazy to many, but just
the truth and how it happened.
Now while I say that, I have to be honest, as I have had
some tough moments and second guessed myself and being here and the sacrifice
and prep that has gone in the last 3 years trying to climb this one mountain
twice! When you hurt from the cold, you think you will lose your mind from no
sleep, and when your lungs hurt for that one bit of air to take another step; you
have to dig deep and know why you are doing this and also have so much
gratitude for having the opportunity to make your dreams come true and follow
what is true to your heart. I don’t expect everyone to understand why this
level of effort is worth it, it just is. That is what I have to remind myself.
Everything here takes effort, and keeping a good mental attitude is key.
Luckily there are lots of things and people to keep you inspired here and make
you realize that you could actually do more.
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| Happy and friendly faces after making it down from Camp 3...with Cason and his Sherpa :) |
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| tent living going on 6 weeks down at EBC |
Rocks of Love
So in my previous blog I talked about choosing love over
fear and I have to say this mountain has been reminding me of that with rocks
of love, literally! So not only did I find the one little heart shaped rock I
talked about last time, I have found more! Also, when I got back to Base Camp
this last time, my tent had to be relocated while I was away. The Sherpa crew
at Base Camp was kind enough to do this for me while I was away and put
everything back in my tent perfectly, except for the little heart shape rock I
had found before. I was pretty bummed and spent yesterday afternoon looking for
it amongst all the other rocks around my tent, seemed like a hopeless effort at
the time….BUT I FOUND IT! And on top of finding it, I found another heart
shaped rock, and then found another one today.
These little rocks of love as I call them are my reminder to always
choose love over fear and that love and kindness is all around in some way. Very
grateful for these little signs from above. Also a nice reminder of the love
and kindness that awaits when I get home.
Maybe this sounds cheesy, but I am a big softy for those who know me.
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| Old heart shaped rock and new one! |
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| And another one :) |
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| Can you spot the heart??? |
Thick Air, Rest, and
Reflection
So the plan is to rest at lower altitude, eat, sleep, and
prepare for one last big final push! More to come, but I will be resting at least
till May 12th down the valley. I will have access to email and
internet and will update more as I know more. Now the waiting game begins for
the weather window that will allow us all to try and see if we can indeed reach
the top of the world! It will be later May as weather is looking bad for the
next week. I plan to get some yoga in,
short hikes, and visits to the nearby monastery-I will be heading to Deboche
for the remainder of the rest period and it sits in the middle of a forest, so
I get to see TREES and rhododendrons! :)
I had to wish some of my new climbing friends good luck, as we might now be on different summit bid schedules, so there is a chance I may not see them until after the push. That was a bit sad too, as there is a big part of me that wishes we could all go up together.
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| Seeing greenery and cute yaks during my rest brings a smile! |
New Oxygen Strategy
and Health
Things will be different for me this time going up, and I
will be sleeping on oxygen at Camp 3 on the summit push, not spend a night at
the South Col before our summit push if we can avoid it, and use a different
flow of oxygen at different stages of the summit push. I have talked it through
with Jang Bu and Ronnie and many of the other guides and Sherpas on the
mountain and feel confident in the plan and feel I will be in a better position
this time. I hope and pray that mother nature and my body cooperate this time,
but as I said nothing can be taken for granted here. Like I mentioned I have
lost less weight than last time! This is really good news and my appetite is
going strong :) I
have been taking aspirin and stretching tons to counter balance another
medicine I am on that can cause blood clotting, so no problems there either. I
had had trouble on my first rotation to Camp 2 with extreme leg and muscle
spasms in my tent, but that is all resolved now. As for my eyes, the eye drops
are doing wonders!
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| Why I haven't lost weight! This was breakfast at Base Camp Yesterday!!! |
What I Miss
I am definitely more home sick this time than the last time
I was here. I am dreaming of warm places
and yummy foods-what I wouldn’t give for some gallo pinto and queso frito,
pupusas, Porto’s Bakery, a nice juicy steak!
I miss my close friends and loved ones. I missed getting dressed up. I
miss dancing. I miss clean sheets and a warm bed. I miss Oliver my cat. I miss
the beach and seeing the water. Being without puts things in perspective, so
for that I am grateful and feel blessed.
As for the dancing….I have my fair collection of cheesy
dance music and so when it’s safe and I am not in a hazard climbing zone, I put
my ear buds in and have my own little dance party like today on my 5 hour hike
down to Pheriche :)
If you want a taste of my selection here you go!
And of course, there is old school Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, and
keeping it chill with Pretty Lights :)
Well more soon, I am healthy and in good spirits and
grateful for being here. Thank you for those that have sent warm messages of
support and encouragement. They really mean so much. A big shout-out and thank
you to my two friends that made this journey possible for me. You are in my thoughts
every day and you know who you are :)
As always, if you would like to support our efforts, please
visit www.climbtakeaction.com and
share with others if you can :) All proceeds to go International Medical Corps and V-DAY for their efforts for
women in Democratic Republic of Congo and you can learn more on our
website….all donations are tax deductible and none of the funds to go to the
climbing expenses.
Almost down to the home stretch!
Big hugs,
G
