Back at Base Camp

This morning I arrived back at base camp from our highest climb so far to camp 3.

The journey to camp 3 started with a climb through the Icefall. To minimize the dangers of climbing through the Khumbu Icefall, we climbed at night. With so many climbers, we broke into two groups - I was in the second, slower group.

We left early in the morning - it was just a few days ago and I am laughing at myself right now because it seems like a lifetime ago and I can't remember exactly what time we left. Let's say 2am.

I unfortunately had a reoccurrence of the muscle pull, this time in my chest and back, so ascending the Icefall became extremely painful after about 2 hours. From then on it seemed every step was painful. Climbing through the Icefall is difficult because you are going up in altitude, so air can be hard to come by, but it also has several short sections of clipping in on one side, then clipping in on the other, stepping over the rope, balancing over ladders. I can understand how someone might say it is 'fun' but I didn't think so. I hated it and wanted it to end five hours before it did. In fact, I arrived at camp 1 in tears. The right side of my body hurt so bad! It was another one of those 'I paid for this?' moments. I found my way to my tent and tried to lie down on my sleeping bag but it hurt to just do that! Getting to one side was also painful. Somebody get me outa here.

As soon as I got some food in me, I took another anti-inflammatory. These are strong anti-inflammatories I brought up just in case this happened. But I honestly, maybe naively, didn't think it would.

The next day we moved up to camp 2 at about 21k feet. This was an easy snow slope with just a few ladders so it went okay. I could easily use my left side only (now it is my right side that hurts, before at Lobuche it was my left and before that my right - this won't end until I am back in Kathmandu, I realize that now).

Camp 2 is well equipped with a kitchen and dining tent. We did not have this at the much smaller camp 1. The plan was to rest a day and then move up the Lhotse Face to camp 3 at roughly 24k ft and roughly 30 minutes to an hour above all the other camps. The Japanese climbers (all stronger, fitter and faster than I am - also older) wanted to stay another night at camp 2 and then move up. I opted to join them. So after two waves of team members moved up to camp 3, we finally went up. I actually climbed with a Sherpa named Bimbi while the Japanese raced up. As I was climbing up, and breathing very hard, I saw several of my teammates coming down. They were all shouting to me to just keep going... so I did. Himex, just to be diffcult, had its camp 3 about an hour above the other camp 3's. Great.

It was a tough day. We left at 5am and I got up there a little before 12:30. This is the highest we will go before using oxygen. The climb was tough because the air is so thin. But the climbing itself is not too icy and steep and I was able to use just the left side of my body to move up the fixed line. It would be steep for a while and then level off and maybe there would be a patch of tough icy and steep climbing but then that would be followed by steps and/or softer snow. There are lines fixed most if not the entire way.

Camp 3 consists of two shelves on a steep snow slope carved out by the Sherpas to place tents. I was exhausted. There is no other way to describe it. I've felt this way before on a mountain and I know I'll recover but man, was I ever beat. My hand went numb at some point. Then my eyesight got blurry. I've never had this happen before! Just when you think you know how to deal with altitude! So I drank a liter of hot tea and ate some food, followed by a one hour snooze, and I was fine. So I guess I dealt with the altitude.

Although I could nap when we first got there, that night it was difficult to sleep because I could not stop breathing hard! Eventually I did sleep but not much.

The next morning the Japanese climbers were up at 6am. I wasn't sure what was going on but was told to descend with a Sherpa. I got up and ready anyway. At 7am I watched the Japanese descend and waited while the two Sherpas took down tents. It gets windy up there so they take down a bunch of tents and store the other tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear, etc... in one tent. I offered to help them but every time I tried it was completely lame. It took me too long to do anything! Finally I found a task I could complete - pick the bag up and put it by the tent. Then I picked up the cooking gear and did the same thing. I think it made me happier than it made the Sherpas. Gave me something to do, which is good because we were there until 10am! Thankfully, it was not too cold in our down suits. There wasn't any wind.

Then down to camp 2 with the Sherpas.

Now it is today. I am at Everest Base Camp (Club Himex) typing on Russ' computer after a hearty lunch. It's 2:30pm. I arrived here with the Japanese climbers at around 11:30am. We left camp 2 this morning at 6am in a fierce wind. I actually thought (hoped) maybe we'd leave a little later because of the wind but I'm glad we didn't.

When we reached the bottom of the Icefall, we stopped to take off our crampons and have a drink and eat chocolate. It was while sitting at 'crampon point' that we heard a thunderous sound. I looked up and saw a huge ball of snow coming straight toward us. It was an avalanche. Since my camera was sitting right there (I've gotten very lazy about taking photos this expedition and my camera has to be readily available for me to even bother), I actually took 2 photos. Then we were in a snowy icy haze for a few seconds. We were well away from danger but I'm not sure about others. Of course we are hearing news constantly but it's hard to know what is true and what is not.

But I wanted to send a post immediately just to assure everyone that I am okay. In fact, I am off to find the shower. It's been about 10 days. Ew.

Sadly, a few of my new friends have left. I miss you all already! We all do!

I'm still here and am resting up for the summit push. No, I am not in my best form, but who is at 17k feet after putting their bodies through all of this?! And I cried..... more than once - at Lobuche and camp 1 because of this stupid muscle pull in my chest!!! So I bought the guides beers who witnessed my tears and who were very supportive. It made me feel better to cry. I know. I admit it! But the Croatian Women's Team would probably never cry. They're pretty tough looking.

To my friend from France, THANK you for the sausage! I will email you later.