Day 18: Last 24 Hours - The World Record is Coming
Today we moved from Komşu to Camry. Now we are at 6300m altitude. It was a tough hike. It took us six hours in total to get here. We had our ice boots and crampons on, following the ropes and secure lines. We saw a lot of ice, and it was good that the Sherpas were in front of us, checking the route so we could follow the safe path. We had icy snow and wind; there was a snowstorm, and visibility was really low.
I was quite concerned because we couldn’t see 50m ahead. Normally, the Sherpas said that this weather is not ideal for going up; they usually wouldn’t go, but it seemed safe enough, and we have a total of five days of delay in our program. Now everyone is tired, exhausted, and wants to get the job done. We also feel tension with the Sherpas. They said that normally they work two days and rest one day, but now they have been working non-stop for eight days for this mission. We can feel the tension and exhaustion from all parties. No one said this was an easy journey. If it were easy, everyone could break a record. We knew it’s a tough road, and no matter the storm or sun, we are in this together.
Tomorrow morning is the big day; we will do ice swimming and hopefully break the world record. The team is exhausted but also excited. I have reflected on our human behavior through small discussions with the Sherpas. No matter where we are or what we do, every human being needs to feel respected, accepted, loved, needed, and important. If one of those needs is not fulfilled, then tension increases between people, leading to more misunderstandings. Especially in tough times, it’s not easy to fulfill all the needs of every person.
We arrived at our last camp at 3 pm, and then the snowstorm started. We had a snowstorm the whole day. When we arrived, we went to our own tents to avoid the storm. It’s now 7 pm, and still no hot water. It’s freezing cold; we are exhausted, can't sleep, and can’t do anything because of the cold and exhaustion. We are hungry, thirsty, and cold. It’s a really extreme situation. Imagine hiking with uncomfortable ice boots with crampons, following fixed lines for five hours in a snowstorm, arriving at the final camp, and not getting any food or water. The only thing you can do is try to warm up with your own body temperature, with the outside temperature about -10°C. We respect the Sherpas and are grateful for them. Let’s see when we get food and hot water. I still have a package of soup with me and am just dreaming of a hot soup.
Day 19
All night I couldn’t sleep. We didn’t get any hot water, just one small cup of soup. It was freezing cold, and I felt the ice under my sleeping bag despite the insulation. The altitude was 6200m, which made breathing difficult. I forgot to take my Diamox, which helps with altitude sickness. At 5 am, I took some painkillers and Diamox, hoping to feel better in a few hours before the record attempt.
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