Today started out tough as we had to carry our oxygen, and not use it. Plus wearing our down suits, and we got boiling hot.
However after about 1 hour we could start using the oxygen. It was quite annoying because when using the oxygen at the lower end of the “necessary” altitudes, like 6800m, it makes you very hot and it doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything (when it is). So i kept trying to pull the mask off as it was making me claustrophobic. But i kept it on for the most part.
However, at about 6800m, dad decided to turn around. He felt too tired and even with increased oxygen flow rates and caffeine he didn’t fee better. It was hard for me, to have to leave both of my parents, separately, to risk my life climbing up… a big rock.
I said goodbye and continued on with Pemba, who promised dad he would return me safely. We climbed up part of the Lhotse face, which is a huge steep wall to get from camps 2-3 and 3-4. It felt good to be able to go at my own pace, but of course I shed a few tears as I walked away from dad.
Climbing up the face, I saw my first real dead body. It was being dragged down, wrapped in foam mats. I didn’t think i would get emotional seeing this, but i definitely did. It felt so wrong for me to continue climbing up, attempting to do what this person just recently died on. I turned my head away when it got very close to me. I was even wearing the exact same boots as this person. People say to “get used to seeing bodies” because it’s Everest. But I don’t think that should be normalised, nor will i ever get used to seeing them.
I continued climbing, and finally reached camp 3 at 7100m. I saw Evan and congratulated him on his summit and talked with him. Of course I had the inevitable trauma dump from summit day. I also saw Dani who unfortunately had to turn around due to weather. Evan, his Sherpa, my Sherpa, and I all shared a coke which felt so good after the 6.5 hours of climbing.
I was pretty tired but with the oxygen that I could rest on, it made it much nicer. I ‘cooked’ one of the dehydrated meals with Pemba, and I had half and gave the other half to him. I prepared some of my stuff in the tent, as we would be leaving very early the next day. I am about to go to sleep and I think I will sleep very well now that I am using oxygen.
goodnight!!
