6089 Meters

Pablo: Huayni Potosi 6089 meters of pure mountain outside La Paz, Bolivia. Alena and I join a cool German guy Ralph for our adventure and start our way to the mountain via taxi. The roads in Bolivia are not exactly smooth and taking a taxi to a huge mountain proved to be a bit of a mistake, we got a flat along the way but we’re able to get a great photo of the task that lay ahead of us, and for the first time I truly realised what we were about to attempt!

We sure look confident dont we!

Look at that mean bastard!

We arrived early afternoon to the first base camp where no time was wasted getting us all geared up and trekking to the Old Glacier to practice ice walking with crampons and an ice axe whilst all tied together. The walk to the Old Glacier was only about 45 minutes but it absolutely ruined us. The air at this altitude is so hard to catch hold of and makes even the simplest tasks most difficult. Alena really struggles to keep up and feels unwell as a result of her lack of 02. Once on the glacier we get some brief instruction and then head straight off to learn by doing. I somehow end up going first in line which means I have to test our gear first, and the only way to do that is to head straight up and then straight down a few different ice cliffs…….really scary stuff, especially since I only recently over came my fear of heights. Lucky for us our equipment is up for the task, whether or not we are is another thing, but we successfully manage and after an hours practice we head back to base camp. Our guide isn’t the most patient, and leaves us behind when we head back to base camp, and considering that Alena is clearly struggling it’s not the most inspiring. Back at base camp we get fed an early dinner and head off to sleep……it’s only 6PM, and the others are nackered but I can’t sleep, so I stay up wiezing into the night while reading!

Man aren’t we quite the proffesionals!

Not your average sunday afternoon…

Day 2 sees us up at 6AM, fed watered and geared up (this includes all our ice walking stuff plus our heavy packs…….) We start today early as we plan on walking for a few hours then resting before pushing on for the final accent at midnight, no rest for the wicked and this is beginning to prove very evil indeed. The weather is also against us today, the snow is falling thick and fast making the going both slower and more difficult. Our guide again lacks the patience required to walk with those who do not have experience and he goes blistering ahead with no regard to the weather or the fact that the snow is covering the scarce path making it next to impossible to discern which direction to head in……….but push on. Alena is near her breaking point here, the air making it a complete slog for her, but she battles along taking plenty of breaks allowing herself some chance to catch her breathe. I too am struggling to breathe and am finding the heavy pack a bit much, tonights climb will be next to impossible are the only thouhgts going through my head……. After 2 hrs and 15mins we reach Rock Base Camp 5130 meters…..it felt like it took us all day but we make exhausted and spent.

On our way to Rock Base Camp.

Speaks for itself, really!

View from the Rock Base Camp!

More Views!

We all immediately get out of our soaking wet gear and get into our sleeping bags, but sleep is unmanageable as we cant breathe but get something between sleep and an asthma attack. We have an early dinner as we set off again at midnight and then attempt to sleep but I have no luck, just fast breathing like a dog on a hot summers day!

Day 3ish, midnight comes all to fast at its time to get all geared again to make our final accent, 7hrs of ice, snow, rocks and heights…..

The group making last minute preparations.

I find myself all ready to go and then have to start laughing as all I have for light is coming from a small head torch I use to read with at night….its all a bit surreal. We start off climbing and after an hour of ice axe hicking and walking at some crazy steep angle I realise that it sure is better to be doing this in the dark rather than when it was light out, there was something so comforting from only being able to see 10 feet in front of you! Being that blind while attempting something like this for the first was the main reason for my making it to the top; I spent so much effort in focusing on taking the next step that it sort of tuned out most of my fear and reluctance.

Well and truly on our way!

The one thing that I couldn’t forget or tune out was how thin the air was. I was constantly breathing fast and heavy at the slightest exersion and it was only intensifying as I continued the climb. 5 ½ hours in and I’m staring at the last 89 meters before me and I truly feel as though I might not be up to it and that oh yeah, I agreed to climb this rediculously high mountain and I’ve only just over-come my fear of heights…….

Last 89 Meters

The last part was 89 meters of ridge walking on a 2 ½ foot ledge with fresh snow and ice underneath, I’m not an expert but lets just call it the most feared and toughest ridge walks in the world, and I got to go first. I was really shitting it at this point, not only is this type of thing normal to me I also have the added responsibility of leading the way (ok so maybe my guide went first followed but me but hey some stretching is allowed)!  BUT, I managed mostly powered by thoughts of doing it for Alena and making sure we got a brilliant photo! The top was just stunning, never have I felt like that before, sat so high above the world and looking out at it, I was completely and totally at peace until after about ten minutes I realised that I still had to make it all the way down…………………………

At the TOP!