Valerio Massimo Everest Expedition 2009

Hello all, Alix here! I’ve now been at Base Camp for a week, and it’s amazing how easy it’s been to slip into camp life. Going to sleep in a freezing tent at 9pm, wearing a full down suit, gloves, and a wooly hat, seems normal; waking up in the night to the sound of rockslides thundering down the nearby slopes seems normal; and watching the weather go from t-shirt wearing heat to full-on blizzard and back again several times a day seems normal. I’ve even adjusted to the fact that everything is always frozen- batteries, drinks, toothpaste, me. It’s difficult to drink enough as the only fresh water available is either just-boiled and scalding hot or frozen solid (although there’s always the bar…).

 

Occasionally this sense of ‘normal’ is disrupted and I remember with a sense of disbelief that I’m actually living at Everest Base Camp. Over the last few nights, for example, the moon waxed full, which has meant that leaving the group dome tent has become difficult- there’s a bottleneck in the doorway as each person stops dead and stares upwards in wonder at the high peaks which encircle the camp reflected in the moonlight. Dazzling and humbling.

 

There have also been more sobering moments – as some of you might have read there was a big avalanche three days ago in the Icefall and a Sherpa from another team died; a tragedy that affected everyone here. Our camp itself, built on a glacier, shifts daily – tents that were originally on flat ground are now sliding backwards, forwards, and sideways into each other – some people are living, sodden, in mini lakes while others delight in the ‘Riviera apartments’ that line the stream of melted ice that flows and freezes each day.

 

All the climbers and guides in our camp are fascinating and fun and I’m having a wonderful time hearing all their stories and backgrounds. They couldn’t be more different as individuals, spanning over four decades and 5 continents, but all have the same goal in common. The group is slightly smaller now as some people have left for various reasons – mainly illness or altitude sickness, but one climber had a recurring nightmare that he would not make it and eventually decided to heed his subconscious and return home, an illustration of how the mountain can affect you mentally as well as physically. Mealtimes are lovely, as everyone gathers in the three mess tents (which are cosy despite the fact that you can see your breath steaming in front of you as you eat) and often stay chatting till long after the food is eaten (or not eaten in Valerio’s case- he’s having trouble with his appetite which may come as a surprise to many!). The food is good, especially considering that it’s almost impossible to bake or cook anything familiar at this altitude- a birthday cake a few days ago took five hours to bake instead of the predicted hour, for example. An attempt at croissants came out exactly like ship’s biscuits must have tasted. Conversation ranges from the frequently obscene (I’m one of only 5 women in camp so my knowledge of a variety of topics is being wonderfully expanded) to politics, climbing stories, and the weather.

 

The weather is the focus of everyone’s attention as it will dictate when the summit push begins; even when it’s nice here, at the top it can be lethal (today we’ve heard it’s around –30 with mindboggling 90km winds and zero visibility due to low storms, so a few teams have had to turn back) and everything depends on the precision of predictions. As Russell put it in a group meeting recently , “Waiting is hard but it saves fingers, toes, and lives”. At the same time there is a lot of rumour and counter-rumour as some teams try for the summit, others try and then turn back, and so on. For many people waiting is the hardest part as they go stir crazy (Valerio is doing well although he’s been tearing his way through the stack of Jeffrey Archers in the shared library), a situation that’s been exacerbated by a sudden turn in the weather to heavy and unrelenting blizzards, leaving us all stranded in camp.

 

Beyond books, entertainment focuses on the white pod which Valerio’s already mentioned- there have been a couple very fun parties, lots of movies (although they tend to stop at crucial moments when the solar power runs out), card games including a brief attempt at strip poker (I say attempt as no-one could play long enough to get through the vast numbers of layers we all wear), dancing including an amazing haka by the Maori contingent, and a brilliantly organized quiz night by South Africans Robbie and John.

 

Anyway I’m off to attempt a shower- I tried yesterday but the water remained about one degree above freezing and the floor was solid ice- not a nice combination when you have to emerge into a frosty day. A girly point- long hair is an enormous hassle in the mountains as it can take two days to dry and often freezes at night and breaks in the morning. I have given up and am keeping a permanent French plait under my hat.

 

Lastly, a few random photos below from my trip here –  they should have accompanied my last post but I was unable to upload then.

 

To those following who’ve written in to friends here, everyone is well and flourishing!

 

X from EBC.

 

PS Good luck to Pinky, Belinda, Konal and all our other intrepid friends on the other side of the globe who are cycling across Namibia for the next two weeks with the Desert Heart Foundation. (Google it!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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