BASE CAMP 2 REACHED, 6,400 METRES HIGH

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Yesterday, late in the morning, we reached Everest’s base camp after our particular journey around the high points of this mountain. Exhausted after the effort made during the two previous days, reaching our home at the foot of the mountain became a magical moment of comfort and rest.

The previous day we had got up early to face that silent and dangerous enemy: the ice waterfall. This is the first obstacle of the route; however, it should not be underestimated. It is a huge series of giant ice blocks piled up from the base camp until camp 1’s plain, located at a height of 6,050 m. To advance through this ice chaos, aluminium stairs are used to cross the most important abysses, and the itinerary is winding, intelligently looking for the weak points in this compact ice wall.   Danger is not obvious, since the perspective within this labyrinth vanishes; however, hundreds of unstable blocks take refuge in an unstable balance over our heads, despite the fact that we are not totally aware of it.  This complex and laborious route took us about five hours, taking into account the significant delay in the most dangerous passages due to the great number of people climbing at the same time.

Anyhow, on reaching camp 1, the sun appeared and sunrise’s cold became suffocating heat. A long road, now flatter and safer, took us to the side moraine where camp 2 is located, at a height of 6,400 metres. We spent the night there, busily melting snow to drink and ingesting a small amount of food difficult to assimilate at this height and resting enough to set out on the journey back to the base camp on the following day. This was a short but effective trip, where we have told our organisms to get ready for a greater height, that this has not even started and the following trip will be to a greater height. Now, enjoying a good meal and rest, we will welcome these changes in our organism that will allow us to live and be efficient at a greater height every time. The adaptation process itself has already started.

Carlos Pauner