Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Pharmacy
So I was going to the Pharmacy to pick up some after-sun for the triangle-shaped burn on my face (don't ask), and paid at the counter, like normal people do, and I was given ASPIRIN as change. VERY strange....
Monday, 20 February 2012
Aconcagua
So, I'm very aware that I haven't been keeping this blog very up-to-date over the last few weeks so I'm going to hit you all with a massive update.
I landed safely in Mendoza, Argentina, after MANY hours delay. Got to the hotel, and being the first to arrive from the group, had some problems checking in - didn't seem to be expecting us!! It all sorted itself out after a few phone calls to the UK, and I finally got a room. Checked my emails to find I had an interview for a PhD WOOOOOO. On the 10th February, while I'm going to be halfway up a frigging mountain. GREAT.
That aside, I met all the guys I'll be climbing with - interesting. 3 hairy (lovely) Scotsmen, a Welsh guy and some Brits. 10 in total, all men, ages between 28 - 52ish. Dave, AKA the Hobbit will be my tentmate for the climb, lucky guy....
So after faffing picking up some last minute kit, we head the 3 hour drive up to Penitentes and drop off our big bags to be carried up by Mules to Base Camp. Then check in with the Park and the epic walk begins.
Beautiful place, these mountains are so MASSIVE, I feel so insignificant and it's amazing to think that we're walking on what used to be at the bottom of the sea. Dinner on the first night at Confluencia (3,400m) was an AMAZING steak, wasn't expected, and unfortunately, wasn't a sign of future dinner experiences. An acclimitisation walk from the camp gave us our first glimpse of the peak, amazing, sat in awe at lunch and watched an avalanche take place on the side of the mountain - SCARY! Luckily this isn't the side we're going to climb up, but a clear indication that the end of the season is approaching. The testosterone levels are ridiculous.
Up to base camp (4,300m). This walk felt like the flipping Sahara desert, that's how dry and dusty it was, an absolute scorcher! We had a rest day here before going for an acclimitisation walk on the mountain "proper". We had a few rest days up in the mountain to help us get used to the altitude. Just as well, cause we'd suffer later on if we didn't. Rest days consisted of quizzes and poker mainly. The boys are getting lairy, and everything is an innuendo. Lots of banter, great fun.
We carried our tents and food up the mountain from base camp, so to ease the load, we split this into a few parts.
Base camp - camp 1 (4,900m) - base camp - camp 1 (with more stuff) - camp 2 (5,400m) - base camp.
So when we went up for real we only had to carry our sleeping bags and tents. These walks were only about 3 hours each, but gaining a lot of altitude.
Now you can't imagine how dirty it is with all the dust and sweaty men around, so imagine my delight when I find a place to have a shower on the mountain!! Not amazing, but clean water, and it sure felt great for about 2 days and then I realised that putting on the same horrible dirty clothes negates the shower. SILLY.
Interview day was our last day at base camp before our summit attempt - not only was I performing an interview at high altitude in below freezing conditions, but our satellite went down the 24 hours surrounding the interview, I was literally running around the place to try and find signal. I couldn't call at the set time, and after eventually managing to beg a German guy for a satellite phone and telephoning as soon as I could, I was delayed from the set time by half an hour. The interviewers delayed the next interview and took my call, but I couldn't hear much of what they said, and the satellite cut out during the third question. I called back as soon as I could, but they had already started the next interview. I then called back again about half an hour later as requested and continued the interview, but the satellite cut out AGAIN, although not for more than a minute; thankfully, so I was able to finish the questions. A NIGHTMARE in short.
So the climb up. The ACTUAL reason why I'm in a mountain in the Andes. Started with a hailstorm the size of golfballs. There are actual HOLES in the tent. Crushing pain in my ribs on the way up to Camp 1 (4,900m). Great. NOW I start getting altitude sickness. Nausea set in and absolutely FREEZING. Starting to wonder why the hell I'm doing this at this point.
Small walk up to Camp 2 (5,400m). We all get there absolutely smashed with exhausation and sleep until dinner. It's funny how you step outside the tent in the sun and freeze, and step into our tents (not even in sleeping bags) and have to take off EVERYTHING warm otherwise you melt. Closer to the sun I guess. Get some strange looks from the neighbours though. Have to get to bed before the sun goes down to warm up the sleeping bags before it gets too cold.
Straight up to Camp 3 (5,800m) the next day. By this point I'm not sleeping well because of the cold. Ice/snow build up in the tent from breathing and so windy that it's like a snowstorm in the tent. I have NO energy, stopping all the time to catch my breath (the air is so thin). Apparently the guys think I'm a bit of a "tough cookie", hope that opinion holds out.
We finally have an acclimitisation day at this altitude. MY GOODNESS I NEEDED IT. Pounding headache, dizzy, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and my eyes feel like they're coming out of my head. Seriously considering going down. Take 3 diamox and feel much better, ready for summit tomorrow? Sure. Why not?
3am start. Slept in all my gear to stay warm and not have to think. Tea? Nope. Not staying down. Porridge? I don't think so. Start walking, and my body is just saying no. I'm ready to turn back, and try on another morning.
THEN CAME THE INJECTIONS IN THE ASS. Dexamethasone and an anti-emetic later, I feel great, but already lagging behind the rest of the team. It's an 18 hour day, and I can't possibly relate to you how LONG that is when you're trying to eat, but everything's frozen. You only have 2 litres of water, and trying to make it last. Got to the last checkpoint, and 4 of the boys are ready to turn back. A motivational speech is in order. I give out sweets, water and paracetamol (I still am packing like a girl), and we get them going. One just can't hack it and turns back. We're taking our time, and about an hour from the summit we bump into the members of the team that didn't stop, coming down. The leaders have a fight. Not cool. The one who's coming down is in a bad mood (clearly) and tells us we're going to die if we go up now, it's too late. Turn back.
NO CHANCE. Two of the guys do, but the three musketeers carry on to the top and we make it!! YES!!!!!!! Feeeeels amazing. We're the highest people in the world at the time (Himalayas are out of season), and the last people on the top of the mountain that day.
Going down, we start absolutely psyched. But MY GOODNESS, it hurts the old knees!! 6 hours back down. Literally flop into sleeping bag, exhausted, after forcing some supernoodles down my throat.
A lot of tension around camp after that, but we make our way back down to Base camp where we're treated to Pizza and Beer. The best thing EVER.
Didn't get the PhD, a little disappointing, but there will be other opportunities, and at least I know that I'll never have an interview as bad as that ever again!
Weather takes a turn for the worse on our way out of the park on the last day, walk all the way out from base camp 6-7 hour walk, iPods blaring. The men set a mean pace, I was practically running to keep up, but it was SO GOOD TO GET TO A HOTEL AND HAVE A SHOWER. I had 3. Just to be sure I was clean.
Steak and wine for dinner and the best night's sleep I've had for the best part of 3 weeks.
Made our way back to Mendoza and had a night out on the town celebrating last night!! A proper grill place, and lots of wine and cocktails. The place we ended up in had some traditional tribal music and dancing going on at one point. Captivating stuff!!
Feels so good to be back in civilisation!!
I landed safely in Mendoza, Argentina, after MANY hours delay. Got to the hotel, and being the first to arrive from the group, had some problems checking in - didn't seem to be expecting us!! It all sorted itself out after a few phone calls to the UK, and I finally got a room. Checked my emails to find I had an interview for a PhD WOOOOOO. On the 10th February, while I'm going to be halfway up a frigging mountain. GREAT.
That aside, I met all the guys I'll be climbing with - interesting. 3 hairy (lovely) Scotsmen, a Welsh guy and some Brits. 10 in total, all men, ages between 28 - 52ish. Dave, AKA the Hobbit will be my tentmate for the climb, lucky guy....
So after faffing picking up some last minute kit, we head the 3 hour drive up to Penitentes and drop off our big bags to be carried up by Mules to Base Camp. Then check in with the Park and the epic walk begins.
Beautiful place, these mountains are so MASSIVE, I feel so insignificant and it's amazing to think that we're walking on what used to be at the bottom of the sea. Dinner on the first night at Confluencia (3,400m) was an AMAZING steak, wasn't expected, and unfortunately, wasn't a sign of future dinner experiences. An acclimitisation walk from the camp gave us our first glimpse of the peak, amazing, sat in awe at lunch and watched an avalanche take place on the side of the mountain - SCARY! Luckily this isn't the side we're going to climb up, but a clear indication that the end of the season is approaching. The testosterone levels are ridiculous.
Up to base camp (4,300m). This walk felt like the flipping Sahara desert, that's how dry and dusty it was, an absolute scorcher! We had a rest day here before going for an acclimitisation walk on the mountain "proper". We had a few rest days up in the mountain to help us get used to the altitude. Just as well, cause we'd suffer later on if we didn't. Rest days consisted of quizzes and poker mainly. The boys are getting lairy, and everything is an innuendo. Lots of banter, great fun.
We carried our tents and food up the mountain from base camp, so to ease the load, we split this into a few parts.
Base camp - camp 1 (4,900m) - base camp - camp 1 (with more stuff) - camp 2 (5,400m) - base camp.
So when we went up for real we only had to carry our sleeping bags and tents. These walks were only about 3 hours each, but gaining a lot of altitude.
Now you can't imagine how dirty it is with all the dust and sweaty men around, so imagine my delight when I find a place to have a shower on the mountain!! Not amazing, but clean water, and it sure felt great for about 2 days and then I realised that putting on the same horrible dirty clothes negates the shower. SILLY.
Interview day was our last day at base camp before our summit attempt - not only was I performing an interview at high altitude in below freezing conditions, but our satellite went down the 24 hours surrounding the interview, I was literally running around the place to try and find signal. I couldn't call at the set time, and after eventually managing to beg a German guy for a satellite phone and telephoning as soon as I could, I was delayed from the set time by half an hour. The interviewers delayed the next interview and took my call, but I couldn't hear much of what they said, and the satellite cut out during the third question. I called back as soon as I could, but they had already started the next interview. I then called back again about half an hour later as requested and continued the interview, but the satellite cut out AGAIN, although not for more than a minute; thankfully, so I was able to finish the questions. A NIGHTMARE in short.
So the climb up. The ACTUAL reason why I'm in a mountain in the Andes. Started with a hailstorm the size of golfballs. There are actual HOLES in the tent. Crushing pain in my ribs on the way up to Camp 1 (4,900m). Great. NOW I start getting altitude sickness. Nausea set in and absolutely FREEZING. Starting to wonder why the hell I'm doing this at this point.
Small walk up to Camp 2 (5,400m). We all get there absolutely smashed with exhausation and sleep until dinner. It's funny how you step outside the tent in the sun and freeze, and step into our tents (not even in sleeping bags) and have to take off EVERYTHING warm otherwise you melt. Closer to the sun I guess. Get some strange looks from the neighbours though. Have to get to bed before the sun goes down to warm up the sleeping bags before it gets too cold.
Straight up to Camp 3 (5,800m) the next day. By this point I'm not sleeping well because of the cold. Ice/snow build up in the tent from breathing and so windy that it's like a snowstorm in the tent. I have NO energy, stopping all the time to catch my breath (the air is so thin). Apparently the guys think I'm a bit of a "tough cookie", hope that opinion holds out.
We finally have an acclimitisation day at this altitude. MY GOODNESS I NEEDED IT. Pounding headache, dizzy, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and my eyes feel like they're coming out of my head. Seriously considering going down. Take 3 diamox and feel much better, ready for summit tomorrow? Sure. Why not?
3am start. Slept in all my gear to stay warm and not have to think. Tea? Nope. Not staying down. Porridge? I don't think so. Start walking, and my body is just saying no. I'm ready to turn back, and try on another morning.
THEN CAME THE INJECTIONS IN THE ASS. Dexamethasone and an anti-emetic later, I feel great, but already lagging behind the rest of the team. It's an 18 hour day, and I can't possibly relate to you how LONG that is when you're trying to eat, but everything's frozen. You only have 2 litres of water, and trying to make it last. Got to the last checkpoint, and 4 of the boys are ready to turn back. A motivational speech is in order. I give out sweets, water and paracetamol (I still am packing like a girl), and we get them going. One just can't hack it and turns back. We're taking our time, and about an hour from the summit we bump into the members of the team that didn't stop, coming down. The leaders have a fight. Not cool. The one who's coming down is in a bad mood (clearly) and tells us we're going to die if we go up now, it's too late. Turn back.
NO CHANCE. Two of the guys do, but the three musketeers carry on to the top and we make it!! YES!!!!!!! Feeeeels amazing. We're the highest people in the world at the time (Himalayas are out of season), and the last people on the top of the mountain that day.
Going down, we start absolutely psyched. But MY GOODNESS, it hurts the old knees!! 6 hours back down. Literally flop into sleeping bag, exhausted, after forcing some supernoodles down my throat.
A lot of tension around camp after that, but we make our way back down to Base camp where we're treated to Pizza and Beer. The best thing EVER.
Didn't get the PhD, a little disappointing, but there will be other opportunities, and at least I know that I'll never have an interview as bad as that ever again!
Weather takes a turn for the worse on our way out of the park on the last day, walk all the way out from base camp 6-7 hour walk, iPods blaring. The men set a mean pace, I was practically running to keep up, but it was SO GOOD TO GET TO A HOTEL AND HAVE A SHOWER. I had 3. Just to be sure I was clean.
Steak and wine for dinner and the best night's sleep I've had for the best part of 3 weeks.
Made our way back to Mendoza and had a night out on the town celebrating last night!! A proper grill place, and lots of wine and cocktails. The place we ended up in had some traditional tribal music and dancing going on at one point. Captivating stuff!!
Feels so good to be back in civilisation!!
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