Dave Hahn

Things would have been just fine if confined to our little band. All were eating and drinking fine, coughing normally and nobody was wasted from the day, a good deal. I couldn't help keeping track of the general public though.

One climber was slow getting down the ridge from the top. He wasn't so far away from high camp, and at high camp was a strong Sherpa in his employ. But man, he was walking slow and stopping often. It all worked to create a gut-wrenching tension for me. Do we assume he is in trouble, run up and try to help him? If we do that and we're right, we save someone, and that is great... but if he is merely tired, and we do that and can't then do the job we're paid for tomorrow with our paying client... well, you can see that I was watching this man's every step and swallowing Rolaids as I did.

"We stood looking at each other by headlight..."

He progressed, the Sherpa went up to him with tea, oxygen awaited him in camp, it began to seem OK. The Rolaids kicked in, and I went to sleep. All was well again.

I woke at 11:59pm for a look at my watch, marveling that the alarm would go off in less than a minute. Within ten seconds of that little noise, I was checking the weather. "No wind" is what I registered first, "no stars" was second, and "I can see the top", last. That was odd, nights were usually clear in the weather pattern we were enjoying. But "no wind" at such heights is not to be ignored. Up and at 'em!

It didn't take much calling over to the other tent to know that Heather and Pinzo were stirring. We began a careful, three hour process of firing stoves, eating breakfast bit by bit, putting on inner boots, sticking batteries and cameras and snacks in pockets, heating up water bottles for the day, messing with Oxygen regulators and finally getting out for the old harness, pack and crampons again. All of that stuff takes about 20 minutes at sea level... three hours up there though, time is like weight, bigger the higher you go.

We stood looking at each other by headlight, barely recognizable with so much junk on. A quick look at each-other's safety hitches here and there, and we were out on the trail.

— Dave Hahn, International Mountain Guides' Expedition Leader

DISPATCHES

COMPLETE INDEX OF DISPATCHES