From 0 to 8000m — A journey to the highest peaks -Part IV: The Mountain Takes Its Toll
This is the fourth part of the story of my 27 days expedition in Kyrgyzstan to attempt Lenine Peak summit, reaching 7134 meters of altitude. You can find the third part here.
Climbing down
We turn back and spend the rest of the day and part of the night holed up in the tent. It’s -7°C inside, and the wind is slamming the walls in every direction. The slightest movement leaves me breathless, and I have a constant headache. I go to see Serge in his tent for advice about taking some medication.
Back in my tent, I take Diamox and ibuprofen. I can’t eat anything, and sleep eludes me. I’ve been coughing a lot since Camp 2, and it’s getting worse here. I dread having caught Nico’s virus, which apparently is spreading in the camps.
At 4:30 AM, we wake up to pack our bags. All our movements are slow and clumsy, and we’re just barely ready by the 6 AM departure. Unfortunately, only Matthieu and I are ready, and we end up waiting for the others for half an hour. I’ve never been this cold in my life, and I’m forced to shelter in the tent while waiting. We finally set off. The sun rises above dark clouds below us. I should’ve worn my mittens instead of gloves, like everyone else. My hands are so cold that I feel sharp pain, like needles in my fingertips. I try to restore circulation by squeezing them. It slowly starts to work.
We descend straight to Camp 1. Even though we’re exhausted, we feel lighter, and the thought of returning to the spartan comfort of Camp 1 and the prospect of a shower keeps us going. I’m surprised to find myself roped up with Xavier. Along with me, he’s probably the least experienced. And honestly, I’m not too fond of him. His often condescending tone and his habit of giving me unsolicited advice really irritate me.
“You should walk with your heel first to avoid slipping,” he says.
“I’m not going to change the way I walk,” I reply sharply.
I think he got the message, because I haven’t heard any more advice since. And when it comes to tripping over with every step, he could probably take his own advice, I suppose.
At the bottom, we pass the corpse again next to a group of porters. Death never seems far away here.
I struggle to keep up with the group on the glacier. I’m completely drained. How do they do it? No one else seems tired.
After an hour-long break at another advanced camp, we continue. I trip several times and carry my crampons in my hand, too lazy to put them properly back in my bag. It’s stupid because they’re getting in the way, but I’m too tired to think. Once at Camp 1, after dropping my gear, I sit at the table in the main tent with everyone. I go to bed soon after — I’m exhausted.
The calm before the storm
We spend three days at Camp 1 to rest. Without internet, you’d think time would drag, but strangely enough, it goes by quickly. We spend our time reorganizing our gear, showering, and doing laundry. The latter takes a while since everything must be done by hand — and clearly, I’m not very good at it. Anne-Claire shows me a better technique.
I catch up with Nico, still sick. Along with Hélène and Stéphane, they decide to go back down to base camp. It’s for the best, as his condition is worsening.
As for me, I have more headaches than the others. As a precaution, I get a session in the pressure bag. It’s a sort of inflatable sarcophagus that I climb into. My companions take turns pumping air into it to simulate sea-level pressure. I come out after an hour of this claustrophobic experience, but I don’t feel any better.
Withdrawals
I recover quickly, which is good news. After 48 hours of resting, I feel like a new man and ready to go again. We set off on the morning of the third day.
Alone in the tent, I miss my alarm and have to throw on my clothes in a rush. We leave an hour later. I feel more comfortable walking now.
Unfortunately, just an hour after setting off, Fabrice gives up — he’s too sick to continue. It’s a tough blow because we all rely on his calmness and good-natured spirit. We say goodbye and carry on.
Once we reach the fixed ropes of the seracs, I realize how much faster we’re moving — it’s still dark, and I think we left later than on our first rotation. At the same point previously, it was already daylight.
We make our way easily through the many crevasses. When we reach the avalanche area that had cut the trail a few days before, I notice signs of fatigue from Matthieu, who is roped in ahead of me. They worsen rapidly. I vividly remember how I felt during the first climb to Camp 2 and can only sympathize with what he’s going through. I try to encourage him as best I can. Our breaks become more and more frequent. My god — it’s like watching a movie of myself.
Just before reaching Camp 2, I get a radio call from Serge. They’re already in the upper tents. It’s too much for Matthieu, who collapses in tears in front of the first tent he sees. At his request, I leave him alone and join the others.
Just as he had taken care of me during the first rotation, I try to do the same now. I bring him his gear, pull out his sleeping bag, melt water, and make him food. He doesn’t want to go on — he’s broken. Serge and I both try to persuade him, but it’s no use — his decision is final.
Our group keeps getting smaller. We’re down to just four: Michel, Anne-Claire, Xavier, and me. Not counting Serge, of course.
A Close Call
We leave the next morning for Camp 3. Strangely, the initial steep ascent feels much harder than the first time. Suddenly, halfway up the slope, all the rope teams come to a halt as a shout rings out — “Rock!” A rock the size of a football comes hurtling down the slope, bouncing unpredictably like a rugby ball. I freeze to track its path, then leap to the right at just the right moment. It misses my chest by barely a meter. At the time, I don’t grasp how lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you see it) I’ve been, and I continue climbing without any emotion.
Several hours later, by late morning, we arrive at Camp 3 for the second time. I’m with Xavier, and I quickly get myself organized — I’m eager to lie down as soon as possible as I need to rest before what will be the hardest day of my life.
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Part V coming soon.
