I awoke to 6-8” of snow. The expected blizzard did occur. I feel for the teams that moved to 17,000ft. I didn’t hear the blizzard. When I awoke I didn’t think I had slept that well, but seemingly I was very asleep around 1:30 when the winds hit!
After breakfast – bagels and smoked salmon (that’s the last of both), – we dug out the tents, and created some new paths around camp. Visibility was about 50ft. It was a white-grey vista, with other groups appearing as shadows or silhouettes. Camp 3 is pretty quiet, not many people here . One largish group – the Russians -, and a few smaller teams, some as little as 2 people.
After a few walks up and down Main Street, we got a tutorial on knots, and then went outside and practiced the running belay. Seemingly above 17,000 at narrow parts of the ridge line, we will attach to installed fixed ropes (not fixed lines, which are for the steeper slopes) using a loop attached to our harnesses, as an additional safety measure. The practice is to detach/attach quickly using bulky gloves or mitts, as we move from one section of rope to the next. “Speed” is important to keep the team moving, as the temps above 17,000 will be quite frigid.
The rest of the day is our own. Too much rest is not good, psychologically or physically. Psychologically, we know today could have been our summit day, and now we don’t know when, or if, we will summit. The uncertainty is a killer. If we don’t summit, we will have wished we had turned for home sooner and not spent days waiting for a weather window. Sitting around and waiting makes one think about home. It’s tough being away, but it is by choice, and one always hopes we will meet the optimistic timeline. However it’s tougher for the folks back home. Of course they want us to succeed, but..
You cannot allow these thoughts to occupy your head for too long. To succeed, especially to stay safe, you must live in this world. This world is eating as well, and as much, as possible, hydrating, and trying to stay fit. These aspects are the physical challenge of being stranded. With each passing day, I feel I’m losing my physical edge. That hike to 17,000 is steep, it’s tough, it’s now covered in fresh snow which is a lot more challenging than a well travelled trail. How will I feel when I eventually get to go up it again? Hence the walks up and down Main Street, but it’s not enough. I really hope Dom makes us go up that hill – no matter the pain – tomorrow. This pre – occupation with fitness, thinking of people back home, are the consequences of waiting. When the team is moving and progressing, one’s mind is fully occupied by the task in hand, by the physical challenge, by the focus on staying safe.
We are likely to be joined by the other RMI team tomorrow. They are stuck as 11,000, but if the weather is good they will move up tomorrow, and wait with us for a window to get to the summit.
The weather forecast continues to be bad, as the wind up high getting to 40 mph, and night time temps sinking well below 0F. We look up at the West buttress and can see the snow blowing off the ridge, and the summit beyond. We just have to continue to wait and see, stay fit, and stay sane.
Site Title 
Leave a comment