May 10, 2008 - 5:37am — MountEverest2008
Oh Yeah!
7400 m
We made it to Camp III- and did so in style, setting a new Alpine Ascents record of 7hrs and 15mins. Typically groups may take 9 to 11 hours, so we were really smoking! I think we may be at 23,400ft now- no higher point exists in the world outside of the Himalayan region. So, this is indeed a new personal high for me. And man am I feeling it. Let's start with last night at Camp II. Of course I again got very little sleep. But I got a little bonus too in the form of a fractured rib. My cough has not went away, and I guess there was too much strain on the ole ribcage. So now I cough and enjoy a sharp little pain in the side.
On the way up to Camp III, more than once I thought I was toast. I was tired, breathless, and as our travel started at 5am, it was still mighty cold. I was realistically concerned about frostbite on my fingers and toes more than once.
Time passed though, and I frequently fueled my body with Gu, KitKats, and Gatorade. This helped immensely. I was following the lead set by Vern and John- they did a fine job. I entered a sort of climbing trance, breathing, stepping, and clipping / unclipping into the fixed line that ran along the steep incline we were ascending.
Before long, we saw a few tents, established on a tiny horizontal platform carved out of the steep incline. The tents seemed precariously perched on the makeshift ledge- I didn't care though, we made it to Camp III. Or so I thought.
Alpine Ascents is top notch- and they don't cut corners. As an example, their placement of Camp III is strategically placed for direct, efficient access to Camp IV. A smart call with the big picture in mind, but also a decision that meant we needed to ascend another two hours to reach our prime location.
Ultimately we made it. We rolled in to camp in a near zombie state, collapsed into our tents, and now are resting, best we can at this extreme altitude. Tonight will be one to endure- I'm personally counting the hours till we descend to thicker air.
On a final note, the team would like to wish their moms a very special Happy Mother's Day. There is a video too- please check it out as it may be the only of its kind!