When it comes to mountaineering, I don’t care for the competitive behaviours, the lying, and the possible sabotaging – yes it also happens up here.
The moment you become competitive and start lying up here, I know you’re dangerous and/or “full of it”. If I catch you in a lie, I don’t want you climbing around me. This is a sport where you barely compete with yourself. It is humbling.
On April 25, John (a 2018 Everest climber) and I were walking back from the HRA to our camp. A lady crossed our direction with walking sticks at a solid pace. Here’s how the conversation went.
Me: Hey, I remember you. You introduced yourself as a climber from India with a Sherpa. You’re with the T8K group but climbing on your own.
She: Yes
Me: (as she passes by us breathing heavily) Doing well?
She: Fabulous
Up here, you aren’t doing fabulous. You are simply making it by. Your heart rate begins to climb as you start to think about doing something and can easily be a resting rate in the 100s. Your SpO2 isn’t doing much better. Both are easily faked.
On April 24, I realized I caught a cold. Your body doesn’t heal fast up here, but it sure does deteriorate fast. I was determined to visit the HRA. I even ate my breakfast in my own tent so that others wouldn’t catch what I may have. I was prepared to descend if it would help my healing.
John kindly escorted me over to HRA where I was checked by Dr Suvash Dawadi and Dr Subarna Adhikari. On our way, we had to stop our leisure stroll because we were winded.
The HRA doctors thoroughly checked me out and said I didn’t need to descend. I just needed to take some over the counter meds 3 times daily for 3-5d and it will pass.
They said everybody gets sick here. Even the doctors. “We swallow it.”
Everyone up here already knows your body is only able to deliver maybe 60-80% of its capacity at altitude. You’re not designed to strive up here. You’re really only capable of coping – mostly mentally. Even that is questionable.
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