Mount Everest Mount Everest - iamWKU

Mount EverestThe following are excerpts from All’s journal:During the first three days of the route spentascending the East Rongbuk glacier, he writes:It feels like you have a lead suit on your body every minute. Even getting into yoursleeping bag leaves you gasping for breath like you are so close to dying. Most of theday you just lay in the tent staring at the ceiling. Small tasks to do begin to fill yourmind but you just can’t move and after hours of thinking about doing something likeputting on lip balm, you slap yourself and get up and do your chores on your way toeat and drink and then immediately go back to bed. I was lying in the tent reading aNewsweek where they were talking about all of the “torture” techniques that Bush allowedduring his reign. Unfortunately most of them also sound like climbing here -drowning, cold exposure, lack of sleep, hunger, etc. This is a beautiful bleak place thatdoes its best to break you every minute, every day.May 20, 2010, 7,050 meters, -11 degrees CelsiusIt was actually a perfect day - sunny but not super cold and just a few occasionalwind gusts - of course they were monsters when they came and one of them froze mybeard solid!We got to the North Col around 3 or so and found that Ed’s tent had been beateninto a new shape. At least it was still here - Ed was talking to a guide and they bothwatched as the wind launched his tent and its contents - sleeping bag, pad, clothes, etc.- over the 2000-foot cliff.The tent keeps getting hit by rare but incredibly strong winds. The whole tent shiversand shakes and presses onto us. I hope we don’t get blown off the ridge tomorrow!May 21, 2010. Camp 2, 7,800 meters, -15 degrees CThe view up here towards arid Tibet and incredibly mountainous Nepal is stunning.Every step opens more of the world to our eyes. It makes every bit of pain worth it.May 22, 2010. Camp 3, 8,300 meters, -20 degrees CThere are shattered tents all around us and we are precariously balanced on a smallpile of rocks on a steep slope. After resting, we spent several hours boiling water and eatingand drinking. All of the slow groups just left (between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m.). We are goingto give them an hour head start to get out of the way and leave at 9:30 p.m. It is gettinga bit windy and super cold (-30 Celsius).I feel confident and strong. I hope everything goes as it should.18 | WKU SPIRIT | Fall 2010