Robby Kojetin on The Big E
Herewith the latest extract from Robby’s expedition blog…
“My trip up through the icefall went without incidence. The rolling clumps of the flowing giantess seemed to go on for ever. Having started walking at 2:30am in complete darkness, all sense of time and scale are completely lost. Ladder followed ladder, ice block followed ice block. Imagine being an ant trying to escape from a glass of Coke on a summer’s day. By the time comes up, the sun from above burns your face and hands despite the slathering of 40+ Sun cream.
Just after sunrise I managed to catch my crampons through one of my safety lines and twisted my left foot painfully as I took an ungraceful tumble into a hole. A fellow climber helped me right but I limped into camp 1 3 hours later feeling really worn.
The rest of the afternoon was spent icing my ankle on the tent floor, boiling water and dozing. The next day would be a 4 hour stroll to camp 2 and I hoped time would slow down, procrastinating the morning long enough to recover.
Morning came and with it came the awkward limp of the first hour before my ankles started to mobilise. The sheer breath taking scenery of the Western Cwm was unchanged by the icy head wind as we trudged the 4 hours into Camp 2. When the discovery crew asked me to talk on camera, my nips were numb and my interview came across like the Elephant man sucking up hot spaghetti.
The road to Camp 2 at 6400m high went on forever in small rolling hills of spectacular white ice and snow. After getting to camp, I was frustrated to learn our camp was at the top of the camp area, another 40 minutes of slog.
Camp 2 was a welcome treat with a toilet tent and Sherpa staff to cook for us. But ahead of us lay the sleeping monster.
Camp 3 is privilege for those willing to suffer the 900m of ice slopes that go on and torture every minute into camp. 2 rope lengths from the top, camp out of sight around a corner and my left leg numb with agony, I almost told my guide the following: ”I only have enough ankles for one trip up Everest and I have to save that for the summit push”. But 40 minutes later I was collapsed in my tent scrambling with the ziploc bag holding my Synap Forte pills.
The night passed slowly. Dinner was a boil in the bag “Sausage casserole”. 4 mouthfuls later I curled up into bed and slept till the 5am alarm.
Having slept in our down suits, morning was a blur of more pills and 3-in-1 tea. The descent was a riot. 7.5 hours up…1.5 hours down. The slopes of Satan became a downhill playground getting me into Camp 2, home safe and sweaty.
The rest of the day passed and the next day was a downhill maze back through the icefall and into the luxury of BC.
I was home in one piece, greeted by my SA Boytjies and the rest of the team, including Nick with a Discovery Camera on his eye.
So it was good to be home, altitude record smashed to smitherines having slept at 7300m. On the way through the icefall, Dean my head guide told me to pull finger and get a move on. The area we were in was right under a avalanche hazard, a ball of ice and snow about 60m in diameter, about 200m above us on the slopes of Changtse… this morning, just 24 hours later, that ice came loose and avalanched the fall.
Today Death visited Everest. That avalanche came down the wall and destroyed everything in its path. The climbers up there were brought to safety after a 3 hour rescue operation, minor injuries. One Sherpa is presumed dead after not being found. His boot and pack were found but his body was not. Our thoughts are with his family and team and we are reminded of the bravery these men possess as part of their job description.
Yesterday God held us in the palm of His hand. 24 hours earlier, that could have been me. I have been shaken but it was late in the day, when the ice is warming up and unstable. And that ice is all down and the risk has been lessened.
We need to pass through the fall once more up and down, and we go in the cold of night. Every caution will be taken to ensure our safety.
Our next few days are to rest, recover and get ready for what we came for. To the summit and a safe return.
John and I send our love and regards to all from Base Camp. We are feeling great and are chomping at the bit, waiting for the weather.”
Robby – Base Camp Bum
For a personal account of Robby and the team’s progress visit their blogsite http://mounteverestsouthafrica.spaces.live.com/