It was absolutely sweltering and I contemplated attempting to be the first person to climb the North Col in a bikini… Fortunately, I’d left my boots and gear inside of my tent and my role that morning was purely for purposes of ’hair and make up’ -- I was the photographer and also carried some extra water and snacks before one of the final ascents up the North Col before the ’Big Day’ in mid-late May.
The boys had their jumars in hand and were inching their way up the icy face with huge 20 - 30kg packs on their backs under the relentless glare of the sun. I certainly didn’t envy them and felt lucky to have the luxury of an additional few days at ABC before planning to go up with Matt and Pete. Had the boys been planning a day at the beach or a day of tanning the conditions would have been perfect… unfortunately however the sun provided additional threats and challenges - sunburn, heatstroke, dehydration, radiation off of the ice and snow, snow-blindness and it also served to add an additional element of physical exhaustion to what was already a challenging climb.
It was super busy on the North Col today with a lot of climbers taking advantage of the balmy conditions to head up which caused a few blockages on the line lower down but I suspected that these would even up higher up. The forecast looked ‘ok’ with some high winds in the forecast but hopefully these would hold out long enough before they made their way up to 7800m as part of the acclimatisation process. It felt strange to be on a different schedule from the guys but at the same time the prospect of going up with a smaller group and having the luxury of a few additional days rest did have its appeal.
As I watched the last climber disappear over the feature we’ve labeled as ‘The Ice Bulge’ I picked up my trekking pole and headed back to Crampon Corner and the windy moraine path back to ABC for a late lunch. I looked forward to hearing of their safe ascent and arrival at the North Col camp at 7000m.
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