[Finny]

On summit day we started at 3 a.m. with headlamps, reached the summit at 4 p.m. and got back to high camp at 11 p.m. I lost 25 lbs on this climb. Setting up each camp was two load carries of about 75 lbs. We took a rest day between every load carry.

Interesting! Was it fun? Just curious -- what's it like? Grand vistas? Neat camaraderie? Just the sheer challenge?

I can't imagine going to that trouble to climb a mountain, but that's just me. Most people would hate what I think is fun (intense flip-turn lap swims for 20, 25 minutes a pop). I figure mountain climbing must be fun in some way, or gratifying, or you wouldn't go to the trouble. Just wondering ... what do you like about it?

[MtnClimber]

Fun after it was done, terrifying before. Seven people died in the two-month climbing window where weather may be good. Most deaths were from altitude related health problems like cerebral edema and pulmonary edema. We had a pulse oxymeter to measure pulse rate ans O2 saturation every morning. Any issues and the climber would stay at the lower camp until acclimated. Up high and we could see the curvature of the earth and at sunset the shadow of the mountain would stretch to the horizon.