A light drizzle started right after I left Samogon. I’m walking in a T-shirt. It’s hot. Strongly reluctant to put on a membrane. After half an hour, I find a stone barn, go in hoping to wait out the rain. I read a book for about 20 minutes, looking through a hole in the ceiling. The rain does not stop, I have to go. I put on my membrane.
I’m coming.
There is fog all around. Mud underfoot. The rain is getting harder.
I am high.
From every step, spitting my sneaker through the mud.
From the cold touch of wet membranes on my bare skin.
Every drop rhythmically tapping on my hood.
Walking and getting high.
Closer to base camp, the rain turns to wet snow. Fingers on hands freeze.
Already wet to the underpants. But the mood is great. I am going and I am high.
Here’s our tent, I change into dry clothes and high again. What a great thing – life!
And most importantly, every step brings us closer to the summit.
Going to C1 without rushing, not holding my breath. This time the trip took 3h30m, no stops. At C1 Sanya had already packed our tent and rushed off. I was a little pissed off, because I wanted to make some tea and have a snack after almost 4 hours. I had to snack on one “vivsyanchik” and a couple of raisins, which were miraculously left in my backpack. I went out from L1 at 15:00.
Around that time Sasha was digging our tent in C2. It was a little less than completely covered with snow. There was a big puddle in the middle and we had to scoop the water out with a mug and then soak it in the snow.
I went at my own pace. Without any stops, but with pauses to catch my breath after the obstacles, of which there were plenty on the section L1-L2. A couple of stairs had been added since last time. The sun, which was gone all day, hid behind the mountain and it was noticeably colder. I was in a thermo-jacket and a membrane jacket. It was fresh.
On the way I pass three Sherpas and came to C2 closer to 6:00. Sasha had already opened up the tent completely and it has a good look, although the arcs are bent and there are a couple of holes in the tent. It is starting to get dark. Sasha goes to help Anton and Vitaly dig out the tent, while I heat the water and cook dinner. I cut some Bila Tserkva salts, a couple of garlic cloves, a can of tuna, buckwheat and mashed potatoes from Harchi.
It was a windy night and I didn’t manage to get a good sleep. I woke up lazily and got ready even more lazily. I went out at 11:30, by this time the guys from below had arrived. Sasha went out earlier. By 14:00 came to L3. By this time Sasha had already set up his tent. I changed my clothes, Vova came and we started digging his and Dima’s tent.
In general, I felt good, but I could feel the altitude. We want to carry less stuff to the fourth camp. So we take one tent for four people and one sleeping bag for two. According to the plan we have to stay only a few hours in C4 before the storm. Everything unnecessary we leave in C3.
There’s 700m of steep climbing ahead. The altitude I’ve never been on before. All the public load we divide on four people, we got 5 kg per a person + personal equipment. We take one oxygen cylinder for medical purposes – no doubt what can happen at an altitude of 8000m. We take extra precautions.
A big caterpillar of a man is seen on the slope, it has not moved for a couple of hours. We are annoyed – most likely we will get stuck.
We are going slowly. 7000m is easy to pass. Further on it’s more difficult – the height, the steepness of the slope and the increasing wind. Volodya and Dima go ahead, I go at some distance, somewhere behind Sasha and the “skiers”.
Here we are, like those from the caterpillar, stuck and hardly moving.
Time is running out. We are crawling. The wind is blowing. The mountain stands.
At one point I see the guys in front of me sitting there, waving something at me about turning around. I shout to them to wait.
They’re worried, because the tent was being carried by Sasha, who had walked the fastest before. And I couldn’t even see him. They ask me if he could not turn around. I am sure that no. Taki was persuaded to continue uphill. All the more so, as the figure of Sasha appeared below on the slope.
A couple more hours later we arrive at L4. Dima is waving to me from one of the tents – Aset and Ivan have already taken him in and are drinking tea and cookies. I take off my pats and drop in with them. God, it’s so good to sip hot tea and eat Koryvka. My feet are a little cold, so I take off my shoes and rub them.
Sasha comes in about an hour and brings our house. But first get him (Sasha) tea and give him a rest.
In about another half hour, our North Face is standing. There’s not much room for four of us, so we take turns getting dressed. I pull on my assault suit, as does everyone else. We melt snow, eat cheese, bacon and meat – there is nothing else at the altitude of 7450m. We had to find a way to settle down and stay warm for a few hours, sleeping was out of the question.
Before the summit there are only some hours left. And I am warm and relaxed.
