Everest 2021 Update – Vanessa Estol – 10th May
An Everest update from Vanessa Estol – 10th May
“Rest day and recovery at base camp.
“Today there is a meeting to analyze weather forecasts and plan what day we will go back up to try to summit.
“Being here is an amazing experience, there are good days and bad days, I think it’s harder than all of us here believe. The mind plays a fundamental role in this experience, as I write this post I hear an avalanche fall and the typical question that we ask ourselves so much while climbing appears in my head, why?
“Why be here being able to be in the comfort of our homes?
“They are two months away from our home, going up and down the mountain, experiencing cold, discomfort, fear… The lack of oxygen makes the brain ask you to come down all the time.
“Everest is more than physical, it is a mental game, you have to find a reason to take the next step and not go down, make peace with the mountain, ask permission, learn to enjoy it… it will be hard but it will be worth it, you realize that when suddenly in the silence, you see a sunset, a sunrise or a starry sky and you realize where you are.
“You also realize the importance of teamwork, you meet people and mutual support is essential to be able to move forward. The physical pain is sometimes great, you arrive at the next camp with the last of your energy.
“So far my worst point I think was reaching camp 2 because of the heat (30 degrees C). It is difficult to handle all the emotions, it is a roller coaster.
“Several times I have thought “I finish this and I will not go back to the mountain” although deep down I know that it is a lie and is part of the temporary pain.
“Sitting on the roof of the world is sure to make everything worthwhile, it is a memory that will remain forever, the fruit of all the effort and suffering of each step.”
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