Everest 2021 Update – Andrew Hughes – 1st May
An wonderfully written Everest Update from Andrew Hughes via his Instagram account on 1st May.
“Like the rising the sun bathing the land with the ability to see, the dreams we shine our determination upon can rise from the darkness of doubt into a world of possibility for us to see and realize.
The stars shown overhead slightly dulled by the overpowering light of the moon. With headlamps ablaze we dialed in our last details…then we were off, departing for our first full push through the Khumbu Icefalls.
The world of an alpine start is limited to the halo in which the light we shine illuminates. A gift in some respects as it forces us to find focus in solely our next step and next action.
Making our way through the maze of ice towering overhead and falling away below into the dark crevasses, we embraced as much efficiency as possible, moving along the fixed lines that offered both direction and protection.
The dawn added details to the world in which we now existed. The peaks behind us found their summits ignited in the morning light. My Sherpa Tenzin and I worked together navigating ever upwards, resting only a couple times over 6 hours to hydrated and refuel when we deemed our position to not be one of possible risk.
Across ladders and snow bridges, leaping crevasses and climbing vertical ice and snow walls, eventually our tired legs led us into Camp 1 at 19,500 feet where we greeted first by gusting winds that moved us helplessly and blasted us with snowy ice particles. Here we would spend the next two nights”
