From irishtimes.com
With our route unexpectedly blocked and our team leader struggling with an ankle injury, the team faces new challenges to mind and body
Monday, April 20th
The return walk to Everest Base Camp (ECB) after summiting Lobuche East was a dreary one. It’s funny how the mind works – on the original walk in, we were all blown away by the views of these enormous mountains that make up the Khumbu headwall.
Now, on the way back, the views have not changed but our mindset has. It’s a quick reminder that you can be surrounded by people yet be lonely, surrounded by beauty yet sad. What is happening between the ears is what matters most, not what is going on around us.
We completed the taxing walk back into our camp at the feet of Everest and Lhotse. Staring directly into the icefall again, we – along with the rest of base camp and, at this stage, the whole climbing community across the world – were wondering whether this will become passable at all this season.
We have seen images of the crevasse and the serac that pose the main risk. It is our understanding that until it falls, the risk to life is too high to allow sherpa teams or commercial teams after them to pass. Patience will be the most tested characteristic for this entire expedition.
Tuesday, April 21st
A rest day, something we will have to get used to in the coming weeks as we wait for news. We brought the team together and had a very open and honest conversation about how we feel, what this expedition could look like and possible actions we can take. Everyone had a positive input, as we talked about rest days effectively. Different activities and types of training using everyone’s skill set.
Jason Black, our team leader, has been struggling with a relatively serious ankle injury. He spoke openly about it today and the potential of it preventing him stepping higher on to the mountain with us when the time comes. He was limited by it on Lobuche and I feel we all appreciated his honesty around this. He cannot put us as a team or our success at risk because of his own ego. The need for an emergency rescue up high could cause the whole thing to fall apart.
The decision is yet to be made but from a personal standpoint I hope he can continue. I’ve always pictured the summit with two of us on it. However, I’m already starting to see it without him in person and thinking about what kind of energy that will give me to make it. Not only for myself but for him also.
Our sherpa team was confirmed today and each member was assigned a specific man for the task. All three are very strong, with numerous Everest and other 8,000-metre summits to their name.
Like always, conversations with home are keeping a man’s will strong. Mila-Rae is flying, busy with every activity under the sun, Sadie-Rose was so giddy today and smiling from ear to ear. Caiden is full of craic and it’s great to hear things are going well for him.
Wednesday, April 22nd
Today we are back out on the glacier working on the mountaineering skills that are so vital up here. Ladder crossings, jumar and belaying, over and over again. It was my first day working alongside our sherpa team and it’s important to me that they see how serious we are and how we apply ourselves.
So my focus was laser-like. I want them to know that come the 11th hour, no matter how tough it gets up there I can go to the well and they must allow me to do so. It starts today.
Jason asked me to strap the ankle this morning and that’s where the years of GAA experience in strapping ankles came in handy. He seemed very happy with it after a while and I saw the smile on his face that comes with confidence in himself. The lads performed really well on the training and the whole team is looking good.
Thursday, April 23rd
The energy around camp is decreasing day by day. The Chinese whispers around the icefall are something I have removed myself from and will not participate in. It’s the same with the online content – anything that mentions Everest or the icefall, I swipe past at record speed. It serves no positive purpose to engage with it. I will not allow the water in the boat. It’s hard enough to paddle as things are.
I snuck in a little day nap today considering not much else is going on and woke to a call from Niamh. She filled me in on all the comings and goings of life back at home. It’s great to hear all the craic and how everyone is getting on.
After that we started into our planned rope session in the tent where one of our sherpas, Milan, helped us work through different knots, belay set-ups, harnesses, etc. We also had a group session with Karen Weekes, the psychologist, something I feel we all needed.
Jason has suggested we go back down to Pangboche for a bit. He put it out there that we go down as a group to stop the attritional rot that happens at 5,400m above sea level, both on our body and our minds. We all agreed it was the right call and we will head down tomorrow.
Adam seems to be struggling a bit today. I think it’s just all the noise and conflicting information getting to him. We all have these moments or days and it’s important we carry each other through them.
Friday, April 24th
The first morning I can remember not being woken by the thwacking of a helicopter overhead. We need to get all squared away this morning and ready to move back down the Khumbu to Pangboche. It’s a six-hour hike, 20km at least. Whatever way you look at it, it’s a fair day’s work.
My team-mates Eanna McGowan and Adam Sweeney are both having some stomach discomfort this morning, which won’t make this march down the valley any easier. They both saw last night’s dinner reappear but the form is good and they are ready to rock. But everyone’s energy was low today. We know it’s the right thing to do but going away from your goal, leaving EBC yet again, is a hard pill to swallow. This was not the scenario we had painted in our heads when we planned all this.
We got through the slog of a day but Jason’s comment “only round the corner” was starting to grind my gears by the end of it. Once we settled in, all was good again and we shared a nice meal in a family-run tea house.
The highlight for me was a young lad, maybe 20, and his younger sister sitting singing pop songs by reading the subtitles, clearly trying to learn English, while huddled around the heater in the middle of the room. I don’t know why but I found the moment somewhat profound.
Life here is worlds away from our western lives and although it may be rose-tinted glasses skewing my perception, I prefer this type of living for its simplicity. The families seem more connected. Maybe by necessity more than desire, but more connected all the same.
Everyone rises and falls with the sun. No alarm clocks, no late nights. Just following the natural course of the sunset and the dawn.
Saturday, April 25th
Today I needed to dig into the toolbox that Karen and I had developed before coming here. Escapism and disassociation. My form was poor and I was deeply conscious not to allow that to impact the group. We feed off each other’s energy so when mine was off kilter I didn’t want that to impact the rest. “Just get me to Namche Bazaar” was all I could think for the first couple of hours, as my knees screeched at me in pain after the descent.
The second part of the journey was much improved and we could all see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jason walked strong today and to me looked powerful. Adam was quieter than usual and Eanna was full of energy.
Once we reached our destination all was good and we indulged deeply in cake, pizzas and everything else that was on offer. A good day in the books. Now time to rest and tune everything back up to optimal before returning to EBC for the last time.
Sunday, April 26th
A slow day today, as it should be. It was all about rest and food and haircuts. The comfort of Namche Bazaar and the thick air compared with EBC is very much welcomed by my head and lungs. The fact that 3,440m now feels like sea level is blissful.
We made our way to an Irish pub this evening and with the GAA+ app on my phone we were able to stream the Donegal and Mayo games. A bad day for both Jason and I, watching our counties beaten in the provincial series.
We got to catch up with another group of Irish who are heading for EBC and Island Peak. One of them brought me a Mayo flag since mine was left in the kitchen in Ballina before heading off.
Another week done and we wait patiently on some positive news from the icefall before we make our way back up to EBC. I still have a gut feeling everything will work out and we will find a way towards the summit.
