IN THE BLADE OF THE SWORD

Suddenly, a terrible roar came over us. I look up and I see an avalanche of ice blocks coming down like a meteorite rain. I evade the first one, which takes my cap off and I through myself on the floor, same as my mates. Somebody asked: are you all ok? Nobody answered. Then a second rain of blocks hits us. After that, total silence and a group of shadows starting to get up, still with a frightened look. Luckily we all saved our lives and remain in the same place. Xavi has been the most unlucky one and he has a big knock in his back. The rest nothing important. This has been the welcoming on our arrival to camp 3. A hard day, no doubt. At 8 oclock in the morning we left camp 2 and started crossing the most dangerous part of this mountain. Shrank back in fear crossing this area under tons of hanging ace. After 30 minutes of tension, we crossed that pass of Termópilas and we stayed on a side of the serac, which looked more saved against avalanches. Then we found a very vertical area lead us to the hanging glacier of camp 3. it is a dangerous place, exposed, and while we decided where to mount the tents, this ice avalanche surprised us. Scared, disorientated, we went down few meters and we set the camp. It was a safe place and we could rest there alter a day full of risk and tiredness. Today we are resting in the base camp, thinking about what happened. We know how lucky we were. Xavi is recovering and we all rest being satisfied about the good job done. With this episode, we finish our period of acclimatation and we now wait for the summit attempt. Next time we leave the base camp it will be to go up directly to camp 2, after camp 3 and then all the way to the summit, mounting an intermediate camp 4 before reaching the white summit. I wish everything works out fine, as it happened until now. We will continue with precaution, but not with fear. We will continue with hope and care in a difficult and beautiful mountain of Himalaya.

Carlos pauner