IN THE BASE CAMP

We could almost say we are back home, breathing the healthy air of the base camp, having our stuff with us. There is no doubt it is a difficult experience to explain. After four hard and hectic days, hardly eating, being really cold, and making a huge effort, returning to the base camp is the closest we will get from being at home. Our legs hurt, our throat burns, we miss our families, we think about them... But we are happy about the job we have done. The first day we went up to Camp I at 5.900 meters, where we slept. The following day we walked through the long slopes which lead to camp II at 6.800 meters. The route gets more and more steep little by little. We feel the altitude in our breathing more and more. We can now see the right place: that large ice block seems good to put our tents securely. It seems it is near us, but we never get there. Behind us, we can see the magnificent figure of Annapurna. 100 more meters, 50, and finally, in the middle of a small frozen blizzard, we arrive at this curious nest. We are very high, but we prefer this location which seems protected, rather than other more dangerous alternatives. Wind blows strongly, it freeze our face and our hands. We cannot put the tents under these conditions. Therefore we decide to leave all our things there and come down to camp one again, where we arrive frozen and very tired. We cannot waste any time. We have to sleep. In the morning weather is good and we go up to camp II again. This time, with less wind, we put our tents afterdigging the platforms. We melt snow to hydrate ourselves and we quickly get into our sleeping bags. What a tough night, the three of us in a small tent, covered by frost and ice . Life does not change at all in altitude. It is always the same, but all this is necessary to be able to complete the acclimatize process, essential in this type of mountains. At sunrise, as always, cold, frost, and going numb. It is incredible how our bodies can recover and re-start. It is sunny, but windy. We are here with other groups, and it is not easy to take a decision. We do not have the right clothes for extreme cold yet, and it seems it is going to be a freezing day. Ivan and Fercho go up with some rope we all brought up there. After 300 meters they decide to come down and we all start going down to the base camp, towards life. In four hours time, we hug our cook, Yanak, and we take off our clothes, we have been wearing them for four long days. We drink, we eat, and we feel relaxed about the job done, We have put camp II very high and route to the summit is now open. Now for four or five days we will forget about the mountain. We will recover, relax and take good care of ourselves. Dhaulagiri is a powerful and dangerous mountain. We have worked very hard and we are in the right way to the summit. We will relax for few days, not forgetting that the battle is still to come. We are burned, tired, dry, and aged, but inside us we are satisfied about the hard work done in this beautiful mountain of Himalaya.
Carlos Pauner