"Whipping Post" - Allman Brothers

Day 5 I think

"Whipping Post" Allman Brothers

From tent at Plaza de Mulas (base camp) rest day

I hope to get this out. They have a satellite Wifi that works on solar from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m..

I made it through the second hardest day with no problems. I have a small blister on my big toe from feet rolling around on flat section. Then we had a steep 3000 ft. into camp after the long walk. Several had headaches and Lily struggled on final accent. Max has been in the back with the two Brazilians. Gustavo said he had no altitude sickness but was physically shot by the time he got back to camp.

It's funny, my group guides speak Spanish, Brazilian, French, Israeli, and English. Wind blowing where even if we spoke the same language we couldn't hear each other. But hand signals, broken English, and constant watching the person in front of you and the person behind you for trouble are part of mountaineering. I have learned a lot from the group - having Kilimanjaro on my resume is small compared to this group. Mountaineering isn't about thrill seeking, it is about calculating your risk and completing the task without the use of adrenaline.

I had a bad night - got cold and had some breathing problems due to altitude. Good thing it is a rest day. I met Gustavo and he had the same problems except his heart was racing. We wait for the sun to come up. It is in the 20s and everything is frozen. I filled a Thermos last night, and it is still warm so we have coffee and wait for everyone to wake. We had our second physical, and I passed. My blood oxygen is down to 80, heart rate is 80, and blood pressure is 135/80. At this point many teams are coming off the summit and passing through camp. I have witnessed at least eight rescues flying out by chopper. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and High Altitude Cerebral are the two main culprits.

Tomorrow we carry a load to Camp Canada and will return for the remaining long day. Then another rest day, which will be the last communications until after summit push.

Why:   Today is Sunday, and it is a sin to waste gifts God has given you. I have been blessed to be able to do this.

Why not: Getting cold.

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