Laila Peak (II): learn to suffer
I guess it's normal that, on these occasions, Even before leaving home, the fear assails me as to whether I will return to see everyone I love again., there are many, and asked me the meaning of what we do. Why do we insist on living at the limit of our possibilities, distancing ourselves from the people we love and putting off the comfort that surrounds us?
We are not designed nor are we born adapted to accept suffering, but, in fact, even that is learned in life. I wonder looking around me rise gigantic snowy mountains, resting on ski poles, as I puff like a locomotive and freeze in the gentle breeze rising from the valley, that freezes the sweat that runs down my back. Down there is the base camp, the last stronghold of friendly life, where our stores look tiny. What are we doing here getting cold, living one of those situations that ordinary mortals would rule out as reckless or irrational ...?
We are not designed nor are we born adapted to accept suffering
Thirty years ago we came for the first time to climb the southwestern slope of the K2, the most difficult and prestigious mountain of the group of the highest. And here we, although now our goal is different. The altitude, between 4.000 and 6.200 meters, I think it is the one that "reasonably" I can undertake under these conditions. Above it you could hardly climb, just walk, and the degree of frostbite and / or hypothermia I think is not acceptable. Those are, In summary, some of the reasons for choosing Laila Peak. Although the one that has influenced the most is the tenacity of Ramon Portilla, who has fallen in love with this mountain and has not stopped chasing it for years. This will be your fifth attempt. But the mountain deserves it.
The corridor we are climbing descends, meandering, more than a thousand meters between the rocks until reaching the glacier of Gondogoro. As my heartbeat rumbled in my temples I admire the wild beauty that surrounds us. We are on a colossal mountain in the harshest conditions imaginable. The route we are following, already known by Ramón, who has been the friend "liante" on this occasion, has particular characteristics, and can become a mousetrap in bad weather, very especially in the itinerary between field one and two, where you have to climb a rock tower and then rappel it.
As my heartbeat rumbled in my temples I admire the wild beauty that surrounds us
So in committed places and moments, experience is a fundamental ally., something we have more than enough. The team was a good mix, nice and magnificent, of seniority and youth, synthesized in toughness, almost stubborn, Ramón and that explosion of energy in its purest form of Alex Txikon, a guy who just jumps from the top of a cliff to base jump with a parachute who plays a bet with an "aizcolari" from the next town to see who breaks more logs or lifts the round stone of one hundred kilos. The result has been a tough experience, maybe excessive, but unrepeatable. In fact, it's been a long time since we risked so much, but also that we didn't have such a good time on an expedition.
I think about it all while I freeze, but the urgencies encourage me to get going. Carefully. A slip here is one of those mistakes that I can't make. Nor do you rest more than a minute because, stopped, the cold is unbearable. With the five senses I take a few delicate steps in a mixed and somewhat exposed area. The snow plate slides under my feet and the calves burn me trying to hold on to the front toes of the crampons, that squeak on the rock. It is only a few moments while I reach a more compact area of snow.
A slip here is a mistake I can't make. Nor do you rest more than a minute because, stopped, the cold is unbearable
When I look up I see that I still have more than half of the thousand meters that I have to travel to the first camp. I am in one of those objectively dangerous places and that, Nonetheless, we will have to travel many times. In appearance it does not seem so, but my experience recognizes it without a doubt: in the event of a major snowfall, or an avalanche of rocks, everything will be channeled through this corridor in which we now find ourselves. One more reason not to be standing or resting for a long time, one more reason to climb as fast as possible.
Today is an excellent winter day, it's clear and there's not a single cloud, there is hardly any wind and the thermometer barely drops below 15º below zero. They are the best conditions we can hope for. We can't complain, we know much worse days will come. In the countryside 1 will drop below 25º below zero and in the 2, of the 35th; at the summit, in the unlikely hypothesis that we achieve it, we will have an even worse time. And you have to take into account, also, what to 5.500 meters of altitude our lungs capture half as much oxygen as at sea level. And oxygen is our heating, our life. That just makes things worse, makes us tire more and defend ourselves worse against the cold. So we will have to learn to suffer. And much more if we want to reach the top.
Today is an excellent winter day. The thermometer barely falls below 15º below zero. They are the best conditions we can hope for
That is the reason why for many months I have been doing a specific training. I have always fled from classifying mountaineers as ordinary athletes. However now, loaded with the backpack and more than fifteen kilos on the back, I agradeIo. But training not only has to do with the body but, also, as the Romans already knew, with the mind, with the spirit. From external control to internal control, from internal discipline to self-discipline, that allows us to recognize our limits and impose new goals.
We have chosen to climb one of the most beautiful mountains in the world and, also, do it in winter. This is the new playing field of mountaineering
All of us here were aware of the option we had chosen. Climbing in the Karakorum in winter must be something similar to the anteroom of hell related by Dante. But we have chosen to climb one of the most beautiful mountains in the world and, also, do it in winter. This is the new playing field of mountaineering: the highest degree of exposure, at the limit of what is tolerable by the body, adding difficulties and with the minimum of technology. It's not crazy, but something specific to our species, the only one capable of chasing dreams, of posing impossible challenges.
Comments (2)
Ruben Suarez
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Precious Sebastian, as always.
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Mayte
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Impressive! what value!! I want more photos!!
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