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Once I got over my late panicky start, my biggest concern became the weather. As night turned to daylight, I could see the clouds building around me. On the plus side, I couldn't see just how far we had to go (FAR!) and how steep, scary and heavily exposed the terrain was. But I couldn't help but wonder if Russ was going to turn us around. As fast as that thought would enter my mind, I would kick it out and focus on climbing. No way I was turning around unless the Big Boss said so and I hadn't heard anything yet. [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5321]As we continued our ascent over the knife-edge ridge of the Cornice Traverse, where climbers could normally see the 10,000 foot drop down the Kangshung Face on the right and the 8,000 foot drop down the Southwest face on the left, I would occasionally get a glimpse of where we were headed but for the most part, we were thick in the clouds. There appeared to be a long line-up of climbers but we kept moving. As long as we were moving, I was happy. [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5331]I heard Russ on the radio asking, "Could someone tell me where Meeegan and Lakpa Nuru are? I can't see them." So I grabbed Lakpa Nuru's microphone (because mine kept falling off my jacket so I buried it in my pocket) and told Russ where we were. Then Lakpa Nuru fixed his camera, which was iced over. It seemed everything was iced over, including my goggles, which made it very difficult to see, even after wiping them off. [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5332]At the time we climbed the forty foot Hillary Step, I didn't know it was the Hillary Step. It just seemed like the terrain got rockier and steeper for a bit. My mind was so focused on climbing that I didn't think about where we were. [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5343]Climbing the Hillary Step [Photo by Shinji Tamura]It is at the top of the Hillary Step where climbers say you can smell the summit (if you know where you are - I obviously didn't smell anything). [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5347]It's now a nice steady walk to the summit. [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5351]Just over eight hours of climbing in increasing clouds and low visibility, Lakpa Nuru shouted, "Summit!!" He was so excited! I turned around and asked, "Really? No way." I didn't expect it. Our pace seemed slow. He yelled it again - he knew, he'd been there four times before. I looked at my watch. It said 9:30am. All I could see was a mound of snow with a bunch of down suits on top about seventy feet from me. No view. How sad. But at the time, I DIDN'T CARE! [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5354]Although this was not exactly the summit I always dreamed of, my adrenalin was pumping as Lakpa Nuru and I clipped out of the rope and walked around three climbers to join our Himex team at top. [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5357]These photos were taken a couple of hours before I arrived, when Alec reached the top. [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5358]Summit [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5394]My eyes were swollen (happens to me in altitude sometimes) and my face was very red but it wasn't sunburned. [_EVE090418]Lakpa Nuru on the summit. [_EVE090417]Lakpa Nuru and I on the summit at 9:44am on May 23. [_EVE090414]And yet another... [_EVE090419]Descending [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5414]Waiting to descend the Hillary Step [_EVE090423]Descending [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5428]
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It is at the top of the Hillary Step where climbers say you can smell the summit (if you know where you are - I obviously didn't smell anything). [Photo by Hiro Kuraoka IMG_5347]



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