Carlos Pauner GI and GII Expedition 2004

WE ARE STILL ON THE MORAINE

It's been 45 days since we arrived to this place.  I remember how, that June 6, we arrived full of illusion, fresh, with the healthy intention of making things right and fast to be able to go back to our beloved ones in a prudential time.  Nothing has evolved as we thought.  Today I am here sitting, writing and I see how some expeditions who arrived much later that us, go back home, disappointed and with empty hands.  I realize we have been here a lot of time.

The weather has not treated us good this year, it has not given us an opportunity to develop our activities.  We have been scratching, using the scarce days of more or less good weather we've had, a few meters which at the end have lead us to the 7,000 m. mark.  It is not enough.  So far at base camp, we should have climbed one of the Gasherbrum and we'd be waiting for a chance to climb another.  However, we are watching the snow fall and watching a good part of the expeditions going back home to continue with their lives.

We have decided to bet on something bigger.  We had delayed our return tickets and we had asked for more supplies.  We will use our last drop of energy here and we will withstand up to 60 days on base camp.  A lot, maybe too much for our wasted minds, but we need a chance to fight in the heights.  We need a window of acceptable weather to start an attack and to justify all the time we've spent here.  We avidly read the weather forecasts, without seeing any noticeable change.  It doesn't matter, it's been decided.  We will be the first to arrive and the last to leave, but it can't be any other way.  While we still have some energy we will continue here, hoping for the 3 days of good weather to come, 3 days of mountain climbing and, why not, 3 days of glory.  We don't lose our hope, although the ambition in our eyes little by little, as the day and the snow fall, diminishes a little more...

Carlos

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

 

Altitech2: Digital Altimeter, Barometer, Compass and Thermometer. Time/Date/Alarms. Chronograph with 24 hour working range. Timer with stop, repeat and up function. Rotating Bezel. Leveling bubble. Carabiner latch. E.L. 3 second backlight. Water resistant. 4" x 2-1/4" x 3/4" 2 oz. Requires 1 CR2032 battery. See more here.

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