There’s a saying in the Rose family, when you’re on the right path you can’t make a wrong turn. This trip lines up perfectly with that philosophy. We hit the summit of Lobuche on Monday morning with absolute perfect weather, not a drop of wind or a cloud in the sky.
We left low camp at 1am with only a headlamp view, about four feet in any direction of visibility up to our 20K ft destination. Rock scrambles, crampons over rock, ice and snow. Rope work, which I’ve never really done outside of a climbing gym… Some hectic moments for sure, but all worth it as we arrived on the high Himalayan summit just after sunrise.
Days of trekking, acclimating and learning how our bodies handle high elevation are part of the process. Spending over a week above 15K ft comes with challenges. Hypoxia nights of waking up suddenly feeling like you don’t have enough oxygen, cold weather nights of sleeping in all of your top gear. Managing elevation daily, be that dehydration, nutrition or cold wind and the headaches that can come on at any moment. Staying healthy and avoiding getting a cold or cough that could compromise your climb. So many factors happening, that the focus becomes very narrow and there is a clear objective, which is to focus, put in the work and get the rest needed to have the best chance of reaching your goal.
Standing on the summit of Lobuche, seeing all the other famous peaks surrounding us was unreal, but honestly the days leading up to that summit are what really move me. The patience, the process and letting go. You can’t force a high altitude climb, your body will revolt if you do.
This would not have been possible without our incredibly savvy crew
@insightfulnotes ,
@raipaulc and
@pasanguide8848.86 . Thanks for your patience, wisdom and guidance. And,
@jon_rose thank you for the invite. A truly unforgettable and life evolving experience. The year of yes continues! 🤍
