Summit

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Colder and Foggier. Wetter and darker. I slept terribly and woke with angst. I needed to summit. The day was a short one in the dark of the rising cloud. I was swirling up, damply.

It felt like I was in slow motion. My small wristwatch weighed down my hand. My light pack heaved down its burden. My bright blue jacket beaded with moisture.

The mist was heavy.

I wasn't there. It wasn't happening.

My breathing was shorter and tougher. I had lived in Colorado two years ago and the mountains were high. The Himalayas were 2 times higher than the very highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains 14,000! This day I was walking to that elevation to be in the shadow of peaks of nearly 28,000 feet.

It's no wonder my body was slowing and my brain was lagging. I was walking into thinning atmosphere. I vaguely remembered learning in school that humans are not meant to breathe in outer space without the help of science.

We were defying nature. And for what? For a lovely rush? For a life well lived? I was in a big of a brood. That wasn't going to hold me back from finishing what I set out to do when I started walking several days earlier. Alex and I were at the lead of the group. It was about 3 hours and 3 kilometers. Seemed like 8 kilometers and 8 hours. We were the pioneers to reach Annapurna Base Camp.

Fogged in. First thing I did was order a San Miguel beer at the lodge. My granddad, Bob Allen had loved San Miguel and he was an adventurer so I poured a sip for him and chugged it. I bought good Ol' Davey boy a beer and he was feeling a bit queasy. He almost didn't finish his beer but I told him I would not think he an Irishman if that were the case. So he had to.

I myself was top of the world. I'm invincible.

15 minutes later I was laying in bed with my head under the pillow. 25 minutes later I was dry-heaving. 35 minutes and Dave O' was buying me a round and laughing because I was the one who didnt want it now. Oh how the tides had turned.

Turns out it was simple altitude sickness. We had elevated from one camp to the next so fast that our bodies got mad. Again with the pushing of nature. It pushed back. That, coupled with the fact that we were in the clouds completely and there was no sight of peaks had me in a foul temper.

Luckily our host(ess) with the most(ess) Alex was able to cook a mean dish! I felt like it was the greatest tasting meal ever. I played a bit of cards and chatted with our fellow trekkers.

We exchanged trail stories.

A Korean woman had gone missing on the hike yesterday. Lost to the river.

Nature pushing back. Claiming its sacrifice.

I went to sleep and waited for the light of day.

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