The weather was cloudy. We wandered around the camp, inspecting the tents and the snow fortifications around them. We also checked the weather forecast board, which indicated that the only day to climb to the summit was tomorrow. Unfortunately, due to insufficient acclimatization, we wouldn’t be able to make the attempt tomorrow. We decided to wait for the next weather window.
I spent the day reading books about mountaineering (finally I had time for this!) learning Spanish, and writing about expeditions in my diary. Chris taught me a few more practical knots for rock climbing and mountaineering.
On the seventh day, the weather turned out to be sunny, and it became quite warm in the tent, sometimes reaching 25 degrees. I would occasionally relax naked inside, enjoying what felt like a tropical island amidst the endless ocean of ice and snow.
Chris and Jozef (who was feeling much better today) went on an acclimatization tour to the fix ropes above our camp while I reinforced our snow walls around the tents, anticipating a snowstorm and strong winds forecasted for the next day.
As predicted, the snowstorm arrived on the eighth day. We spent the entire day in the tents, reading books and playing cards. I taught Chris and Jozef how to play Fool (Durak in Russian), a card game from my childhood. We even managed to watch a movie on Joseph’s mobile phone. The day passed quickly.
However, spending all day in a small tent, braving the cold and snow to use the toilet, clearing snow from the tent, and preparing water and food was exhausting. Chris began to complain, repeatedly telling me how nice it would be to take a shower, eat normal food in a restaurant, and so on. His mental state seemed to deteriorate due to the uncertainty of the weather: would it last a few days or a couple of weeks? Would our food supplies be sufficient? Would we need to descend to the previous camp to grab some food we cached? This uncertainty weighed heavily on all of us. We tried to ration our food to extend our wait beyond a week: the forecast predicted bad weather for at least a week.
I tried to calm and cheer up Chris. Despite the harsh conditions, I enjoyed the camp, even in such bad weather. The waiting atmosphere was disheartening, but for the first time, I had time to read books, disconnect from work and social media, return to listening to Spanish podcasts. Overall, it was a great adventure filled with memorable experiences.
This journey made me more grateful for simple things like warm water, a shower, a bed, and communication with family and friends. After such expeditions, I appreciate every day and am even more thankful for everything I have.
I tried to stay positive despite the bad weather and long wait, finding the silver lining in every situation. However, falling asleep after a day of lying or sitting in the tent was challenging. I hoped the weather would improve the next day.
