Aug 15

I had fun in the mountains. As much fun as you can have freezing your ass off. I had paid for climbing 2 mountains, but I soon realized after the second day I would be lucky to climb one. The mountains are bright, and the plant life looks like plastic toys that belong in your fish bowl. I remember seeing Dandelions they grow everywhere. My guides name was Paulino. I was a little worried at first because he was so short and thin- maybe at best 100 pounds. He showed me he could carry about 2/3rds his body weight up the mountain at a quicker Pace then I could keep up with. He was strong- really, really strong. When you climb the mountain; its a really personal experience. The only sounds are your foot steps, the wind, and your guide asking you if your OK. I was a little hypoxic (not enough oxygen) when I had some silly thoughts. For example, I remember thinking how cool/ important it would be to have clean and shiny shoes as I walked up to base camp. Base camp had been higher then any mountain in the continental US. I remember sleeping a lot. Paulino cooked all my meals. He took care of me like a parent. I was dependent on him for my food, shelter, and decision making. In exchange, I told really bad Spanish jokes. Remember, my Spanish vocabulary is that of an infant. He laughed. It seems like a survival mechanism. I mean I needed him to like me, or; otherwise I would die on that mountain. The mountain is dry and cold. We did a lot of walking at two a.m. On the last day, we reached the glacier at five am. We needed to be up early because thats when the ice is strongest. Paulino couldn't get my cramp-ons on my boots. So, I never made it to the top. Instead, we walked the next 7 or 8 hours to the bottom of the mountain. It turns out there wasn't anything wrong with my cramp-ons; they were just a different style then Paulino was used to. The company gave me a free trip to glacier you can drive to. Unless Paulino carried me on his back, I don't think I was strong enough to make it up that mountain anyway. Now, I know a little about what mountaineering is all about. And, its tough and dangerous. You basically put your body in a state of compensatory shock and then go exercising. If you break your leg or lose a pint of blood, you have to get down quickly before you go into de-compensatory shock (where your heart beats very slowly, and your lungs breath less then usual to save energy). After de-compensatory shock is death. It would probably be a very painless death, like going to sleep. But, I made it down in one piece, and thats whats important.