Day #30

Location: Basecamp
Altitude: 5364m
Local Time: 7:30pm / April 26
Weather: Cool (30's) windy/snow

The past few days we have enjoyed the luxuries of basecamp but tomorrow we will leave again for the climb to Camp 2. While at Camp 2 we hope to make a push to Camp 3 for further acclimitization.

In keeping with guest commentary today Ward will be our guest blogger.
Hope you enjoy.

This is Ward, and I will be the guest blogger today.....

As I explored basecamp the other day, I was prompted to consider the types of mountaineers I was meeting and their various motivations. I came upon the following descriptors (Note: for brevity, I use "he" and "him" but make no mistake, the mountains know no gender bias):

The Pro - This is the professional guide. He initially pursued mountaineering as a passion, and now earns his living through it. He can be young or old, jaded or enthusiastic, experienced or novice.

The Trophy Hunter - This is the one who wants bragging rights. The "seven summiteer". He has summit photos of himself featured prominently in public areas of his home. He earns considerable self esteem through the admiration of others.

The Aesthetic - He emerges from the dining tent at camp 2 and marvels at the moonlight bouncing off of the face of Everest and the Nuptse massif creating an ethereal glow throughout the Western Cwm that Walt Disney (the man) could only envy. He enjoys the "crunch" that his crampons make on fresh snow and the "thwak" that his ice axe generates as he sinks it deep into the blue ice. To him, the mountains are beauty incarnate and the pursuit of mountaineering is an opportunity for spiritual enlightening. Mountaineering, the process, is everything, unlike....

The Peak Bagger - The goal is the "raison d'etre". "Summit or plummet!!!" He believes that a summit unattained is a failure. He "conquers" mountains. He can site lists of peaks he has "bagged".

The Athlete - He can site the times of his "speed ascents". He monitors his heart rate with his hightech devices. He stays on trail, for straying off of it is not part of the workout "program" or "schedule".

The Publicist - He leverages the notoriety of the peak (and there ain't much more notorious than Everest) to earn attention for himself or a chosen entity, often a charity. He uses various channels (email, web, blog, or, in the most extreme cases, television) to broadcast his story. For better or worse, he is a P.R. man extraordinaire.

Where do I fit? Like most, I believe that I am "The Amalgam". While I am no "Pro", I have an irrepresable passion for the mountains, and have often envied those who have found a way to earn living in them. I very sheepishly confess my status as a "Trophy Hunter". I have, over the years, climbed 5 of the 7 summits (i.e. highest point on each continent). If I reach the top of Everest (my 6th high point), it seems inevitable that I will "have to" pursue the seventh (Elbrus in Europe). As for the "Aesthetic", I had tears in the corners of my eyes when I witnessed the described scene at camp 2. I am humbled daily by the majesty of what I see, and as corney as it sounds, the vastness and the wonder of it all. And yet, I am definitely a "Peak Bagger". I can rattle off lists of summits "bagged", and I hang my head with (some) shame to name those attempted but not "conquered". An "Athlete": I have climbed Half Dome (in Yosemite) twice in a day. I can tell you how long it took to summit my last 8,000 M peak. I can site mile and marathon personal best times. I say this with equal parts sheepishness and boyish pride. As for "Publicist", well, if you've made it this far, you've read my self-promoting prose in this blog.

I am the Amalgam, as are, I believe, my teammates. I am no more talented or accomplished than the average of them. But given the extraordinary level of talent and class evident in my team, there is a fair bit of hubris in that statement. I am humbled by the team, the mountain and the audacity of our chosen endeavor. I wish us all luck and hope that you will do the same.

Peace be with you.

And to my Lil' 'd', Peanut and Baby Lish, I love you with all of my heart, I miss you desperately, and the magnitude of the beauty of this place cannot compare to the size of my love for you. I "hear you in my heart" every minute of every day.

Your Messages:

Carol:
Hi sweetheart. Enjoyed talking to you today. Thanks for the updates on home activities. I do appreciate your daily emails and text messages and look forward to both with great anticipation. Hope that you will be able to sporadically receive my emails. The physical distance is great between us, but you are in my heart and soul and with me every moment of my being.

I love you and miss you terribly :>)

Pat :>)

**I will respond to posted messages from Camp 2 tomorrow as we leave here early in the morning so need to prepare for the climb. I hope that all have had the opportunity to check out the map that my brother Danny has created which shows where all the bloggers live. Thanks to all for your continued participation in the blog ... it helps me to move forward knowing that so many care!

Take care,

Pat :>)