Boredom

​So, we are without a doubt taking on our biggest challenge yet, to climb two 8000m peaks one after the other, and the 2nd notoriously claiming more climbers than any other mountain out here…… so pretty intense and Harcore. 
But for the uninitiated this might seem like complete craziness from start to finish, but let me inform you of the hardest part of this and many expeditions like it.
BOREDOM complete and utter, unadulterated boredom from waking to sleeping.

Now folk that know Pete and I will know we are not great at sitting still, not great and just “chilling out” so on rest days and bad weather days we are simply impossible to be with. We hate it, we hate doing nothing, we hate small talk, we hate drinking endless cups of coffee just for the sake of showing your face.

Sadly, today we are again waiting for a weather window to get back onto the mountain, we are waiting to ensure the avalanche risk is as low as possible. It’s bloody hard work doing nothing.
What has taken up our time from 08:00-10:00 today?

Well…. It will appear some dirty trekker has used our shitting rock and left it in a complete state, we have of course called a site (“shite”) meeting to evaluate the filth. This took up a good 15 minutes after everyone got to see it and give their opinion on the culprit- We all agreed it was the dirty Americans!

Pete used another 15 minutes folding his sleeping mat in 2 different styles, 1 way utilising the horizontal grain then the other using the vertical grain. Oh how did we enjoy how the successful fold slipped into the case like a glove.

Petes just made another brew, but selfishly left the tea bag in to stew, another 15 minutes of tea making master class.

Some other team member have heard of the shitting rock incident and walked up to our camp, all very interested to see for themselves and give an opinion, some are even offering other nationalities as guilty but we can see this quickly becoming an international incident and stepping in, we offer them all coffee.

It’s now 10:30 and some happy bastard is singing in the kitchen tent, this of course really doesn’t help Pete and I who are just raring to get onto the mountain.

On a more serious note we have loved receiving the notifications and comments and emails. They really do keep us going. This environment is hard, it’s hard to stay focussed when you can’t control the environment, it’s hard to stay on your top game when your body is wasting away.

Boredom on a mountain is the real killer.