To avoid recalling the difficult times in the slopes of Mt. Elbrus, I’ll change the name of the mountain as El Bruce hehe.
I made a bold attempt to summit 18,400ft El Bruce last 2004, but failed. On the 4th day of the climb, I made an attempt – weak and sick. After more than 10 hours, I was still walking upwards, when snow clouds enveloped the mountain dropping visibility to as low as 3-5 meters. 200 vertical meters before the summit (2-3h to go), I met up with the lead team. The members were on their way down, while I was still struggling to hike up. Sensing danger and higher risk, the expedition leader asked me to go down to live another day. Weeks of preparation, thousands of dollars of my savings, hope for the Conservation project work that this expedition should support – all seemed to float in the air, higher and higher - and into oblivion. It was one of the most miserable and humbling day of my life.
3 years had passed, and the memory of my agonizing time in El Bruce is still fresh in my mind. I dreaded the mountain, the ever changing weather, the Russian atmosphere, and the possible repeat of defeat. Will I climb its summit this time?
Only time will tell…
I made a bold attempt to summit 18,400ft El Bruce last 2004, but failed. On the 4th day of the climb, I made an attempt – weak and sick. After more than 10 hours, I was still walking upwards, when snow clouds enveloped the mountain dropping visibility to as low as 3-5 meters. 200 vertical meters before the summit (2-3h to go), I met up with the lead team. The members were on their way down, while I was still struggling to hike up. Sensing danger and higher risk, the expedition leader asked me to go down to live another day. Weeks of preparation, thousands of dollars of my savings, hope for the Conservation project work that this expedition should support – all seemed to float in the air, higher and higher - and into oblivion. It was one of the most miserable and humbling day of my life.
3 years had passed, and the memory of my agonizing time in El Bruce is still fresh in my mind. I dreaded the mountain, the ever changing weather, the Russian atmosphere, and the possible repeat of defeat. Will I climb its summit this time?
Only time will tell…
2 comments:
sir congrats for conquering 4/7 summits.i pray for your succes.mabuhay ka romi,mabuhay ang taga BATAAN
Dindo N.Fernando
President
Dong-In Outdoor Society
sir ano at saan ang next climb mo?r u planing to climb the 5/7 summit?sn mag tagumpay k.mabuhay k romi.
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