I woke at first light, snuck out in the icey slap your face cold to the latrine, then snuggled back into the sleeping bag only to be told ten minutes later it was time to get up. Arrgghh. We left the hut at 0740 and headed for the Hochstetter Dome. More later as we pack up this evening for an 0400 start tomorrow. We need to get out of here before a forecast storm due to hit here later in the day. Needless to say today was a big effort. We arrived back at 8pm after transiting the Hochstetter Traverse, a hair raising but strangely gratifying effort, followed by a stint covering off on crevasse rescue. Carolyn and I took turns to drop into a crevasse and be rescued by the other. After being down that crack in the ice in the full glare of the sun we both came out burned and with headaches. But there was a marvelous feeling of satisfaction to have the ‘victim’ surface at the end of the rope pulley system that is taking me far too much to time to get my head around. There truly is power in knowledge. Knowledge of breaking strains, rated equipment and in techniques. I climb and walk with more confidence as I get more and more experience based knowledge. It takes some effort to conjure up the trepidation I felt when I tried this for the first time a little over a year ago. That has now gone and I am keen to have a crack at anything. And now crevasses, though to be avoided if at all possible, are not the vast potential tombs they once were. Right off to bed. My pen is not cooperating in any event.
(And in the end failed to get back to the diary for this day).
Diary 24 January 2014
