1/7/2024 0 Comments Basecamp 3 sucks![]() Not only am I late and the only woman, but I’m the only vegetarian. “Carnivore reporting for duty!” “Bloodier the better in my book.” “Anyone else?” I look up and down the line. “No thank you,” I say, loud enough for everyone to hear. I can’t tell if it’s sarcasm or his dry British tone. “Inspirational,” says posh John, lifting his eyebrows. With you.” I finish with a flourish of the hand. They’re heading back down the mountain now. I wanted Everest to show them how powerful they are. The hike was about getting in touch with their inner strength. Women who, like me, have been victims of sexual violence. “For the last ten days, I’ve been guiding a group of courageous young women to Base Camp. “Tell us a bit about where you’ve come from.” “Our team is now officially complete.” He grins, his smile lines more like fault lines, deep creases extending from the corner of his eyes all the way down his cheeks. I’ve met Mike only once, briefly, at the puja. ![]() He exudes a sort of gentleness that I’m grateful for after all the bravado. Mark has a kind face and is more reserved than the others. He’s on a private expedition housed within Adventure Consultants, and has hired Lydia Bradey, the first woman to successfully climb Everest without oxygen, as his main guide.Īnd finally, next to John, is Mark, a college professor who lives in Connecticut. His posh accent and square horn-rimmed glasses say professor, not mountaineer. “I can only imagine,” I say.Īt the second table is John, a British financier who lives between Hong Kong and Tokyo-two of my favorite cities. “But we were caught at Camp 1 when the earthquake hit. It was the first time in forty-one years that that had happened. Not a single climber made it to summit that spring. It killed twenty-four people and decimated the small citadel that is Base Camp. The 2015 avalanche was Everest’s most deadly. My mouth falls open as the next man at the table stands to introduce himself.
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