Carlos Pauner: DHAULAGIRI 2006 TO MY WARRIOR FRIENDS

I know that this word is cheesy, but every time I am here it looks appropriate.  Since man is man, he has done absurd things for the simple fact of looking for fun, or to demonstrate to himself that he is capable of overtaking certain barriers.  Extreme mountain climbing perfectly fits, of course, in this group of activities.  There are few more useless things like risking his life in an eight-thousand meters mountain, like racing in a circuit at 300 Km/h or to run 42 km at top speed.  But the essence of these activities is common, is to prove yourself to yourself, to surpass the limits of the human being, like a vital challenge for the protagonist and entertainment for the rest.  That's why the word gladiator is appropriate.   I recognize my weakness for this variety, but this Roman circus is run with no arena.  They went out on the Coliseum to save their lives and earn their freedom.  We now imitate them.  When the weather invites us to leave our shelter, we prepare our arms, with no rush, with a kind of previously established ceremony. We take our particular talismans (in my case although I am not a believer, I carry a Virgin of Pilar that my mother always gives to me), we repeat a series of routines and we leave to that zone of extreme altitude to fight for our lives.  Our freedom is to get to the summit and to go back down.  There we will get our wooden sword, a symbol of having achieved our coveted goal.  Then we can leave, to meet our loved ones, to forget the bad things and to always remember the feelings we lived.  We will be more powerful.  It will be that way until the next battle, when everything will start again.  Just like in Rome, we will also lose partners in these battles.  The list is growing terribly long, but I have to honor such brave warriors.  Pepe Garces, who lies around here and who I will always remember because of the hug that joined us on the summit of K2.  Kristian ....  We went to the top of Kangchenjunga side by side, despite the fact that his death sentence was already written in Annapurna.  José Antón, whose enthusiasm was stopped for ever in Gasherhrum I, with no time for anything.  Jean Christophe Lafaille, one of the greatest.  Little and powerful, friend and teammate, strong and untamable, almost touched glory in Makalu, which mercilessly devoured him later.  So many warriors, who had fallen following a dream, their dream, a lot of people's dream, but that have given a lesson of honor, of character and power.  I am proud of having shared the arena with them and from here I express the best homage.  Your name will never be forgotten, because it is absolutely joined to the history of the Himalayas, a history made out of pain and glory, of blood and sweat.  There are still a lot of pages to write in this history, but without a doubt, those of us who are still here, have to learn from our predecessors, as much from their rights as from their wrongs and with that, we will be a little stronger, wiser to be able to fight with more ability on these frozen slopes on the limit of what a human being is capable.  The show must go on.

Carlos Pauner

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

A cold weather, high altitude double boot for extreme conditions The Olympus Mons is the perfect choice for 8000-meter peaks. This super lightweight double boot has a PE thermal insulating inner boot that is coupled with a thermo-reflective outer boot with an integrated gaiter. We used a super insulating lightweight PE outsole to keep the weight down and the TPU midsole is excellent for crampon compatibility and stability on steep terrain. WEIGHT: 39.86 oz • 1130 g LAST: Olympus Mons CONSTRUCTION: Inner: Slip lasted Outer: Board Lasted OUTER BOOT: Cordura® upper lined with dual-density PE micro-cellular thermal insulating closed cell foam and thermo-reflective aluminium facing/ Insulated removable footbed/ Vibram® rubber rand See more here.

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