Dhaulagiri 2006: Carlos Pauner, close to the summit!

7,800 METERS: Yesterday at 7 in the morning, Nepal time, three human beings stopped at this mythical mark, trying to take the best decision.  The cold was intense, the wind got stronger by the minute and the possibilities of reaching the summit, already in sight, vanished for moments.  We had fought hard to get to this point, but we understood that going up in these conditions was a decision that probably would cost our lives. Ricardo, Nacho and myself, finally, decided to go down to base camp, where we got a few hours later, destroyed, morally finished and with the physical sequels of our stay in high altitudes for some days.  The story is simple.  On day 1 we left to camp 2, climbing more than 1,700m in a few hours, with a titanic effort because of the heavy load we were carrying.  On the next morning, we unmounted this camp and we carried it on our backs, with the healthy intention of climbing almost 1,000 m and mount camp 3.  Dhaulagiri made us change our plans really quick.  At 1 in the afternoon, a especially cruel wind storm stopped us and left us frozen.  We had to mount a tent in the middle of the slope, in the middle of the blizzard, digging a little step, where we spent the afternoon sitting down, leaning on one another with our feet hanging in the void.  Hands completely frozen, shaking because of the cold, the interior full of snow and the permanent risk of being swept by the snow that fell for a lot of hours.  However, we could stand it and at midnight, despite not having rested, or hydrated, we departed upwards, until we got to those 7,800m.  All our will was to get to the summit, despite the immeasurable effort we had made.  At the end, the mountain imposed its law and today, here at base, we have our hands empty, with some fingers touched by the cold, with ripped throats and with illusions, for the moment, on the ground.  They had been very hard days, where we've given it all, but success has slipped through our fingers.  Now it's time to meditate, to heal the wounds, to value the situation and the damage.  We have responded very well in extreme altitude and despite the harshness of the path, we have know how to deal with all this.  The decision of quitting, without a doubt, has been of responsibility, especially taking in account that hours later the summit was surrounded by a terrible storm, which without a doubt would had swallowed us forever.  Now, we are going to rest and see how things develop.  Tomorrow we will take decisions.

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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