Climbers and Caregivers

As we arrived at our Camp 2 yesterday, cheap a young lady with a large pack approached us. She had been following us closely since the turnoff at the Col. Now she looked confused.

It seems she was climbing with an independent team and her two teammates had left her to find the next camp on her own. She had missed the turn and followed us mistakenly thinking we were going to her camp.

She had a map and after a discussion quickly discovered her error. She left for the correct camp swiftly.

Even though you cannot help every climber, especially if their actions put others at risk, in mountaineering, the creed is to help your fellow climber. In this case it was simple. But that is not always the case.

Helping someone with Alzheimer’s is a completely different story yet the creed is the same.

Caregivers shoulder a huge responsibility. Often their own health suffers as they struggle to meet the round-the-clock demands. The stress on families, finances, jobs – the impact is serious.

But just like with that climber, you do what you can. The sobering fact is that there is no cure for Alzheimer’s thus the need for more research and support for caregivers.

Today, we made a successful carry to our High Camp at 19,600′. It has the unfortunate name of Camp Colera.

The winds continue to be extremely strong so we will move the High Camp tomorrow, Friday, to be in position for a summit push when the weather allows. I hope it is over the weekend since everyone is doing very well.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything