Page 17 - 2010 AMA Spring

Yak drovers moving equipment to camp 1
Seven of us eventually reached the summit, all between 0820 and 1015 hours. Standing there was surreal and what most mountaineers dream of. Almost the entire world is below your feet; just Mount Everest standing majestically next to you in full splendor reminding us all that she is anoth- er 650m taller!
The return journey down the mountain to camp 2 lay ahead, several hours ahead. It is on this part of the journey, the descent, that most accidents occur when climbers are exhausted by the delirium that the oxygen deprivation causes. Focused mountaineer- ing skills are still required however, especial- ly on the near vertical sections and ice wall
abseils. Safety was still further away, and it would take another two days to get back to the sanctuary of advanced base camp.
The trip was marred slightly with the death of a fellow climber in the tent next to me at camp 2 (not our team). Following his suc- cessful summit attempt, the American died in his sleep and it was sad to watch his body being placed into a large plastic bag in order to lower it off the mountain. He would later be transported to the road head on the back of a yak and then on for even- tual repatriation to the USA. A risk we all have to accept when conducting such an adventurous activity.
Maj Marsh climbs to camp 3 at 7500 metres
Although this was a private venture with a personal expenditure of almost 10,000 pounds, I would like to thank the AGC Regimental Association, Young Officers Enterprise Fund, Berlin Infantry Brigade Memorial Fund, GOC 1st (UK) Armd Div Welfare Fund and my chain of command, for the financial and moral support that they gave me.
Maj Marsh Camp 1
ARMY MOUNTAINEER 15