Page 16 - 2015 AMA Autumn

Ex Altiplano Tiger – Bolivia June 2015
Capt Andrew Gough enjoying some Lake Titicaca Culture
Why do we do, what we do?
“The highest mountain I’d ever climbed before was Ben Nevis, this is just insane” LBdr Josh Burgess.
It was a stupid idea, just stupid. My tent is cold, it’s dark outside and I’m sure my watch says 01:07AM. Who on earth convinced me to attempt to summit a 6500m peak in the middle of Bolivia for fun. This isn’t fun. Sitting at a beach bar watching the sun set over the Maldives on a scuba diving Adventurous Training jolly is fun where you table is littered with empty beer bottles and your hotel room has ensuite.
I look around my tent and my ensuite consists of an almost full Nalgene bottle that was once used as a drinking vessel. It’s always a tough decision, when faced in the middle of the night, in desperate need of the toilet whether to extract yourself from the warm cocoon of the sleeping bag to brave the sub zero temperatures outside or to carefully aim into a Nalgene bottle ensuring that there is sufficient capacity to avoid a mishap and a damp sleeping bag. I’m not sure whether the thumb inside the bottle as an top up indicator is helpful or not.
Berating myself for not having more ensuite capacity my alarm goes off at 01:15AM. My mountain clothes are a week old and serve as my pillow. I can vaguely smell my own odour. Time for an invigorating wet wipe wash in the important areas and teeth cleaning. Here the lack of wash facilities just becomes annoying with toothpaste rinsing. Do I spit outside risking toothpaste over my boots? There’s always the nearly full Nalgene bottle laying luke warmly by my side. Choosing the lesser of two evils I decide to swallow the minty dilution rather
than enduring a waft of urine and the danger of splash back. Why didn’t I learn to scuba dive?
I hear muffled voices outside my tent, the flash of head torches as other team members gather for breakfast. As I unzip the tent shards of frost fall from the fabric having condensed overnight. I search for my boots, these are a single leather, a bit too thin for my liking but that’s all I’ve got. I would’ve liked to have had double boots where you get to wear the liners inside your sleeping bag and start with warmish feet. Here my toes squeeze into a very cold and stiff boot. I try and get the right tension on the laces so that I can climb and descend without the boot slipping or being overly tight and reducing circulation. Such a faff trying to tie a double bow wearing gloves too. Tell me why I’m doing this again? Finally dressed I emerge into the brisk, nocturnal world of alpinism
Other team members are standing around a hot water urn. Dragons breath of con- densation are illuminated by head torches as talk is kept to a minimum. The appre- hension of the climb weighing everyone down . Its definitely below freezing. Hot chocolate and a bread roll for breakfast and then it’s time to start the ascent we’ve all been thinking about.
My climbing partner is tied into a rope a few metres behind me. All I care about is the pool of light in front of me illuminating a small world of snow, ice and footprints. I keep my feet moving in a slow, plodding rhythm and follow the line of head torches in front.
Shortly into the climb my thumbs start to hurt. They’re getting cold and it’s painful. The ice axe, albeit necessary is draining the heat from my hands. On each zig and
Sgt Conrad
Earl and Maj
Al Mason and guide on Huayno Potosi
Sgt Conrad Earl and Cpl Kris Woodhead on Alpamayo
The Ex Altiplano Tiger team at high camp below Illimani
Sgt Simon Lamb going local at Valley of the Moon La Paz
14 ARMY MOUNTAINEER
Ex Altiplano Tiger Team