Page 18 - 2018 AMA Winter

EXPEDITIONNEWS
concrete and cement structure at 5200m was an arduous task in itself. Mixing cement and carrying rocks with only 55% oxygen available was difficult to say the least. Unlike the replica in Kathmandu, the foundation took two days to set instead of one. We came to another decision point that not everyone would be able to climb Island Peak. We had to split the team. Half of the team would remain to complete the memorial and the rest went off to Island Peak.
YouTube made Island Peak sound like a stroll in the park, it was not for us. The climb started with an uneventful six hours and 800m ascent to Crampon Point from BC. The two-hour journey from Crampon Point to the ice wall required that we navigate small ice climbs and various crevasses, including an 8m crevasse with no less than 5 ladders tied together! The final climb to the summit itself was an almost sheer 200m ascent. Shattered beyond belief, we all eventually flopped onto the summit. The Nepal Army Moun- taineering team had been waiting for us for a good 20 minutes by that point. Tired but elated, we finally made our way down
Crossing a Crevasse on the Island Peak glacier
Carrying stones for the memorial was not easy at 5200m
to Chukkung for a good night’s rest after 15 hours of being on the move.
Whilst the Island Peak team were fighting with the mountain, the memorial team had their own battle with cement that refused to work as it should. WO2 Durham and Staff Smith’s preparation for this endeavour could not have been more thorough. Prior to the expedition they tested various cement mixture in the freezer and we even built a replica memorial in the Kathmandu British Cemetery (Please visit during your next visit to Kathmandu). To no avail the cement did not do what we wanted it to. It finally dried enough just enough for work to continue. Working 12 hour days, they finally managed to finish it on the morning of the service. The photo of the cairns only gives a small glimpse of the quality and workmanship. Having seen the memorial as intended, with Nuptse standing imposingly in the background, is a sobering sight to behold.
On the 30 May, the Island peak team lumbered the three hours from Chukkung back to Nuptse BC. We held a short memorial service. LCpl Sunil said a
Crossing a crevasse on Island Peak
mantra for Pasang and Padre Turkington said some prayers. In the end we played Last Post which gave us a time to reflect. David Brister wrote a poem in 1968, which I believe sums up our own thoughts:
MOUNTAINS
The mountains have spirited away my soul. The snow peaks fill my sight.
My eyes look to the roll of far hills.
In the dawn’s soft light
I can hear the watery music of streams Washing the smooth river stones.
At night far from the hills my dreams
Are filled with the sighing wind that moans Around the canvas of my tent
Singing me to sleep.
In snow rock and sky a lovely three I sight revealed God – Trinity
In hills unchanging I can see
An illimited, glorious Divinity.
Cleansed by the hills my soul can yield To God and mountain-healed,
I know his truth and pray.
There were some mixed emotions at the end of the service. A sense of loss, awe
Group Photo of everyone after the memorial service
18 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER
On Island Peak Summit