Follow me on Instagram @carolinegleich
After four days at advanced base camp, my cough got worse and worse. I was losing strength. It became difficult to do simple tasks like walk to the bathroom. I almost stopped peeing all together. My oxygen saturation was low, and after a really rough night, we knew it was time for me to descend. I was so weak, @rob.lea did all the packing while @solitude66 and @topomena organized logistics, and I went on supplemental oxygen. I felt so embarrassed walking out of camp, but sometimes you have to hold your head up high and let go of your pride. We are only human. I even made up an alter ego for my oxygen mask face: baby Darth Vader. It helped me feel more badass in that low moment, and gave me strength for the hike back down to basecamp. When I got down, @adrianballinger reminded me that sometimes, altitude sickness just happens. It has nothing to do with fitness, preparation or experience. I’m trying not to be too hard on myself during this time. I’ve been resting now for a few days at basecamp. Tomorrow, I’m going to go back up to abc. I’m a little scared from what happened, but I’m going to give it another go and take it one step at a time. Huge thanks to Rob and the team for taking such good care of me while I was sick!
