It only took 3 weeks to do something stupid…Fred climbed a mountain!

Disclaimer: It took a couple days for me to publish this story. I wanted to wait until after I was back safe to share with our parents, so it took a few days and phone calls before I could finish it.

On the Bolivia Hop bus, there was a brochure in our seats advertising all the different tours and adventures you could take while in La Paz. On of the options was to climb Huayna Potosi, “The most accessible and beginner friendly 6000 meter (19,500 ft) mountain in the world.” For less than $200, you could sign up for a guided 3 day, 2 night tour to summit this glacial mountain. To my surprise, Michelle leaned over and said, “Did you see this? You should go for it!” She says she was kidding – I don’t think she was.

Even still, the idea was crazy! I’ve never done any type of mountaineering! I reached out to a few friends and relatives to ask for their advice: “Was a good idea or really stupid?!?” To be fair, I received mixed reviews. Some said, “Hell Yeah! Go for it!!” While others were more cautious – encouraging me to be careful and making the case that the risks might overshadow the rewards. Eventually, my Seize-The-Day and challenge seeking personality won over and I decided to go for it. Climbing a mountain almost 20,000 ft above sea level is one of those bucket list type events that I never thought could really be on my bucket list! An adventure like this would typically cost thousands of dollars, so to have the chance to take a short 3 day side trip for $200 was too good to pass up! To give some perspective, the highest peak in the lower 48 states is about 16,000 ft above sea level. Pikes Peak in Colorado is about 14,000 ft.

Here was the 3 day itinerary they laid out for us:
Day 1:
-Meet at their shop to get fitted for all the necessary clothing and gear.
-Take a 1 hour, 45 minute shuttle out of the city to base camp.
-Practice mountaineering skills on the near-bye glacial edge.
Day 2:
-Hike to high camp
Day 3:
-Summit attempt!
-Hike back down to base camp before the shuttle takes you back to La Paz.

Easy Peezy, Lemon Squeezy! (Foreshadowing….it wasn’t!!)

Day 1: Starting altitude – 12,000 ft – This day was pretty much as expected. I woke up early feeling equal parts excited and nervous. This was WAY outside my comfort zone and I really didn’t know how my body would respond to that type of altitude. After getting all the gear and clothing we needed, we started the ride to base camp. The distance from La Paz is only about 15 miles to base camp, but it takes nearly 2 hours because the road is so rough that the van had to drive 25 mph or less (although we were still tossed around in our seats!). By sheer chance, I ended up sitting on the bus next to Matheau, from Quebec, Canada. I learned he had 3 kids and a wife back home and that he had made multiple summit attempts over 6000 meters before. It was nice to have a lot in common with someone and I would come to rely on his experience and wisdom often over the next 3 days.

Base camp was clean and comfortable. After a good lunch we did our first hike to the glacier’s edge to practice skills needed on the mountain. It was a 30 minute hike to the glacier. Being above 15,000 ft for the first time, this was a good chance to acclimatize to the altitude. During the walk up the mountain, I was feeling pretty good besides being winded. One thing I had going in my favor is that we had spent the past 2 weeks above 10,000 feet, so I was already acclimated to some higher altitudes (my Garmin watch said I was acclimated to 11,000 ft).

At the glacier, we strapped on our crampons to our boots and got out our pick axes. The skills we learned for maneuvering inclines up to 45 degrees were fairly simple, and it gave us confidence we would be able to manage on the mountain. Before going back to base camp, they gave us a chance to scale a vertical ice wall while strapped into a belay system. This portion was not needed on the mountain, but it was a fun challenge and provided some great photos. That night I went to bed feeling confident about the coming days. I drifted off to sleep early while the younger members of the group stayed up late playing cards and laughing. Ending Altitude – 15,500 ft.

Day 2: Starting altitude – 15,500 ft. Today was much less busy. Over the course of the previous night I started to experience a strong headache. It was worse while sleeping which meant I didn’t have very restful night. Breakfast was at 8:00 and we planned to make the 2 1/2 hour hike to high camp after lunch. We used the downtime to pack our bags, relax, and socialize. We were all excited about the hike to high camp and getting closer to the mountain peak. The day was clear and it provided stunning views of the mountain. The hike was very challenging. Having a full pack that was about 35 lbs was legit. We hiked about 1.5 miles with about 1,700 ft of elevation climb elevation climb. The pace had to be super slow so that we could catch our breath. All the hard work was rewarded through more and more beautiful views. The landscape and topography of these mountains truly is stunning and can’t be captured in a photo.

We reached high camp around 2:30. It was much more rugged and rough. We had a few hours to unpack and relax before dinner at 5:00. I wasn’t feeling great. The altitude was starting to have an impact. I had a headache and my stomach didn’t feel well. Additionally, the thin air just makes everything hard. Taking off your boots requires a short break in the middle! I chose to lie down and close my eyes a bit before dinner. That night, after dinner, they gave us an overview of what would happen for our summit attempt. I was glad that Matheau and I were paired up for the summit hike. We would get woken up at 12:30 am for a quick meal, get everything packed, and then start out at 1:30 am. Day 2 Ending Altitude – 17,200 ft.

Day 3: Starting altitude – 17,000 ft. When we awake that “morning/night” the weather was NOT good. It was snowing hard and very windy. Our guides told us we would climb for 2 hours and if the snow didn’t slow or stop, everyone might have to come down the mountain. With our headlamps lit and crampons strapped on, we started to assend. Between the snow and black of night, all we could focus on was the person in front of us and the rope that connected us together. The climb was slow and challenging. At times we had to stop and brace ourselves against the wind. We could also see continuous lightning off in the distance (although it didn’t seem to worry our guides). The higher we got, the colder and windier the conditions became. After an hour, I could no longer feel my fingers or toes because they were so cold. We stopped every 20-30 minutes for water and a small snack. We slowly walked in silence; focusing only on putting one foot in front of the other. There were many stretches where the “path” was 2 feet wide or less with sheer drop offs on both sides. The good news was that the darkness made it easier to ignore the dangers that would typically make you nervous!

After climbing for 2 1/2 hours we had climbed ~80% of the total vertical climb (now standing at 18,600 ft), however, we were only about half way into the time it takes to reach the summit. That’s because the last 1000 ft of the summit are the most technical, steep, and narrow. We came to a section they call the ice bridge. Matheau stopped and after a moment he turned to me and said, “Fred, I have a wife and 3 kids. I don’t feel comfortable with this and I’m choosing to go back down.” This caught me by surprise! There was no warning and his statement was decisive and matter-of-fact. Then he asked what I wanted to do. I stuttered out something like, “I think I could go either way…”. He pressed again and said, “That’s not what I asked…This is your choice. What do YOU want to do.”

Looking back, I’m so grateful for his direct and clear question. It forced me to truly analyze the situation, the risk, the reward, and decide for myself how I wanted to proceed. To be honest, it wasn’t a very hard choice. The ice bridge was at least a 45 degree angle and you could see that nothing was supporting it underneath. On top of that, our guide shared that there was another section like this (but longer) just before the summit. I promised Michelle I wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks or do anything stupid, and this felt like it was bordering on stupid territory! Decision made!

We turned around and started the walk back to high camp. I still could not feel my fingers or toes, and the wind had picked up even more. Multiple times on the way down, we had to stop to brace ourselves against the wind and snow. Despite it remaining dark, going down was much easier and faster. We returned to high camp around 5:00 am. I attempted to climb into my sleeping bag to get warm, however, while we were out, the wind had blown snow through the roof and INSIDE the cabin. My sleeping bag was wet and covered in snow! Eventually, my exhaustion took over and I fell asleep. Later in the morning, those who braved the full summit returned. All of them were exhausted; pushed to their limit and full of stories that confirmed I had made the correct choice to turn back when we did! Of the 24 people who made a summit attempt that morning, only 7 made it to the top! End of altitude – 12,000 ft.

If you are still reading, I’m impressed…this has been a long post! I’m writing this days after my experience. Now that I am warm, back to sea level, and feeling normal, I have 2 main reflections about this adventure: (1) Nature always wins! At those altitudes the conditions make everything more challenging! Plus, the sun is trying to burn you! The air is slowly suffocating you! And the temperatures are trying to freeze you! HUGE props to anyone who goes for a mountaineering adventure. It is never going to be easy and it should always be respected! (2) Challenges like this are essential to who I am and who I want to become! Let me be clear…this entire experience pushed me to the limit. I could even say that it sucked 90% of the time. On top of all that “suck-age,” there was no payoff/reward/summit in the end!! We climbed up in the dark and went back down in the dark! HOWEVER, with all that said, I’m so glad I went for it. Things don’t always work out. Events can be hard and really suck, AND, we grow and get stronger in those moments! Physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially stronger and better equipped to handle anything life throws our way. This adventure has made me a better person. If you have a mountain in front of you, go climb it! You won’t regret your decision:)