Cho Oyu, before the second try
There’s an evil spell over my travelling. Before my last few trips I’ve taken on increasing amounts of work just before I leave, no matter how long before I start finishing up – I can always do a little more. Me and my stupid challenging myself! It’s both for good and bad, as are many things. This time I finished the last work related e-mail 5 minutes before leaving for the airport. And I kept working during the first flight before my brain cooled down enough to be a little still, and let the thoughts run like a slow river, instead of a raging waterfall.
Most of the subjects that are popping up through the river of thoughts was of things to put on the damned ”to-do-list” and of missing my family. Thinking of them I get tears in my eyes, running down my cheeks dripping on the laptop keyboard. This laptop has to survive a lot of things. Anyway, airports are a very legitimate place to cry at. People don’t need to care. Because in their heads they quickly make up a story of why I’m sitting in front of a computer crying. I could have missed my flight, I could be reading a sad letter, or windows broke down one time too much, someone could have died or I could have broken up with someone I love. Now, I’m very happy because none of this has happened! (I only temporarily broke up with the sea, being away from it for two months. It was difficult saying goodbye to sea. I was comforted by the thought of being in snow is like being in frozen water.)
I don’t cry so much because I’m sad but because I’m so lucky and grateful to my family.They mean everything to me, and it’s difficult to say good bye to someone you love, especially when you are doing something a little dangerous and I know they are going to be worried because of me. It’s a bit selfish climbing mountains.
As you might have guessed by the title I’m going back to Cho Oyu. And to make it a little more challenging and fun, me and my climbing partner Johanna will do another 8000m peak before, Shishapangma, 8027m or 8012m. I’ll keep writing on the Outside blog about the expeditions through my bestest of friends, Hanli. Having her helping me to write is also a great reason to keep in touch a lot more. Johanna has a satellite telephone so we aren’t as cut of from the outside world as last time. I’ll let you know the number as soon as I know it.
So many times during the summer I’ve looked back on my last mountaineering experience and reveled in it. I loved everything about it, from the endless nights in the tent, the sky full of stars to being out of breath, the shitty toilet and freeze dried food. I’m really looking forward to being there again, to the simplicity of life. As I mentioned in the Outside blog I discovered some kind of truth about adventures and travels (read it for yourselves). I think it’s a lot easier and more simple to climb 8000m peaks and dive to 90m than it is living the ”normal” life with all it’s complications.
Another flight and a great inflight entertainment system (I saw three movies!) later I haven’t slept for 24 hours and the river of thoughts has turned into the regular zombie-state of long-haul flying. I’ll publish this and then get something substantial to eat. Unfortuanetly I will not be able to write here anymore so you’ll have to keep up at outsideonline.se/blog/author/annelie (follow the link above).
As I named this tip ”Cho Oyu, again”, it’s starting to look like another period of travelling in my life. Looking at my other traveldiaries it says ”Dahab, again, and again and again”. I really hope there won’t be another Cho Oyu again. Theese trips are just too expensive and too faraway to do again and again. This time I want to summit.
