Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Elaine records the moment when they met at the edge of the glacier: 'Alex was
uncoiling the rope. “Better tie on for this one.” He was smiling, the aggression
gone and replaced by an instant boyish charm. It was too sudden. I groped for ex-
cuses not to go with him, but even as I did so, I realised I was a very small rung on
his ladder of success that would take him to the summit of the mountain as quickly
as possible.'
Knowing Alex as well as I did, I can see now not just a calculating mind, but also
deep care for his fellow climbers. He may have been genuinely annoyed with Doug,
Nick and Elaine, but his annoyance was not personal, it was because they as indi-
viduals did not see the reality of the situation. Elaine did manage to get to the first
bivouac before realising that she would not be able to keep up with the remaining
three. The others continued and succeeded in climbing Nyanang Ri, but not
without a final fractious argument between Doug and Alex in the icy snow cave on
their last bivouac.
Doug announced in the frozen darkness: 'I am not going to operate in this cold
calculating manner, Alex, and follow your decisions which have been inflicted on
the team by force of personality.'
Alex countered: 'The problem is that for the first time you are not necessarily get-
ting things done your way under the guise of democracy by the force of
your
per-
sonality.'
Roger was caught in the middle and no doubt was reflecting on the value of his
mantra: come back; come back friends; get to the top. 'This bivouac in the ice cave
saw the birth of a timetable. Gone the freewheeling approach where we would
climb around our chosen mountain until one day we sensed that permission was
given and the final pilgrimage would begin. This was logical but death to a certain
spirit we sought in the hills.'
It didn't help that on the descent Doug was less able at rapid descent on steep ice
than the guide RBJ and the ice master Alex. Now it was RBJ's turn to become crit-
ical of Doug. After a period of bad weather at base camp, Alex and RBJ got drunk
and very obnoxious one night. Doug began to question whether, as the old man on
the trip, he wanted to climb the mountain with the two youngsters.
Alex summed up Doug's thoughts. 'Was he in the way? Why was there no rapport
between us? Surely he was out of sympathy with me and Roger, and if climbing the
mountain was going to be an aggressive, individualistic ego-trip, he would go visit
Tibet.'
Alex and RBJ began to make plans to climb the face as a pair, but something was
troubling Alex about Doug's state of mind that he could not simply put aside. He
cared deeply that Doug made the right decision. In an honest, almost legalistic
