LOCALadk Magazine

64 Summer 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk On day three, we arrived at base camp. Full of excitement, I ran around and looked at the expedition tents. Music played from the kitchen, and members from another expedition washed clothes in an outdoor sink. At 14,271 feet, my head began to spin, and I realized I needed to slow down. Our first night in Mendoza, Tim described Aconcagua as a video game waiting to spit you out. Ever y day presents a different chal- lenge and you could be taken out by the heat, dehydration, an illness, the altitude, a rolled ankle, or natural elements. I chewed on that piece of wisdom while my head pounded. The following day, we took a team rest day at base camp and organized gear. Now it was time to prepare for the cold- er climate of the upper mountain. We caught a glimpse of the weather report and cringed at a week of high wind and gusts of 70 miles per hour on the summit. We hoped the weather would break by the time we were ready to summit, and began the task of shuttling our gear up the mountain—a process of climbing high and sleeping low with a rest day when need- ed. Motions became mechanical: eat, drink, sleep, and of course when all biological needs are met, enjoy the journey. At Camp 1, we watched the full moon rise at 16,000 feet. Be- tween Camp 1 and Camp 3, Justin, Spence, and I joked about which Hollywood actor would play us in a sitcom. Spence had an uncanny resemblance to the singer and actor Nick Jonas. At Camp 3, Justin called us out of our tents to obser ve the most stunning alpenglow he'd ever seen. At 19,690 feet we dropped our first load of gear at Camp Colera, our high camp, and took a group photo. The weather looked promising and we were close enough to taste the summit. Forty minutes later, Henr y told me he couldn't feel his arm. I led him to a jagged, car-sized rock and sat him out of the sun and wind. I noticed the right side of his face was droop- ing. I told Henr y to keep breathing, ran up the trail and waved at the small figures that were Tim and Paul. When they were in hearing range I yelled, "It's Henr y." They ran to Henr y and together we were able to assist him down to Camp 3 where Paul conducted an assessment. "Close your eyes," Paul said. Henr y's eyes remained open, unblinking. At 18,000 feet, there's half the amount of oxy- gen available to breathe than at sea level and that can cause serious complications. Was Henr y having a severe migraine or cerebral edema? Either way, his brain was swelling and im- pacting his motor functions. Color drained from Tim's face and he got on the radio. "We need a helicopter."

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