The summit nights are always the toughest. You are super nervous about the summit next day but ofcourse you have every right to feel so. All those months of preparation, all those hardships faced in last few days and it all boils down to next 7-8 hours of the climb which trust me is not an easy task.
To wake up before dawn in itself a challenge - add sub-zero temperature, tired body and AMS threat in minds to this nervousness and it can't get any worse. But I was glad to see each one of us ready with full gears to scale the summit at the pre-decided time. A lot was on stake for each one of us, for some of us this was an opportunity to have another tick on summit scaled, for some this was like an opportunity to show the world what they are capable of, for some it was an intense fitness test while for some it was about self satisfaction and peace.
The climb as every other summit has multiple phases in it starting from the grassy patches we led into solid rocks and boulders followed by a steep transverse over the glacier which led us to the slippery rock section which eventually brought us to the last leg - ice climb! Each phase presented us with different challenges and hurdles. Mountains know their worth and they ensure that you know it too. Some were injured, many were bruised, some were hit by AMS, many by fatigue but it was the determination that ensured that we made our way past those challenges.
I have often wondered over years, what keeps the best trekkers in the world pushing for summit despite all challenges. I never could find a justified answer for this question until I saw this pic.
The picture captures our natural expression after the completion of the grassy patch at the time when Sun wasn't up in the the sky. I was amazed to see the look of sheer excitement in our eyes - those determined eyes and those contented smiles provided a perfect combination of the reason why we continued. I guess it is true that it may be destination that we target but it's the path that makes the destination worth it !