Blake had severely underestimated Everest. The mountain was more than he imagined it would be. The mountain only grew colder the higher they climbed. The snow made climbing difficult; his feet sank into the deep snow. He was glad of his snow shoes. He had switched his thin red gloves for a much thicker and better-quality black set. He could still feel the frigid blasts of air through them, however. His face was completely covered, a scarf was tied around it, a hoodie covered the scarf and a beanie lined his head. Even his eyes were covered with padded glasses, which allowed him to see the harsh environment. They passed many other groups ascending, very few descending. No one spoke during the day — not even Caleb.

Gustav led the hike, setting the pace and giving instructions via hand signals. Blake made sure to keep his focus, praying internally during the walk, doing mental exercises and calculations to keep him sane, ensuring that his breathing was correct — anything to keep him focused and driven for as long as possible.

When evening came, they set up camp. They had one tent that they all shared — “Better than each of us lugging our own tents,” Gustav had said — along with a smaller one just in case that first one broke. Felicia carried the tent, Caleb carried the oxygen, Gustav carried the sleeping bags and relief pack, and Blake carried the food. Once the tents were set up, they began to boil water for coffee on the tiniest gas fire, and opened cans of sardines for their supper.

Everyone was exhausted but somehow Caleb had recovered his energy and began talking — complaining really — about the intensity of the hike. Blake held his tongue. He knew better than to allow negativity to creep in when they still had a long road ahead of them. Nighttime brought howls of wind and frigid blasts of air that threatened to pull the tent right out from underneath them. He and Gustav lay on the edges of the tent, holding the flaps tightly. Felicia and Caleb lay between them. Gustav’s idea to share a tent was a good one, mainly because the heat spread well between the four of them. Exhaustion brought sleep that night.

When morning came, they ate another can of food and drank coffee. Caleb regaled them with a tale and they were off. They stopped for a small drink of water every four hours until evening came and they could set up camp. That was their habit every single day. Blake noticed a few changes, however, especially after the fourth day. They had seen a body lying in the snow — a woman, blue from the cold, abandoned by her team. No one had said anything at that moment, they just kept on walking. The evenings grew darker and colder as they climbed higher and deeper into winter. Caleb grew more silent. Blake could feel that his stamina wasn’t what it had been when he had first begun. The air was growing thin.

The seventh day was particularly difficult. It was the first time since the hike began that someone  asked for a break before the stipulated time. It was Felicia. She had grown tired, her chest had pulled tight and worry was in her eyes. It wasn’t her eyes that troubled Blake, it was Gustav’s. Gustav looked as if he feared for her life. He was a hard man but he gave her the break she needed. An hour before camp, Caleb also asked for a break.

Once they had the tent set up and the water boiling, Gustav spoke. “Caleb, Felicia…” he began. He was nervous and didn’t want to suggest it. “I — I think it might be best if you two turned around.”

Caleb and Felicia looked at each other before answering him.

“No,” Felicia said, “I — I know that I had a tough day today but I swear that it was the last time. I’m acclimatising to the changing air. Look, I don’t need any oxygen, do I? I’m fine, Gustav.”

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Caleb said. “I’m not going to let you win the money that easily, Gustav,” he joked.

Gustav smiled but Blake could still see the fear in his eyes.

“Just promise us that if you feel that it’s getting too much, you’ll speak up,” Blake said. “There’s no need to soldier on if you can’t keep going. No one here will judge you. It just means you live to go on another day.”

“We understand,” Felicia said.

“Yeah man, don’t get all gloomy on us,” Caleb said, with a smile.

The night continued like any other night. Strong winds, howling sounds, snores, and dark skies. Every night was a snowstorm.

Tell us: Would you ever try to climb Everest? Why or why not?