8. Life Isn’t Fair

Matt and I got up early for one more frigid crossing of the Djangart. We practically ran back to basecamp, anxious and eager to get the full story on Dan. We dove into the shelter of the basecamp tent just as a steady rain blanketed the valley. What could have gone wrong? Four days earlier we’d parted ways all healthy and eager to climb. Now we were losing one of our team members? It couldn’t be.

In a rush of words, Jamie, Dan, and Chris spat out a complex story. Dan passed out. Moraines, cliff, lost trekking pole. Dan wanted hot dogs. Where’s Mike? Who’s Matt? Chris was swept into the river. Dan and Jamie were nearly pulled into the river. Another collapse. Truck coming. Jamie and Dan leaving today. It all melded together as I tried to piece together a story told by three observers. Once Jamie and Dan left, Chris filled in some pieces, but I still feel like the puzzle isn’t complete.

Dan, a true climber, didn’t want to go; the rest of us knew it had to happen. Even though Dan looked perfectly fine, the risk of something worse happening while in a less hospitable location was too great. There were hugs all around as Dan and Jamie made a dash for the Kaichi during an afternoon break in the rain. Matt and I sat around, a bit shocked at the quick turn of events. A pall overtook camp as the gloom of the rainy, overcast day continued. We feared the worst but hoped for the best, optimistic about a reunion in Bishkek. We had to go on, but for the remainder of the trip something would be lacking. Dan, the last minute addition to the team, had brought an energy that helped counter the doldrums of life in basecamp. Eager to get after it, it wasn’t fair that he was the one who had to go.

Dan and Jamie departing for the Kaichi.

In the end, sometimes you have to make the hard decisions that allow you to come back and fight another day. I know getting his trip cut short has left Dan with an insatiable itch to get back out there. The doctors in Bishkek weren’t much help, only recognizing that he’d suffered a concussion during the first collapse. He did manage to wait around in Bishkek (although he collapsed again) and the team got to share a celebratory beer. Doctors in Boston are now investigating the possibility that Dan has a heart arrhythmia that causes his blood pressure to drop, resulting in the sudden collapses.

Mike