D E C I D I N Gto climb Huayna Potosi, a 6088m mountain, whilst I was living in Bolivia has proven to be one of the riskiest but yet most rewarding decisions I have taken to date. Having had no previous climbing experience and no prior training, it was an expedition of sizeable undertaking. I was soon to find out that climbing a mountain was all about challenge and perseverance, that it was full of danger and drama. Not only did it require physical and mental strength and technical skill, but you needed to be prepared for any eventuality. Here are some of the key lessons I learnt on our expedition.

T r u s t – Jose, our lead mountain guide, was an experienced climber and led mountain expeditions on a weekly basis. He was a barmy Bolivian who spoke little English and swore the key to climbing mountains was lemon tea full of sugar. Jose and his two helpers were responsible for getting six novice mountain climbers up to the top safely and quickly. Although Huyana Potosi is not a difficult climb relatively speaking, it gets more technical

the higher you climb. Just as the air is getting thinner and your energy levels are depleting. Without putting our

trust in Jose, in his knowledge of the mountain and the surrounding weather, in his

ability to lead a group and to teach us the necessary skills. We would be sure to fail.

P R E P A R AT I O N –

On our first day up

in the mountains it was time for some training. Throughout

our ascent we would need to use our crampons and pick

axes so it was Imperative we were comfortable with them. Across the glacier were steep crevices making

the risk of placing a wrong foot and falling relatively high. We would also

be faced with two ice walls during our climb. Without being prepared to take

on these challenges we would have been putting ourselves in great danger.

T E A M W O R K – Like with many things, mountaineering requires a team effort, but it also involves personal challenge. Integrating the two on a mountain can be difficult and can lead to arguments and mistakes. Working in unison is vital for a successful climb. Before scaling the glacier we were put into groups of three with the guide at the front. We were then tied together at 8m intervals for security purposes. The weakest climber was put in the middle and set the pace for the group. By working

together each group was

able to ascend the mountain

safely.

C O N V I C T I O N –the ascent up

to the peak crossed vast

glacier crossings and incredible

ice formations. Trudging along

at a snail's pace, my mind couldn’t help but wander.

At any point of the ascent I could

have turned around and climbed back down – a thought

that became more and more appealing the more exhausted I got. However my

stubbornness and commitment to the task in hand allowed me push past this fact and

concentrate on only climbing upwards.

E N T H U S I A S M – On day two we trekked up to our to high camp, a rocky shelf to the side of the glacier. This was no easy task as we had to carry all of our tents and equipment with us whilst wearing the equivalent of ski boots up a rocky mountainside. The next day my enthusiasm ran out even further when I soon found myself standing at the bottom of the glacier at 1am in the freezing cold, all kitted up, having had little sleep. The prospect of escalating over 2000m in the pitch black was an exceptionally daunting one.

L E A D E R S H I P - the most technical part of the climb was the summit wall – around 150m with about 70-80 degrees incline in places. Our guide Went first setting safety screws and steaks into the snow. Then we followed, still tied up together, with our Ice picks and crampons hooking and kicking into the snow. Tiredness had completely taken over by this point so it was down to our guide to focus our attention and keep us motivated to the very end.

D E T E R M I N AT I O N – I will never forget those last 50m. My body had nothing left give and I could have quite easily fallen asleep on the side of the ice wall. All that

was left was my thoughts vs. the mountain. I knew I just had

to dig deep and push on. Step. By. step.

R E S U L T S – After an eight hour climb we finally summited at 10am on 9th June 2002. Having crawled onto the 12ft ridge that was the top I could finally take in the vastness of my surroundings - views of the mountains to the East and the arid plain to the West, Lake Titicacca and Peru in the distance. I truly felt on top of the world.

S U C C E S S - Above all I learned that if you put your mind to anything, anything can be achievable. As long as you are prepared to push yourself, there are no such things as boundaries. Just a lot of hard-work, sweat and tears. And hopefully an almighty smile at the end.