What it takes to get to the roof of the world
2006, Everest, Nepal
Sunlight streamed into my tent. I was bundled up in my sleeping bag that protected me from the -40°C temperature. It was still too early to go to the dining tent, so I pulled out a book. But as I started reading, something seemed amiss. Instinctively, I covered my right eye and read a few lines: All fine. Then I covered the left, and all I could see was a big black circle and a thin sliver of light. I burst into laughter. I must be dreaming, I can’t possibly have gone blind in one eye. Heck, I was at Advanced Base Camp (ABC), 6,400 m up Everest. I had broken three ribs due to a bad cough and every breath was painful, had lost about 15 kg—the body does not regenerate at altitude—and tongue blisters had made eating and drinking painful. This could not be happening. But no. I was awake.
2006, Everest
2001, Aconcagua, Argentina
What does it take to climb Everest?
(This story appears in the 31 May, 2013 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)