Dead Lucky (42 page)

Throughout the climb I had crampons for my boots, my ice axe, my harness, several carabiners, and descender and ascender for use on the fixed ropes. At Base Camp I kept a cozy fleece bib-and-brace and other comfort items.

NUTRITION

Earlier in the book I mentioned nutritional supplements, carefully chosen to fill vital gaps in the classic expedition diet and to help my metabolism deal with the great stress of extreme altitude. Although I was amazed at the extraordinary range of the foodstuffs that Alex brought to Base Camp, I knew that the lack of fresh food had major nutritional implications, particularly with the strenuous nature of high-altitude living.

Energy needs are enormous in the low-oxygen environment of high mountains, but appetite fails, nausea follows, and vomiting what little food you have eaten is not uncommon. Toward the end of a major expedition, the available foodstuffs are highly processed and loaded with preservatives. For this reason I make sure to have a comprehensive range of nutritional supplements specifically for my high-altitude needs; I have done so since 2001. I take one of the most comprehensive supplements available every day, as it provides optimal levels of important vitamins and minerals.

For lung function I take an extract of the
Cordyceps sinensis
fungus. For brain function and cerebral edema prevention I take a potent
Ginkgo biloba
leaf extract. Obviously, I suffered severe cerebral edema, but to my knowledge, I am the only person to have survived the fatal condition above 28,000 feet. I believe ginkgo may have had a positive influence on my cerebral edema. Some mountaineers use ginkgo instead of the drug Diamox as an altitude-sickness prophylactic. Ginkgo can also help limit cold injury by stimulating microcirculation.

Sore knees are a common complaint of long-term mountaineers. One reason is that mountaineering boots protect the ankles but limit ankle movement, so that the jolts and stresses are passed on to the knees. After several years with a sore left knee, for which I had acupuncture treatments, I found a product that kept my knees in good shape. The crucial ingredients are glucosamine sulfate, vitamin E (in two forms), and quercetin.

The reishi mushroom, also known as
ling zhi
, has long been hailed as an immune system modulator in traditional Chinese medicine. I have found it an excellent alternative to taking drugs when I am ill or when I sense illness coming on. It boosts the efficiency of the immune system, which often allows me to avoid taking pharmaceutical drugs.

Another boost to nutrition on Everest was home-dried fruit. Barbara and I used an Ezidri Snackmaker to dry a wide range of early-fall fruits—plums, kiwifruit, nectarines, and oranges—which we then vacuum-sealed in plastic bags. I also bought organic dried bananas and several kinds of nuts. A final item was a bottle of flaxseed oil, valuable for its omega fatty acids.

CLIMATE FACTORS

When the Sherpas declared me dead near Mushroom Rock, at 28,000 feet on Everest's Northeast Ridge, the weather was comparatively mild, that is, below freezing, with very little wind. It was estimated that the wind increased threefold to fifteen miles per hour and the temperature dropped to -13° Fahrenheit (-25° Celsius). I am not sure of the accuracy of these forecasts, or how they could be verified with no one to measure at that height on Everest. The effective temperature would have been reduced by the wind cooling my body. The power of the fifteen-mile-per-hour wind at -13°F (-25°C) would have given a windchill temperature of -36°F (-38°C). The snowfall during the night would have meant that the temperature had not fallen lower.

THE UNFINISHED STORY

Not surprisingly, the topic of my survival against all odds is of ongoing interest for me, and I will continue to explore it. Already I am finding this an exciting journey. My degree in biological sciences gives me a scientific base for my investigations of near-death experiences and the factors that allow certain people to survive where others die.
Dead Lucky
may be updated in future editions; meanwhile, I will be posting information on the Web. Besides more information about the psychological, emotional, and mental aspects of survival—among them attitude, yoga, meditation, and “deep training”—I will include my thoughts on quality supplements and effective physical training. Please visit:
www.fit4everest.com
.

W
HEN I RETURNED from Everest, I was a mental and physical wreck and, as a consequence,
Dead Lucky
has been the most difficult of the eight books I have written. The book begins not with my own words but with those of Lachlan Murdoch—to whom I owe special thanks for the time, consideration, and insight he put into writing the foreword.

I would not have been able to make a start on the book at all without the help of my agent, Margaret Gee. Margaret understood that on this occasion I needed much more than most authors ask of their agents, and she gave that and more. Margaret's psychiatrist husband, Brent Waters, not only prompted the recall of memories but in the process also led me to develop the backbone of the story. Without Margaret and Brent I would have begun the writing like Chapter 3—behind the eight ball. Thanks also to Dee Spinks for her transcriptions.

The perfect publisher whom Margaret found for my book was Random House Australia, where Jeanne Ryckmans embraced the project. The greatest thanks that I would like to give to Jeanne is for her faith in my ability to deliver. I had a track record of other books with well-known publishers, but for all those I had at least been physically able to write! Vital to the success of the book was the offer by Jeanne of an editorial assistant. Barbara and I approached Margaret Hamilton, a friend who was also a semiretired publisher, for advice. Although vastly overqualified, Margaret was perfect for the job: very knowledgeable about everything to do with books, very patient and understanding of my erratic work habits, and uncomplaining about the many, many hours of transcribing interviews and other recordings. The book would have been much the poorer without her help. I would also like to thank our Seattle friend Salley Oberlin for her valuable comments on the manuscript.

Julian Welch, my editor at Random House, did an excellent job of gently convincing me that changes needed to be made. His work definitely improved the standard of the manuscript. By the end of the process, timing was very tight, and it was only due to Julian's flexibility and initiative that the book came out on time. I enjoyed working with Peta Levett on the publicity campaign.

Although the book is largely my personal story, there were many facts I needed to check. Medical distractions prompted me to ask outdoors enthusiast and journalist Alistair Paton to find the facts hidden within the rumors and hype that surrounded events on Everest that season. Alistair also directed me to Billi Bierling, who had also visited the north side of Everest and shared with me her understanding of several events that were important to my story. Jamie McGuinness was very supportive of me at Advance Base Camp and afterward provided Alistair with some good sources of information, including Michael Kodas, who gave me valuable background on ethics and robbery on Everest.

Thanks to Ken Beatty for his inspired illustrations and to Norbert Gilewsky for scanning my photos and for supplying me with “the devil's spade.” Harry Kikstra and Mike Dillon have added to the book with some superb photographs, as have Andrew Brash, Jamie McGuinness, Robyn Leeder, and Lucas Trihey.

Also vital in making the story possible were, of course, Dan Mazur, Myles Osborne, Andrew Brash, and Jangbu Sherpa, whose care and attention gave me the opportunity to descend the mountain after my night out. Thanks are also due to the unsung hero of that morning, Phil Crampton, who was able to alert Alex's team to the fact that I was still alive. Jamie McGuinness, leader of the expedition, camped next to us at ABC, offered every support that he could to Alex.

The fact that I am alive today is due to the dedication of Lakcha Sherpa, Dorje Sherpa, Dawa Tenzing Sherpa, and Pemba Sherpa, who brought me down to Mushroom Rock, the launching pad for my escape from the mountain. Mingma Gelu and his team of Sherpas also worked hard on my behalf.

Essential to my well-being was the support offered by Richard Harris, Christopher Harris, and Michael Dillon. Alex Abramov provided all the medical necessities, including the services of Dr. Andrey Selivanov. Ludmila Korobeshko, Maxim Onipchenko, Sergey Kofanov, Milan Collin, and Harry Kikstra helped me at both Advance Base and Base camps. Kevin Augello told me that arranging the first phone call between Barbara and me was one of the most significant moments in his life, and Barbara and I are grateful for the care he showed us. Another key figure was Russell Brice, who advised Alex and his team when it seemed that I would die and subsequently helped me understand what had happened.

At the Tibetan border I was welcomed by the Australian ambassador, Graeme Lade, who made sure that Barbara, Mike, Simon, and I were well looked after during our stay in Kathmandu. Thanks to Christine Gee, Garry Weare, and Margie Hamilton (not to be confused with Margaret Hamilton) of the Australian Himalayan Foundation, and of course to Simon Balderstone for the many tasks and responsibilities he took on for us in Sydney, Kathmandu, and New York. Greg Mortimer and Margaret Werner gave us great support, as always.

After an Olympic relay of e-mail exchanges it was a great pleasure to visit the Penguin Group offices in New York and meet with the folks from Tarcher. Thanks to Joel Fotinos for his enthusiasm for the book and for putting his words into action by publishing it. I was particularly pleased to sit down with the three people charged with the task of bringing the book to North American readers: Sara Carder, who managed the project; Katherine Obertance, who had the demanding task of working on the manuscript via e-mail despite mutually exclusive time zones; and Shanta Small, who has organized an exciting nationwide publicity campaign that is sure to give the book wide exposure.

Writing the book was only possible because of the many people who tended to my health after my ordeal. Expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov began the process. I had total faith in his ability to do what was best for me, in difficult and initially dangerous circumstances. Dr. Pandey and Nurse Shanti took wonderful care of me at the CIWEC Clinic in Kathmandu. Back home, I give my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ian Carr-Boyd, Dr. Stuart Myers, Dr. Ian Jacobson, and Dr. Adrian Walker. The surgery that Dr. Sean Nicklin performed on my hands was so good that I almost wished I had asked him to trim the tips of my fingers years ago.

For an amazing four weeks, I spent two hours a day, four days a week, at the hyperbaric chamber at Prince of Wales Hospital, thanks to Dr. Rob Turner and his team. I am particularly grateful to voice pathologist Rachelle Simpson for helping me deal with my paralyzed vocal cord, and to hand therapists Emilie Myers and James Storeman for training me to look after my modified fingers. Finally, on the health front, I would like to thank natural therapist and reflexologist Penny Henderson, acupuncturist Ruth Mayroz, and Arara Bhakti for boosting my healing with their knowledge, their skills, and their understanding of my needs.

I also thank my workmates at Emap and
Outdoor Australia
—David Kettle, Louise Southerden, Tony Nolan, and Derek Morrison. I would also like to thank Derek for the protective
hei matau
amulet of New Zealand greenstone, which I wore around my neck for the whole expedition. Other talismans that accompanied the
hei matau
were a holy thread given to me by Ang Karma Sherpa and blessed by the Rinpoche of Rongbuk Monastery, and a necklace of coral, turquoise, and malachite assembled for me by Barbara. Bradley Trevor Greive liked to think that his Rolex also performed the function of a talisman, and perhaps it did indeed. His support of our repatriation from Kathmandu was a very generous act. As a successful author, BTG's encouragement was invaluable in the early months of the book when I was having difficulty making progress.

Thanks to Ngakpa Karma Lhundup Rinpoche for the
puja
at our home that lifted our spirits and brought together so many of our friends.

I would also like to thank our expedition sponsors: Dick Smith Foods, BTG Studios, the Australian Geographic Society, Mountain Designs, Spinifex Interactive, WebCentral, TC Communications, Thai Airways, Ivany Investments, Hillmark Industries, Adventure Extreme, and Buff Downunder. My teammates and I are grateful for the individual support offered by Ian and Min Darling, Gretchen Dechert, and Andrew Rogers. I would like to applaud Dick Smith for being such a staunch supporter of adventurers over many years.

And last but not least, to my friends and family, who endured the unthinkable. The list is too long to mention here, but you know who you are.

Changes in response to altitude that develop over weeks or months and allow climbers to tolerate increasingly lower levels of oxygen.

The belief that spiritual components and qualities exist in animals, plants, and other material objects, implying a unification of matter and spirit.

A metal clamp used for climbing fixed ropes. It can be slid up the rope, but as soon as weight is applied, it locks in position. Also known as a jumar.

The sliding away from a mountain of massive amounts of surface material, commonly snow but also ice, mud, and rocks.

A night spent on a mountain without a proper camp, i.e., no tents and often no sleeping bag.

A mass of rock bulging out of a mountainside.

A strong oval snap-link used to clip the climber or the rope to an anchor or a harness.