Climbing Trail

The Andes Part 10

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The creepy story kept on overshadowing me, and sometimes I was unable to divert it to the point that I ignored the expectations of my other friends. But the calamity of the Gustavo expedition has given me a new understanding of how difficult the climb is.

Like all the others, I turned a blind eye to what had happened with Gustavo, who was famous for his toughness and stamina on the pitch. Why should I believe that I can conquer those mountains if I cannot?

At times of weakness like this I want to give in to despair. Look at those mountains, I told myself

by oneself. It's impossible, we're stuck here. We're over. All our suffering has been in vain.

I thought about the climb, and that's what calmed me about my promise to my father. After two weeks in the mountains, my love for my father has become an unstoppable force. I knew that one day I would climb even though I was climbing to my death

by oneself. What's the problem? I'm dead now. Why not die in the mountains, fight every step of the way until the moment I die, I will die one step closer to home?

I was ready to face death, but since death was inevitable, I still felt a spark of hope that I would hang on

traversing the ferocity of nature and returning home. The thought of leaving this plane scares me, even though I want to get out of here right away. I knew that however I would find the courage to face those mountains, I also knew I would never be brave enough to face it myself. I needed a friend for the trip, someone had to make me stronger and better, then I started to study other friends, measure their strength, their disposition, their ability to withstand pressure, and so on, trying to imagine which of those young people I wanted the most.

The day before that question must have had a simple answer: I wanted Marcelo, our captain and Gustavo whose strength was extraordinary. But now Marcelo is desperate and devastated. Gustavo was blinded by the mountain. So I turned to the others, some people quickly caught my attention.

Fito Strauch has proved his mettle in his first climbing attempt, and has gained our empathy for his calmness and clarity of thought during our time here. Fito's cousins Eduardo and Daniel Fernandez are powerhouses for Fito, and I want to know in time how he will act in the mountains, but Fito will be far ahead of me. So is Numa Turcatti. Numa had amazed me from the beginning, and the longer my sympathy for her deepened. Although he was a stranger to us before the accident, he has gained the friendship and admiration of all the survivors. Numa has been a heroic person, no one fought harder for our survival, no one inspired hope, no one, and no one shows so much concern for people who are suffering so much. Although he was a new friend to most of us, I believe Numa is the most beloved man on this mountain.

Daniel Maspons, who had bravely climbed with Gustavo, was another candidate. So did Coco Nicholich, whose sincerity and patience amazed me. Antonio Vizintin, Roy Harley, and Carlitos Paez are healthy and strong. And then there is Roberto, the hardest, and the most complicated character of this mountain.

Roberto is always difficult to control. The son of a famous radiologist in Montevideo, he is brilliant, confident, arrogant and has no interest in following rules other than his own. Because of his always-fighting nature, he was always in trouble at school, and apparently, his mother was always called into the principal's room to receive another trial because

it's Roberto.

he simply refused everything that had to be done. For example, Roberto had a horse that he rode to school every morning, although the Christian Brothers repeatedly forbade him not to bring animals into the schoolyard. He tied his horse in the bicycle parking lot, the horse broke free from its moorings, and an hour or so later the brothers would see him wandering the park, chewing bushes and flowers.

Roberto also drove the large animal through the crowded streets of Carrasco, prancing his horse until the foot of his horse was galloping very fast. The drivers slammed the steering wheel and the pedestrians dodged in great surprise. Our neighbors kept complaining, and some times the police talked about it with Roberto's father, but Roberto still did.

Hoping to find a positive outlet for Roberto's stubbornness, the Christian Brothers encouraged him to play rugby, where his strength made him great on the pitch. He plays as a left wing, the same position as Panchito on the right, but when Panchito dodges gracefully and twists past the tacklers to the try-line, Roberto runs up to the enemy, a clash struck again. he was not a big-bodied player, but his densely formed arms were so mesmerizing that, matching the bulge of his muscles, they called him Muculo-"muscle". Backed by a well-built body and aggressive nature, Roberto was not even a match for the bigger opponents, and there was nothing he would have liked more than to lower his shoulders and give some oversize, he said, fly the tacklers.

Roberto loved rugby, but it didn't cure his stubbornness like the Christian Brothers hoped. Roberto is Roberto, on the pitch and off the pitch, even in the crucial moments of a game, he refuses to be told what to do. The coach prepares us well for every game, with the flow of the game and the strategy, and we all try our best to execute the game plan. But Roberto has always been given the right to improvise according to his own volition. Usually this means he will hold the ball when he should have made the pass, or will run quickly towards the opponent when our coach tells him to move into the open area. As he reluctantly carried out our coach's orders, the dark gaze from his sharp eyes looked defiant and rash. He is upset if someone tells him what to do. He feels better. And he lived this way in every side of his life. Roberto's determination made him an interesting friend, even in our comfortable life in Carasco, he was still arrogant and emotional.

In this stressful plane, his behavior is often intolerable, he repeatedly ignores the decisions of the group and turns to the person who challenges him, cursing and insulting with a defiant voice that he let out when his blood boiled.he could be completely indifferent to others, if at night he had to get out of the plane to urinate. For example, he simply stepped on the legs and arms of anyone sleeping along his path to get out. he slept wherever he liked even if he had to push the others to shift from the place they had chosen. Dealing with Roberto's temperament and behaviour made us stressed and lost a lot of energy, and a few times his behaviour

almost caused a fight.

However, in addition to his troublesome qualities, I have sympathy for Roberto. la is the most intelligent and ingenious of us all. Without his deft medical treatment after the accident, some of the young men who were now recovering from their injuries must have died, and his creative thinking has solved various problems that have made us feel more secure and comfortable on this mountain.

It was Robert who discovered that the seat upholstery in Fairchild could be removed and used as a blanket, an innovation that has saved us all from freezing. Most of the simple equipment we used and the selection of medicine supplies, was developed by Roberto from the materials he collected from the rubble. And for all his selfish behavior, I know he feels a great sense of responsibility

against all of us.

One night Roberto yelled at and berated Arturo and Rafael who were in pain to keep quiet. The next morning, Roberto spent hours making hammocks for the two men.

I knew Roberto's ingenuity would be extraordinarily profitable for his escape efforts. I also believed in his realistic view of our situation. He understood despair, and that our only hope was to save ourselves. But more than anything I wanted him to be with me because he was the toughest and strong-willed I ever knew. If there is someone in our group who is able to stand alone in the Andes with

"We have to do it Roberto, you and me." I said.

He yelled at me. "You're crazy, Nando! Look at these goddamn mountains. Do you know how high it is?! "

I looked towards the top.

"It looks like it might be double the Pan de Acuzar, "I replied.

Roberto grunts. "Idiot! There is no snow on the Pan de Acuzar! It is not a mountain, it is more fitting to say a mound of land, only 150 meters high! This mountain was about a hundred times higher! "

"Maybe we'll fail. Maybe we'll die. But even here we must die. I can't do it alone Roberto, please, come with me."

For a moment Roberto watched me intently, then he nodded and walked towards the plane.

"Let's go in. Your talk is starting to make me shiver."

The situation is still precarious, but it is beginning to be felt that we have made it through critical times.

Looks like things are stabilizing. We have overcome the threats that suddenly come and now we will spend time waiting, resting and gathering strength waiting for the weather to turn quieter, then we will climb.

Perhaps we have witnessed our fears for the last time. Twenty-seven of the

we were destined to survive. Is there any other reason why God saved us? Many of us were comfortable with this thought when we entered the plane on the night of October 29 and got ready for bed.

At that time the wind was blowing. I sat on the floor, and Liliana lay beside me. Sometimes he talks softly with Javier, who is lying close to him. As always, they talk about their children.

Before long Javier tried to sleep, and Liliana turned to me.

"How's Nando's head, does it still hurt? " ask.

"It still hurts a little." I said, "I'm glad you finally want to eat. "

"I want to meet my kids. If I don't eat, I'll die. I'm doing this for them." Answer Liliana.

That night before we went to bed we talked for a long time. I felt her longing for her young children at home. Also imagine the fear of the children without their father and mother.

Then something happened.

At first it was a rumbling sound coming from the mountains. Roy Harley who that night couldn't sleep and happened to be outside hearing it. The rumbling sound was getting bigger and deafening. Harley, though, could not see what was happening as the dark reflexively ran away in panic.

In just seconds, an avalanche swept the plane. Harley herself sank snow to her hips. With his own head he saw us all buried in snow while sleeping.

While crying and shouting calling our names, she freed herself from the snow and started digging in the snow with her hands looking for us.

He quickly found Carlitos, Fito and Roberto. Everyone who was found immediately went digging looking for others. With fear they worked hard but this effort was not able to save all of us.

Marcelo's dead. So are my strong friends like Enrique Platero, Coco Nicholich and Daniel Maspons. Carlos Roque and Juan Carlos Menendez died in a wall collapse. Diego Storm, who saved me on the third day, died in the snow. Gustavo helps Javier find Liliana in a thick snowpack, but it's too late. Liliana who some time ago talked about the longing for her son had died when he was found.

(Connected)