The Isolation and Emotional Distress
The toughest period for the climber were those first weeks of isolation. The snowstorms and the strong winds could not allow anyone to see or move properly, and the climber had to hide in the crevice for a long time. He was lonely. Tired of no one to talk to, the climber had to resort to his self-conversations reminding himself of why he had to survive. He was talking inside his head to his family and friends, picturing their faces and voices, to keep up hope.
Their isolation sparked deep emotional struggles. Days couldn’t have seemed endless. There are moments when the climber thought that he should stop, moments when the mountain seemed to have won. The quiet solitude, however, granted strength with small memories and the knowledge that they had survived this long. Pressing on when no sense of purpose had been realized became a daily act of courage.
