July 12, 2019 · Anahí González
“It was a fascinating experience I'd like to repeat,” said Gustavo Gorostiaga, the doctor from Rosario who has lived in Darregueira for the past 6 years, and who recently fulfilled his dream of climbing Everest as far as its base camp, at 5,530 meters of altitude (the mountain stands at 8,848 meters and is the highest in the world).
The local orthopedic surgeon, who for about 10 years has had trekking and adventure tourism as a hobby, lived through intense days alongside 17 other Argentines.
The trip was guided and coordinated by a travel agency.
“When I lived in Rosario I had a group with whom we'd climb at least one mountain a year. We went to Córdoba and Mendoza, and later, with a friend, we climbed San Francisco mountain, in Catamarca,” he said.
His love for the Andes mountain range kept growing and led him to new experiences, such as visiting the site where the plane carrying Uruguayan rugby players to Chile crashed in 1972 (which inspired the book and movie Alive).
“The Everest trip came about because a friend from Rosario, with whom I used to climb, saw an ad for the trip at a travel agency and sent me a WhatsApp message, half joking, that said ‘Shall we go?’” he said.
Gorostiaga, far from taking it as a joke, started asking around at his trusted agency, found a good price, and — in February 2018 — signed up.
“It's incredible to be at 5,000 meters of altitude with monstrous mountains, over 8,000 meters tall, right beside you,” said Gorostiaga.
He arrived in Kathmandu — the capital of Nepal — this past March 28th, toured temples and monasteries, and then began the climb, which lasted 10 days, up to Everest Base Camp, alongside 17 other Argentines, ranging from 23 to 73 years old.
He said that, while there are typical mountain difficulties along the way, the trail is very well marked and doesn't carry the kind of risks found at higher altitudes, such as the well-known spot where a recent bottleneck claimed the lives of 11 people.
Gorostiaga felt that these kinds of incidents happen because the trails get congested, since the activity keeps growing in popularity, and given its commercial nature, certain precautions are often skipped or reckless choices are made.
He noted that hydration is very important, as is proper acclimatization, since it's recommended not to climb more than 600 meters per day.
“During the day, temperatures were around 10 degrees, and at night they dropped. Between the fourth and fifth day there was some snowfall, and in the early morning, on the way to a summit, Gorostiaga endured temperatures as low as -20°C.
There were days of 7 or 8 hours of hiking, and others of four.
The group of Argentines with whom Gustavo Gorostiaga experienced his adventure toward Everest.
During the trek, the group made stops at spots with roofed rooms, bathrooms with hot water, and wifi service.
The doctor carried a 50-liter backpack in which he brought water, snacks, and warm and waterproof clothing, since meals were included in the trip.
“The trip was fascinating. I discovered a culture very different from ours and saw incredible landscapes that a camera can't fully capture,” he said.
The doctor noted that his quality of life improved since moving to Darregueira.
He now lives in the town and is building a house with his partner Ana Carolina Rollhauser (mother of Santiago Moretini), a local from the town who had been living in Santa Rosa.
