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Thursday - October 29, 2009

On top of the world

Geri Winkler and the Turquoise Goddess

Diabetic climbs Cho Oyu, the sixth-highest mountain on Earth (8,201 meters)

We did it! Geri Winkler on the summit of Cho Oyu, behind him Mount Everest, which he climbed in 2006.

Leverkusen, October 29, 2009 – Geri Winkler, a type 1 diabetic and globe-trotter, spent the final weeks of September 2009 surrounded by ice giants and seven-thousanders. He and a 16-strong team had set out to reach the peak of Cho Oyu in Tibet climbing alpine-style, or in other words without aids such as fixed ropes and ladders. Now he’s back in Vienna, but his thoughts still linger with the “Turquoise Goddess”, as the sixth-highest mountain in the world is also known because of the way it glistens in the late afternoon light.

The Austrian’s objective in climbing Cho Oyu alpine-style was to fulfill the dream of many mountaineers - that of surmounting an 8,000-meter peak without all the auxiliary gear that is practically unavoidable when climbing Mount Everest, for example. He wanted to experience nature on top of the world with as little distraction as possible. His diabetes had not stopped him reaching his goals on previous adventures.

He was diagnosed with diabetes, a metabolic disorder, in 1984. In this condition, the pancreas no longer produces the vital hormone insulin. “Good preparation, carefully adjusted therapy and a reliable blood glucose monitor enable me to fulfill my dreams in spite of my chronic illness,” Geri Winkler explains. What drives him is not the goal of outstanding performance but the need to live his life intensively without being restricted.

His expedition was planned perfectly. The ascent to the summit of Cho Oyu, just a few kilometers distant from Mount Everest, was preceded by several ascents of increasing altitude. The international team comprising eight climbers, two mountain guides and six sherpas gradually adapted to the lower oxygen level in the air. There was one more preparation that had to be made. “One of our sherpas was a monk and celebrated a puja ceremony with us to ask the mountain, which the local people regard as a deity, for mercy. Before we set out, we built an altar, placed ice-axes and crampons under it and added food and drink as an offering.”

“At the start of the expedition I was bubbling with energy, felt great and could hardly wait to get started,” the 53-year-old Austrian recalls. The difficult ascent over moraine and the “killer slope” of scree leading to base camp I at 6,400 meters was rewarded with some breath-taking pictures. “Surrounded by vertical walls of ice we gradually moved forward meter by meter and were soon able to see the entire route to the top,” Geri Winkler says. Two days later he developed stomach and esophageal problems and was also suffering from dehydration. “From then on I was performing below par and I had to hope that the rest days would be enough to get me fit for the next ascent." At the final 650 meters he had to give up his big goal of making the ascent without an oxygen system.

“At that height everything you do takes an eternity. It sometimes took two hours for us to drink our tea, eat something and get dressed inside our sleeping bags," Geri Winkler explains. The bitter cold made things even more difficult. “It only took a few seconds to put on our crampons, but that was long enough for our fingers almost to turn to ice.” All these hardships were compensated by the unique experience. “It’s a completely different world up there. Vertical cliffs and the interplay of icicles, clouds and the setting sun simply take your breath away. The mountains were the only thing on our minds.”

Their arrival at the summit almost took them by surprise. “We were just putting one foot in front of the other across the vast expanses of snow, as if it would never end," Winkler recalls. Then the group climbed over a knoll and found a small area with Tibetan prayer flags in the snow – they had reached the summit! “We hugged each other and looked in amazement at the sea of clouds beneath us. A range of mountains soared out of the whiteness, almost close enough to touch – Mount Everest and Lhotse, barely higher than our own position. The most wonderful thing is that we all made it and were able to enjoy together the pleasure of standing on top of one of the highest mountains on Earth,” Geri Winkler says.

And one month later, back in Vienna, Geri Winkler’s enthusiasm is undiminished. “The expedition to Cho Oyu was one of the greatest mountaineering experiences of my life.” He doesn’t dwell on the fact that he had to use oxygen; he’s glad that he listened to the warning signals being given off by his body and didn’t take any additional risks. He is still wondering, though, whether dehydration is one of the main problems facing climbers with diabetes. There are too few studies and too little support for diabetics who are physically active, and "the advice that sport is good for diabetics is usually qualified by numerous restrictions on what diabetics should and shouldn't do, so many of them are put off sport and adventures.” Geri Winkler will continue to live his life’s dream, because he knows that, with good preparation, carefully adjusted therapy and reliable medical technology, people with diabetes can do – almost – anything.

About Geri Winkler
Geri Winkler was born in Vienna in 1956 and has suffered from type 1 diabetes for 24 years. His passion is the discovery of foreign countries, cultures and communities. He prefers to explore these worlds on foot or by bicycle. On May 20, 2006, he reached the 8,850 meter summit of Mount Everest. It was the longest ascent of all time, as Geri Winkler began the climb at the lowest point in the world – on the banks of the Dead Sea in Jordan, 411 meters below sea level. Traveling alone by bicycle and ultimately on foot, he reached the base of the world’s highest mountain in five months before ascending to the peak together with an American expedition. His blood glucose meter from Bayer is a faithful companion on all his expeditions.

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