No food and stuck in the snow for six days.
Thus was the odyssey that the Russian climber Alexander Gukov lived on a mountain in Pakistan. Until they managed to rescue him this week.
But the adventure of Gukov had begun when a friend who accompanied him on the ascent to Mount Latok 1 suddenly disappeared in the middle of a snow avalanche and he was trapped in the mountain more than 6,000 meters high.
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His friend was killed, but Gukov was miraculously saved.
For six days, he tried to find a way to get back to a safe place where he could be located. But, with the passing of days, things got worse.
"I came to hallucinate that I was well, that I came home safe and sound while the avalanches continued around me," said the climber.
Finally, it was found by the rescue teams of Pakistan at 6,300 meters high in this mountain located in the Cordillera Karakoram.
"I'll marry her "
The days on the mountain made him think of his life and decided that, when he rejoined, he would ask his partner to marry with whom he started a relationship more than 18 years ago.
"Every night I thought, ' When I get back, I'll marry her ' ', she told the BBC's Urdu service from Rawalpindi Hospital, after being rescued on Tuesday by military helicopters.
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Gukov said that he and his partner Sergey Glazunov, 26, were forced to retreat for bad weather when they were approaching the summit.
As they descended from the mountain, 7,145 feet high, their friend disappeared.
"I tried to cry... but nothing ," said Gukov.
He was left alone and had virtually no equipment, apart from two ropes. His tracking device showed a 2% battery, but he managed to send an alert.
"I sent an SOS message. They promised Me, ' OK '. But the weather... had never seen such a climate. [during] seven days, avalanche, avalanche, avalanche, "he recalled.
The climber built a kind of shelter in the snow to protect himself and was able to communicate via a satellite phone.
He could not see anything around him, but he could hear rescue helicopters hovering overhead. However, several rescue attempts had to be cancelled.
"At night I had a lot of hallucinations that I was home safe," said Gukov.
Finally the climate improved, began clearing and army helicopters were able to arrive to Gukov.
He was weak, had not eaten in several days and both feet had been frozen.
Doctors now examine their status to see if they can save their toes.
The loss of his friend was his ' main pain ', but he said he didn't know who to blame.
"What can I say, what can I tell you... I think there was a glitch. I don't know whose fault it is, it's probably her fault or God's fault "he said.
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