Toilet tent at Camp 3. Needless to say, a number two in -30 degrees is tricky business.

By early evening, our situation had changed dramatically, the once-distant clouds were now fast approaching, and a storm was on its way in. The general consensus in the camp was that the weather front was a bad one, and we were informed that we would need to head down to Base Camp as early as possible the next day. These words came as a huge blow to us and to everyone in Camp. The journey was over, and so much sooner than expected.

The next morning, after an uncomfortable night, our guide put the temperatures in camp at -30°C with wind speeds over 40km/h and gusts up to 60km/h. It was a difficult morning for me, to say the least. It was the coldest I had ever been, and I had little-to-no energy. I had been sick all night and my oxygen levels had dropped to 55. But I chiselled my sick from my clothes and gloves, put on my boots and crampons, packed up my things and the tent, and started the descent. It was disappointing to us not to make the summit, but we had done all we could in the conditions. Despite my physical state, had our guide told us we were going to have a go the next day, I would have taken a couple of Diamox and had a go.

Despite not making the summit, I certainly encountered the extreme environment I was looking for to test out the watches. They held up perfectly, and I was delighted they were so useful on the outside of my jacket. I had worried before that they would catch and get in the way, but they were sunk into a thick mass of clothing (two base layers, a couple of mid layers, and two jackets). Admittedly, on the final morning up there, when I was feeling as low as I’ve ever felt, just before leaving the tent I tried to put the watch on the outside of my sleeve but the rubber had frozen to the clasp and I couldn’t remove it. Eventually, with the help of Luke it came free, but I remember cursing it and the test I was doing.

By the time we got back down to Base Camp, I was feeling a lot better, weak of course, and tired — I’d barely slept the night before, and we’d been on the move for a few days running — but I was delighted to get back to the pleasures of running water, real food, toilets, and the use of my fingers.

We walked off the mountain having had a very thorough and exciting experience, with our heads held high. And I maintain that my theory is true, and that high-altitude mountain climbers should go with well-insulated mechanical watches, taking an altimeter and a digital alternative as well. waltham.ch