Though exploring Tibet is nothing new to Newcomb, Sepu offers a few new twists.

"For me this is just another trip to Tibet. All told I’ve put over 2 years in China. The wonder of a new place wore off years ago. Yet here are Ace and Kate, older than me, thrilled out of their minds over such a journey. The phrase, ‘trip of a lifetime’ keeps coming up... As for Carina, she had to come along in some manner. Our marriage would have suffered a tough set back had I taken off on a six week trip w/out her just three months after getting married. Then again, perhaps our marriage will suffer an even larger set back by bringing her along on a climb that’s way over her head. Or maybe it’s not."
- Mark Newcomb
August, 2002

Being in the mountains with a loved one creates it’s own concerns:

"Carina is more nervous about the actual climb itself. She has a morbid way of conjuring up images of me and Carlos in some crevasse and her having to figure out how to get us out. I'm simply worried about her surviving the harsh cold and dry climate without the copious amounts of cheese, yogurt and other dairy products she is used to fortifying her system with in Sweden. Yak butter will make a poor substitution, and being European, it's definitely not kosher to substitute crass American peanut butter to replace the loss of fats."
- Mark Newcomb
August, 2002

Carina mixed equal parts realistic apprehension and objective practicality:

"I guess I’m mostly concerned about getting into a situation where people are injured or something happens and I’m the only one who can do something about it and I do not quite know how to get out of it. I mean, if that happens I am sure I can figure that out... I try not to worry if I can, it's just a waste of energy. It's better to focus on things you can actually do... than to worry about it in advance...at least that’s my philosophy."
-Carina Ostberg
August, 2002