Great photos Karen - that had to be the adventure of a lifetime! I've been wondering about what challenges you faced while you were at such a high elevation. I know you were well-prepared for just about anything, but any moments where the trip slipped from "Damn, this is fun!" to "Oh s__t! What was I thinking?!" How was the sleeping and appetite at 18K'? Did the Diamox and O2 regimen work out OK? Have to break out the Dex at any point? From your various posts, it appears there were a lot of altitude casualties on the mountain with other guides. I'd say you made a great choice in guide services.
As for breaking that 20K' threshold, with the notable exception of Denali (with some real technical aspects as well as notoriously ill-tempered weather), you'll have to head for the Andes or Asia. Even an Everest Base Camp trek wouldn't get you to 20K', I don't believe. Therefore, as Laura mentioned, get those winter technical skills going! You're now in truly big-girl territory! Way to go!
