After our first foray into the icefall, we have two days in EBC to rest, recouperate, and relax. Camps 1 and 2 are being built by teams of sherpa, who have done an incredible job of ferrying loads up through the icefall, night after night, for the last few days, now that the weather has … Continue reading Waiting for the Next Step
What an amazing day! Up at 2:30 AM for breakfast, than we got geared up and went out the door into the crisp, cold, clear night. We walked a short distance with our sherpa team to the puja stupa, where the juniper fire was lit again. A brief prayer was said and sung by the … Continue reading Half an Icefall
Yowza, it was very windy last night! I was up at least every hour, awakened by the buffeting of the tent in very strong gusts. The tents are built to take it, and are erected with solid technique, so no one got blown away. In fact, only the toilet tent got blown over, and this … Continue reading Hotter than Satan’s Pants
Today marks a somber occasion: The one-year anniversary of the loss of 16 sherpas in an instant during an ice avalanche in the Khumbu icefall. The Sherpa people have already marked this occasion on another day, according to their own calendar, and no special ceremonies are planned or anticipated, but there is agreement among everyone … Continue reading Ladders in the Snow
Typically there is a rest day at LBC after summiting Lobuche, but because we had lost a day due to bad weather, we all decided to move to EBC the following day. Besides, the lure of hot showers and internet connectivity and laundry was too much to refuse. What a difference a few days can … Continue reading Back to EBC
