{"id":1216,"date":"2015-07-11T17:38:59","date_gmt":"2015-07-12T00:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/?p=1216"},"modified":"2016-03-13T21:00:15","modified_gmt":"2016-03-14T04:00:15","slug":"waiting-for-the-next-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/2015\/07\/waiting-for-the-next-step\/","title":{"rendered":"Waiting for the Next Step"},"content":{"rendered":"

After our first foray into the icefall, we have two days in EBC to rest, recouperate, and relax.\u00a0 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 stabilized.\u00a0 This is one way in which\u00a0 climbing Everest is different from most any other mountain I have climbed: So much of the work is done for us.\u00a0 The route, the camps, the cooking, resupply… all done by the sherpa guides, porters, and support staff.\u00a0 We are incredibly grateful for their hard work.\u00a0 Of course, this is their profession, one that pays better than most in Nepal.\u00a0 But, we still appreciate their effort and good cheer.\u00a0 Speaking on behalf of myself, I know this climb would not happen for me without them.<\/p>\n

Thinking about other climbs, such as Denali, the comparison seems stark.\u00a0 On Big D we hauled everything for the trip (kit ~120 lbs each), built camp, and rebuilt it when the wind knocked down the snow walls.\u00a0 Here, things are much more civilized and supported.\u00a0 Filthy, freezing, stifling, painful, austere, savage… but still civilized and supported in many ways.\u00a0 As my friend JR says, going up Everest nowadays is more analogous to running a race on a course that has been set ahead of time than an expedition.\u00a0 He has a good point.\u00a0 Being here certainly feels like a marathon of endurance and stamina, as we try to maintain fitness and enhance our conditioning, but in many ways get worn down bit by bit, day after day, week after week.<\/p>\n

\"Pumori<\/a>
Pumori reaches into the big blue over our base camp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Our<\/a>
Our dining tent is needed at C2, where the tent left last year is apparently much the worse for wear after a year at 21,300 feet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Man<\/a>
Man alive, those guys are fast! Tent down in 2 minutes flat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Panorama<\/a>
Panorama of the front section of IMG Base Camp… another section with library tent, showers, latrines, and more than a dozen personal tents not pictured here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anyhow, these two days off are golden.\u00a0 Sleep, food, hygiene, and trying to connect with the outside world (usually in vain due to the very sketchy nature of net connectivity here.\u00a0 I’m not complaining, but it does feel as though EverestLink should give us our $50 back).\u00a0\u00a0 Laundry!\u00a0 A hot shower!\u00a0 And sweet, sweet rest.<\/p>\n

\"Blake<\/a>
Blake (“The Bogan”) Penson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"LC<\/a>
LC is quite the shutterfly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During lunch on 4\/22 we resolved to go ice climbing for fun, just for a few hours, to keep the blood moving ahead of tomorrow’s climb to C1.\u00a0 I dutifully went off to my tent and got changed into climbing clothes, then went outside and waited for the others.\u00a0 And waited.\u00a0 And waited some more.\u00a0 Turns out I missed the subsequent announcement that there would be team photos at 3 PM, so our plans were dashed.\u00a0 Kim had a fun time photographing me in my fine & fancy outfit.\u00a0 What is wrong with her?<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/a>
Why am I standing out here all alone in my finest? (Photo: Kim Hess)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"May<\/a>
May as well stretch those legs. (Photo: Kim Hess)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Blake<\/a>
Blake gets in on the act. (Photo: Kim Hess)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"That's<\/a>
That’s the spirit! (Photo: Kim Hess)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Plan tomorrow is for another early morning start, this time staying at C1 for two nights, then two nights at C2 before returning to EBC.\u00a0 Rumor has it there are some tall ladders above the football field we have not yet seen….<\/p>\n

\"We<\/a>
We look rad. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sherpa<\/a>
Sherpa team IMG 2015. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Senior<\/a>
Senior IMG Guides (AKA the badass crew). Photo: Justin Merle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Icefall<\/a>
Icefall still in shadow as the sun rises from behind the West Shoulder.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After our first foray into the icefall, we have two days in EBC to rest, recouperate, and relax.\u00a0 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<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ascent","expedition-everest-2015"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWaiting for the Next Step - OSM Adventures<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/2015\/07\/waiting-for-the-next-step\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Waiting for the Next Step - 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