Local time: 30 April, 18:20
Location: Base Camp
Altitude: 5300m
Weather: Clear skies overnight, almost a full moon, -10C
Today was another scheduled rest day for me in base camp. I concentrated on eating, because I find I can’t eat much when I am up higher.
Breakfast was copious amounts of porridge, followed by pancakes and eggs. Lunch was potato salad, sandwiches, steamed vegetables and fried chicken. Really nice. I am really impressed by our cook Birbal and the food that he seems to be able to get his hands on – amazing.
Plans
On the 3rd of May, Attila and I, and hopefully Meagan plan to head up the icefall again to camp 1. We will stay there overnight and then move up to camp 2. After one rest day, we’ll push up the steep Lhotse face to camp 3 and stay there for one night. The next morning we will descend to camp 2 and the following day back to base camp, which will make it May 8, assuming we don’t loose any days to bad weather. If you are looking at other people’s schedules, you may notice that many of them don’t stay in camp 1. It’s easily possible to reach camp 2 from base camp in one day, but I don’t like it because it means you are walking in the Western Cwm in the heat of the day, which I find extremely tiring. Most people who do this then need an extra rest day at camp 2 to recover, so no extra time is gained. It’s so hard to properly recover at altitude, so I prefer to do smaller days that are much less taxing, requiring you to dip much less into your reserves and therefore require less recovery. In my mind it’s all about saving energy for the big push at the end.
Your Messages
Thanks for everyone’s messages. It’s particularly great to see the messages from people that have logged in. I speak for the 3 of us on Everest that these messages are easier to read and reply to :), because your name automatically appears on the top of the message. If you don’t login then when we receive these on a pda with it’s narrow screen, even a short message requires us to scroll many, many screens to see who it’s from. Messages from logged in users automatically list the name at the top, so we can see straight away who sent it, just like a normal email. If you are asked to solve the maths question, then you are not logged in. Thanks, it’s much appreciated.
Hi Craigb, Not everyone starts early. In fact I am one of the earliest. I prefer to avoid the heat from the sun, plus I think it’s safer. We all tend to go to bed at about 9pm, not because we are tired, but because it’s too cold to stay up, and your sleeping bag is much warmer. When we are not climbing, it’s not uncommon to spend nearly 10 hours sleeping, so there is certainly no sleep deprivation.
Hi billyf27, The weather looks warmer this year, but otherwise everything looks similar. I think that summit attempts will start around the middle of May. I plan to be after this, but it all depends on the weather. We’ll only know as we get much closer.
Hi Rose, Yes, Spring is definitely coming early here. Some people are talking about earlier attempts too, but it’s a little early to tell.
Hi Anik, Great to hear from you. Sounds like everything is going well with your Kili plans. Best of luck.
Hi Lou, There is not a single dog at base camp this year, which is a good thing. They were noisy at night.
Regards,
Paul.
Hi Paul,
looks as though things are going well this year with your climb. Just a question about summit day. You’ll probably leave the south col about 11pm for the top. Do you wear your glasses under your ski goggles? And do you use a clear lens in your goggles for climbing at night?
Craig
Hi Paul,
Here’s probably a dumb question, but, with the laser state-of-the-art, why don’t climbers get the surgery so that they don’t have to worry about glasses or contacts all the time? It would seem that the one-time cost would be a small expense versus the benefits for rest of the times you are climbing, plus the other life-time advantage of not having to worry about losing them, etc. Just a thought.
Reading your emails from your first climb, it seems you are much more efficient and knowledgeable about the small details this time around. That’s natural, but we have an idea: why don’t you write a book for climbers which will save them the grief of having to experience all the pitfals you did? We know there are probably a whole library of such books, but if they were any good, you wouldn’t have had some of the experiences you did the first climb. Are we being naive or just want you to be a hero for all those that follow you?
Speaking of heros. You are ours for many reasons. Not the least of which is how you are sharing your dream with all of us. Please realize that you have a whole world of fans that want to see you & your group up at the Top, smiling & waiving on a clear day (then get back safe so we can all toast you until we get pissed silly). ;-))
Stay well.
Steve & Paula Dansker
Mt. McKinley June 07
Hey, Paul…. How do you dry laundry if it freezes on the line? Seriously… You’re going to need it at some point, right? So what do you do??
Scott
Thanks for the last information about Rudi!!
I don´t want to annoying you, but have you heard something about Rudi. I think that he´s at C3 and I´m very worried about him… I´m sure you understand…. Please, if you hear anything tell him that I send him all my love and engergy… Thanks a lot!!!!
My thoughts are also with you – Paul and your team!
Your plans to ascend seem to be very good!! I wish you all the best!!
Greetings (from a lonely woman 😉 ) from Austria!!
Corinna
Hi Paul and Attila
A very solid plan for the last of your acclimatizing rounds before summit push. Shorter days that are less taxing will certainly reserve your energy. And the less energy you are forced to use for “recovery time”, goes without saying, the more energy your body can put toward ascending this mountain. And I can only imagine in my mind the energy required for a summit push on Everest! The plan to eat as much as possible down low on the mountain is not only wise but sounds great to me!!!
I hope the weather will provide you with a good “window” on the climb to C-3. Good luck to you and the team and rest well at BC.
MC
“An empty vessel has no hope of reaching a destination.” mc
hey paul it’s jennifer from Q.E.C.V.I i wanna ask u a questio is it true a sherpa died on the mountain??
sencerly Jennifer from Q.E.C.V.I
P.S. please write back
I can actually answer that question. Yes a Sherpa did die on Everest. His name was Dawa Sherpa. For more info, you can check out my site where I am currently covering the 2007 Mt. Everest season. You can find it at: http://thehendricksreport.wordpress.com
J. Alan Hendricks, Editor
The Adventurist
Hi Paul,
Thanks much for all the info! Yes, Birbal is an excellent cook… please pass on my Namastes to him. If you ever want to have a fantastic experience, try some of his sundried chili sauce that he makes for the Sherpas to eat with the boiled potatoes. It is divine!
BTW, i know it’s getting about that time when you’ve devoured all your books and magazines, do you need a care pak from the states? let me know…i’m happy to send magazines over if you guys are in need. it takes about a week. just let me know the titles. big hug to all. paula.
I just read that today (30 April) that 5 Sherpas climbing on the North side and reached the summit. Quite interesting… Is it normal to reach the summit this early in the season? Is it depend on which side you are climbing on? If you have any info about this difference between the two routes even if this is just a climate reason please let us know,
thanks and enjoy your rest up there,
Mira
Surgery is not always an option – it often has risks associated that far outway the gain for certain individuals. It’s not always about $$.
Just be careful so you don’t get avalanched at Camp 1. I seem to recall it was either last year or the year before that those guys nearly got buried there.
Good to read that it is going well and that you are getting sufficient caloric intake and sleep…the full moon must be incredible viewing of the surrounding landscape…do you leave the tent door open for a view from your sleeping bag at night for final late night last glimpses of view and sky before going to sleep?
Hope that the washed clothes dried in good time. Sleeping on the Thermarest Pro 4 Season pad and if so how is it functioning adequately?
Hope that the weather is very nice for all of you there and that you have a fantastic time…
wp
Hi Paul
Amazing pictures… wow….
i can just imagine being there, and having the opportunity of being just you, everest and the moon… it can’t get better than that… (i know is more than that for you there) but isn’t that amazing to experience so much of what God gave us and sometimes we don’t appreciate….
oh and by the way, like Steve & Paula Dansker said, yes, you are our hero…
Best of luck to you,
Moraima
Beck Weathers, the badly frostbitten survivor from the 1996 Everest disaster, had eye surgery with disastrous results at high altitude. Not far above the South Col on his way to the summit, he became blind and unable to continue. He was told by Rob Hall to stay put until Rob returned from the summit. Rob never made it back down, and Beck was left shivering in the cold, unable to get himself down. The fact that he survived was a miracle.
Most people who wear eyeglasses carry an extra pair, just in case…
Shanda