Location: Everest Base Camp
Altitude: 5300 meters
Weather: Fine in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon.
Hi everyone, it’s Marg here from Everest Base Camp.
Base Camp Life
Today has been a very relaxing day at Base Camp. We are all overwhelmed that we have made it and that we are finally here. It’ so great that we are here with Paul and can see his home and are able to encourage him in his quest.
Base Camp is huge and it’s impossible to see it all as it is spread out over such a large area.
We were woken this morning at 7.00 to a cup of morning tea being delivered to our tent by our Sherpa. Then at 8.00 it was time for breakfast – and it was the best breakfast since leaving home. In fact the Asian Trekking meals are highly recommended – especially as they provide food which we haven’t tasted for quite a while.
Experiencing the Icefall
After breakfast it was off to the icefall. We went to the area where climbers have to put on their crampons, then we scrambled over the ice and were able to look up and see the massive icefall. Although I had seen Fiona and Paul’s photos of it I was still amazed at its size and ruggedness. A couple of people were climbing up through it but it was very difficult for us to see them.
More R and R
The afternoon was resting, talking, experiencing a shower at Base Camp, and visiting the bakery (the apple pie was the best that I have tasted for a long time).
Sleeping Last Night
Most of us slept pretty well last night despite having to get up for the toilet a couple of times. We were all very pleased that we were warm enough in our sleeping bags. The only slightly disturbing thing was the sound effects of various avalanches and the creaking ice beneath us. We were told not to worry about it but it’s not the most relaxing sounds to get to sleep by!
Tomorrow we hope to climb up to Pumori Base Camp or Pumori Camp 1 – weather permitting.
Well, that’s all for now,
Marg.
Messages
Thanks everyone for your messages.
Sandy I think yours maybe the funniest and we all have a chuckle over them – it’s great to get them.
Hello Boys,
Sorry I haven’t replied to your lovely messages for a while, but not all of us had time to write replies as things got late a few nights with sending the report. Luca I’m sorry you hurt your fingers so bad, but I remember that I did something similar at that age. I enjoy reading your messages everyday so keep them coming. Be good to Mummy and ask her to write something nice on here 2. You both know what I managed to do at Everest today. It was hard, but very enjoyable and real good fun.
I’m counting the days to see you all again. Miss you all a lot.
Daddy
To all from Cas,
Thank you all for your messages.They are all very much appreciated.
See you all soon,
Cas (sorry for all the typos..but my hands are freezing while I write this..:-)
Hi Barls and every-one,
Thanks for the messages. Tried to ring before but no-one home. Will try again. Would love roast lamb, fruit salad and eclairs…. Love Liz
Hi Marg and family,
The amount of sights to see must be a little daunting, but it sounds as though you all have gotten a bit of rest,(even with the talking ice), and hopefully the exploring can continue around BC! Glad everyone feels well too.
Take care,
Ann and Graham
Hi there,
Glad, you all made it and up to base camp – congratulations on your achievement and warm greeting from the very far_away_Hungary:) How are you feeling yourself? How is the health of the Girls + Cas? Did you manage to get acclimatized well enough? Dizzyness, headache? hope none. Today you posted a photo you are standing in Base Camp (taken by Ptemba), in the background we can see an interesting tent on the left side. Little yellow-orange and looks like has grey patches on it. Seems different than sleeping tents – is it for something else?
Best, Mira
hey paul this is jen from Q.E.C.V.I how r u doing and i hope you are haveing a good time climbing everest
Thank you for your message and calling us this morning, it was lovely to hear your voice, it made up for not getting any email messages from you. It made us feel a bit sad hearing your voice because we miss you so much. It sounds like your climb this morning was fun, we’re going to look it up on the internet to see exactly what you did. We’re glad you’ve made it safely to BC and your climb was successful, otherwise it would have made us worry.
Stefano’s party is happening on Saturday and there are 20 boys coming to play football and swim. I hope I get lots of presents.
Ohh to let you know Chelsea drew last night with Man UN and have been knocked out of the champions league.
Love you and miss you lots from your boys
Hi to all from sunny Pennsylvania US (82 degrees F here today!) :
To the trekking gang — congrats on making it to Everest BC! What fun it’s been to follow your trek every step of the way. Great photos every day. Fellowship, fun, food — sounds like a winning combo to me. Enjoy your remaining time in the shadow of The Icefall, and safe travels on your way down.
To Paul — I followed your and Fi’s climb with great interest last spring. I was elated when Fi summitted, and saddened when you did not. In yestereday’s post, you wrote extensively on your experiences on summit day with the oxygen situation. What a harrowing and riveting tale, no doubt. I had no idea you were really in as great a danger as you were. I look back and am glad I was one of hundreds (thousands?) of Adler Army members saying prayers to our God for your safety that fateful day; you surely had an angel watching over you that day near the South Summit. I can’t wait to hear the entire tale when you are ready to share it with us all.
Any firm plans made yet on leaving for your summit attempt? My coworker Terry with SummitClimb finished his final acclimatization rotation a day after you did, and expects to leave around May 17.
Rest and “fatten” up in the thick air for awhile! Then when the weather window opens, Go For It!
cheers,
Mark R
Haben schon lange nichts von Rudi gehört. Laut Katrin dürfe es aber langsam
zur Sache gehen. Wir hoffen alles geht nach Wunsch.
Egal wie hoch du oder ihr schon seid, das ist alles furchtbar hoch.
Liebe Grüße Heidi und Roland-die Flachländer
Dear Liz, Congratulations to you all for making Base Camp – you all look completely chuffed. Sorry we were out when you rang – Davis was at hockey training at the State Hockey Centre, Arlie was off at a musical up in Kew, I was buying red wine (there are some good sales at the moment – Davis, Ed and John have been doing extensive research). I actually feel good enough to ride to work today and the weather is not bad – but it has stopped raining again and it is a bit scarry how quickly the soil has dried out once more. We are all excited because Dave Heaton’s team won the big international moot in Geneva – just amazing!! Lots of love …. Gavan
Hi Cas
I did not realize that you were the Cas that had first asked me if I might join you on the trek to EBC! I also remember you from 7summits.com while following Thomas last year…what a sad and long night that was. I did not think you were going on this trek so I had not made the connection! I just happened to re- read Paul’s “Support Crew” section and realized it was you! I decided to stick to my original plan to climb Kili. I’ll be doing the Umbwe route. I leave June 21st. Congrats to you and company for making it to BC!
Cheers,
MC
Hi Liz and your elevated company.
It’s been fab to vicariously escape drab, dry (again) Melbourne and walk (sorry, trek) with you all. Although the view from my window ain’t too bad here at the Bot Gardens, I’d readily swap it for a taste of that thin air and a glary glimpse of your current surrounds.
Liz, sorry, I couldn’t come up with anything for your odd red-?flowered thing. My only guess was perhaps highly coloured bracts around new growth of an astragalus (there’s a more or less leafless one around). Perhaps all will be revealed with the DNA sample you have in your pocket. Cas, your photo of the stone hut the other day was just brilliant.
Congratulations to you all, and thanks for the journey. All the very best to Paul – the signs seem very positive.
Not wanting to put a dampener on anything, but you know you’re missing Eurovision. Liz, I’ll get you a ticket in the sweep (I have Israel with the slightly worrying title ‘push the button’).
Ciao ciao
Neville
Hi Paul – better late than never, but Dave and I are following your trek from sunny Paynesville but because of Mum’s recent death have been a little distracted. I think it’s fantastic you have so many supporters this time – and why are they mostly women?! It looks like party time in BC yet I know it’s not and you’ve a huge goal ahead – which I have no doubt you’ll achieve. Mary and John are coming here tonight – this time last year Mary was ‘Base Camp Mum’ – seems a lot has happened since then. Thinking of you, we’re watching and cheering you on –
Rosemary & Dave Abbott, Paynesville
Hi Denise and all,
Glad to hear you are all enjoying yourselves and hearing the details of base camp. The photos today are fantastic. Sounds like you still have a little treking to do while you investigate the base camp surrounds. I wish you all continued enjoyment of the amazing surrounds you are in.
Will be in touch next week before I head off on Saturday.
Love,
Anne
Hi denise and everyone,
congratulations on reaching base camp. The postings about the sight seeing and base camp are amazing. Paul good luck with you climb up the mountain.
Love Lesley
Hey Paul I’m listening to you as I type!!!! You sound great and it’s nice to actually hear you. Hard to imagine you’re where you are. “Myeverest” just got a good plug too.
Anyway, “hi” to all with you and love and hugs, Jacqueline x
Hi Julia,
Congratulation!
You made it.! What an adventure!I envy you BIG time !
Love your entry and the pics!
I talked to yor parents. They are very proud. Have a safe trip back .
Can’t wait to talk to you when you back in US .
Much love.
Elena.
Dear Paul and Fiona,
I am so happy for you guys!Sounds like everything goes as planed! Beautiful pics from the Base camp!
Paul I heard you got the Russian oxigen tank this time – it’s going to be your lucky charm:)
After I talked to you in Melbourne I got the bug and started training .
Unfortunately the timing didn’t work with my schedule:(…
Well, at list I could be with you virtualy.
The best of luck to both and the whole crew!
Much Love.
Elena.
I think I must be going nuts but the flower photo seems to have gone walk about. Does anybody know where it is? I think it might be Astragalus strictus. Any help appreciated … thanks … Gavan
Hi Cas
nice to hear you are still in one piece, boys and Grazia are good but we all can’t wait till you’re back. Franci told me to tell you hamster died ! and that we have to have a party for her confirmation as she wants you all there as you are the extended family! keep safe see you soon love Val isa and franci
Congrats on making it to BC. Great pictures and sounds like you are having a great time. Enjoy and keep the updates coming. It brightens the mundane London work days.
Darik
I realised this as well a few days ago…I believed just I am blind…but seems it is really disappeared. Originally it was in the post “Random Thoughts from Lobuche” if I remembered well. My clever computer knows the http address of the pic: http://www.myeverest.com/files/u7/0705flower.JPG but maybe Nick or Tim can put back to the right place as well. Best, Mira
I had a look at reinserting the image into the post but I was not able to get the photo to align properly with the other photos. Nick and Luke are more familar with this process – and I am sure they will be able to take a look at it when they wake up in a few hours.
Thanks again –
Tim.
Thanks for trying:) your message just made me feel what a small world we have…;) you are in US, 5-6 hours before me, and Gavan, Nick and Luke few hours ahead – I am stuck in the middle;) the visitors through time-zones and all across the globe make this site unbelievably vivid:) cannot say enough time: great having this experience;) thx, and good luck with fixing the pic. Mira
Dear Mira, you have captured exactly the wonder this trek and the web site has meant not just for those on the trek but those around the world who can feel so directly engaged on a day-to-day basis. I hope we can get the picture of the flower back up on the site. Given the lead from Neville that it might be an Astragalus I went through Flowers of the Himalayas looking for species that were found in that area, at that altitude, flowered in May, had redish flowers and in the form I remembered from the photograph which is how I reduced the field down to:
Astragalus strictus [Graham ex Benth]. Pakistan to Bhutan. Tibet. 2100-5000m. Open slopes, rocks; common. Flowers May – August. An erect or spreading perennial, with flowers in in globular clusters 1-1.5cm across, borne on stalks shorter than the pinnate leaves. [Compared to Astragalus himalayanus] A much smaller rather tufted perennial with spreading branches 10-15cm. Flowers 8-10mm lon; pale purple to pinkish [maybe a red in there?]; calyx with black hairs. Leaves 2-4cm; leaflets numerous, oblong-blunt 2-8mm, with adpressed white hairs. Pod c. 8mm, with adpressed black and white hairs. [page 104, 1984 edition].
Yours on the virtual trek …. Gavan
Dear Pertemba,
Damien Adler sent us a letter along with your very welcome postcard. Very best wishes to you and many thanks for thinking of us. We are visiting Marg in Adelaide this weekend and all 3 of us remember wonderful times with you in our beloved mountains. Dorothy especially remembers her time with you on Mera Peak while Marg has never stopped feeling cheated that she was not with you on such a Friends’ adventure.
Marg’s 2 young 14 year old nephews who you were so generous to in 1981 remember their time with you as a highlight event – they are both now 40 and with their own children (all girls) and still get out their Nepal trip photos and talk of going trekking again (but aren’t likely to….)
We have quite a group of friends here in Australia who have been trekking together and the wonderful and exciting experiences that we shared have produced a great bond between us. Didi Marg has kept in contact with Didi Di since our first trek in 1972 and especially with Warwick who turned 80 last Christmas and is still fit and active and exciting to be with.
We often think of you and your new family and hope that everything is going well for you. We have wondered about how the Maoist problems affected your business and you personally and send up many “Om Manis” hoping for a happier future for Nepal than what has happened in recent years.
We are all well and happy here and hope that you have an enjoyable season with your MyEverest team.
Marg and Dorothy and Dr Paul XXXXXXXXX
Hi everyone – no you’re not going mad. What happened was that when a post was created with the html code for 3 photos (rather than 1 or 2) at the beginning, (where we normally locate it), it meant that some of the needed html was being dropped off when the post was abbreviated for Paul’s opening page. This resulted in some of the formatting falling to bits, for instance the whole right hand column was lost. Luke figured this out last week. The fix is a little convoluted and so in the interim we decided that we would ask Paul and Fi to not post more than two pictures. This then avoids the problem arising. If they want to post a third picture this must be inserted much further down the page, so it does not affect the abbreviated version. In the case of the post where we really had the problem Luke just took that third image out, and thus restored the formatting.
However, due to popular demand (!) I have now restored it! Albeit much further down the post where it does no harm. Sorry about that. Delighted you noticed and wanted it back! Nick