Post 11: Getting Home

Next morning now 5 deaths we wake to a sunny day my legs are still not working well and get dressed and start down Les and George have already left. The plan is to go from C4 meet Dan at C3 and keep going down to C2.  I pass the Dutch guy still in a bag and 2 Indain climbers in yellow suits that have been moved down above the Geneva spur.  They were not struggling and looked peaceful. I start slow and gain strength as I get lower, make to though the Geneva spur and repel the yellow band with no problems. I desend the Lotse face and meet Dan at C3.  I continue down to C2 and make it off the face and have a half mile of flat before I start shutting down again. Dan check my O2 is out and the mask is suffocating I take it off and continue very slowly.  I get to C2 at 1130 PM everyone is in their tents asleep I get another bottle of O2 and go to sleep.

I wake early and get to the kitchen tent find Les and George they bring us spam and mustard and is the first meal I had in days.  We talk about the the terrible things we saw and our plans. I struggle to tell the story we all are emotional Les and George are marines both deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Les seeing some bad things he tells me we did what we could for the dying climbers and forget about it. The next move is from C2 to Basecamp then the long trek to Lukla.  I am moving slowly and know I will not make it through the ice falls before noon and have to spend another night at high camp to recover enough.

I make the call for a helicopter to get out I and in 2 hours I grab my gear and make it to the helipad hope to leave all our gear and get les and Geroge on but the chopper lands and said only one passenger.  I quickly tell everyone goodby and load in the chopper put headsets on and the pilot informs me that it is to warm he may not get off the mountain he also disconnects his O2 to shut the door and when he puts his head set on he tells me he is F__ked.  The brief time without O2 has him too dizzy to fly he ask me to check his hose and make sure his O2 tank is not empty.  Everything is good and after another 10 minutes with rotor spinning he lifts off.  He bounces gets 6 feet off the ground spins and after he clears the helipad we free fall to Basecamp I unload meet Kenji and Yangie with my other bags load another heli and within a few hours in Lukla.  I get to namiste lodge still in my summit suit and heavy boots check on flights tomorrow if I get out of Lukla I will make it home in 36 hours.  

I get lucky get our make my flights from Lukla to Katmandu to Doha to Chicago to Evansville and home without a glitch. I eat pizza and a beer in Lukla and get sick I don't care I have a toiled to sit on a shower and find a barber to cut my hair and shave me so I don't scare people when I get home.  My face is burnt with a spot of frost bite on my cheek, my legs are back but still will not win a race. I sleep eat and write my notes on the flights home my expedition isn't finished until I make it home and I treat it as I was still makeing it from camp to camp. Land with Lisa waiting and my expedition is finally over.

Post 10: Climb journal may 21st and 22nd C4 26,500 ft Summit day.

Very little sleep, stay in tent making water had my biscuit and gravy breakfast and few bites of Mac and cheese but can't eat much. Had a bowl of ramen noodles after I get up.  We wake at 6 and start by 7 our turn around window will be 1:30 the next afternoon. The body of the Dutch guy is now in a bag sitting on a rock behind our tents a stark reminder of what could happen.

The 3 guys in second group is Myself, George, and Les we get dressed and everyone is feeling good the wind blows all night not hard but enough to rattle tents.  We get dressed in summit gear and get started at 7pm right on time.  Once we get out we meet a group of 8 heading for the summit George gets in front of the group and is the last I will see him until 14 hrs later. Les has to go to the bathroom and turns back I continue on my with Sherpa Tendu.  George has Sherpa Mingma and Les has Callu our Sherpa are carrying extra bottles of O2 that they will store at the balcony half way up this will support our decent. Not a large group on summit day weather forecast is not great possible reason for the fewer climbers.

Shortly after we start maybe 200 yards from camp we meet a guy descending on his feet but barley able to walk staggering badly in a bright yellow suit.  I remember thinking that's what I will look like in 18 hrs.  I thought he left a few hours before us and developed issues I also noticed he was alone no Sherpa or leaders little did I know he has been out all night and was part of a larger Indian group all in bad trouble. We were not on the steep uphill part yet and I thought it odd he was in such bad shape so early. 

The dangerous part about close to camp was large crevasse they had the trail marked with tent stakes but they also had big holes marked the same way.   They call it falling into the grove which could be the last they see of you. I ask Dan how you get out if you fall in a 30 ft deep crevasse we are constantly jumping them, sometimes with safety rope most time with nothing, it funny how much further you jump when your not tied off. If you fall into these crevasse you can cross climb or you can walk down the bottom of the crevasse to where it gets narrow and climb out I don't want to find out, to fall in and climb out will waste so much energy it may end any summit push. Plus our Sherpa are there to keep us out of trouble. It wasn't steep so no ropes and the snow and wind covered up the footprints if you stepped off the packed trail you were in drifts up to your waist.  I am close enough to group in front that I stay on trail avoiding holes and deep snow, Tendu is right behind telling when I get off trail, wind is blowing already.  

4 hours in wind picks up sky is a inky blue can still see stars but I know I have a long day and I choose to keep my head down to look up and see lights of other climbers above you is heart breaking not many lights like the last few mornings weather forecast maybe the reason. I choose to look only a few feet in front looking at next foot hold or fixed line to attach to. I have two climbers 50 ft above me stopped one is a Sherpa and yells to Tendu there is someone coming down the rope out of control to look out.  I am in front of tendu and I see a climber falling toward me feet and crampons first.  I am jumared to the fixed line and time my jump over the falling climbers crampons just before her carabiner hits my jumar. The Ice anchor holds and we end up in a tangled pile hanging from our harness. I noticed she had the same bright yellow suit we are face to face I can tell she is in bad shape.  She tells me she can't breath I look at her mask and the outflow valve is frozen and he bag is also full of ice.  She is still coherent and I clear the ice from her mask so she could breath better I secure her to the rope and slide her to the next anchor. There is a large group below that has extra Sherpa and we passed her down to them for the Sherpa to help down. Very rattled by the close call.  I also realized she has been exposed overnight and was near death.  I continue my climb after another hour I see another climber hanging by his safety on the fixed line same one I was jumaring up on very steep area I felt the rope slip I noticed another yellow suit as I got up to him I see he is undoing ropes to release him down the mountain as I move to him to get anchored above him to my horror I see he is missing a glove and his one hand is frozen unlike the lady he isn't speaking but grabs me as I climb above him. Tendu ask him where is his Sherpa who is he with and finds out no Sherpa no O2 he said it was stolen at the balcony.  He has already lost his hand and he was very week.  I tell tendu we need to do something he tells me there is nothing we can do for him we don't have equipment to rescue and to attempt will be risking both of our life's.  I have a sat phone we try calling larger groups to see if they could help it is 5 am and we don't reach anyone. We sit for another 30 minutes secure him to rope, cover his hand and hope extra Sherpa below have access to rescue party. I move on and one more hour just below the balcony I run up on my 4th yellow suite this time the guy has both hands frozen and is immobile and can't speak, it is getting lighter and again I ask what we should do. Again my Sherpa and I have a argument about what to do he again tells me we can't do anything and he is too far gone and will not make it.  He goes on to tell me that if we stop we too will run out of O2 and freeze we have to keep moving. I have the most helpless feeling, I don't blame Tendu he is right and all I can think of is to make the sign of the cross and say a prayer for him to get of this cold mountain and into Gods arms. We start back moving up the rope leaving him, I noticed he was secured I found out later George first ran across him upside down and tied him to the rope.  I am in the most inhospitable place in the world and the Sherpa understood the risk and was getting fed up with me stoping. 

I finally get to the balcony the sun is rising on this already crazy morning I am getting hypoxia and trying to process what's going on around me what I saw it is already haunting me. I notice tendu unloaded his O2 and puts both tanks on his regulator and didn't change mine.  He is starting to show signs of alt sickness. As the sun rises I am walking a ridge to the south summit both sides falling off thousands of feet to the storm clouds below, snow up to my knees on my right is the inky blue sky's with the moon above clouds that are at around 7000 meters they are dark gray and ominous looking and on my left side of the ridge the sun was up lighting to clouds below a bright white.  I thought it looked like heaven and hell. With everything I had seen this day I couldn't believe I could see something of beauty in such a harsh situation.

I am 9 hours in and only a few hours form the summit having problems focusing my thought, go back to the dying climbers with their frozen arms flailing around or the lady asking for me to help her.  I keep moving, my last ridge before the Hillary steps 1 hour from the summit, I catch up with George at the Hillary steps. He by far has been the strongest climber, I see Mingma above him on the last pitch.  We tie off and George tells me he is turning around that he is not sure he can make it to the top and all the way back.  The weather is gotten worse and when we descend, we will be going into a snow storm below us.  We talk about the dying people we passed on the way up and it is obvious we are both shaken by what we have seen and the summit is not as important but getting down alive is.  We have 4 hours before the turn around time but the conditions have beaten the strength out of us and we are questioning weather we have the strength to get back.  Our Sherpa are also split one wanting to go on and other is sick and wanting to go back.  We try the radio to get a update on the weather and get nothing so we assume the weather is just going home to get worse.  We look around no one is in sight everyone has turned around.  I take out my summit flags get photos and we head down into the heavy snow.  

We make it to the balcony and I reload another bottle of O2.  Weather is bad I tell George it isn't time to panic it is 11am plenty of time to make it back, we are not too cold, O2 good, but my legs are gone and the only muscle still working is my brain. George is also trashed I point out Sherpa sitting looking down the mountain. I begged tendu to drop his heavy pack and go down with us and he is unresponsive.  I leave the group on the balcony and rig my harness with a strap and slide down in the heavy snow.  The Sherpa finally leave George which was unaware but his hose was broken and he was climbing without O2 he found the broken hose fixed it and continues down alone walking the steep slope with his harness and figure 8 backwards as I would be if my legs were strong enough. I get to where the yellow suits were and only one was still tied to the ropes dead. I have to crawl over him to tie back to the lines and keep moving down.  

I get to the flats and know I have a few hundred meters to my tent but it is snowing so hard I can't see. This is the same place 4 died on the 96 expeditions made famous by the movie and book.  I remember the big holes and the snow is covered the trail all that marked it is the tent stakes I walk and crawl from stake to stake. I take my time feeling confident I am going to make it back for the first time.  I stop and eat my last snickers bar my water is frozen and I have a little tea in my thermos to wash it down.  I get my sat phone it has been almost 24 hours since I called home and it is aftermidnight at home but I want to tell them I am ok. Lisa is still up she had already heard about multible deaths and was very worried.  She has been unbelievable strong and supportive for the last 2 months but the last 24 hours were bad for my entire family.  I had not told here about the 3 deaths and had no idea the news would make it home so quickly.  I tell her about the terrible things I saw the night before and that I am going to be home as fast as I can.  I hang up and keep moving tendu and Mingma catch me while I was taking a break and keep walking Geroge isn't in sight and I worry about leaving him.  I meet Les looking for us and he tells me he found the Indain climber and he couldn't get the large group to help he ends up getting her to his tent loosing most of his gear in the process. The second climber was also rescued but didn't make it. I wait for breaks in the blowing snow to see glimpse of our tents and after 22 hours back in camp.  George arrives a hour later and we collapse in our bags in our suits covered in ice.

At the base of the Lhotse face between C2 and C3

C3 looking down the face and the western cwm snow storm rolling up the valley

A few minutes later about the same place as pic above C3 storm starting

C4 looking up to south summit day morning before we start up with Sherpa Tendu

Melting water and cooking dehydrated food with Tendu at C4

Cooking the only meal I could eat, biscuits and gravy

Looking down C3 we are above the weather snow hitting lower camps

Post 9: Climb Journal May 16 pm Basecamp 2

We have a plan a big one day push to camp 2 beating the storm forecast for the 17th then wait the storm out in camp 2.moving on next day to camp 3 climbing the Lotse face which was Ice 3 weeks ago camp 3 is chiseled into the side of the steep face exposed and no support or rescue 23,500 ft.  We will be on ox from this point going forward.

I made the first day to camp 2 in 14 hrs and felt good doing it.  The first trip to C2 took me 16 hrs and I had a rest day at C1. The climb into C2 gave me a lot of confidence that the acclimating has worked. We have a cook and dinner tent at c2 so from here out I need to make sure I eat all I can get.  I have 6 dried meals and as we get above C2 we have to make our own food and melt snow for water.  Last trip got sick here and lost appetite and went down quickly my HAPE med should keep that from happening again. 

Leaving no internet and down to pencil and paper the only thing that works in high camp.

Climb journal May 17 C2 21,500 ft snow storm windy.

We are hunkered down at C2 sheltered not too bad not the same at C4 they spent the night trying to keep their tent from blowing off without sleep. The first team was too beat up to hit the 18th summit push.  Over 30 tents and equipment were lost at C4 without any summits.  We are at C2 still not on O2 yet.  The same is not true at high camp and O2 and food will have to be re supplied.

Climb journal May 18th sunny still C2

Another delay at high camp strong winds kept them in the tents another night now summit push.  We are still waiting at C2 still off O2. Dan instructed first group they had to push next day or second team will not have 02 or food. There are only 3 tents at C4 and C3 so our coordinating to were we don't end up in the same camp is critical.  We are disappointed but not near as disappointed as our Sherpa that have to walk all the way to BC pick up 75lbs of O2, Gas and food and return to C2 the next morning before we leave for C3 at 10am. They will be walking and carrying loads all night.

The first team at C4 also made a good call wind were too high a group of German climbers tried and failed to make it.

Our new plan is to wait until Sherpa make it back then climb the steep Lotse face getting to C3 late.  My concern is I get there late and not rested for next day climb to C4 26,500ft. Which will also impact our summit attempt if not rested.  I am also concerned that our Sherpa are getting proper rest or food they are looking very tiered. Our weather forecast isn't good the monsoon has started and snow every day is predicted. 

 I am going through ups and downs setting in tents all day my mornings are hopeful and confident listening to radios and other talking outside tent.  I stay in all day by the time night comes I am full of questions and self doubt.  I still feel strong physically but the roller coaster emotionally is taking its toll. 

The mountain is getting packed as 200 people are now in high camps.

Climb journal May 19 sunny C3 23,500 ft

Team 1 makes summit push and between 930 and 11 on the next morning everyone makes the summit. At the same time we push to C3 morning starts with 2 rescues just above C2 Sherpa breaks leg and then when we get to Lotse face another Sherpa falls to his death right in front of our team 8 Sherpa make it to the body secure it and carry it to C2 to execute another rescue.  The snow makes the climb to C3 much easier and now we all are breathing O2

C3 tents are cut into the side of the slope wet and uncomfortable.  Tendu and I share the tent and melt water and cook first dried meal.  I got a few bites down but no appetite.  Next day will be hardest yet  climbing to 26,500 ft. Including more of the Lotse face, yellow band which requires rock climbing with crampons finishing off with to Geneva spur very steep last pitch into C4.

I only end up with a liter of water I tell tendu not enough for 14 hrs of hard climbing.  He said he will get them from other Sherpa coming down.  I start begging for water early Dan is climbing with us and leaves me a bottle and Basia gives me a half bottle which gets me to C4 a little dehydrated. Cook another meal can't eat either.

Climb journal May 20 C4 26,500 ft.

Climb to C4 was another long hard day.  I got to camp after 9pm shot.  Our plans is to wait 24 hrs and start our push on the 21st at 7pm I hope to recover by then.  I ate my first dried meal the next morning biscuits and gravy actually was good and I ate most of it.  Haven't ate much last 2 days and know I have to force down as much as I can today.

We pass the jubilant team 1 making there way down from C4 where they spent the night after a successful summit.  They give us encouragement saying summit push was easier than climb to C4.  They all looked good Mike and Basia had some snow blindness and HAPE but we're moving good.  They had the option to stay in C3 or make it on to C2 where more tents and better sheltered and food.

We get to camp 4 with another 2 deaths one a 35 year old Australian lady climbing with her husband and a Dutch guy 36 both fit experienced climbers HAPE was the cause I think.  The lady was being carried down she died on the Geneva Spur she was a vegan and trying to show what vegans can accomplish.  Not sure that's the cause of her death Paula with our group summited with group 1 is also a vegan.  The Dutch guy summited the night before and struggled on the way back to C4 he was in the tent close to ours we could here him struggling to breath when we got up in morning he was dead. They put him in a black body bag and left him on the top of a big rock by the ropes to camp 3 not sure why but he was still there when we desend to C2 the next day. I have now seen 3 deaths and not started the push up. It's a cold reminder that we are now in the death zone of the mountain and rescue isn't a option if you get in trouble. 

So far the weather has been great for the climb to C4 sunny no wind. 2 days in a row. Dan has decided not going to summit we are low on O2 and he will give his to the team and then he will drop to C3 without O2 where he will work rescue if needed.

Basecamp dinner tent yellow, kitchen blue, outhouse green. Sherpa tents small yellow stupa and prayer flags build for Buddhist monks blessing

My tent at base camp neighbors James with Scottish flag, Mike with his Summit for Soldiers flag, Paula, Les, George

My last trip up the ice falls

Camp 2 green tent cook and Sherpa tent yellow mess tent our smaller tents on the rocks two per tent here on. Looking down the Lhotse face

Post 8 Base camp 24 hours before final summit push

After 6weeks we start up Saturday morning 2am through the Ice falls. the last 2 weeks have been painful waiting for a doctor to say I am good to continue came a week ago, waiting for ropes to be fixed that got done 4 days ago, ox to be positioned on the mountain finished yesterday and a good weather window which we still don't have.  We have had a lot of snow since we were at high camps 3 weeks ago and that is good the steep faces with black ice makes it hard on your feet to kick in crampons.  With snow you have steps and your crampons dig in plus there were people hit by falling rocks which the snow sticks to the face and not as much a issue. It is hard to see the impact the weather will have on us until we get to high camps and get exposed.  The strongest winds we have had so far were at base camp.

32 teams 330 climbers and Sherpa started pushing 3 days ago many racing to be the first to summit which went to a team of 9 Sherpa. Since then we see the head lamps moving through the ice falls at 2am about 50 a day are starting. When we leave their will be over half the climbers moving to high camps to wait for a summit push.  That gets very tricky on one rope areas like in the ice fall, western cwn some of the deep crevasse that you repel down one side and climb the other, Lotse face about a 1500 foot assent one rope, summit day has several more of these potential log jams that could possibly end a climb if you wait too long exposed and get cold. 

Our team is split into two groups now due to logistics not enough tents at high camps. James, Mike, Paula and Basia started two days ago and are on a rest day at camp 2 they were separated in the ice falls due to a overnight fall that the ice doctors had to fix delaying them 4 hours of what already was a 14 to 16 hour day.  2 climbers made it to camp 2 and 2 stopped short at camp one joining the team today. Haven't got report yet today but I hear Kaji on the radio with them now they said this morning one is sick. Group 2 will have me, George, Les, Dan (leader), and Jonas and Franse (Lotse) that will be splitting off at camp 3 and going to Lotse summit.  Franse without o2 he left with team 1 and made acclimatization climb to Lotse camp 4 and back to 2 today and will join us there in 2 days.

My first challenge will be making it to camp 2 on day one it will be a 4000 ft vertical elevation change that took me 16 hours over 2 days the first time through. If I make it I will meet up with my down suit and -40 bag left there 3 weeks ago.  I will be with a Sherpa all of the time his name is Tenzdu he climbed with me on first push and was with me when I started having problems in the ice falls, and while I was away at lower altitude eating pizza and cake he was making trips to high camps carrying supplies fixing ropes and tents. When I saw him he was noticeably thiner.  I have also lost a lot of weight unfortunately mussel mass my arms look like old man arms and my belt is 4 inches shorter than when I started.  Just fighting the cold burns calories and we eat mostly carbs and sugar very little protein it will give me something to work on when I get home.  Day 2 is rest day or trip from camp 1 , day 3 we move to camp 3 and will be on O2 until we come down, day 4 move to camp 4, day 5 rest until 9pmwhen our summit attempt starts 12 to 16 hours up and 6 hours back to camp 4 where we spend another night day 6 then in 2 big days go from camp 4 to 2 and 2 to BC. In total we should be back in BC in 8 days baring any delays due to bad weather. I am anxious wanting to get started so I can get home.  It has been very hard sitting around waiting the last 2 weeks other than the climb back to camp I have done very little not sure how my lungs or legs will hold up to 8 hard days.

My final doctors appointment was today and she oked me to go up.  She said if I have any shortness of breath, troubles sleeping, loss of appitite to come down unfortunately you ask anyone who ascends 4,000ft in one day they will have all 3 symptoms she agreed it should be easier now that I am acclimatized and now that I know what HAPE feels like I will be on the lookout for that also.  I forgot when I was trying to get down from camp 2 a heli landed and Mike from our team went to ask if I could get a ride down to the ER.  It was Allen Arnett?one of Everest biggest bloggers suffering with HAPE.  He told us no he wanted to ride down by himself he returned to Denver and is still blogging Everest stuff.  He probably won't add this story to his blog.  I walked thru the ice falls 12 hours to the ER and was diagnosed with the same ailment.

The Sherpa are calling me Baji which means old man in a respectful way I think.  I look like a old man in Africa on Kilimanjaro they called me Baboo which was Swahili for grandpa. The Sherpa want me to make it to the top and will do everything they can to make sure it happens.  They can't control the weather or my health so many things are outside everyone's control. I just know I feel good and am ready to start. 

I will be dark for the 8 days of the push then the logistics of getting home I will probably not send another until the long flight home.  Then I can send photos and tell the ending. Thanks again for everyone's support the late night emails of encouragement. Till then stay warm.

Post 7: Pheriche 13,000ft temp 40's

We start down after a week above the Kumbu Ice falls.  Our plans are to go from camp 2 skip 1 and on to base camp.  It is a beautiful day not too cold sunny I am feeling a little better and start down with my Sherpa Tenzdu.  I get half way through the Ice and slow Dan catches me and we make it to the bottom after a few hours.  My breathing was giving me problems we walk by the clinic on the way to camp I stop for a checkup.

When we arrived in Base camp Dan brought the team to the Everest ER for a tour and to meet the doctors.  Over 60% of there patients are Sherpa and porters that they treat for free. We made a donation of $100 each and that would cover unlimited visits while in camp.  I thought that would be the last time I would be in the tent.  The doctors are from all over and are experts in high altitude ailments.  I meet with a Russian American Doctor Tatiana and local doctor Yogi they check o2 levels and they are good then listened to lungs and see her look at Yogi then I have 2 cold stethoscopes on my bare skin.  I agreed to let Discovery Channel film a episode of Everest ER 16 and I am standing infront of the camera hoping they don't ask me to take my pants off too.  The diagnoses is HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) treatment is a drug, and to descend immediately to lower altitude.  She orders a helicopter for the next morning to bring me to Pheriche which is at 13,000ft it has a fully staffed clinic and the plan is to stay there until my lungs clear and I can return to base camp or they tell me my climb is over. I talk George into flying with me and we are stuck there for 4 days.  Dr. Tatiana runs to Pheriche my last day a 15 mile run she is training for the Everest marathon she looks at the ultrasound and ask me to stop by when I return to base camp to let here look at my lungs again before summit attempt.  I am cleared to go back up.

 We walk up to Lobuche 5 hr from base camp and is where I am now.  It felt great coming up we carried 40 lbs and ran up the mountain already acclimatized.  It is may 6 we celebrate cinco de mayo a day late and I have my first beer in months. I take half day walks up the local hills my breathing, sleep and eating has gotten me back to normal.  There is bad weather high up and we are on hold until they finish fixing lines and carrying o2 and supplies.  We choose to wait it out here instead of a tent at base camp we have good internet and food and hope to meet everyone in a few days.

These events happened over the last week many dark moments, I have pulled the plug two times on the climb and after a conversation with doctors and leader decide to continue.  My body has held up well I am not the fastest but my climb is consistent and for me to turn around now will always haunt me that I didn't try.  My confidence level swings from 80% seeing myself on the summit to 20% asking myself why am I putting myself and family through this.

I know I am putting my family through hell and I feel terrible I think about them constantly on these long down days.  Today is Mother's Day which is making my day even harder.  I am in a tea house dining area with a lot of people around a pot belly stove that burns yak poop hopping the distraction is enough to keep the tears away. I think it will be easier when I start up and can see the end and my day is consumed by the climb.

Helicopter ride to Pheriche

Ice falls again

Cinco de Mayo, only one can is mine

Clinic in Pheriche

Training climbs local hills

Dining areas of Eco Lidge in Lobuche, poop stove and George

Post 6: Camp 2 21,500 temp cold

Going up.

We finally get started after a few days in base camp.  Sherpa are working mostly at night carrying loads to camp 1 and 2.  Ropes are fixed through ice falls and all the way to camp 3.  We cross the Ice falls at 2am get to camp 1 at noon, 10 hours later.  We made it through without event, walking over, under, around large blocks of ice, aluminum ladders span crevasse that you don't look for the bottom just at the next rung you place your crampon.  If the gap is not spanned by ladders you jump, one foot close to one side of the bottomless crevasse and hopefully your other lands on the other side.  Short burst of energy for jumping leaves me winded and takes a few breaths to get breathing back to normal same as a slip and energy to catch yourself. There are lots of broken ice blocks in the trail that have fell the previous evening that's why we leave at 2 the ice is more dangerous in afternoon heating or the refreezing after sunset so we are out by then. It makes noise lots of cracking, creaking reminds me of working in the coal mines after a while you get use to it but always reminds you of the danger. I have taken to the climbing part well it also is like a old job, lineman, a lot of the same principle apply, trust your equipment, relax and don't fight the harness, lock your legs out and rest when you can always pay attention to your safety attachments. If this was at sea level it would be a blast.

I am in the middle of the pack of the first group arriving at camp 1 our tents our on snow we have a mini Igloo with without a roof and a hole in the ice for a bathroom can't wait to break that in. Meals are served and we rest for a day and a half. My new tent mate Cat is great we talk like a couple of school girls about everything. Next day the rest of the team joins us. George is over his illness thanks to Everest ER Dr. Tatiana and Yogi.  Steve saw a large collapse and not sure he will be making it back thru the ice.  Everyone has a cough through the night and as we leave the next morning Rodgers cough is much deeper and since he has experience with it leading to broken ribs he calls for a rescue and flys to Kathmandu, Steve Joins him reaching his goal of crossing the ice falls but doesn't want to chance it again.  I am sad to see them leave Rodger was a lot of help during the trek and Steve was from Indy and Defuniack springs sure we would have a lot to talk about.

The wind blows rattling the tent makes you fill like your on the inside of a drum.  We move to camp 2 through the western cwm the weather lifts it is sunny we drop layers you can see camp 2 it looks so close but looks are deceiving we have a series of repels down and Jamar up the other side then we have a long walk and our camp is at the very top of camp 2 which took me an extra 2 hours to find, I strangle into camp last. Camp 2 is on Ice and rocks lots of debris from abandoned supplies last year. Our plans form camp 2 (22,000) is to rest for a few days walk to Lotse face one day and the next day climb to camp 3 (23,500)spend the night then in two days go all the way to base camp we will have a week off while they fix ropes to the top and carry oxygen.  Then return for the final summit push.  Magnus joined the team last minute his travel arrangement that have him going a day early he hopes to that to 7,000 meters turn around and heading to Kathmandu.  I hear him leave at 3am it is blowing and very cold.  He returns at 10am with a mild case of frost bite and will spend a extra night at camp.  I hear him leave the next morning to head down and the weather is calm and much warmer I hear him say why couldn't it been like this yesterday.  We get lots of forecast but you never know what the next day will bring.

My health gets worse get little sleep due to cough. I loose my tent mate and appetite put in isolation start taking antibiotics, George went thru the same drill and made it back.  Luckily It is time to desend and get to a better altitude to heal.

Tomato soup and prawn chips in tent

Out my tent; camp 2 pumori and cho oyu out my window

Camp 1 looking over western cwm

Me standing at the base of the Lhotse face; camp 3 yellow band over my head

Camp 2

Post 5: Basecamp 2F 17,500 ft

Been in Basecamp for 4 days now we have had snow about every afternoon cold at night and not bad during the day when the suns out.  We have been doing a series of training for both our crossing of the ice falls and our new home at camp 1 19,500ft.  We trained on Ice climbing with crampons and Ice axes, climbing with a Jumar, and both self belay with figure 8 and hand descend we also worked on the aluminum ladders that we will use to get up vertical and span crevasse very tricky with 8000 meter boots and crampons on.  We climbed to Pumori abc at 19,000 to get use to the altitude at camp 1 it also has the best view of Everest we then descended back to Everest base camp.  Pumori abc was the camp that radioed Hall and Fischer teams in 96 telling them there were people still on the top.

We had our final Puja ceremony where a monk blessed our climbing gear.  The two hour ceremony was kind of like a food fight we would throw flower, rice, rice beer called Chang and rice whiskey on our gear and each other.  I just changed into new clothes and had a shower.  The Sherpa took it very serious just like the blessing in Pangboche.  The monk didn't offer us any guidance like the first one did he told us we would have a bad storm but go left and go right and we will be ok. I am learning the do's and don't s never walk over a prayer flag always walk around gupas or Stupas to the right the prayer wheels are spun up the mountain. Yangie would correct me if I were doing it wrong but she will not be going to higher camps.  She got altitude sickness on the climb up Pumori and the leader pulled her from going any higher she was looking forward to working with her dad in high camps.  Too bad she was strong she will continue to serve meals and work in the kitchen which she did on top of her guiding role.  The senior leadership of the Sherpas is very good lots of experience starting with Dan Mazure that's not a Sherpa but the leader and has more experience than anyone up here he plans to go to the summit with us.  The boss Sherpa is Jumba he has two lead Sherpa Mingma and Lockba the camp boss is Kenzie they have a group of younger Sherpas that we see very little because they are crossing the Ice flows every night carrying supplies to high camps and back early in the morning.

Our crossing will start at 1am and unlike Sherpas that do it in 3 hours our crossing will take 8. We have bags packed and will be in harness,helmets and ice gear.  We should arrive in camp 1 around 10 am and will be zombies have 2 rest days before going higher.   Dan respects the ice falls and once we get above them we will stay a week going all the way to camp 3 at 23,500ft. We then spent one night there and return to base camp to rest for the summit push.

I will not have much com and will be sharing a tent at high camps with a guy from Phenix that I have met and got along with well, he is stopping at camp 3 and not going for the summit he is a very strong climber and will hate to see him and 3 others leave after camp 3.  We have another team doing Lotse which is a sister peak to Everest only a few hundred  meters shorter.  There is still a lot to the climb and we are already taking on some illness George probably the strongest climber has fever and chills and has been in his tent for 2 days unable to go on he is hopping for recovery and seeing the doctor daily and will join us later. Lot of people with the Kumbu cough that you get from breathing cold dry air.  The key is to keep it from getting infected filtering the air when you sleep and covering it when you climb.  I can't do it I need all the air intake I can get so I sleep like a turtle in my bag with just my face exposed and walk slow so I don't breath deep thru my mouth exposing my lungs to cold air. Rodger from Australia fractured his rib from a bad cough on his last attempt having to stop short and has been giving me good tips.

There is a lot of excitement about this season because the last 2 have been disasters and mountain closed.  Climbers are down 60% but many of this team have returned for 2 and 3 try's many going deep in debt to chase a dream.  Every step I take is somewhere or something new and it's absolutely thrilling last night was a full moon wind calmed and the fresh snow glowed.  I got up at 1am and couldn't go back to sleep until after 2:30 even though it was -2 f.  I hate that my family and friends worry but if they could see the things that I have seen and will see they would understand better.  I am feeling good, and surrounded by good experienced people.  I will have dark days, Mountaineering is a miserable hobby and part of the beauty is overcoming those days to look for nights like last night. I think life is a lot like climbing a mountain it is overcoming fears, bad days, constant preparation, and dedication to a goal or a summit.

My next post will be a week to 10 days away and will be about the higher camps.  See you then

My college wrestling teammate. Fraternity brother, CMSU alum was diagnosed with MS a few years ago and a group of friends have reunited to help, the past year we have seen him push back the effects of MS in his words "without drugs but with a bike and friends"we created a fund raiser that raised over 40,000 dollars for the wrestling program and MS society, rode several trips on the Katy trail, and rekindled old friendships and even changed some people's lives. I am climbing these mountains everyone thinks is hard but it is easy compared to the mountain Les and people with MS have to climb every day . Every time I start listening to the pain or the cold I think to myself how blessed I am to be able to do this and how people with MS will trade me spots any day. Follow this link to go to the fundraising page at https://www.fundraise.com/everest2016#donate