Wow, that was a very cold night. I woke up repeatedly through the night’ 11pm, midnight, 3am, 4am, 5am and Man at 3 and 4 it was absolutely Baltic. We don’t have the foam covering in the bottom of our tents. The other tent we ‘borrowed’ for a while waiting for our tent to come had it and other tents have it here. It just stops the cold permeating through from the snow underneath us. We just have our closed cell foam pad on the ground sheet and our thermarest on top of that. It keeps us off the snow but all the space around us is just groundsheet so it comes through.
Also I woke up for the first time with a little bit of a headache but some hot tea at 7am sorted that out. It’s only to be expected when you’ve slept at 20,000 feet above sea level. I’m amazed I haven’t had a headache before now.
It’s been snowing overnight and we’re supposed to walk up to Camp Two and return here for a second night sleep but the snow is coming again later so we’ll see. I think we can walk straight after breakfast and get as far up as we can before the snow comes.
Well we made it to Camp 2. It took us 3 and half hours. It was such a lovely walk but there were couple of ladders and also the sheer wall of 30m straight up. That was tough but there was a vertical ladder to start us and also the Sherpas have cut steps in with their feet doing all the load carrying so the footholds helped. But it was still exhausting to do this at this altitude. At the climbing wall in Shepherds Bush I can go straight up these walls over and over for hours. Up here, it’s a whole different ball game.
At base camp Bob and I had made a list with Craig of the foods we really liked and really didn’t like. It wasn’t extensive. Bob doesn’t like spices and I don’t like cold sauces like mayo, ketchup etc. We also had a list of the things we both don’t like, this was the spring roll thing they cooked before and Dal Bhat. So it’s wasn’t really confusing.
We arrived at camp 2 for lunch and guess what it was – Dal Bhat. Good job we had brought snacks with us. We had some tomato soup and ate out snacks.
Then we descended back to Camp one in snow and a total whiteout. There were few slippery parts with new snow over the ice and unfortunately Bob slipped and landed on the same shoulder. We are both worried now. It was healing well. At least tomorrow the only obstacle is the big wall.
Going down at one point I couldn’t see at all so I had to remove my frozen snowed up glacier glasses and then I could see again but the snow was being driven into my eyes now. Anyway at least I could see.
Thank god by the time we got to the ladders it had cleared a little and it was a hell of a lot quicker rappelling down the big 30m wall than it was going up it. And a lot more fun.
We are so glad to be back to our tent.
Dinner time is set for 6.30. We always have soup to start with and then something for the main meal after. With the Dal Bhat fiasco at lunch I was quite hungry and looking forward to dinner. 6.30 pm comes and goes and at 7pm we get ramen noodle soup. I love this so we’re off to a great start. Then there appears to be no dinner. So I ask is there more soup. Neema says he’ll have to start making it again do I say not to worry. It’s ok. He goes to his tent and comes back with a snickers bar each for us.
I think really our camp site here has no supplies. There was nothing when we arrived and it was probably all Sonam could carry down from Camp 2 and the main items were 2 tents, stove, gas and some food.
Oh well, I’ll be moving up to Camp 2 which is well stocked tomorrow and I’m going to pray tonight for a miracle for Bob’s arm as I desperately want him to move up with me too. It’s not just for selfish reasons that I really want his company and not to be left on my own, but also for his sake too. We are both here with a dream waiting for us st the top of this mountain. Bob has climbed 6 of the 7 summits and is a highly skilled technical climber, he puts me to shame going up and down the big wall so for him too I think and hope he moves up as well.