Heading up

A weather window has appeared - will it stay good?

28 May - at BC, 5150m

Another lazy morning with breakfast at 8am, the wind howling off Everest. The latest forecast shows just how unpredictable conditions can be up here, the weather window has moved a day and changed a bit as well.

We need to get up to ABC and take it from there. So today Kirsti and Johan will head to DCXP's Interim camp for a night there, and then up to ABC on the 29th, and have a rest day on the 30th.

Gavin, Kevin and myself will go direct from BC to ABC in one day, tomorrow, as probably will DCXP's Duncan and Rob. Three other DCXP climbers are already at ABC, and have been there for a while. Currently we plan to climb together but our plans always remain flexible.

28 May - DCXP team

Katie and Ivy left BC this morning for Zhangmu, and Kathmandu tomorrow. Katie, who works in the DCXP Adelaide office, made a great effort by getting to around 8500m on the 24th. Ivy is the doctor, who was not climbing on Everest, and has pneumonia and while enjoying the expedition, the altitude have given her a tough time.

28 May morning, Everest with rotor clouds spinning off and a lenticular higher up - Kirsti
The predicted free air wind speeds are around 40 knots, so it could be around 120kph or perhaps more up there.

25 May, the big bathroom; Gavin trimming his nostril hairs and Kevin just finished shaving - Kirsti
Gavin's Bart Simpson hair is untamable.

27 May - news

Andrew Lock successfully summitted Annapurna, and just as importantly, got down alive. That makes his 12th 8000m summit - congratulations!

The statistics for Annapurna don't make pleasant reading; do a search on Explorers Web.

But some bad news too though; Iigo de Pineda, who was on our 2006 Project Himalaya Everest Expedition died climbing Kanchenjunga, 25 May 2007, from a fall above 8000m. He was strong and balanced; I feel very sad. He also climbed Cho Oyu and Shishapangma Central summit with Andrew Lock in 2005.