The morning of April 24, 2018, looked like it would be a really cold one. We were leaving at 3 or 4 a.m., so they told us to put on our down suits, which I was happy to do because it made me much warmer during the night!
Higher elevations
The move from Camp 1 to Camp 2 is an increase in elevation from approximately 20,000 feet to 21,000 feet.
In this photo, you can see all the way up the glacier to the Lhotse Face (straight to the back), which we’ll climb in about a week. Off to the left is the South Col, which leads to Everest’s summit ridge.
The move to Camp 2 was a long, steady rise and it was tough, but still very doable. When we finally reached Camp 2, we all just relaxed for a while. At that point, we quickly realized this camp was much more like an Everest base camp, including everything we have at base camp (except internet). We have a place, bathrooms, a dining tent and cooked food, so we didn’t have to rely on MREs while there.
Sherpas
I continue to love the sherpas, but especially my sherpa, Pemba.
He looks for the smallest things that might be wrong with my setup. For example, I was putting on my crampons today and he noticed that something wasn’t quite right. It wouldn’t have been horrible, but it wasn’t the way it should be. He had me stop so we could fix it.
In our ladder crossing video, you’ll notice he’s talking to me about being sure I have the right anchor attached to each rope. It’s amazing. I speak no sherpa, but we’re beginning to develop this easy way of understanding each other. It’s quite enjoyable to watch.
