Stuck at Camp 1

It’s now 10 days since we first arrived in Base Camp. The first couple of days were spent checking climbing gear, planning food for our first trip up the hill, and training on fixed ropes like we’d be using from just below Camp 1.

Last Thursday we began the next phase of acclimatisation by climbing up to about 5,200m on a day trip from Base Camp, then on Friday we climbed up to Camp 1 at about 5,700m, and stayed the night. We climbed most o the way to Camp 2 on Saturday, slept at Camp 1 again, then dropped back down to Base Camp on Sunday.

Monday and Tuesday were spent resting, washing kit and preparing for the summit attempt, which began yesterday. The plan had been to spend one night at each of Camp 1, 2 & 3, summitting on Saturday, but the weather is not working in our favour at the moment.

Every day of the trip so far we’ve had bright clear, mornings, which cloud over in the afternoons about half the time. The only negative thing about the weather has been the biting wind that comes some afternoons.

When we climbed up to Camp 1 & 2 last week it was much warmer than we’d expected, and I think this lulled us into a bit of a false sense of security. The forecast is now for strong winds for the next few days, so summitting on the 24th no-longer sounds like such a good plan.

Unfortunately this leaves most of the team perched on Ama Dablam’s south west ridge at Camp 1 for at least one extra day. This isn’t the most luxurious place to spend a rest day - we’re travelling as light as possible at the moment, so have no books, playing cards, or any of the other luxuries that Base Camp offers.

While another night up here will help with acclimatisation, we’re not sure how we can all fit in Camp 2, which normally only has two or, at a push, three tents. Anyway, that will become clear in the next day or two.

We have to leave Base Camp by 28th, but hopefully there’s still time to summit…