Mt. Everest 2004: Chilean Mt. Everest 2004 Expedition

APRIL 22ND BASECAMP - CAMP 2: WE WERE WOKEN AT 4.00AM, BUT HAVING HAD BREAKFAST AND ROUNDED UP THE GROUP WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY LEAVE CAMP UNTIL 6.00AM. THE FIRST PART OF THE ICEFALL FEELS FAMILIAR(ISH)AND MOST OF THE AVALANCHES HAVE BEEN UP HIGH SO FAR. I MANAGED TO LOOSE MY POLE DOWN A CREVASSE AND HEARD IT OMINOUSLY CLINKING DEEPER INTO ITS DEPTHS. THE ICEFALL FEELS REALLY LONG TO ME AND I ALTERNATE FROM FEELING VERY STRONG AND THEN SUDDENLY AN EXHAUSTION I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED BEFORE KICKS IN.

WE FILMED WHERE THE 5 LADDERS HAD COLLAPSED, WE NOW HAVE TO RAPPEL DOWN INTO THE CREVASSE AND CLIMB OUT THE OTHER SIDE VIA A LARGE LADDER OR TWO! IT WAS HERE THAT WE MET VEIKER AND ED VIESTURS WHOM HAD BEEN UP AT CAMP 2 AND FIXING LINES TO CAMP 3 FOR 9 DAYS ( THAT'S A LONG TIME TO SPEND AT 21,500FT) I WAS DELIGHTED TO OBSERVE THESE TWO HIGH ALTITUDE MACHINES DO ACTUALLY DEEP BREATHE ( I MET THEM AT THE TOP OF A CREVASSE THAT THEY HAD JUST JUMARED UP) WE ALSO FILMED AGAIN AT THE SIX LADDER SECTION WHICH PROBABLY COST US AN HOUR AND A HALF. I THEN MOVED AHEAD WITH RODRIGO, ANDRONICO AND MISAIL TO FIND THE ICEFALL HAD DRAMATICALLY CHANGED. THE SERAC WHICH USED TO HANG OVER YOU LIKE THE LEANING TOWER OF PIZA HAD COLLAPSED AND YOU HAD TO RAPPEL DOWN INTO A CREVASSE AND CLIMB OUT THE OTHER SIDE.

BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT CAMP1 WAS SO TIRED AND WHILST THE OTHERS WERE DOING A VARIETY OF THINGS, I ATE MY WAY THROUGH HALF A PACKET OF DIGESTIVE BISCUITS. I JUSTIFIED THIS IN THAT IT WAS MY ENERGY TO GET TO CAMP 2.

WE FINALLY LEFT CAMP 1 AFTER A BREAK OF HALF AN HOUR AND I WAS FEELING OK AGAIN. ABOUT HALF WAY TO CAMP 2 THE WEATHER CHANGED DRAMATICALLY, EVEN WHEN ITS SNOWING IT CAN BE HUMID IN THE WESTERN CWM BUT SUDDENLY IT WAS BITTERLY COLD AND A WHITE OUT. I COULD ONLY SEE THE TWO PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME AND NONE OF US COULD SEE CAMP 2 JUST WHITE, WHITE, WHITE...

MISAIL GOT OUT THE GPS AND MANAGED TO KEEP US GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, I WAS REALLY TIRED, WE HAD BEEN GOING ABOUT 8 HOURS BY NOW, INCLUDING OUR FILMING.

I WAS DAYDREAMING AWAY MONOTONOUSLY FOLLOWING ANDRONNICOS FOOTSTEPS WHEN SUDDENLY HE DISAPPEARED DOWN A CREVASSE. I SCREAMED BEING THE USELESS FEMALE ON THE SCENE. LUCKILY HE HAS EXPERIENCED FALLING INTO A CREVASSE ON ILLIMANI IN BOLIVIA SO HE MANAGED TO JAM HIS CRAMPON AGAINST THE BACK OF THE CREVASSE WALL TO PREVENT HIM FALLING INTO ITS BOTTOMLESS ABYSS ( I WOULD HAVE SHOT DOWN LIKE AN ARROW). MISAIL PULLED HIM OUT AND FINALLY WE WEARILY SHOWED UP AT CAMP 2 - IT TOOK JUST UNDER 10 HOURS ( DON'T FORGET FILMING IF YOU THINK THIS IS SLOW!!)

PATO OUR DOCTOR WAS FEELING VERY WEAK, HE HAS LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT A WAS A GOOD HOUR AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES BEHIND US. EVERYONE WHO LAUGHED AT ME FOR BRINGING WHEY POWDER ( PROTEIN POWDER) TO KEEP THE WEIGHT ON, IS NOW USING IT.

WE HAD DAHL BAHT FOR DINNER AND I HEADED STRAIGHT TO MY TENT COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED.

APRIL 23RD CAMP 2: I SLEPT LIKE A LOG AND WOKE AT 8.30AM WITHOUT AN ALTITUDE HEADACHE WHICH I WAS PLEASED ABOUT. WE HAD BREAKFAST AND I HEADED DOWN TO CHAT TO THE DISCOVERY TEAM AS I MISSED ANDREW THE NIGHT BEFORE WHEN HE STOPPED BY OUR CAMP ( NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS COMATOSE AFTER OUR JOURNEY UP HERE) THEY WERE ALL IN GOOD SPRITS, I HAD A CHAT TO SHAUNA AND PASSED ON HER SISTERS MESSAGES AND THEN I WENT AND DID SOME FILMING WITH FRANKIE. I DID ANOTHER MOUNTAIN CONFESSION AND THEN WE ALL WENT TO THEIR MESS TENT TO DISCUSS THE WEATHER AS ITS MEANT TO BE BAD FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHICH WOULD PREVENT OUR ATTEMPT TO TOUCH CAMP 3 AND RETURN TO CAMP 2. IF THAT WERE THE CASE HECTOR AND ANDREW PLANNED TO GO TO BASECAMP FOR A DAY OR TWO. (ANDREW IS MEANT TO FILM ME GOING TO CAMP 3)

I SAW CAMP 3 FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS AND IT LOOKS STEEP, LONG AND ICY TO GET THERE. THERE ARE FIXED LINES THE WHOLE WAY, THIS MAY SOUND EASY TO SOME BUT WE HAVE A VERTICAL ASCENT OF 2,800 FEET NOT TO MENTION THE ALTITUDE THAT WE ARE AT 6,400M TO 7,300M. THE CAMP 3 SITE IS PRECARIOUSLY PLACED ON AN ICE LEDGE THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY UP THE LHOTSE FACE. IT IS UNDER SOME SCARY LOOKING SERACS TO PROTECT IT FROM AVALANCHES ( I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WORSE A FALLING SERAC OR AN AVALANCHE)

GIVEN THE WEATHER FORECAST IM NOT SURE WHAT THE PLAN IS AS TO WHEN WE TRY AND TOUCH 3. IF THE WEATHER IS BAD TOMORROW WE ARE DOING AN ACCLIMATISATION HIKE TO THE BASE OF THE LHOTSE FACE ABOUT ONE AND A HALF HOURS FROM OUR CAMP. RODRIGO DOES NOT WANT US STAYING UP AT CAMP 2 FOR MORE THAN 4 OR 5 DAYS AS WE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HACKING COUGHS, HEADACHES AND LOOSING WEIGHT NOT TO MENTION MUSCLE MASS.

IM NOW ABOUT TO TAKE A SIESTA SO OVER AND OUT FROM CAMP 2.

APRIL 24TH CAMP 2: FROM 1AM ONWARDS THERE WAS A HOWLING GALE SO MUCH SO THAT I HEARD PEOPLE GET OUT OF THEIR TENTS TO RE SECURE THEM. THE WINDS PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT AND I HONESTLY THOUGHT OUR TENT WAS GOING TO GET SHREDDED. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HARDLY SLEPT AT ALL AND WHEN I WOKE UP, THE WIND WAS STILL BLOWING HARD. WE HAD BREAKFAST AT 9.30AM, ALMOST GOT BLOWN OVER TRYING TO GET THERE - THIS WAS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A REST DAY.

THE DISCOVERY TEAM CAME OVER TO OUR CAMP FOR SOME COFFEE AND THEY TOLD US THAT THE MEXICANS HAD A DREADFUL NIGHT AT CAMP 3 AND THAT SIX TENTS WERE SHREDDED( NOT THEIRS ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ALL FULLY DRESSED READY TO EVACUATE AT ANY TIME) ANDREW HAD ZOOMED DOWN TO BASE CAMP FOR SOME GOOD FOOD, HE IS UNBELIEVABLY FIT, AND HE WAS COMING BACK UP THE NEXT DAY ( HE CAN MAKE BASECAMP IN SUCH A QUICK TIME THAT THIS SHORT BREAK WAS FEASIBLE, I HOWEVER, WOULD MUCH RATHER STAY PUT AT CAMP 2 THAN ENDURE ANOTHER 10 HOUR JOURNEY BACK UP AGAIN)

I SLEPT, READ MY BOOK IN MY TENT AND THE BAD NEWS IS THAT MY OXYGEN SATURATION IS TO THE POINT WHERE I SHOULD BE DEAD - ONLY 62! THIS WAS THE CASE FOR ME ON ACONCAGUA SO IM NOT GIVING UP DESPITE THE LOOKS I CAN SEE THE DOCTOR GIVING ME. I JUST DON'T WANT TO LOOSE ANY VALUABLE BRAIN CELLS!!

APRIL 25TH CAMP 2

I DIDN'T HEAR ANY WIND IN THE NIGHT ( NOT OUTSIDE THE TENT ANYWAY) SO I WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN WE WERE WOKEN AT 5.30AM TO HEAD TOWARDS THE LHOTSE FACE. THE DISCOVERY GUYS SENT ONE OF THEIR SHERPAS TO FILM US AS UNFORTUNATELY MY MACHINE ANDREW HAD NOT YET RETURNED FROM BASECAMP. ITS ALWAYS WHEN THE CAMERA IS ON ME THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY CRAMPONS AND HARNESS - ALWAYS LOOKING A REAL NOVICE!!

IT TOOK US ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO REACH THE LHOTSE FACE. TO GET TO THE FIXED LINES IS A LONG UPWARD WALK IN THE WESTERN CWM JUMPING CREVASSES UNROPED WHICH I ABSOLUTELY HATE.

AT THE BERGSCHRUND I CLIPPED IN BEHIND KIKO AND MADE IT TO THE FIRST ROPE NO PROBLEM, YOU THEN HAVE TO TRAVERSE ON A LEDGE IN DEEP SNOW TO START JUMARING VERY SHARPLY UP THE LHOTSE FACE. HERE, CAPTURED ON CAMERA OF COURSE, I SLIPPED AND FELL, LUCKILY I WAS CLIPPED IN OR I WOULD HAVE SLID EXTREMELY FAST DOWN INTO THE CWM.

AS TODAY WAS JUST A PRACTICE DAY, WE ONLY JUMARED TO ABOUT 6,700 METERS AND ANDRONICO AND MISAIL WENT TO 6,900M. THE BAD NEWS IS PROBABLY JUST ANOTHER 4 HOURS OF CONSTANT JUMARING UP SHEER ICE, NOT TO MENTION THE CONCENTRATION REQUIRED TO GET TO CAMP 3 WITH ALL THE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS ON THE ROPES. I THINK IF YOU FELL ANYWHERE HERE YOU WOULD NOT MAKE IT..

CHIPS OF ICE KEPT FALLING ON KIKO FROM THE TRAFFIC ABOVE ON THE ROPE, I THINK HELMETS MAY BE THE WAY FORWARD. WE GOT BACK TO OUR CAMP AT AROUND 11.30 AM HAVING BUMPED INTO WILLY BENEGAS FROM MOUNTAIN MADNESS HEADING UP TO THE LHOTSE FACE WITH SOME CLIENTS.
I HAVE TO CONFESS THIS IS EXHAUSTING STUFF, WAY MORE DIFFICULT THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED. TOMORROW THE PLAN IS TO LEAVE AT 5.00AM TO TOUCH CAMP 3 AND RETURN TO CAMP 2. IM TAKING IT EASY IN MY TENT IN PREPARATION FOR ANOTHER 10 HOUR DAY. IM ALSO NURSING A SLIGHT ALTITUDE HEADACHE.

I'VE WORN MY ARCTERYX SHELL PANTS EVERY DAY FOR A MONTH AND I THINK THAT THEY COULD SUMMIT EVEREST ON THEIR OWN AT THIS STAGE.. I LOVE THEM AND WANT THEM IN MORE COLOURS! ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME, KNOWS THAT WHEN IM SHOPPING AND I LIKE SOMETHING I WANT EVERY COLOUR!!!

IM VERY NERVOUS ABOUT TOMORROWS ATTEMPT TO REACH CAMP 3..ITS SO STEEP I CANT EVEN START TO TELL YOU. IM OFF TO SLEEP NOW TO ENERGIZE MYSELF, GOODNIGHT..

APRIL 26TH - CAMP 3: WE WERE WOKEN AT 4.00AM WITH THE WHOLE INSIDE OF THE TENT DRIPPING FROST ONTO US, I HATE GETTING UP AT THIS TIME BEFORE THE SUN HAS WARMED THE TENT. ANDREW LOCK FROM DISCOVERY CAME TO OUR CAMP AT 5.00AM AND WAS FILMING MY EFFORTS TODAY. A QUICK CUP OF COFFEE AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE LHOTSE FACE. IT WAS BITTERLY COLD AND I WAS IN MY MINUS 40 DOWN PARKA. ALL WAS FAIRLY UNEVENTFUL UNTIL ABOUT 6 ROPE PITCHES INTO THE CLIMB WHEN MY FROSTBITTEN FINGERS FROM MARMELECHO IN CHILE RETURNED WITH A VENGEANCE. I BIT HARD ONTO ONE OF MY FINGERS AND I COULDN'T FEEL A THING IT WAS IKE A PLANK OF WOOD. ANDREW AND KIKO WERE AMAZING AND BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM THEY MANAGED TO BRING SOME LIFE BACK INTO MY FINGERS, BUT THE PAIN WAS SO INTENSE AS THE FEELING RETURNED I ALMOST CRIED, HOW EMBARRASSING. LUCKILY ANDREWS CAMERA HAD PRETTY MUCH FROZEN SO HE COULDN'T CAPTURE MY SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRES!

WE CONTINUED JUMARING UP THE FACE, ITS SO EXHAUSTING I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE FATIGUE ONE EXPERIENCES AT ALTITUDE IN THE MOUNTAINS. I USED TO RUN 63 MILE MOUNTAIN MARATHONS AND NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS LETHARGY EVER. THE SUN DIDN'T COME OUT UNTIL WE WERE THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY INTO THE CLIMB AND MY RIGHT ARM WAS THROBBING FROM ALL THE JUMARING. ANDREW WAS NOW IN FULL FILMING MODE AND KEPT ASKING ME QUESTIONS WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE TOP OF A PITCH COMPLETELY OUT OF BREATH, RUNNY NOSE AND GENERALLY LOOKING HIDEOUS. HE ALSO KEPT RUNNING AHEAD OF ME WITH THE CAMERA WHICH MADE ME FEEL LIKE A REAL OLD TORTOISE.

AFTER ABOUT 4 HOURS OF THIS VERTICAL ASCENT I HAPPENED TO GLANCE TO MY RIGHT AND SAW THE REMAINS OF A BODY STICKING OUT OF THE ICY SLOPES. ANDREW, BEING AN EVEREST VETERAN WAS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO DIVERT MY ATTENTION, BUT I WAS MESMORISED BY THE FACT THAT YOU ARE JUST LEFT ON THE MOUNTAIN, IT SEEMS SO SAD AND LONELY. FEELING THOROUGHLY UNSETTLED AND EVEN MORE SCARED OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU AFTER THE SIGHTING WE CONTINUED UPWARDS. WE WERE JUST ABOUT 15 MINS FROM CAMP 3 WHEN I ANNOUNCED TO ANDREW I WAS READY TO DESCEND... HE THEN SAID "ISN'T THAT SHAUNA AND BEN COMING UP BEHIND US?" SAY NO MORE, I WAS THEN DETERMINED TO MAKE CAMP 3 AND SOLDIERED ON, AT LEAST THE OLD COMPETITIVE STREAK IN ME WAS STILL ALIVE.

APART FROM BEING OVERTAKEN BY A 70 YEAR OLD GUY ( HE WAS YOUNGER THAN THAT BUT THE GREY HAIR AND BEARD MADE HIM SEEM OLDER) I WAS ECSTATIC TO REACH CAMP 3. THE WHOLE TEAM HUNG OUT ON THE ICE LEDGE WHERE OUR TENTS WHERE - THIS IS MY NEW ALTITUDE RECORD 24,000FT AND DESPITE FEELING EXHAUSTED I FELT FINE AT THIS ALTITUDE. IT WAS A GREAT FEELING LOOKING ACROSS AT PUMORI AND REALIZING THAT YOU ARE HIGHER UP.

THE DESCENT WAS AWFUL, I RAPPELLED ON THE STEEP ICY SLOPES OF WHICH THERE WERE MANY, BUT AT ONE POINT I WAS SO TIRED I RAPPELLED STRAIGHT INTO A CREVASSE. POOR ANDREW WAS AMAZING AND PULLED THE OLD DRAMA QUEEN OUT BUT I WAS TREMBLING WITH FEAR. BETWEEN ANDREW AND MY MAIN MAN ERNESTO, WHO KEEPS TELLING ME TO REMEMBER IM A LADY AS HE CATCHES ME SWEARING MY HEAD OFF HALF THE TIME, THEY HELPED ME GET DOWN THE FACE PRETTY QUICKLY AND WE WERE SOON SITTING AT THE BASE EATING MARS BARS AND WAITING FOR ANDRONICO WHO WAS A PITCH OR TWO BEHIND US.

WE THEN TRUDGED BACK TO CAMP 2 IN ANOTHER WHITE OUT AND WERE MET AT CAMP 2 BY FRANKIE WHO WAS THERE WITH THE BIG HDF CAMERA TO INTERVIEW ME. HE REFUSED TO LET ME SNEAK INTO MY TENT TO AT LEAST CHECK OUT WHAT I LOOKED LIKE, SO I HAD TO RELAY THE DAYS EVENTS WITH DISINTEGRATING NOSE AND GREASY HAIR!!

I ACTUALLY FELT FINE JUST TIRED AND WAS SO HAPPY TO GET INTO MY TENT AND EAT A LARGE PLATE OF PASTA MADE BY PALDE ( HE IS SUCH A SUPERSTAR I DON'T KNOW HOW HE COOKS UP AT CAMP 2 FOR WEEKS ON END)

IM SO HAPPY I MADE CAMP 3, NEXT TIME WE GO THERE IT WILL BE FOR OUR SUMMIT ATTEMPT WHICH IS LOOMING SCARILY CLOSE. I WANT TO THANK ANDREW, KIKO AND ERNESTO FOR BEING THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED THEM TODAY. IM SO EXCITED I MADE IT THERE!!! DESPITE MY EXHAUSTION SLEEP ELUDED ME, TOO MUCH GOING ON IN MY HEAD ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF WHAT LIES AHEAD IN THE CLIMB.

APRIL 27TH CAMP 2 - BASECAMP: I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT RETURNING TO BASE CAMP AS THE DREADED ICEFALL HAS TO BE PASSED THROUGH FIRST.

WE WOKE AT 5.30AM TO ABOUT 3 FEET OF SNOW AND THEN ABOUT 6.30ISH WE HEADED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN IN THE BITTER COLD. PALDE CAME WITH US AS HE HAS A BAD THROAT AND YOUR BODY CANT RECOVER FROM ANYTHING AT 21,500FT. KIKO BROKE TAIL AND HE WAS LIKE THE PIED PIPER WITH ALL OF US AND A BUNCH OF SHERPAS ALL FOLLOWING HIM AS NO ONE WANTED THE ARDUOUS JOB OF TRAIL BREAKING.

IT WAS MUCH MORE TIME CONSUMING AS KIKO, ERNESTO AND MISAIL HAD TO BE ROPED TO CHECK FOR CREVASSES AS THE 3 FEET OF SNOW PREVENTED US FROM SEEING ANYTHING. WE GOT TO CAMP 1 AND SAID HI TO LOUIS FROM ADVENTURE CONSULTANTS, HE IS GREAT, ALWAYS SO UPBEAT. THEY HAVE THE BEST GUIDED SET UP ON THE MOUNTAIN ( OUR EXPEDITION IS PRIVATE SO YOU CANT COMPARE TO US!) ALL THE CLIENTS WERE SITTING ON CHAIRS IN THE SUN AT CAMP 1 DRINKING COFFEE AND LISTENING TO U2!! ANDRONICO AND I RELUCTANTLY DECLINED LOUIS'S KIND INVITATION FOR COFFEE FOR FEAR OF GETTING TOO COMFORTABLE AND WE HEADED DOWN INTO THE ICEFALL. OF COURSE THERE HAD BEEN A TON OF MOVEMENT IN THAT TREACHEROUS LABRYINTH AND WE WERE CONSTANTLY RAPPELLING IN AND OUT OF LARGE CREVASSES. DUE TO THE LARGE SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT, MY CRAMPONS KEPT DEVELOPING HUGE SNOW CLUMPS UNDERNEATH THEM ( AS IF THE MILLET BOOT ISN'T HEAVY ENOUGH
ANYWAY) AND I KEPT FALLING OVER. I FELL INTO TWO SMALL CREVASSES BUT MANAGED TO CLIMB OUT OK. I THEN DECIDED TO REMOVE MY CRAMPONS, WHICH I WILL NEVER DO AGAIN, AND WITH THE ROPE TIED AROUND MY ARM SHERPA STYLE I SLID MY WAY DOWN THE ICEFALL FALLING CONSTANTLY.

I HAD A BIG SENSE OF HUMOUR FAILURE THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY DOWN AND ALMOST CRIED WITH FRUSTRATION.. ANDRONICO BORE THE FULL FORCE OF MY JUVENILE RAGE AS I SCREAMED THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE ANY MORE SNOW, SERACS OR CREVASSES AGAIN. HE WAS EXTREMELY PATIENT AS I RANTED ON ( HE PROBABLY TUNED
OFF) AND WE THEN CONTINUED ONWARDS ME FALLING ALL THE TIME. ANDRONICO IS VERY STRONG AT THE MOMENT AND IS VERY FOCUSED AND DETERMINED, IV NEVER SEEN HIM THIS FIT.

FINALLY AFTER 6 HOURS WE GOT TO BASE CAMP, I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY TO SEE ROCKS AND STONES! MY ARMS AND LEGS ARE COVERED IN ROPE BURNS AND BRUISES, NOT A GOOD LOOK, THANK GOD IM COVERED UP ALL THE TIME!
DAVID BREASHEARS CAME OUT TO MEET US, IT WAS SO GOOD TO SEE HIM AS HE HAS BEEN ON A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE TO US AND APART FROM A QUICK HI IN THE ICEFALL OR EN ROUTE TO CAMP 2 WE HAVE MISSED EACH OTHER. IM GOING OVER TO SEE HIM TOMORROW WHEN HE'S DONE FILMING IN THE ICEFALL AND I DON'T SMELL LIKE A POLE CAT.

WE HAD A DELICIOUS LUNCH - I LOVE BASECAMP!!! I SPENT THE AFTERNOON GETTING CLEAN AND SORTING OUT THE TENT AND THEN I SPOKE TO MY SISTER, TANIA AND KAT WHO WERE ALL TOGETHER AT MY SISTERS HOUSE IN HONG KONG.. I MISS THEM ALL SO MUCH!! I FINALLY TRACKED DOWN MY MOTHER AND SPOKE TO HER A FEW MINUTES AGO, I MISS HER SOOOOO MUCH.. IM NOW ON RATIONS ON THE SATELLITE PHONE AS EVERYONE HAS GANGED UP ON ME AND ACCUSED ME OF USING TOO MANY MINUTES - I SWEAR ITS NOT ME!!

TOMORROW IS A REST DAY WHICH IM SO EXCITED ABOUT AND IM GOING TO DO A FEW CAMP VISITS TO GET ALL SCOOP AND IM AWAITING MY GIRLFRIEND LISA'S ARRIVAL HOPEFULLY TOMORROW!! GOODNIGHT FROM EBC.