MAY 4TH - DOWN TO LOBUCHE: I RADIOED THE DISCOVERY CAMP TO SEE HOW ANDREW WAS DOING AND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM AND SPOKE TO DAVE. HE SAID THAT BASICALLY THE WHOLE DISCOVERY CAMP HAD A STOMACH VIRUS AS HAD A FEW OTHER PEOPLE AROUND BASECAMP. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE HEADED DOWN VALLEY UNTIL 8TH MAY, THEN LISA, PLERN AND MYSELF LEFT FOR GORAK SHEP. LISA HAD A SPLITTING ALTITUDE HEADACHE AND WE STOPPED SPORADICALLY TO LIE ON ROCKS EN ROUTE TO GORAK SHEP. WE WERE WITH LISA'S GUIDE WHO SEEMED TO BE SOBER TODAY, AND THE PLAN WAS PERTEMBA WAS GOING TO MEET US IN GORAK SHEP AND TAKE CHARGE OF THE GIRLS.

AS WE APPROACHED GORAK SHEP I NOTICED TWO GUYS STARING AT MY HAT (OR AT LEAST I THOUGHT IT WAS MY HAT!) IT TURNS OUT THE GUYS WERE FROM SANTIAGO, CHILE AND WERE COMING TO SEE US AT BASECAMP, UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE BEST TIMING AS THE WHOLE TEAM WAS COMING DOWN. WE ALL HAVE BANCO DE CHILE BASEBALL HATS WITH THE CHILEAN FLAG ON IT AND OUR NAMES, SO THE FLAG HAD CAUGHT THEIR ATTENTION NOT ME UNFORTUNATELY! IT TURNS OUT THAT ONE OF THE GUYS WAS A STUDENT OF ERNESTO'S AND HE STAYED BACK TO CHAT TO HIM.

LISA, PLERN AND I COLLAPSED IN A LODGE DRINKING TEA AND EATING GLUCOSE BISCUITS, WHEN I SPIED PERTEMBA AND ANDRONICO THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE LODGE. I FLEW OUT TO GET THEM AND TOLD PERTEMBA THAT LISA WAS FEELING TERRIBLE AND WE MAY NEED A HORSE OR A YAK TO TAKE HER DOWN!! PERTEMBA TOOK CHARGE OF LISA AND THEY LEFT FOR LOBUCHE AND ANDRONICO HELD COURT WITH THE TWO GUYS FROM CHILE. WE THEN ALL HEADED TOWARDS LOBUCHE, LISA HAD MADE A MIRACULOUS RECOVERY UNDER PERTEMBAS EAGER EYE AND WE ALL FOLLOWED BEHIND THEM TO LOBUCHE. WE ARRIVED AT LOBUCHE AND THE TWO DISCIPLINARIANS THAT RUN THE LODGE ARE NOW OUR BEST FRIENDS - ANDRONIO HAD SOMEHOW CHANGED THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS US!!

I WAS SO SAD SAYING GOODBYE TO THE GIRLS WHO WERE GOING DOWN TO PERICHE TO GET THE HELICOPTER BACK TO KATHMANDU " PERTEMBAS ANGELS" AS I CALLED THEM WERE PLANNING MASSAGES, MANICURES AND PLERN WAS EVEN HAVING THEM MET OFF THE PLANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED INTO BANKOK - SHE THOUGHT THEY MIGHT LOOK TOO SCRUFFY AND WASN'T TAKING ANY CHANCES!! YOU WILL SEE FROM MY PICTURES ON THE WEBSITE THAT THEY LOOKED GREAT!

ANDRONICO AND I CHATTED TO VISILY, NICO AND A GUY CALLED RUPERT WHO IS CLIMBING EVEREST ON HIS OWN. RUPERT HAD JUST RETURNED FROM THE COTE D'AZUR AS HE CALLS IT - DENGBOCHE WHERE ANATOLI BOUKREEV USED TO GO PRIOR TO A SUMMIT ATTEMPT. WE GOSSIPED ABOUT WHO WAS GOING TO TRY AND SUMMIT WHEN AND WE WAITED FOR THE REST OF THE GROUP TO SHOW UP WHICH THEY DID AROUND 6.30PM.

WE HAD DINNER AND I MISSED NOT HAVING THE 2 GIRLS WITH ME, AND THEN WE ALL HEADED TO BED, I WAS TIRED I'VE BEEN HANGING AROUND BASECAMP A WEEK SO THAT WAS THE FIRST BIG WALK I HAD DONE IN A WHILE ( NOT INCLUDING MY DAY TRIP TO GORAK SHEP WITH ANDRONICO) THE WINDS ARE STILL 80MPH UP HIGH ON EVEREST AND WE THINK WE MAY HAVE LOST A TENT AT CAMP 3 DUE TO THE HIGH WINDS.
 

MAY 5TH - KHONGMA LA PASS 5,535M

WE HAD BREAKFAST AT 8.00AM, I TRIED NOT TO THINK OF THE HELICOPTER THAT WAS TAKING THE GIRLS BACK TO CIVILIZATION, AND WE HEADED OUT TOWARDS THE KHONGMA LA PASS THAT WOULD TAKE US TO CHUKHUNG WHERE WE WERE DUE TO SPEND A NIGHT. IT WAS A LONG CLIMB OVER A MORAINE GLACIER ( THE KHUMBU) AND THEN A LONG STEEP CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE PASS. AT THE TOP OF THE PASS WERE TWO ITALIAN GIRLS WHOM ANDRONICO INVITED TO COME AND VISIT US AT BASECAMP, BUT THEY INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING INTERESTING TO SEE AT BASECAMP AND THEY WERE GOING TO KALA PATTAR ONLY!!

WE STARTED THE LONG DESCENT INTO CHUKHUNG AND I WATCHED WITH INTEREST TO SEE HOW LONG THE REST OF THE TEAM SPENT CHATTING TO THE ITALIANS AT THE TOP OF THE PASS!! ANDRONICO AND I CHATTED BRIEFLY TO AN AUSTRALIAN TEAM WHO HAD BEEN CLIMBING ISLAND PEAK AND A FEW OTHERS AND THEY ALL WANTED TO KNOW IF I KNEW ANDREW LOCK! HAVING TOLD THEM HE CLIMBED WITH US OCCASIONALLY WE HEADED DOWN, I WAS STARVING AT THIS POINT.

EVENTUALLY AFTER 5 HRS 50 MINS WE ARRIVED AT OUR LODGE AND I AM NOW WRITING THIS HAVING SERIOUSLY OVER EATEN, TALKING ABOUT MY EYES BEING TOO BIG FOR MY STOMACH. AT THIS RATE I WONT EVEN BE ABLE TO GET INTO MY HIGH ALTITUDE DOWN SUIT, WHICH I REALLY DO LOOK LIKE IM OFF ON SOME NASA EXCURSION WHEN I WHERE IT!! IM SITTING WITH THE TEAM AROUND A YAK DUNG BLAZING FIRE AND THEY ARE ALL PLAYING CARDS RATHER LOUDLY AS IM WRITING MY JOURNAL. I'VE HEARD THE MEXICANS, THE GREEKS AND TED ARE PLANNING TO TRY AND SUMMIT AROUND 6TH AND 7TH MAY AS THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A WINDOW THEN. RIGHT NOW I FEEL VERY REMOVED FROM EVEREST SO IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS ID BETTER HOLD BACK ON THE CHOCOLATE BARS AND RE FOCUS ON GETTING TO THE TOP. GOODNIGHT FROM A WARM YAK HEATED LODGE WITH TALK OF TWO ITALIAN GIRLS PREVALENT AROUND THE CARD TABLE!!

MAY 6TH CHUKHUNG - DINGBOCHE

WE HAD A VERY LEISURELY BREAKFAST IN THE SUN OUTSIDE THE LODGE IN CHUKHUNG, FOR ONE MOMENT I FELT LIKE I COULD BE AT A CAFE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, BUT JUST FOR ONE MOMENT, IT WAS BLISSFULLY WARM, BUT THE SNOW AND ICE CAPPED PEAKS SURROUNDING US WERE A CONSTANT REMINDER OF THE TASK LYING AHEAD. ITS IMPORTANT TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE CLIMB AS THE LOWER YOU DESCEND THE MORE DECADENT THE LODGES BECOME, IDD PHONE, SHOWERS, AND LOTS OF CRISPS, CHOCOLATE AND GOOD FOOD ( NOT THAT OUR FOOD IS BAD AT BASECAMP!)

I HEADED DOWN TOWARDS DINGBOCHE AT AROUND 11.00AM ITS ONLY AN HOUR DOWN VALLEY AND I LISTENED TO MY WALKMAN AS I WALKED DOWN MESMORISED BY THE BEAUTY OF AMADABLAM ON MY LEFT.

WHEN I GOT TO SNOWLION LODGE I BUMPED INTO BEN AND SHAUNA WHO WERE STAYING DOWN TO AVOID THIS VIRUS THAT SEEMS TO BE TAKING NO PRISONERS AT BASECAMP. SHAUNA WAS LOOKING GREAT, REALLY RESTED AND FIT. BEN BRIEFED OUR TEAM ON THE STATUS AT BASECAMP AND THE WEATHER REPORT IS HIGH WINDS UNTIL 12TH MAY AND NO ONE IS ON THE MOUNTAIN. THIS MAKES THE FIRST SUMMIT OPPORTUNITY MID MAY AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR THIS CHANCE. I WANT TO WAIT AND NOT BE PART OF THE FIRST RAT RACE TO TRY AND SUMMIT BUT ILL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE BOSS RODRIGO SAYS. WE HAD A SLIGHT DEBATE AT DINNER AS TO WHEN TO GO BACK TO BASECAMP. GIVEN THE HIGH WINDS AND THE THE STOMACH VIRUS, I WAS EAGER TO STAY DOWN AN EXTRA DAY OR TWO TO TRY AND CURE MY BLISTERED NOSE AND LIP (ITS MUCH HARDER FOR THE BODY TO HEAL AT ALTITUDE) I GOT OVERRULED AND THE PLAN WAS TO RETURN TO LOBUCHE TOMORROW AND BASECAMP ON THE 8TH MAY AS SCHEDULED. I THEN HEADED TO BED AND READ "HELLO" COURTEOUSLY OF LISA!!

MAY 7TH DINGBOCHE - LOBUCHE

I HAD THE BEST NIGHTS SLEEP IN A MONTH AND WOKE WITHOUT A SORE THROAT AND RELUCTANT TO LEAVE THE LOVELY WARM OXYGEN FILLED AIR OF DINGBOCHE, NOT TO MENTION HOW NICE IT IS TO SEE SOME GREENERY. I HAD A NICE BREAKFAST SITTING OUTSIDE WHICH I WAS DELIGHTED TO FIND BAKED BEANS ON THE MENU ( NOT SURE HOW WELL THEY WOULD GO DOWN WITH THE ALTITUDE BUT MY INHIBITIONS ON THESE MATTERS ARE GONE!) I SPOKE TO MY SISTER AND TOLD HER OUR SUMMIT WINDOW WAS GETTING PUSHED BACK AND PROVIDED ALL GOES WELL, IT WOULD CUT INTO MY PLANNED GIRLS HOLIDAY IN PHUKET WHICH IM JUST LONGING FOR. I'VE JUST GOT TO FOCUS ON THE CLIMB AHEAD AND NOT THINK ABOUT MISSING OUT ON MANGO MARGUERITAS AND PALM TREES GOSSIPING WITH THE GIRLS. MY SISTER IS PREGNANT WITH HER 2ND BABY AND HER DUE DATE IS JULY 10TH SO I REALLY WANT TO SEE HER.. AND MY OTHER GIRLFRIENDS KAT, TANIA AND VICTORIA.

I THEN DID MY CONFESSIONAL DIARY FOR DISCOVERY, JUST ME AND THE CAMERA WHILST I HAPPILY TALKED IT OUT OF TAPE!! ANDRONICO AND I THEN LEFT FOR LOBUCHE WHICH WAS A REALLY NICE WALK AND TOOK US ABOUT 2 AND A HALF HOURS. BACK AT ECO LODGE WE RECEIVED A WARM WELCOME AND WERE SOON HAVING A SAN MIGUEL TOGETHER. WE HAD LUNCH WITH BEN AND SHAUNA WHICH WAS REALLY NICE, AND BEN WHO IS AN INTERESTING CHARACTER TOLD US ABOUT HIS EARLY CAREER HAVING HELPED INDIA SET UP ITS ADVENTURE TRAVEL INDUSTRY. THIS WHOLE DISCOVERY DOCUMENTARY IS HIS BABY. HE HAS CLIMBED EVEREST BEFORE AND GAVE ANDRONICO AND I SOME GOOD TIPS FOR UP HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN AND RE ITERATED AGAIN THAT PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE IN THIS WAITING GAME FOR A SUMMIT OPPORTUNITY.

THE BIGGEST CO INCIDENCE IS SHAUNA AND I HAVE MET BEFORE AND ONLY JUST FIGURED IT OUT. WHEN I CAME TREKKING TO NEPAL IN 2001, I MET UP WITH 4 CANADIANS AT GORAK SHEP ( IT TURNS OUT THE TWO GUYS WERE AMERICAN) BUT I SPENT A LOT OF TIME CHATTING TO A GIRL CALLED JEN ABOUT ALL THE VARIOUS GOINGS ON IN THE KHUMBU REGION.. WELL IT TURNS OUT SHAUNA WAS THE OTHER GIRL ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T REALLY SPEAK TO HER THAT MUCH.. SO STRANGE THAT WE ARE BOTH BACK AND HERE TO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST. I'M NOW TAKING A SIESTA BEFORE DINNER AND I THOUGHT ID UPDATE MY DIARY. SO WE LEAVE TO BRAVE THE DIARRHEA EPIDEMIC TOMORROW, WE HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO ALL OUR COOKS AND SHERPAS AS TO WHO CAN WASH THEIR HANDS THE MOST!! LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS, I PRAY I DON'T GET SICK... OFF TO BASECAMP TO WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! ADIOS FROM LOBUCHE!

MAY 8TH BACK TO BASECAMP

WE HAD A LAZY GET UP AND BREAKFAST AND AT ABOUT 10.30AM ANDRONICO AND I STARTED TO WALK BACK TO BASECAMP. I'M SUFFERING FROM AN ANXIETY ATTACK AND HAVE BEEN FEELING SICK AND FAINT ALL MORNING AND I THINK ITS DUE TO OUR UP AND COMING SUMMIT ATTEMPT AND AS TO WHEN ITS ACTUALLY GOING TO TAKE PLACE. ONE MINUTE I HEAR WE ARE GOING UP IN TWO DAYS AND THEN WE ARE WAITING A WEEK. INTERNALLY I'M A BAG OF NERVES. EN ROUTE TO BASECAMP I SAW SOMEONE IN THE AGGOLATOS HAT AND I STOPPED HIM TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE GREEKS HAD GONE FOR THE SUMMIT TODAY - TODAY WAS A SUMMIT DAY NOT A CLOUD OF WIND ON THE TOP OF EVEREST. IT TURNS OUT THAT IT WAS PAVO THE GREEK SPONSOR WHO WAS CHARMING AND INFORMED US THAT THE GREEK TEAM HAD NOT GONE FOR THE SUMMIT, IN FACT THEY WERE GOING DOWN TO DINGBOCHE FOR 2 DAYS AS THEIR WEATHER REPORT STILL PREDICTED HIGH WINDS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. PAVO WAS HEADED TO THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN TO SEE HOW HIS TEAM WERE FARING THAT SIDE. HE RE ITERATED THAT OBVIOUSLY HE WANTS TO PLACE THE FIRST GREEKS ON THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST BUT SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY... WE BID GOODBYE AND THEN WE BUMPED INTO ANOTHER FRIEND CALLED CRAIG FROM MOUNTAIN LINK.. THEIR CLIENTS HAVE ALL BEEN TAKEN ILL, ONE LADY GOT PREGNANT AND HER HUSBAND THEN GOT PULMONARY EDEMA. LUCKILY THEY ARE BOTH FINE AND DELIGHTED ABOUT HER PREGNANCY. CRAIG WAS HEADED DOWN FOR A FEW DAYS ALSO, IT SEEMS EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR THE WINDOW AROUND MID MAY TO TRY FOR THE SUMMIT. WE THEN BUMPED INTO SPIROS AND THE GREEK TEAM ON THEIR WAY TO DINGBOCHE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND I INTRODUCED THEM ALL TO ANDRONICO. SPIROS IS THE EXPEDITION LEADER OF THE GREEK TEAM ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND APPARENTLY IS CAUSING QUITE A STIR IN BASECAMP AS HE IS VERY GOODLOOKING!!! THAT'S ON THE SHERPA NETWORK!!

I WAS FEELING AWFUL AND THE KNOT IN MY STOMACH INTENSIFIED NEARER BASECAMP, I THINK I MIGHT NEED TO START MEDITATING, ITS THIS WAITING AROUND FOR SOMETHING POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING THAT IM FINDING PRETTY TOUGH TO DEAL WITH.

LOU ANNE AND AMY CAME AND VISITED OUR CAMP, AMY WAS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME WAITING STRESS BUT THEY ARE GOING UP TODAY AND TOMORROW FOR FILMING SUPPOSEDLY BUT I THINK THEY ARE WAITING TO GO FOR THE SUMMIT.. I WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO GO FIRST TO BREAK TRAIL AND FIX SOME ROPES SO I HOPE IT HAPPENS FOR THEM.. NOTHING MUCH ELSE TO REPORT FROM BASECAMP, I'M FORBIDDEN TO GO AND VISIT PEOPLE FOR FEAR OF PICKING UP THIS STOMACH VIRUS SO IM READING ALL THE MAGAZINES THAT LISA GAVE ME LYING IN THE SUN, TRYING TO FORGET ABOUT THE SUMMIT. THERE WERE FOUR BIG AVALANCHES IN THE NIGHT, ONE IN THE ICEFALL JUST ANOTHER REMINDER HOW FRAGILE THE ICEFALL IS.

MAY 9TH - BASECAMP: BACK TO THE OLD BASECAMP SCHEDULE, BED TEA AT 8.00AM AND BREAKFAST AT 8.30AM.. BED TEA IS ONE LUXURY OF BEING HERE WHICH I THINK I MAY MISS!! I NOTICED MY TENT HAS MOVED RATHER DRAMATICALLY SINCE I'VE BEEN DOWN VALLEY FOR THE 4 DAYS, DUE TO THE WEATHER WARMING UP. THE GLACIER THAT WE ARE CAMPED ON IS REALLY ACTIVE AND THE CREAKING OF THE ICE AND THE SOUNDS OF STONES CRASHING IS BECOMING CONSTANTLY MORE FREQUENT. WE ARE NOW DEVELOPING POOLS OF WATER AROUND OUR CAMPSITE AS THE ICE MELTS. I'M STILL NERVOUS ABOUT "WHEN" WE ARE GOING TO GO FOR OUR SUMMIT ATTEMPT AND MY STOMACH IS STILL IN A KNOT ALTHOUGH UNFORTUNATELY IT HAS NOT CURBED MY APPETITE!! I CAUGHT UP ON MY EMAILS AND TYPED IN MY JOURNAL WHEN I RECEIVED A VISIT FROM A REALLY NICE ENGLISH GIRL CALLED ALLIE. SHE HAD BEEN TREKKING FOR 19 DAYS AND CAME TO BASECAMP TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN ENGLISH GIRL CLIMBING, NEEDLESS TO SAY THE BASECAMP NETWORK LED HER TO OUR CAMP.. IT WAS VERY NICE TO CHAT TO HER AND SHE WAS MOST IMPRESSED TO SEE I HAD UK TATER LYING IN THE COMMUNICATIONS TENT ( THANKS TO LISA'S PACKAGE!!)

I THEN WENT TO HAVE LUNCH IN OUR MESS TENT TO FIND THE WHOLE DISCOVERY CREW THERE HAVING A BIG POW WOW WITH OUR TEAM ABOUT WHEN WE WERE GOING FOR THE SUMMIT, ALL I CAN SAY IS WEATHER PROVIDING IT'S GOING TO BE IMMINENT AND MY STOMACH CHURNED. I SPOKE TO MY FATHER ABOUT MY ANXIETY ATTACKS AND HE TOLD ME THIS WAS COMMON AMONGST ALL ATHLETES PRIOR TO A BIG EVENT...ALL I CAN SAY IS AT LEAST ALL ATHLETES HAVE A FIXED DATE FOR THEIR EVENTS, OURS CHANGES CONSTANTLY DUE TO THE WEATHER REPORTS.. IF WE DO GO FOR THE SUMMIT IT WILL TAKE 4 OR 5 DAYS ON THE MOUNTAIN AND THIS IS THE VAGUE PLAN. WE WILL GO FROM BASECAMP TO CAMP 2, HAVE A REST DAY, THEN GO TO CAMP 3 AND SPEND A NIGHT, MOVE TO CAMP 4 ON THE SOUTH COL AND THEN LEAVE FOR OUR SUMMIT ATTEMPT AT AROUND 11.00PM AT NIGHT, AND ALL BEING WELL, HOPEFULLY BE BACK AT CAMP 4 BEFORE NIGHTFALL THE FOLLOWING NIGHT. IT WILL BASICALLY BE AN EXHAUSTING 5 DAYS AND THEN WE HAVE TO GET BACK DOWN.. NO ONE EVER TALKS ABOUT THE DESCENTS BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU COMING DOWN THE LHOTSE FACE IS MENTALLY EXHAUSTING YOU HAVE TO BE SO VIGILANT WITH YOUR ROPEWORK, CONSTANTLY CLIPPING INTO AND OFF THE FIXED LINES. AMY TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT THERE IS A LOT OF ROCK FALLING ONTO THE ROUTE ON THE LHOTSE FACE SO I'M BRINGING MY HELMET WITH ME.. GOT TO PROTECT MY VALUABLE BRAIN CELLS CANT AFFORD TO LOOSE ANYMORE!! THE DISCOVERY GUYS LEFT AS OUR LUNCH ARRIVED AT AROUND 2.00PM, ANDREW IS ACCUSING MY BULKING UP WHEY PROTEIN POWDER OF CAUSING HIM TO BE SICK!! HE GAVE ME A CHOCOLATE BAR BUT I THINK HE MAY BE TRYING TO RETALIATE SO I'M USING IT AS DECORATION!!

I THEN WENT AND SAW LOU ANNE TO SETTLE MY DEBTS - SHE HAS GIVEN ME THE MOST AMAZING THING FOR MY COUGH.. WHENEVER I EXERT MYSELF IN THE COLD AIR I COUGH UNCONTROLLABLY AND SHE HAS GIVEN ME A PURPLE DIAL ( I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE NAME ON HAND) BUT BASICALLY ITS A POWDERED STEROID THAT U INHALE AND IT WORKS WONDERS! I BROUGHT A PURPLE DIAL FOR ANDRONICO AND ONE FOR THE REST OF THE GROUP IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY ON OUR SUMMIT ATTEMPT. I THEN PRECARIOUSLY MADE MY WAY BACK TO CAMP ACROSS THE ACTIVELY MOVING GLACIER AND READ MAGAZINES IN MY TENT AND RELAXED PRIOR TO DINNER. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD AT DINNER THAT WE ARE GOING FOR IT SOON SO I'M MAKING PREPARATIONS BUT ITS ALL WEATHER PERMITTING.. WHO KNOWS WITH THE WEATHER ANYWAY, THE PAST FEW DAYS WHEN HIGH WINDS HAVE BEEN PREDICTED, THERE HAS BEEN 3 SUMMIT DAY OPPORTUNITIES..

I HAD AN EMAIL FROM PAVLOS WHOM I WAS VERY PLEASED TO HEAR FROM - I CALLED HIM PAVO IN MY LAST JOURNAL ( I MISHEARD HIS NAME AS WE PASSED ON THE GLACIER) AND HE IS THE GREEK SPONSOR SO I WANTED TO CORRECT MY SPELLING ERROR. HE IS REALLY A GREAT MAN AND I REALLY ADMIRE HIM AND THE SUPPORT HE IS PROVIDING HIS TWO TEAMS. HE HAS BEEN AT BASECAMP HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN FOR TWO WEEKS AND IS NOW GOING TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN FOR TWO WEEKS WHICH AT 21,000FT THE ADVANCED BASE CAMP ON THE NORTH WILL BE THE HIGHEST HE HAS BEEN IN HIS LIFE. TRUST ME, IT IS HARD SPENDING A LONG TIME AT THIS ALTITUDE FOR ANYONE AND I'M SURE LISA AND PLERN WILL VOUCH FOR THAT. I WAS SORRY NOT TO HAVE MET HIM WHILST HE WAS HERE AT BASECAMP BUT I HOPE WE STAY IN TOUCH.

IM RESTLESS TONIGHT I HATE HAVING THE WHOLE SUMMIT THING LOOMING OVER ME...I THINK I JUST NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND GIVE IT MY BEST SHOT, I'VE BEEN AT BASECAMP NEARLY 6 WEEKS NOW CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? GOOD NIGHT FROM EBC!