11TH APRIL, EASTER SUNDAY: EASTER SUNDAY AND ANDRONICO SURPRISED US ALL WITH EASTER EGGS AT BREAKFAST WHICH I HAPPILY WOLFED MINE DOWN BEFORE HEADING OFF TO CAMP 1 AT 8.30AM. IT WAS SUNNY BUT EXTREMELY WINDY. I'VE NOW CONCLUDED THAT IN THE HEART OF THE ICEFALL NEAR THE HUGE SERACS THAT TOWER OMINOUSLY OVER US THAT I GET MINOR PANIC ATTACKS WHICH MAKES MY BREATHING VERY LABORED TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS ICEFALL IS A LONG MEANDERING LABYRINTH AND I ONLY STARTED BREATHING NORMALLY, AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, AT THE 5 LADDER CROSSING WHERE THE ICEFALL OPENS INTO A MORE OPEN ( IF THAT'S CONCEIVABLY POSSIBLE) SPACE. IM NOW VERY COMFORTABLE WITH CRAWLING ACROSS THE LADDERS ( IM BORROWING ANDRONICOS KNEE PADS THAT HE USES FOR DESCENDING) DESPITE THE VAST BOTTOMLESS ABYSS'S THAT I STARE DOWN INTO WHILST CROSSING. NEAR THE TOP OF THE ICEFALL WE RAPPELLED INTO A HUGE CREVASSE AND THEN CLIMBED UP 6 ROPED TOGETHER LADDERS TO THE TOP OF THE ICEFALL AND THEN IT WAS A 40 MINUTE WALK JUMPING YET MORE CREVASSES TO CAMP 1.

PALDE OUR AMAZING COOK HAD HOT TEA FOR US AND WE IMMEDIATELY SETTLED INTO OUR TENTS. THERE ARE 3 OTHER SETS OF TENTS UP HERE SO PRETTY QUIET FOR THE MOMENT. WE THEN GOT PREPARED FOR OUR CLIMB TO CAMP 2 AND BACK TO CAMP 1 THE FOLLOWING DAY. WE ALL HAD REALLY BAD SUNBURN FROM THE ICEFALL, THE SUN IS EXTREMELY POTENT AS IT REFLECTS OF THE ICE AND SNOW, WE ALL LOOK REALLY ATTRACTIVE WITH BRIGHT RED FACES AND EARS!! LIKE LITTLE NODDYS!

APRIL 12TH CAMP 1 ACCLIMATIZATION TRIP

I HAVE TO CONFESS I REALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE TRIP FROM CAMP 1 TO CAMP 2, ALL I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE WESTERN CWYM IS THAT ITS TORTUROUSLY HOT AND RATHER FLAT. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THERE ARE A TON OF HUGE CREVASSES THAT WE SPENT ALL MORNING CLIMBING IN AND OUT OF. THERE WAS ONE WHICH I JUST HATED WHICH ONCE AT ITS DEPTHS, YOU LOOK UP TO SEE A HUGE 100FT TOWER OF ICE LEANING ( HEAVILY) OVER YOU. I SCRAMBLED UP THE LADDER AS FAST AS I COULD TO GET OUT OF THERE. TRUE TO WHAT I HAD READ ABOUT THE WESTERN CWYM IT STARTED OUT BOILING HOT, BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS AN ICY WIND SET IN. I WAS ILL PREPARED FOR THIS TEMPERATURE DROP AND HAD TO BORROW SOME CLOTHES. WE GOT A GOOD LOOK AT EVEREST, THE SHEER IMPOSING MASS OF HER LOOMING TO OUR LEFT. THE LHOTSE FACE, OUR ROUTE THAT WILL TAKE US TO CAMP 3 LOOKS EXTREMELY ICY AND INTIMIDATING. THE ROUTE IS NOT FIXED YET ADN THE MEXICAN TEAM ARE LEADING THE WAY HAVING JUST SPENT 3 DAYS AT CAMP 2.

HAVING FINISHED CROSSING ALL THE LADDERS IN THE CWYM, THERE IS A LONG WALK SLOPING GENTLY UPWARDS TO CAMP 2 SITUATED ON A ROCKFACE NEAR THE BERGSCHUND OF THE GLACIER. THIS SEEMINGLY GENTLE BUT LENGTHY WALK ISA MINEFIELD OF HIDDEN CREVASSES WHICH WE HAVE TO JUMP OVER UNROPED. A REMINDER ABOUT NOT FALLING INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AT ANY GIVEN TIME ON THIS MOUNTAIN.

WE ARRIVED AT CAMP 2, AND THE WEATHER HAD DEFIANTLY CHANGED. WE CHATTED BRIEFLY WITH THE MEXICANS AND THEN HEADED FURTHER UP TO TRY AND FIND OUR CAMP. WE PASSED A BATTERED GREEN TENT, SEEMINGLY ABANDONED FROM A PREVIOUS EXPEDITION, HOWEVER AFTER A SERIES OF PHONE CALLS WITH PERTEMBA AT BASECAMP, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THIS WAS OUR MESS TENT, OUR ADVANCED BASE CAMP! SEEING ANDRONICOS LOOK OF SHOCK AT THIS DISCOVERY I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING - WE WERE MEANT TO MOVE TO CAMP 2 TOMORROW, THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING TO BE

THE CASE!! PERTEMBA THEN RADIOED UP AND TOLD US TO GET BACK TO CAMP 1 AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AS A STORM WAS COMING OUR WAY. WE RUSHED BACK DOWN TO CAMP 1 WITH SNOW PELTING OUR FACES. I HAD ONE REALLY SCARY LADDER CROSSING WHERE MY RIGHT CRAMPON CAUGHT MY LEFT SHOELACE LEAVING ME IMMOBILIZED HIGH ON A LADDER. REFUSING TO PANIC, I SQUIRMED AROUND A BIT AND THANK GOD THEY SEPARATED! I DO NOT WANT A REPEAT OF THAT AGAIN! WE ARRIVED BACK AT CAMP 1 AFTER A 6 HOUR TRIP INCLUDING OUR BREAK, HOPEFULLY WE WILL BECOME MUCH MORE ACCLIMATED AND THEREFORE MOVE FASTER BUT RIGHT NOW THE AIR FEELS REALLY THIN!!!

WE PILED INTO OUR TENTS AND A BIG GALE SET IN. PALDE GAVE US OUR DINNER IN OUR TENTS, HE IS TRULY AMAZING. PALDE SPENT ONE MONTH AT CAMP 2 WORKING ON THE TAIWANESE EXPEDITION IN 1996, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE READ ALL THE BOOKS ON THAT DISASTER, HE WORKED FOR THAT GUY MAKALU GAU THAT GOT EVACUATED FROM CAMP 1, ONE OF THE HIGHEST HELICOPTER EVACUATIONS IN HISTORY.

I WAS VERY UPSET TO HEAR ON THE RADIO THAT ONE OF MY FRIENDS CHRISTOPHER DORE WAS AT BASECAMP AND I WAS UP BETWEEN CAMP 1 AND 2

FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND THEREFORE UNABLE TO SEE HIM. HE HAD DINNER WITH RODRIGO, PATO AND PHILLIPE AND I HAD A BRIEF CHAT WITH HIM ON THE RADIO. SUCH A SHAME TO MISS YOUR FRIENDS BUT THAT IS PART OF CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST.

APRIL 13TH CAMP 1 REST DAY

AFTER A FRIGID NIGHT OF HOWLING WINDS AND HEARING AN AVALANCHE IN THE ICEFALL ( I'VE JUST FOUND OUT HOW MUCH DAMAGE THAT AVALANCHE DID..) I WOKE AT 6.00AM WITH ANDRONICO TELLING ME TO LOOK OUT OF THE TENT, THAT WE WERE SAFE AND NOT TO PANIC. I LOOKED OUT TO SEE A HUGE AVALANCHE HEADING SEEMINGLY TOWARDS ALL OUR TENTS ( THERE WERE NOW ABOUT 8 EXPEDITIONS UP AT CAMP 1) IT WAS THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE SIGHT SEEING THIS HUGE CLOUD COMING TOWARDS US. I REALLY THOUGHT WE HAD HAD IT. LUCKILY THERE WERE CREVASSES THAT STOPPED THE AVALANCHE BEFORE IT WIPED ALL OUR TENTS OUT. AS OUR TENTS ARE ON A HILL I CAN SEE ALL THE OTHER TENTS, ITS NOT REALLY FUNNY BUT SOME POOR GUY WAS ON THE LOO ( WE HAVE AN ICE CONSTRUCTED LOO) AND HE SUDDENLY LOOKED UP TO SEE THIS HUGE CLOUD DESCENDING TOWARDS US AND I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE PULL UP THEIR PANTS AND RUN SO FAST FOR HIS TENT.

THE WEATHER TODAY HAS BEEN VERY UNSETTLED, HUGE GUSTS OF WIND EVERY 10 MINS OR SO. I WENT OVER TO THE DISCOVERY TENTS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND DID AN INTERVIEW WITH SHANNA AND THEN A SOLO CONFESSION ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL ASPECT OF BEING ON MOUNT EVEREST. I TOOK 7 MINS OF TAPE DOING MY MOUNTAIN CONFESSION, GLAD THAT THE PERSONAL ONE WASN'T INCLUDED TOO OR ID PROBABLY STILL BE THERE!!!

RODRIGO, PATO AND PHILLIPE ARRIVED UP HERE FROM BASECAMP, A PRETTY BRAVE MOVE AS MOST OF THE SHERPAS SAID IT WAS TOO WINDY TO CLIMB THROUGH THE ICEFALL. ONLY 3 PEOPLE WENT TO CAMP 2 TODAY, OUR SHERPAS DID NOT WANT TO BREAK TRAIL FOR THE 2ND DAY IN A ROW WHICH IS COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE. I THINK IT REMAINS DOUBTFUL WHETHER WE WIL BE ABLE TO MOVE UP TO CAMP 2 TOMORROW. ITS ANDRONICOS 50TH BIRTHDAY ON 16TH APRIL AND I'VE INVITED HALF OF BASECAMP TO COME OVER FOR A BIG CELEBRATIONARY LUNCH ( DINNER IS TOO COLD!) RODRIGO AND PERTEMBA HAVE BEEN ARRANGING BEER AND WINE AND A HUGE FEAST - HOPEFULLY NOT DAHL BAT!!!

SO WHO KNOWS WHAT WE WILL DO TOMORROW, IM IN MY MINUS 40 SLEEPING BAG AND IM STILL COLD AND IM ONLY AT CAMP 1. THIS IS ONE TOUGH MOUNTAIN WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF DANGER AT ALL TIMES. I PRAY EVERY DAY THAT WE WILL ALL COME BACK SAFELY. I HAVE A HUGE CRAVING FOR PRINGLES...THATS ALL FROM AN ICY COLD CAMP 1.

APRIL 14TH CAMP 2: IT WAS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE THAT OUR TENT SURVIVED THE HOWLING GALES THAT PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. I THOUGHT WE MAY DO A MARY POPPINS INTO THE KHUMBU ICEFALL. AT 6.00AM AFTER A RADIO CALL WITH RODRIGO IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO MOVE UP TO CAMP 2 TODAY. OUR BAGS HAD TO BE READY AT 6.40AM FOR THE SHERPAS TO TAKE UP. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW STRONGLY I FEEL THAT EVEREST IS UNCLIMBABLE WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE SHERPAS. THEY ARE TRULY AMAZING.

WE HAD BREAKFAST AT 830AM AN THEN I WENT AND DID ANOTHER CHAT WITH THE DISCOVERY TEAM DURING THE BRIEF BREAKS FROM THE ICY WINDS. THEIR CAMERAMAN FRANKIE, FINDS IT ALMOST WARM HERE ( HE LIVES IN CANADA) AND I WAS AMAZED TO SEE HE WASN'T WEARING A PARKA OR GLOVES!!!

MISAIL, ANDRONICO, MYSELF AND PALDE OUR COOK, HEADED UP TO CAMP 2. THE LADDERS ARE NOW UNBELIEVABLE SHAKEY AS YOU CROSS THEM, I GUESS ALL THE WEAR AND TEAR OF LOADS BEING FERRIED UP TO CAMP 2.

A HUGE AVALANCHE HAD SLIPPED FROM THE SIDE OF NUPTSE TO COVER OUR ROUTE, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE AROUND TO TELL THE TALE IF THE AVALANCHE HAD CAUGHT US. IT TOOK US 1 HOUR 5 MINS TO REACH CAMP 2, I WAS FEELING FINE UNTIL ABOUT 15 MINS AWAY FROM OUR TENT WHEN SUDDENLY ALL MY ENERGY WAS GONE. I WAS PAINFULLY SLOW WALKING TO OUR CAMPSITE AND THEN REVITALIZED MYSELF WITH A CHOCOLATE BISCUIT. THIS IS OUR ADVANCED BASE CAMP SO IM TRYING TO MAKE THE TENT AS HOMELY AS POSSIBLE AS WE MAY SPEND SOME TIME HERE. WE ARE AT 21,500 FEET AND IT WILL BE THE HIGHEST THAT I HAVE SLEPT BEFORE. IM NOW CHILLING IN MY TENT, HAVING HAD A VERY GARLICKY MEAL COOKED BY PALDE.

THE PLAN IS TOMORROW THAT WE HEAD DIRECTLY DOWN TO BASE CAMP SHOULD TAKE US AROUND 5 HOURS. IM NOW IN A HEATED DISCUSSION WITH ANDRONICO AS TO WHO WILL WEAR THE KNEE PADS!!!!
IM TORN WITH DYING TO BE BACK AT BASE CAMP AND THE FACT THAT WE WILL HAVE TO SCHLEPP ALL THE WAY BACK UP TO CAMP 2 AFTER SOME REST AT BC.

Dispatches