Phase 1 - Almost over

It's been a long time between blog updates and in the intervening time, I have to advise that Phase One (South BC trek) is all but over.

As you have seen from the multitude of FB posts, we managed to get three people onto Kala Pathaar's highest point (5650m) and the same three to EBC (5300m). Congratulations to John D and Judi R who joined me in these places.

The remainder of the team put in some inspirational efforts to get over some illnesses an push themselves to that place where the limit is palatable. Col and Dave pushed particularly hard and eventually had to withdraw to Kathmandu where a few days in Hospital were required for each of them to fully recuperate from the ravages of altitude and cold.

Scott's push on Kala Pathaar saw him get to 5447m and take some spectacular shots of Everest's black summit as it reveals itself from behind the West Buttress. The higher you go on KP, the more is revealed. Unfortunately, the North-East ridge is not quite revealed as you reach the top of KP, and the ability to see the two most commonly used routes in Everest simultaneously, remain elusive to the KP trekker.

The effort on KP by Scott burnt some energy and he decided wisely to descend from Gorak Shep to Pheriche the following day instead of pushing for EBC.

Jan Burnett remains fit as a fiddle and was happy to accompany Scott down to Pheriche so as to not split the group into three parts.

The photo sky-line is explained Left to Right. On the Left is Mt Changtse (in Tibet - Incidentally ABC is just on the other side of Changtse). Changtse's dark south ridge descends until it is obscured by the white slopes of the Western Buttress of Everest. Some cloud is visible there. This the approximate location of Camp 1 (from the North Side (the North Col 7055m). Follow up the white snowy slope of the Western Buttress and Everest's black triangle peak appears. The snow patch visible on the left side of the black triangle is the approximate position of Camp 3 (on the North-East Ridge route). The summit is clearly visible as is the south summit as you follow down to the right. The South Col (~8000m) is just visible as is the dark top of the Lhotse face. The peak at the top right of the picture is Nuptse.

Base Camp is visible as a scattering of yellow and blue tents to the left of the Khumbu Glacier, just above the brown mound at the bottom left of the photo.