Mon 25 Oct 2010 10:04 » Jon
It feels like the calm before the storm at the moment. We’re waiting at IPBC, bags packed, tents down, and the team is filling in time before we set off on the walk to High Camp.
One of the strangest things about this trip is the time spent waiting. Even disregarding the first few weather-affected days in Kathmandu, we’ve still spent the majority of the time sitting in lodges and tents waiting while our bodies acclimatise. Sometimes this time can be spent usefully preparing kit for the next day or rearranging bags for High Camp, but a lot of time is spent chatting, reading and playing games to wile away the time.
Wed 20 Oct 2010 11:46 » Jon
In keeping with the standard practice weather, the skies cleared yesterday as evening turned into night, and I had another go at capturing the starlit mountains. This time it worked rather better - the first photo shows Lhotse and Island Peak under the stars.
The skies were still clear this morning and the views were stunning, but the cloud gradually rolled in as we spent the morning practising the rope techniques we’re going to need later in the trip. We focussed on using the Jumar to ascend a fixed-rope, but also covered abseiling back down and roping up for a glacier-crossing. Most of the stuff was do-able, but Andy seems to expect previous experience of it - I’m quite glad we’re going to have another go tomorrow as I’ve never used a Jumar before. Tomorrow they’re going to be making sure we’ve all go the message, which is reassuring.
