First, best wishes to Joe and Pam who were flown out of Base Camp yesterday. We’ll miss you and hope you’re doing better now.
Also, tragically one cook died and another was blinded by bad bootleg whiskey. This isn’t the first time this has happened in the region; why somebody has to sell contaminated booze when the whole country had been making their own alcohol for ages is beyond me.
*** Here are a couple of weather links so you can join in the fun of deciding when to climb Everest:
http://www.meteoexploration.com/mountain/peaksHimalayas.html?EVT and also click on Winds.
http://www.expeditionweather.info/index.php?page=211&mountain=EV and see the ensemble.
I’ll let you figure out how to interpret all of it!
*** I’m just finishing ‘Chomolungma Sings the Blues’ by Ed Douglas. Chomolungma is the traditional name for Everest. Written in 1997, it’s a great portrayal of life in the Everest region and how westerners have affected the culture. No hand-wringing, just an honest account. Any potential trekkers/climbers out there, read it.
*** This morning (5/13) I’m finally feeling a bit better. I still coughed some last night, but my throat feels better this morning. At times yesterday I was seriously afraid that I might bust a rib. I’m guessing that the lining of my throat got tore up when I went to 7800m, and my body is trying to expel the lining from my throat, one speck at a time. My sunburned nose, lips, and tongue are now in good condition, and I woke up with some energy this morning.
*** I’ll likely head up to BC tomorrow (5/14). I need one or two days there before starting a summit attempt, which will take about 7 days round trip.