20 April SummitClimb Dispatch

Ice climbing training today. We are practicing crossing crevasses on aluminum ladders. We practice ascending 20 metre ice pinnacles using rope, ascender, ice axe and crampon. Then we tie in for a safe roped descent via figure 8 abseil rappel. Next we are climbing aluminum ladders pinned to the ice. At the top of the ladder we traverse out onto steep ice, and climb the rope once more with ascender, axe, crampon. This time when descending down we learned the traditional arm rappel abseil. We wrapped up our enjoyable educational training day with a delicious pizza dinner!

(Note: You'll notice that these photos were taken at the same time as the photos I posted yesterday. Some pictures and stories are coming in out of order. When I see new photos on a guide's Facebook page, I'll share them. It looks like the official expedition posts the story the next day...so things might get out of order. Offends my sense of tidyness! But I think I'll err on the side of sharing information in the order I find it vs. the order it may have happened. --Amy)