25 April SummitClimb Dispatch
Well today is a rest day, albeit at 6100 metre high camp 1. Wow, what a place to rest. After yesterday’s epic climb up from Everest Base Camp through the twisted Khumbu Icefall, to Camp 1, we all felt we needed a break, so we are laying around in our sleeping bags in secure tents and sipping soup, tea, munching biscuits and reading our kindles, phones, and books on tape. You know how sometimes it feels really good to just lay around and do nothing? Especially after the day before’s very hard climb, so you feel like you’ve earned it.
Our 10 Sherpas are taking amazing care of us, keeping our water bottles full and checking in on us constantly. A few of us have mild headaches, perhaps from not drinking enough during the climb yesterday, or last night while laying in our sleeping bags, and we are trying to lower our deficit of dehydration by drinking copious amounts of any kind of liquid we can get our hands on.
The weather up here is sunny, with no wind and no clouds. Today you really could call this a Himalayan Beach of sorts, and we even have to retreat into the tents at midday because it is just too blindingly bright outside. The terrain around camp 1 looks like a layer cake of sorts, with the rising Western Cwm going up in one giant flat village-sized terrace stacked one upon the other, elevating to camp 2 far up the valley above us.
When we look up valley, we see the monstrous wall that is Mount Lhotse, the world’s 4th highest peak, dominating the head of the valley. When we look due west, we stare into the amazing flanks of Mount Pumori and Mount Lingtren, the children of Everest a couple of stunning teen-aged peaks. Even we can see really good views of Mount Cho Oyu, the 6th highest peak in the world from here!! Nevertheless, let's not forget our little Camp 1 patch of the Western Cwm is sandwiched in the alligator jaws of the flanks of Mount Nuptse and the West Ridge of Everest. Here is hoping the critter’s mouth doesn't snap shut while we are peacefully relaxing down in here! By the way, we cant see basecamp from here, as it is below the curve of the Khumbu icefall, but we can spot the helicopters flying in and out of basecamp. From way up here, these helis look like tiny honey bees going to and fro, maintaining their hive.
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