Call from Peter: Heading up the Khumbu Icefall

Peter called again this morning. We finally had a solid connection and were able to talk clearly. He was using the phone of his expedition leader and said that he ran away from the group with it so that no one would pressure him to get off right away! 

He's doing great. He wanted to call today because he says they'll likely be out of contact over the next 10 days or so. I was a little surprised about that, but now looking at the picture of the schedule I posted the other day, I think it makes more sense now. What I hadn't understood was where they'd be sleeping on each of these days. For the most part, it is a pattern of climbing higher and then coming a bit lower to sleep. So, up to Camp 1 today, sleep, climb 1/2 way to Camp 2, return to Camp 1 to sleep, climb to Camp 2, return to Camp 1 to sleep, and then move to Camp 2 to start sleeping there and going higher. That will go on for 10 days or so before they return to Base Camp for a rest. In addition to the obvious experience on the route, this limits the number of times they'll pass through the Icefall.

The plan was to start through the Icefall at 1 a.m. their time, so he's climbing as I write this.

He continues to be pleased with the leadership of the expedition. If you know Peter, you'll know he didn't show up expecting to be told what to do. He's there with his own experience, judgment, and safety concerns and has been really pleased with the collaborative nature of the discussions.

I asked about yesterday's avalanche. He discounted it entirely, saying that seracs are falling all the time and that they can hear the thundering where they are. Just part of being in base camp. He said people on his team were on the Icefall route yesterday with no problem at all, so any stories of needing to reset the route are just false.

He said that they are continuing to build out the Internet connection at camp, so he's hoping it will be better by the time he returns to base camp.

I had a friend ask about pooping and peeing on the mountain, so I asked him today! He actually didn't find it a funny question at all, because it definitely takes some strategy. And because you have to pee more often at altitude he even described it as a new lifestyle!

In short, they pee into bottles and then empty those. In Base Camp, there are outhouses, but you can't pee in them. Only poop. The reason is that the waste goes directly into a blue barrel that--when full--is carried down for disposal at lower elevations. They don't want the liquid filling the barrels. 

If you have any questions I should ask him, just let me know!