Day 31/April 21, 2009 (Tuesday)

You’ve read about SPOT. You’ve seen SPOT run. You’ve seen SPOT sit. Now you’ll see SPOT, as in SPOTScott and SPOTDanuru, go to new heights: Camp III is situated at 24,000+ feet above sea level, just a vertical mile from Everest’s summit. The brochure that comes with a SPOT unit states it functions up to 21,000 feet above sea level, but we know it works wonders at Camp II — 21,500 feet — and its reception just keeps getting better and better the higher we go. The manufacturers picked that somewhat arbitrary number, not realizing how popular the device would become with mountaineers. Check out the map page in the coming days and follow along as we suffer our way up the Lhotse face…

Some people are list-makers, others just make mental notes and get things done. I tend to have a pretty strong memory, but when missing an item on a mental list could prove ugly, I put pen to paper and create a checklist. Today’s checklist* to prepare for Camp III is critical: forget my helmet or a spare pare of mittens and I’ve got to turn around and go home. I’ll be issued my “Top Out” mask today, and if all goes well with establishing Camp III in the next 4-5 days, I’ll don this oxygen system and take a “stroll” to about 25,000 feet and visit the Yellow Band. Very excited to make this second of (hopefully) three passes through the icefall. The summit season is just a few short weeks away!

The early warming trend here in the Khumbu is a bit alarming. I awoke this morning about 0600 and within an hour heard no less than 7 avalanches. There was another collapse in the “Popcorn” section of the icefall this morning, delaying the return of one of our climbers. Danuru and I, probably to be joined by Dawa and Raejean, will endeavor to pass the icefall quickly tomorrow morning — camp departure is slated for 0430 local time. We’ll spend a few hours resting at Camp I, and leave for Camp II around 1500, following the peak heating of the day.

Keith and Miles will be posting in my absence from EBC, including a few thoughts I’d previously written on gear and on Everest field science.

Climb on,
Scott

* While I work my checklist today, some of my fellow climbers have descended to Gorak Shep to view the world’s highest, Guiness Book of World Record-breaking cricket match. Although this sounds vaguely interesting, I’d derive about 5 minutes of entertainment value from it. As my very good friend Doug Wheelock would often say: “It’s like a hog looking at a wristwatch: he sees it, but he has absolutely no idea what it means…!”