We leave camp 2 in the snow again but this time we are carrying all the remaining gear to move to camp 3. It’s heavy and the first section is busy. Lots of traffic going up. Some people walk over our rope, some skiers making switchbacks cross our rope and get tangled up, we are on edge.

When we reach the ‘Polo Fields’ section of the climb, we wait for Chelsea’s rope team for a little while. Kai is concerned about the time it is taking them. Marc is not feeling well and has trouble breathing. Kai asks him to give all his heavy loads to share between the guides and we start planning a possible camp before camp 3 if the pace is too slow.

We almost stop to camp past windy corner and the crevasses area but decide to push on. We setup camp in a snowfall again and build kitchen, toilets (a nice ‘poogloo’ by Kai).

First real cold night and good test of my western mountaineering Puma sleeping bag it’s -26C outside.

NOTES
mountain etiquette: passing a rope team uphill is not proper as they would take our rope with them if they fell.

OXY 82 HR 75