3rd July
July 5th, 2009 by Jake
So much for the grand plan... So as we were going to bed last night a new plan came afoot: a team assault up the ropes carrying rope and tents and breaking trail to allow for the fixing up to Camp 2. 4.30 breakfast, leave at 5am. The last thing I vaguely remember being said was that if it snowed more, then we'd call off the trip. Throughout the night I was slightly aware of the gentle pitter-patter of snowfall, so when at around 4am I woke up to hear a few others rustling in their tents, I wasn't completely convinced that it was going to be a goer. It hadn't actually snowed that much, but enough for a 'stand down' to be announced. Oh well, never mind - back to sleep!
Up at 8am, survey the fresh blanket of snow... overcast and quite chilly. Breakfast; retire to dome tent, cards, tea, biscuits etc. Stare disappointedly at the mountain wreathed in cloud. Guess that we're unlikely to go up tomorrow either, especially with the slopes loaded with all of this snow. The continuation of snowfall throughout the morning really wasn't helping this situation. The original forecast for a nice weekend seems to have disappeared with the 12 hour ice-crystal precipitation. Although I was one of the last people up the hill back on Monday/Tuesday, it is very easy to feel lazy and dejected due to the lack of progression. It's nice to have a rest day or two in between hill days, but anymore than that, and you start to get rather stir-crazy in BC. Although we still have many weeks here, it's easy to think that the days are just slipping through your fingers, with nothing to show for them.
The good thing is that the O's turned up yesterday - lots of cylinders and masks and regulators, and more rope as well! Really great to have it finally with us, now let's just hope that we might get a chance to use it at some point on this trip - snow conditions willing!
We've also being getting a few visitors coming for supper and sleepover. In the last two nights we've had 3 members of our sister Broad Peak Expedition come for meals and too stay the night. Perhaps they've heard that our cook (Didar) is ace, and they've had to come and test the hypothesis. Really great to see them and catch up on their gossip - unsurprisingly they are having a similar problem with the snow on BP. =
Up at 8am, survey the fresh blanket of snow... overcast and quite chilly. Breakfast; retire to dome tent, cards, tea, biscuits etc. Stare disappointedly at the mountain wreathed in cloud. Guess that we're unlikely to go up tomorrow either, especially with the slopes loaded with all of this snow. The continuation of snowfall throughout the morning really wasn't helping this situation. The original forecast for a nice weekend seems to have disappeared with the 12 hour ice-crystal precipitation. Although I was one of the last people up the hill back on Monday/Tuesday, it is very easy to feel lazy and dejected due to the lack of progression. It's nice to have a rest day or two in between hill days, but anymore than that, and you start to get rather stir-crazy in BC. Although we still have many weeks here, it's easy to think that the days are just slipping through your fingers, with nothing to show for them.
The good thing is that the O's turned up yesterday - lots of cylinders and masks and regulators, and more rope as well! Really great to have it finally with us, now let's just hope that we might get a chance to use it at some point on this trip - snow conditions willing!
We've also being getting a few visitors coming for supper and sleepover. In the last two nights we've had 3 members of our sister Broad Peak Expedition come for meals and too stay the night. Perhaps they've heard that our cook (Didar) is ace, and they've had to come and test the hypothesis. Really great to see them and catch up on their gossip - unsurprisingly they are having a similar problem with the snow on BP. =
