Pack the tent, unpack the tent!!

Today has been spent sorting the equipment to be carried up the mountain
to the various camps. This is quite a complex task involving packing the
correct food and in the right amount, calculating how much gas we will
need and sorting the oxygen which we will require on our way to the
summit. We had a slight drama when checking our 23 mountain tents when
we found that a 3 man tent was actually a 2 man tent with 3 man poles!
This caused a bit of a drama because if that tent or any other tent
which was incorrect was to find its way up the mountain, say to Camp 4
at 7400m it would have potential summit threatening concequenses. The
team then spent the morning erecting every tent to ensure it was
servicable. Jon and Jim have been doing an excellent job organising all
the stores and equipment, they even had they forethought to pack a
barrel full of biscuits! Anyone would think they do this type of stuff
for a living.

The route on the mountain is being fixed by Sherpa teams, the route to
Camp 1 (5700m) is in place (between 4-6hrs from BC) and there are fixed
ropes and ladders through the ice fall although another ladder is needed
to finish the route to Camp 2 (6300m).

The team have their Puja tomorrow starting at 0700!. This is a blessing
from a local Lama and will allow the team to set foot on the mountain
without upsetting the mountain Gods. Once complete the expedition will
move upto Camp 1 (powered by Tangtastics yes IB - they found thier way
out here). The team aims to spend two nights at C1 with a foray up to
Camp 2 to become familiar with the complexties of the route through the
ice fall. Fortunately the weather forecsat (sent from a professional
forecaster in Belgium to the Satphones) is predicting that we will be
blessed with good weather.


Ben Henshaw: "Tell Bumhead i am aspiring to have the mexican gringo tash
he has been sporting for years. X"