Nights over 20,000ft

Stephen is fast asleep as I post this.  At least I hope he is!  The team is spending their second night on top of Lobuche peak.  Last night Stephen had a hard time sleeping due to the incline on which his sleeping bag was on.  He kept sliding off of his mat in the middle of the night.  Needless to say, sliding cannot be the best feeling when you are on a small peak that holds barely 7 tents!  So here's hoping he adjusted enough to stop the sliding.  Yesterday they climbed to the "true" summit of Lobuche.  A short hike along a sheer cliff up to a small point that only 4 people can stand on at one time.  As you climb to this point you are actually on a overhang!  Better make sure those ropes are tied off well!!!  Stephen seems to be doing well even though he is so high.  They team will wake up early and hike down to Lobuche base camp.  Have lunch and rest and then hike back to Everest Base Camp.  Long day. 

The wind has still been blowing and it's been snowing off and on.  Up at camp 2 on Everest the wind was blowing so hard that it blew some tents right off the mountain.  The tents were secured tightly but the wind won.  When asked if anyone was in them, Stephen replied that he thought "one guy might have been dragged for a bit".  I wasn't sure if he was downplaying it for me, it was the truth or the altitude was helping him not really be sure. Anyway, they are watching and waiting now for the jet stream to change so the weather will let them climb!

Lobuche Climbing

One more peak under his belt.  The climbers climbed to a mid-camp and spent the night.  They then woke up early to summit.  They had to wait a few hours due to weather.  They made it up to the top and then went back down to Lobuche base camp.  They are resting for two days before they climb Lobuche again.  Yesterday on their first rest day it snowed and blew and there was a huge lightening storm.

Back at Everest Base Camp it was storming as well.  It was storming and blowing so hard that a huge serac collapsed in the Khumbu Ice Falls.  Luckily nobody was in there at the time.  Thank heaven for small miracles. 

Huge Serac in the Khumbu Ice Falls