The first significant obstacle on the journey to the summit of Mt. Everest will be the Khumbu icefall, which, even though I have been staring at it for five days, still looks impossibly daunting.  

Khumbu icefall
Photo:  Lisa White

To be sure that we are prepared to safely and efficiently climb through the icefall, the Madison Mountaineering team will spend three days training in the lower icefall, just a short walk from our camp.  We have spent several hours each morning working through obstacle courses of steep ice, ladders, and precarious ridges.  The obstacles are both fun and exhausting, and already I feel more comfortable with the required skills.

Tomorrow we will continue our training and plan to begin climbing in the icefall on the 19th.

Cheers!