Today was all about preparing to move up the mountain!  To increase the team’s comfort level with the Khumbu icefall, we ventured  into it this morning.  The terrain started out rocky, and I moved along clumsily in stiff mountaineering boots.  Soon the rocks gave way to snow, and then to ice and all around me were towers of  ice the size of buildings.  We walked in the icefall for less than an hour, just until the ice got really steep.  

Today's high point

We did take the time to find a safe spot to celebrate the Seahawks!

Go Hawks!!

The Madison Mountaineering team will wake up at 1 am (ugh!), eat an early breakfast and leave base camp by 2:30 in order to make it to camp 1 before the heat of the day makes the icefall less stable.  I am anticipating that it will take 6 - 8 hours to travel the 3.75 miles and 1900 vertical feet to camp 1, which sits at 19,390 feet.  The plan - weather permitting - is to spend two nights at camp 1, then move to camp 2 (21,998 feet) and spend at least one more night there before returning to base camp to recover.  The weather at this point looks good, so I am planning to spend 4 - 5 days on the mountain.  

Look for an update when I return. Until then, you can find updates here.

Let the climbing begin!!