After a couple of days of acclimatizing at Base Camp, we head off. Here I am heading up to Advance Base Camp. Base Camp is in the background.
Here's Advance Base Camp where we spent the night. Ama Dablam lingers in the clouds.
Here's Kevin waking up to a new day. He's feeling good.
Here's my "room with a view." Waking up with Ama Dablam waiting for me.
View from Advance Base Camp of Camps 1, 2, and 3. Our team (15 people) will separate into smaller teams as we do acclimatization climbs up and down these camps before our summit bid. I ended up in a team of 4 where we went from Base Camp to Advance Base Camp (sleep), then to Camp 1 (sleep) before going back down to Base Camp to rest. After 1 day of rest, we went from Base Camp to Camp 1 (sleep), then scouted to Camp 2, but then back down to Base Camp. After 2 days of rest, we did an aggressive summit bid -- Base Camp to Camp 1 (sleep), then Camp 1 to Camp 3 (sleep) that took all day, then headed for the summit after a night at Camp 3.
View of the route up the dablam from Camp 3. From this angle, it doesn't look so steep.
Me at Camp 1 -- suffering, but still able to smile.
Here, three other folks and me are on our summit bid. We had hiked from Base Camp to Camp 1 the day before; and after a night's sleep/rest, I am gearing up for the climb from Camp 1 to Camp 3. It will take all day through technical sections of rock and ice. Yes, I am a little (or a lot!) nervous.
I look up the mountain and took this photo. See the next photo of the close up of the red circle.
Two climbers from another team are making there way to the summit.
Jen and James making their way from Camp 1 to Camp 2.
There they are...
James climbing a steep section. Camp 2 can be seen above. Camp 2, as a photo below will show, is intense! Small space perched way above with huge exposure.
I took this picture as I was getting near Camp 2. Camp 1 and Advance Base Camp can be seen.
We've passed Camp 2 and are now en route to Camp 3. Here, Jen climbs a steep rock and ice section.
