Back to base camp.

To be honest not the title I would like to have chosen but the right one.

Returning to base camp for possibly less than 48 hours has split the team, having said that everyone in the end chose to come back down. I was happy to come back down as the food is so much better at BC and most importantly the air is thicker. You may recall me saying in an earlier post that the body only deteriorates above circa 5500m (Camp two is at 6350m). 

The reasoning for dropping back down was that our sherpa team wanted a rest at a lower altitude following the rescue of a colleague two days ago. There's a separate post on that below but let me just say that Pem is stable. We understand he suffered a broken left femur, left humerous and had to have an operation on his left hand. Everyone is very relieved that his injuries weren't any worse.

In addition the winds are now forecast to increase from this afternoon for the next two days which is contrary to what was predicted when we set off. This is one of the problems of choosing a day to summit. You have to rely on a forecast five days ahead. Just think how well the Met Office do it! Unfortunately you just can't sit it out on the South Col at 8000m, in the death zone, waiting for the right day.

Coupled with the huge numbers going for the current window David has wisely said we will wait.

I don't know if you were able to make out the line of people on yesterday's photo but there could easily have been 100 people all hanging off the same piece of 100 m rope. The danger is not the rope breaking but the anchors coming out which are likely to be either fixed with ice screws or snow stakes both of which are highly susceptible to solar radiation loosening them.

So it's time for a shower, rest and relaxation, and taking on board lots of food and as importantly fluid. I think the best way to describe my body composition at present is like 'streaky bacon' - very little meat but still plenty of fat!

The ice fall continues to surprise and I can only wonder whether the ice fall doctors are on holiday or there's been a Nepalese national holiday!! Two of the ladders are now verging on the dangerous: the crevasse which one of them spans is now only a couple of inches narrower than the ladder itself, whilst on the other the left hand end of the ladder actually no longer bridges the chasm. The ladder just gently rocks 45 degrees at this end! Not for the nervous.

We only saw one avalanche up to our right on the way down.

So now it's a case of watching the weather forecasts that come in around lunchtime on a daily basis. Being selfish, I hope we don't go back up until early Tuesday am giving us an extra day here.

I find even coming down hill exhausting but I suspect that has a lot to do with my knees.

What I am finding hard to convey is just how difficult physically I'm finding this mountain to climb and also how it saps your morale. Every step up is difficult and has you panting for breath. We are basically now two weeks from home which is a lovely thought (if I can find a lock smith!) but we've still got this huge mountain to climb.

I am hopeful that with the right weather window (and based on how I feel compared to two years ago) I can make it. I'm certainly very grateful for all of the support you've kindly given me. Thank you.