Everest Camp 3
May 7, 2007
Namaste,
We all arrived at Camp 3 safely, so mission accomplished with your thoughts and prayers. Thank you very much.
Climbing from Camp 2 to Camp 3 is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It made climbing in the Khumba Icefall seem like children’s play, even with building blocks. First, the climb from Camp 2 to the base of the Lhotse face was long and hard. Then we arrived at the Lhotse face where fixed lines are attached to the mountain. Picture yourself looking at a 20 story building made out of ice which you have to climb. They attach lines to the mountain with ice screws. There are two lines, an up line and a down line. Climbers hook into these lines in two places, one with their ascender going up and second with a safety line. So, it is actually pretty safe. It is just long and extremely difficult to climb the steep Lhotse face, even with the fixed lines.
I had a good sleep at camp 3. The food was pretty sparce, including the breakfast the following morning.
The plan is to go down today back to Camp 2, sleep at Camp 2 and then return to Base Camp for probably a five day stay. We may even move down into one of the villages below Base Camp just to see something other than rocks and snow and have some good meals and perhaps be able to sleep inside for a change.
That is the report for now. I will let you know when we arrive safely back at Base Camp which will probably be in the next 1 or 2 days.
Bill Burke
PS
After receiving the above report, I received word from Bill that they made it back to Camp 2.
Sharon Burke