UPDATES

(Picture: Crampon fitted onto our mountaineering boots) Once again, our original plan for the day was waylaid by another bout of heavy snowfall. There seems to be no end in sight to the bountiful supply of snow from a malignant weather god. So far, our puja doesn't seem to have taken [...]

(Picture: Setting off for Lake Camp with our dome-shaped dining tent in the background) This morning, we set off for an acclimatization climb yet again (there is simply no end to our great excitement at acclimatization climbs it seems), aiming for a point called “Lake Camp”, right at the base of [...]

(Picture: Participants of the Puja throwing rice and tsampa flour...) This morning, we participated in a ritual we had heard and read so much about, the traditional “Puja” ceremony. The Puja is an important religious ritual that is strictly adhered to by Sherpas climbing on big mountains. It is believed that [...]

(Picture: river crossing en route to ABC) We're finally at Advanced Base Camp! At about 5,660m, our campsite is built on a ridge and it took us about 5 hours to trek here from “Intermediate Base Camp”, the point where a very rickety lorry dropped us off after a bumpy 40 [...]

(Picture: Descending from our acclimatization climb up to 5560m!) Today is the third day since our arrival at the Chinese Base Camp (4,870m). This campsite is situated on relatively open and flat ground and it will be our last campsite before approaching Cho Oyu's Advanced Base Camp. Yesterday, we did our [...]