On August 4th, after two nights in Camp 1, Luc and I left for Camp 2 (6,200m) with our bikes. At least, that was our intention. Since we had started out late and because it took us almost three hours to get to the beginning of the crevasse section at 5,800m — which was only halfway to Camp 2, we realized that there was no way we could get to Camp 2 the same day. So we decided right there and then that this place was very beautiful, quiet and relaxing: in short, the perfect spot to acclimatize! Jim, of course, with sincere disdain, called us spineless whimps...

We went back to Camp 1 later that afternoon and moved to Camp 1.5 for good the next day, August 5th.

Now, Camp 1.5 is really a nice, beautiful and relaxing place; since most climbers never plan to stay anywhere between Camp 1 and Camp 2, there are basically no tents or people there. Everyone's passing through, and they have a short break here and keep you informed on what's happening up above or below, but no one ever stays.

Also, the views at Camp 1.5 are quite exceptional, and the fact that it is situated just in front of the "scary" crevasse section makes it all the more alluring.

Martin was going strong and arrived the following day. So things were looking good. Another happy event was the success of a Dutch climbing team that stood out, among other things, for their thorough preparation and their high-tech amenities (satellite radio, e-mail capability, sun-powered PC). The earlier bad weather had kept them at bay for some time, but they finally managed to reach the summit on August 5th. We met them in Camp 1.5 as they were coming down with their skis and snowboards.

Our happy encounter was slightly overshadowed by their story of the Slovenian climber who had died two weeks earlier. Although two Swiss climbers had buried him before, the snow had melted and exposed him again. So the Dutch guys had to bury him deeper.