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Monday, May 1, 2000 CP5 is located on a very windy valley floor near the village of Donk Ba (4370 meters). The athletes coming into the area are facing up against a terrible headwind that is ranging between 20-30mph. This is an expansive area — in every direction one looks the view goes on for miles. CP5 is not a true assistance point, but more of just an organized changeover of gear. The teams' bags are marked and lined up awaiting their arrival. They must do the transition on their own, by packing up the bikes for transport to CP10 by the organization, and gear up the horse with their backpacks. The horses are situated in a protected little cut in a hill next to an old stone ruin of a structure. The backdrop to this whole scene is an obscured view of Mount Everest, only the lower portion of snowpack can be seen as a thick layer of clouds has settled over the top. The first teams are in sight after leaving the departure zone over eight hours ago, with the top-7 teams now checking in within a half-hour of each other. CP5 is now a very busy spot. Everyone is dirty and coughing from the effects of the altitude and the windy, dusty conditions. —Provided by Raid Gauloises
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