Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!
The Alpine Ascents team spent Cinco de Mayo once again hanging out and waiting at Base Camp. But today, fun and games at Base Camp had a background reality: the freight-train wind howling over peaks and ridges thousands of feet above us reminded us always of why we were here instead of above. It was even windy and cold in Base Camp, but nothing like the maelstrom churning just above us as the jet stream winds tear through the highest mountains on earth. (We are talking of winds in excess of 50 meters per second or around 120 miles per hour blowing over the summits.) Ang Tsering reports from Camp II lots of damaged tents. Our Sherpa staff there even dropped The North Face VE25 tents and slept dorm-style in our new Camp II cook tent as it was solid enough that there was no chance of it blowing away! (Thanks again to El Montanes of Mendoza Argentina, this time from our Sherpa staff!)
So we all passed the day awaiting a better mood from the weather gods. Some listened to music, some played music, some played with computers, some worked out on a slack line, and of course we all ate plenty, especially at our Cinco de Mayo Nepalese-Mexican dinner! (Thanks Ong Chu!)
We'd all like to say a special thanks to Tina Clarke of New York, James Clarke's sister, who has been supplying us with lots of classic song lyrics via email to keep a good part of Base Camp entertained during our evening jam and singing sessions! I knew we brought James along for some reason!
We hope within a couple of days to be on the move again, but until then, the expedition waiting game continues here at Everest Base Camp.
Willi Prittie
— Willi Prittie, Alpine Ascents International Guide and MountainZone.com Correspondent