Changste La (north col, camp 1) 

As planned Pasang and I went up north col yesterday. Dawa and Ulrich would follow later as even with oxygen Ulrich was expected to be slower. We made steady progress despite traffic jams at the steep parts. Two slow Flemish ladies above us were moaning totally unaware that I could understand them, until one of them dropped her axe straight to my face.

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The North Col as seen from ABC

Pasang caught it with an amazing reflex. The ladies graciously offered to let us go first and in 5 h we were at 7060 m. Ulrich had given up so we needed only one tent. Good news as I felt pretty exhausted.

We went to sleep at 18:00 and got up at 6:00 totally frozen. We solidified the tent and went down at 8:25 . Unfortunately, when changing my self-belay at some icy ledge, the solid looking blue ice I had put my left crampon on broke away. I turned around my axis and slammed my face to the ice, apart from some cuts and bruises I’ve got two left eye brows. We reached ABC in two hours. Tomorrow Ulrich goes home and I take a resting day. By the way: thanks for all the messages on Thuraya (the satphone), you have no idea how important these are to me.

 

[Satphone update from last weekend: 1st of May]