[From Monty] Summit Push!

The weather, health and rest are all coming together well, and tomorrow Val and I start for the summit! This is a day earlier than previously suggested, based on a clear weather window that we’re hoping to take advantage of.

The expected schedule is:

May 19 – BC to C2, thru the Icefall and Cwm
May 20 – rest day at C2
May 21 – move to C3, up the Lhotse Face
May 22 – move to C4, thru the Yellow Band and over the Geneva Spur to the South Col
May 23 – Summit Day! From camp at the S Col up the Triangular Face to the S Summit, up the Hillary Step and along the summit ridge to the - *SUMMIT*

We'll leave C4 8:30-9:00pm and if all goes well we’ll be summiting soon after dawn. This gives us wide latitude for issues to arise – leaving all morning and afternoon to return to C4. If all goes well, it also leaves us plenty of time to drop below C4. The lower we go to rest, the better it will be for our recovery and safety.

We’ve been watching the weather reports closely and it looks relatively stable. A few clouds, and possibly some light precip, and limited winds until the summit. It looks like the predicted summit winds have dropped; from a high of as much as 60mph to today’s forecast of 20-40mph winds on our summit day. In the case of the higher winds it could be a summit touch-and-go, with barely time for a summit photo before we beat feet outta there.

My lungs are feeling pretty much 100% improved. Minimal cough, minimal lung congestion, and a plan to keep it that way. I'm using the inhaler and a mouth covering, and will climb slowly enough so as not to stress my lungs. But… if the irritation and constriction starts, I'll not hesitate to pull the plug, descending immediately. I know from earlier that I will not recover unless I descend, and it’ll only get worse if I go higher.

The other concern is my previously-frostbitten fingers – will they be warm enough? Well, I hope so. I have the biggest, warmest Himalayan double mitts made, plus gloves and handwarmers inside. Oxygen plays such a key role in warmth, and I'm glad for IMG’s specific oxygen system that, liter-for-liter, delivers almost double the amount of usable oxygen to the lungs. Other than that I think I should be warm enough; I have my one-piece down suit plus extra layers both top and bottom should I need to bundle up warmer on summit day. In short, I think we’re ready!

Two IMG teams have already left for the summit, and there will be at least two more teams leaving after us, too. Our team is breaking up; we'll likely see each other at ABC (C2) and possibly not again until Kathmandu. After the summit push, people will be vacating BC quickly – the call of a soft bed, thick air and a cold beer are pretty compelling. We'll take all our personal gear down with us (no Sherpa support) so we can pack and descend to Lukla and then to Kathmandu as soon as we feel rested.

Not sure what level of communication we'll have with us. Of course, email and photos are out of the question, but I think we'll be able to make satphone calls for quick updates on our progress, to be posted to the blog. Stay tuned.

Please keep us both in your thoughts and prayers in the next week, wishing us strength and luck - to summit, of course, but mostly to return safely.

Monty