Another update from Monty... He and Val are at BC waiting for restrictions on climbing higher than C2 to be lifted. He reports that they are both healthy and climbing strong. While waiting they've been making short day hikes to surrounding peaks, playing cards, watching movies on the laptop and wandering about BC which Monty describes as being "monstrous" in size with approximately 1000 people in 30-40 teams. There is even a bakery and small museum at BC this year and it takes an hour to walk from one side of BC to the other.
The route from BC to C2 is in good condition but the Khumbu Icefall is "a whole lot bigger and scarier" than Monty expected. However he says after his ice climbing trips to Ouray the technical parts are a "piece of cake and fun". He says there are numerous crevasses on the Western Cwm that you can step across but many are severely undercut.
The weather has been perfect up until a few days ago when it started to snow. The route above C3 appears to be extremely barren and the Lhotse Face appears to be a 2000 foot sheet of blue ice. They are concerned about the avalanche risk the new snow brings but hope it improves the climbing conditions higher up. They are also worried if there is more delay before summit attempts begin the route through the ice fall will become too unstable. BC has already melted out.
Right now everyone is playing the waiting game, but Monty estimates that if everything goes as planned they should summit sometime around May 25th.
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