Weather delays summit fix

We learnt this morning that the Sherpas who yesterday planned to do a load carry to Camp Four were only able to get to Camp Three because of the weather. Whilst the winds have been light there has been a lot of snow. They left their loads at Camp Three before returning to Camp Two.

Meanwhile the summit fixing team which includes our own Pasang will be returning to BC in the next couple of days until another suitable weather window appears. Yes it's frustrating but there's nothing we can do to change things.

For the first time since arriving at BC it's overcast this morning and snowing very gently. I've had to put my clothes washing plans on hold!

Since we returned a couple of days ago base camp has certainly been warmer during the day with many more small rockfalls off the morraines and much more creaking of the glacier around the tents. Night time temperatures have reached a balmy -10 degrees c! Whilst I've not had to repitch my tent yet it can't be long as my ground sheet has developed a severe case of subsidence on one side as the ice beneath has melted.

It still gets cold in the late afternoon so I have a strange ritual of getting onto my thermals and warm clothes for the evening at around 3.00pm whilst there is still some afternoon warmth.

One of the first things I do each morning is to use the sat phone to check for emails from the family. Unlike a normal email account it actually shows you how many kilobytes each message is and I've become quite adept at guessing the length of the message.

Well this morning I had a short one from Caroline which I assumed would be ' have a good day' , 'don't get too bored' etc.

Now those of you who have been kind enough to follow my blog from the start will know that I'm already on a 'yellow card'.

So I opened the email which was short and to the point: I've changed the locks.

Oh dear, perhaps the Porta Shower Christmas present wasn't such a good idea! Never mind I'm sure a new Dyson will go down better.

Today I'd like to tell you about the excellent work of the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) which was set up in 1973.

There are clinics in Pheriche and Manang as well as the one here at BC which was set up 10 years ago.

The clinic here at BC is manned 24/7 throughout the season ie April and May by three doctors.

This year it's the turn of Ashish Lohani, a doctor from Kathmandu who has a Phd in high alititude medicine; Rachel Anderson an A & E doctor from the UK; and Jenny Pond a rural GP also from the UK.  Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa is their base camp manager who has been here since 2003. I can quite understand that there is considerable demand from doctors to offer to work at BC however it is by invitation only. A prerequisite is that the doctors should have practiced in Nepal previously.

Jenny Pond and Ashish Lohani

In their first season the HRA saw 140 patients at BC whilst last year, their ninth, they saw 540. Since the third of April this year they have seen 395 patients todate. Ailments range from those that you might go to see your GP about ie an in growing toenail, the Khumbu cough to that of
an A and E department ie a heart attack or cerebral oedema.

They have their own MASH style (I'm showing my age now) hospital tent where they can carry out minor procedures or alternatively a helicopter evacuation to Kathmandu can be arranged at short notice.

Their work is funded by charging Western companies $100 per person (which Jagged Globe have kindly paid on our behalf). This enables a climber to go and see the doctors as many times as they like for a free consultation and they only have to pay for the medication prescribed.

The great benefit for the Sherpas and Nepalese camp staff is that they receive free consultations and medication at a substantially subsidised rate.

Some of the Western companies have their own Expedition doctors but they do make a kind donation to the work of the HRA.

Having tried to climb Everest from the North side I can honestly say what a really fantastic facility this is to have on site. A bonus is that they are really friendly too.

Thank you to Ashish for giving up some of his valuable time this morning for the interview.

This qoute was kindly passed onto me: 'You can tell the climbers are feeing a bit more secure. The blogs have a lighter feel to them and the emails I am receiving are encouraging. But Ian Ridley continues to set the mark, this time with a in-depth look at the Jagged Globe showers at base camp that would make the BBC envious.'. Surprisingly it wasn't written by my mother but by Alan Arnette!