Mon 30^th April 2012 Camp 1 6500m

I awake and despite my wind interrupted sleep feel good.

After breakfast I decide to go for a ‘bimble’. As much to try on my downsuit as to take some exercise. We will be using downsuits to go any higher, onto camp 3 and above.

 I get it out in my tent and ensure the price tag and shop label has been taken off. Not so good for ‘Mountain Street Cred’ otherwise!

It’s a bright red North Face ‘Telly Tubby’ suit as it’s probably half a size too big for me.

I have to adjust my harness to allow for the extra bulk and off I go.

I just wander up the hill for 30 mins or so then wander back. Job done, it’s quite hot so next time I will wear fewer layers underneath. Mission accomplished I wander into lunch in a fairly sanctimonious mood as only Francis (the Doc from WWTW) has also ventured out.

No we begin to learn that the Lhotse Face is in a very dangerous state. Already over the past two days five people have been hit by falling rocks. The mountain is very ‘dry’. Meaning that very little snow has fallen for some weeks and therefore there is nothing to bind the smaller rocks, up to the size of footballs, to the slope. The face is some 1300 to 1800m high (4,500 to 6,000ft) so these rocks are almost at terminal velocity (120-180mph). They can and will kill.

The guides and Sherpas are so concerned that they are considering not going to Camp 3 because of the danger.

Later that day two more people are reported to have been hit. One has sustained a major shoulder injury, the other a hand injury. \For both of them their expeditions are over.

I rest but try not to sleep in the afternoon. Already I am as bored as I have been for a very long time.

Tonight my tent partner Greg, a 58 year old American, has removed some stones from his side of the tent, causing a dip and I spend the whole night initially gently nudging him and latterly not so gently nudging him as he keeps ‘falling’ on me.

I am not sure if he is going to talk to me in the morning! Meanwhile the wind howls and crashes against our tent.