Lead Guide Rob “Durny” Durnell called in from the team’s Camp 2, located at 11,200′. The team has been busy and traveling on a night schedule, to avoid the heat of the day. On Wednesday Thale decided to return to Base Camp, so Durny and Jeff hiked back down the glacier to accompany her the following day.

Today’s push was a long distance, but the team made really good time. Tomorrow, the plan will be to drop down to retrieve the cache of supplies they buried at about 9,800′ two days ago. Carrying that “cache” of gear much of the way toward their next camp is part of a process commonly used by climbers on high altitude mountains. Climb high and sleep low describes how this system of “double carrying” helps them both move their supplies and ease into the new altitude of their next camp. They will continue this process for the next two camps.

Tomorrow the team will carry a load up and around a steep ridge of rock, that is known as Windy Corner. Some days, it certainly lives up to its name. We’ll see what tomorrow brings!

Here’s Durny: