Fergus called in last night for the May 18 team update. The team successfully cached at Windy Corner at 13,500′ (4114m) yesterday. This marks the beginning of steeper terrain on the route. Leaving Camp 2 at 11,200′ (3413m) the team climbs 1,000′ (304m) up Motorcycle Hill rising from the northeast corner of the basin the camp resides in. For this part of the route, climbers will finally attach their crampons to their boots and pull out their ice axes. After Motorcycle Hill, Squirrel Hill comes next. The namesake of which is unknown, as we doubt a squirrel has ever resided at 12,000′ on a glacier near the arctic circle.. After climbing Squirrel Hill, the team gets some respite in what is called the Polo Field, a gently sloping glacial “field” before the team climbs one more hill up to Windy Corner. After rounding this corner, the team finds their cache site and chips away to bury it deeply.
Give Fergus a listen!
