The team moved up to high camp at about 20,000 feet yesterday.  It was tough going, with fairly deep snow and hours of breaking trail.  They all made it to camp and established themselves near some bizarre looking rock features, which will serve as a wind break.  It was a good thing, as the wind picked up during the night and it is still blowing pretty hard on the crew.

The plan had been to make a summit bid today, but that plan is on hold, barring a dramatic change in the weather.  The new plan is to get up early tomorrow morning and hope that the winds have diminished sufficiently for a push for the top.  The forecast called for decreasing winds today, so maybe Mother Nature just didn’t get the memo and is a bit behind in what she is supposed to do?

Looking down on high camp in much different conditions than our team is experiencing. Our crew is camped in deep snow, but it is clear enough that they can still enjoy the views.

A 24-hour stomach bug has been working its way through the team, something that isn’t too fun at home, and can be quite miserable high on a windy, snowy mountain.  The only climber to be afflicted at high camp was one of our guides, Jared, who has dropped down the west side of the mountain to try to recuperate at a somewhat lower altitude.  Our guides Fermin and Agustin are with the rest of the climbers, who are all doing well and excited about making the last push uphill.  We’ll keep you all posted as we hear from the team.