The May 21 crew continues to join life at Camp 3 14,200 ft (4328 m) as they rest after yesterday’s back carry down to their cache site above Windy Corner 13,000 ft (3962 m).
This is another “active rest day,” during which the team will descend from Genet Basin to the Windy Corner cache and bring everything back up to 14,200 ft (4328 m). Their total outing with take 1.5 hours over 1 mile (1.6 km) with 700 ft (213 m) of elevation loss and gain. Then the team spent the afternoon going over climbing techniques that they will use in the upcoming days.
Tomorrow their goal is to cache supplies up on the ridge above us and climb back down to 14,200 ft (m). Climbing up the “Headwall” (the section of the route with fixed lines running from 15,500 ft (4724 m) to 16,100 ft (4907 m), with a heavy pack makes this one of the more strenuous days of the trip because of the steep terrain and thinning air. The 360-degree mountain views from the “16 Ridge” as this zone is known, can be as breathtaking as the rarefied air!
The move to cache on the “16 Ridge” is generally one of the bigger days of the trip clocking in at 5-7 hours over 3.8 km / 2.4 miles (3.8km) round-trip, with 2,200 ft (670 m) of elevation gain and loss throughout the day. We look forward to hearing how it goes! Tap the recording link below to hear the full dispatch.
