Dan Khouri called in from 14,200′ (4328m) to lets us know that the team took it easy today, letting their bodies further acclimate to the thinner air of above 4000m.  They also spent part of the day practicing the skills that they will need to employ in the coming days.  The guides set up a practice length of “fixed line,” into which the climbers clipped their mechanical ascenders (basically rope clamps) and practiced their use.   They also practiced passing the climbing ropes to which every climber is tied in and out of carabiners attached to various types of protection.  This is called using “running belays” and is a technique used to protect rope teams in terrain where a fall could be less than desirable.

recording