Perfect weather here at Base Camp! Unfortunately its ripping windy up high as the Jet Stream pounds the upper mountain. The forecasts show that about to change in the next few days. We are watching and waiting.  Life here at near 18,000 ft. is good. Normally hot and sunny mornings (today was a little colder with light winds). Breakfast by our cook Serki is definitely a high point. This morning we set up a slack line and it soon became the hit of camp. Basically a tightrope just off the ground. Very good balance and concentration training for all! All members here in camp are doing very well. We are taking short hikes each day, playing cards, watching movies and….watching the weather very closely. There was a large avalanche in the icefall near the top of the route through the icefall, fortunately no one was injured or hurt.

The big news today is one of the Mt Trip Team members has made a decision to go down and back home. Chuck Raper is now walking out to Lukla after a very difficult decision to abandon the climb.  He has had a string of small things that have added up in the higher altitudes here. Coming down from the last rotation, he frostbite one of his fingers, not very serious, but serious enough to not want to refreeze which can cause further damage. He has also had flu like symptoms for over a week and a cough that’s painful. This is the kind of things that can happen up high and unfortunately Chuck is having a number of issues on top of each other.  Its difficult enough here without having to fight several challenging illnesses.  It’s a bit sad tonight here with this news.  Our thoughts are with Chuck as he heads out to Lukla and Kathmandu.

Scott Woolums reporting from the Mt Trip Everest Base Camp!

Walking the slack line at base camp!