Day 25 - Move to ABC (6,400m)

Over breakfast we are shouted at by the yak men to 'let's go!' At least an hour prior to the time we agreed we would be setting off. Not very polite but no real issue as we have all been up for some time so we start packing up. Unfortunately one of them spies a half empty kit bag, grabs it, puts it on his yak and promptly sets off. This kit bag was mine and should be carrying my overnight camping gear. Every other bag apart from the sharps bag is full and despite helpful suggestions from others, I am not keen on risking damage to my down jacket, sleeping bag etc by having them in the same bag as our ice axes, crampons etc. This means that I am carrying over 25kg on our first trek up to 6,400m which is far from ideal. However we have a rest day tomorrow so it will probably do me some good - the day turns into a long, slow painful one for me as what should have been a 3 hour jaunt up the valley turns into a 5 hour schlep!

Like the end of yesterday, we continue up a steep rise until we get to the corner at about 6,000m and then it is a long, long walk on a gentle gradient until we have passed Changtse and turn right into the valley just beneath the South Col. The glacier up the main valley is covered with moraine in the middle and there are penitentes on the sides of the glacier with the startings of a river flowing down - this will no doubt get significantly bigger as the snow and ice melt over the next month or so. The glacier undulates significantly - especially in the first half and it is pretty tiring to always be steeply ascending or sharply descending. The second half is generally much flatter until we turn the final right hand bend into the valley leading steeply up to base camp.

 

Following the path on the moraine topped glacier

A close up view of the wind and water eroded ice towers - penitentes 

The penitents on either side of the moraine ridge

Heading down to cross the small but growing river that comes down the glacier

An interim yak camp on the glacier

ABC with the North Col in the background

The rest of the day is relaxing as people are pretty fatigued and this is followed by a few surprises as we start to discover some of the equipment that has not made it up. Key on the list seems to be the fuel for the generator - having no light after about 6pm combined with little heat makes camp a pretty depressing place to be so we all head to bed early.