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USAF 7 Summits Update: 23 Apr: Base Camp Rest Day

By Maj. Rob Marshall, USAF 7 Summits / Published April 23, 2013

The Khumbu Icefall. Everest Base Camp is at the bottom center of the photo, where the glacier turns. (Photo courtesy of Eric Simonson, IMG)
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The Khumbu Icefall. Everest Base Camp is at the bottom center of the photo, where the glacier turns. (Photo courtesy of Eric Simonson, IMG)

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MT. EVEREST, Nepal -- April 22nd, 2013 Rob Marshall checked in just a few minutes ago from Base Camp. After yesterday's venture into the Khumbu Icefall in snowy conditions, he reports a bright and sunny day at EBC, with the Air Force flag flying high over their campsite! The team is taking a rest and recovery day today, attending to chores like doing laundry and sewing their USAF 7 Summits patches onto their down suits.

Tomorrow the team will ascend through the Icefall again to Camp 1 at 19,900, and spend two nights there before moving up to Camp 2 at 21,000' for two additional nights of acclimatization. (Remember, you can track the team's movements in near-real time using the GPS tracking application on the USAF 7 Summits website. If you haven't checked that out, make sure you have the Google Earth plug-in for your browser, and then go explore!)

Snowstorms over the past two days have dumped a lot of new snow on the mountain, and the Guides and Sherpa will be keeping a very close eye on avalanche danger. Rob reports the team have felt the rumble of many avalanches throughout the night, which is actually a good sign. As the mountain's steep slopes shed snow due to naturally triggered avalanches, the subsequent danger to climbers is reduced. (EBC, for obvious reasons, is established a safe distance from avalanche paths.) As the team moves higher on the mountain, weather, especially storms and high winds will become increasingly important, and that's where the science of accurate forecasting and the experience level of Everest veterans becomes invaluable.

Conditions permitting, the climbers will ascend to tag Camp 3 at 23,500' before returning to EBC for a few days rest. This technique of "climb high, sleep low" is part of a carefully thought out acclimatization schedule to reduce the chances of altitude sickness. Keeping everyone healthy through this process is the primary objective, and several team members report they are already shedding the extra weight they put on in preparation for the climb. Everyone's appetite tends to decrease at altitude, and "fueling the furnace" takes extra effort. Still, most climbers can expect to shed 20 to 30 pounds. No one will be sweating the PT test waist measurement after this trip!

Thanks again to everyone who is cheering on the team!

For more information on the USAF 7 Summits Team http://www.usaf7summits.com/blog/