Day 10 & 11 - Cache load for Camp I

0917 8000m my post

Sunday 16 Sep
Mark could not get through to Raymond on Saturday. Had Puja ceremony today – four seasons in one day. As we tossed rice grains up in the air, the snow came down. The weather is cold cloudy and snowy. Spent the day at ABC where I have had some good acclimatisation. Would like to push the boundaries a little more every day. Have a bit of a cough and would like to take it easy and recover here at ABC (5800m) tomorrow. Then, would like to take a tent to Camp 1 (6500m). Might still achieve my record altitude of 6500m in the next few days. Few groups left here. Jamie and Eric took two groups up to depot Camp after ceremony. I was very pleased when some yak herders helped me by taking two of my bags to depot camp. This will be a big help and give me a better chance of success. Have been having restless sleep with vivid dreams. (Vivid dreams at high altitude are nothing new. On Everest, Frank Smythe had vivid dreams – OK, hallucinations! – while wide awake when he noticed an apparition right in front of him which kept him company for quite a while). Still having no luck receiving our Sat Phone messages. Asks us to communicate via Jamie’s laptop. Also requests Major Peter’s email address. End of message.

Monday 17 September
An entity claiming to be ‘Eric’ with a very gruff voice reports: Very tired after having crossed the Penitentes and reached cache at 6150m. Had to return because very tired and because of bad weather. Tough going and very exhausting. Impressed with the Sherpas. While I was going down they were still going up in all that bad weather.
Coordinates of Depot Camp: N 028º 24' 11.4"; E 85º 44' 58.7".
Coordinates of cache: N 028º 23' 14.8"; E 85º 44' 55.2".
Plan to have a rest day tomorrow (Tuesday 18 Sep). There is too much snow about. Might just go back to ABC for two or theee days while waiting for the weather to consolidate.
Tent and everything else was soaking wet when I got back but, thankfully, my sleeping bag was nice and dry. Medicine for hoarse throat? Just good clean, fresh air!
The good news is that I was able to get your SMS via Sat Phone. Have also heard from major Peter. End of message.