Firat Eren

From a series of dispatches from the Alpine Ascents 2007 Everest Expedition team.

Hello friends, family and loved ones,

Our acclimatizing is going well as our bodies adapt to the rarified atmosphere of 5,300 meters. So today we put our skills to the test on the glacier very near to our camp. Team members work on ladder crossing while Amy, Dave and I set up a rope course amongst the towering seracs (towers of ice). Amy climbed up the highest serac and set up a rappel station and Dave fixed line over a varity of rough terrain. I anchored ladders over a water hazard which led to an ice climb that took climbers back up to where Amy was. It was a challenging circuit designed to test member’s abilities with several important skill sets. Our ultimate goal is to be able to move safely and efficiently when we actually begin to climb Everest. It was evident that climbers learned as they did multiple laps on the course. Fun was had by all even the ones that fell through thin ice into the icy water below. Even with wet boots their spirits were not dampened. Find out what happens tomorrow when we venture into the lower Khumbu icefall.

Namaste,
Vern