Firat Eren

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

We got a radio call from Lakpa – the first members of the team are arriving at the Balcony. It is still a beautiful night – a sky full of stars, no moon at this point, and not a cloud to be seen anywhere. And maybe most important, still not much in the way of wind. So everything is going well for the climbing team. With the clear sky the temperatures are cold, so I’m sure they are eagerly awaiting the arrival of first light in about an hour and a half. Here at Base Camp I got a couple hours of sleep while Gopal and Deepak monitored the radios until 2:00am. Then they handed off to Padam. I awoke to the gentle sound of Nawang Thandup continuing to say prayers and burn juniper out by the puja altar. Soon the team will be starting up the Southeast Ridge on their way up to the South Summit. This will take several hours and will be full daylight by the time they get there.

Ellie at Base Camp