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Today is a rest day. We got to ‘sleep in’ until 9:30, but the truth is most were awake well before then. The toils of yesterday – to be fair it wasn’t bad – meant people just lay in their sleeping bags and rested. The wind picked up earlier in the morning at about 5am, and the tents rattled a bit. Nothing concerning though.

Leaving our tents this morning, we were met by grey skies and low clouds, nothing much above us was visible. This is a “shock”, as so far all clouds have been largely below us, or non existent. It’s also colder, no sun to distract us from the real temp. 13-15F, but feeling about 5.

After breakfast – pancakes with blueberries- I walked up and down ‘Main Street’ – the main track leading between all the various teams tents and up to the Ranger station (yes, there are full time Rangers stationed here during the climbing season) – to stretch my legs. A bit stiff since yesterday, but the walk is good. I’m not alone, many had the same thought. I met a group from Lithuania, and there was also a Russian team. Plenty room for both groups, so invasion not necessary!

As I walked everything is different. The views and the majesty of the mountains, that we clearly have taken for granted, is replaced with very low grey cloud, getting lower by the minute. After my third lap I have to head back to our camp, as the cloud has dropped so low that the camp is becoming invisible.

Snacking in the mess tent, chatting with friends, is followed by a game of Wizards, a card game brought by Etienne. Good fun! Then a lay in the tent, and read another chapter of Rory Stewart’s “How not to be a politician”. It’s quite good, but he comes across as a bit naive. The solar panel is hanging outside, hoping we can get some stuff charged. The non-stop sunshine has also led us to believe power to charge the phone is no issue. (God, not so long ago people climbed in wool and hobnail boots, and I’m concerned about my solar panel!!!) I don’t want to try and finish Clarkson’s Farm if we don’t have the ability to recharge. I’ll try and save the phone charge for photos.

The weather forecast isn’t looking great. We need 2-3 consecutive good days, one to move to 17,000ft, and then to immediately attempt to summit the second day. The 3rd day is about getting back down to 14,000. Right now, that’s not looking good. The weather for the latter half of the week looks bad. Lots of snow.

The other factor is if the weather is 50/50, Dominic will need to decide can the team move fast enough if we need to. That certainly plays into the 3rd day, when we would have to get back down. The ability of the team is mixed, we have some very fit people, and 2-3 that are more challenged.

I was talking to Mike, the 3rd guide, who has just completed Everest. He says you’re fitness is actually decreasing when you’re on the mountain, and operating at altitude. Waiting around for the weather to change will not help either. We’ll see.

As the day progressed the weather improved and the visibility increased. We saw a team head up Motorcycle hill. I asked Dominic about it, but he said they were putting themselves at risk, as the temp up high was going to drop. He says the forecast is for strong winds, and challenge up high is the wind. As the wind increases it will drop the temperature up there significantly, and he says 17,000 camp is inhospitable, with little shelter. In addition, the wind makes crossing the West Buttress very challenging. I go to sleep thinking about how challenging the West Buttress will be!

After looking at Motorcycle hill for a couple of days, and being intimidated by it, today we get to try it.

Today we moved food for our summit attempt to 16,200ft. We brought 3 days of food, that was snacks, 3 dehydrated dinners and breakfasts. This would be all we needed when we’d try for the summit. We would not come back up unless, or until, there was a 3 day weather window to attempt to summit. RMI has a (permanent) cache at 17,000 ft, with more food, tents and cooking gear. This would minimize our overall carry to 17,000. We travelled about 2 miles total – doesn’t seem that far- but went 2,000ft up and down. So, yes it was, steep. Literally straight up!

We headed out at 8:30am. It was cold, about 15F. Surprisingly we were the only team looking to head out at that time. We are surprised in general, that so many teams wait and walk in the heat of the day, where the temps are high, and the snow is slushy.

We had about 1,200ft of steep up hill, until we met the bergschund, and we transitioned to fixed lines. On the steep uphill section it’s important to kick in with your crampons to ensure a good fitting, one foot, rest, kick with the other foot, rest, and on, and on. We took one break on the way to the fixed lines. The camp below was getting smaller, but the view was just getting better. As we approached the bergschund, Dominic dug out a shelf for us to rest. We would leave our walking poles here, as they are no help/a hindrance on the fixed lines on the fixed lines. Fixed lines are used where the slope is very steep, and extra assistance is needed. (We connect to a fixed rope (line) with an ascender, which provides an extra connection point to the mountain. The ascender slides on the rope, and can’t move backwards. However, you don’t (or are not supposed to) use the ascender to pull yourself up).

Crossing the bergschund – which in reality is a crevasse – was a manouver, not achieved on the first attempt, as one pulled oneself upward, and across this gaping slit in the ice, and then a large step up to engage the fixed line.

On the fixed lines we were climbing on blue ice. The blue ice is super hard, and takes a decent “kick” to engage the crampon. Amazing, but not always as assuring as packed snow. Communication on the fixed lines is important. The person ahead gives notice that he has reached a picket, or knot, and has to disengage from the fixed line, and re-attach above the picket. Moving on the fixed lines was less trying than on the earlier steep sections, as each step really moves you upward, and the rope does help!The views behind us back to camp, Mt Foraker, Mt Hunter, and the Kahiltna glacier were astonishing, but nothing compared to the views we had the luck to see when we reached the top of the lines, at the beginning of the West Buttress.

Steep falloff’s on both sides, with Mt Foraker, etc to the south, and the Peter glacier to our north. The vastness of the Alaska range is incredible, with mountains in all directions. What a privilege to see this. As we admired the views, and ate some snacks, Dom, Ben, and Mike buried the food and other stuff we brought up.

The descent was more taxing than the ascent. No ascenders on the descent!! Our connection to the fixed line is by wrapping the rope around your arm and descending slowly – with this massive 2,000 foot slope in front of you.

Another embarrassing attempt to cross the bergschund, pick up the hiking poles, and then the final 1,200 feet to camp.

So far the weather has been on our side, but it looks like that’s about to change. Winds are going to increase to over 30mph, which will make it too cold above 17,000ft, so we’ll have to sit and wait. Pity, as we were on record pace!

Today was a supposedly a rest day, but in retrospect I think an “active rest day” would have been a better description. We woke up at 6:30, and after a minimal breakfast – coffee and a breakfast bar – we headed downhill at 7:30 to collect our cache’d gear at 13,500. We were back in camp by before 10. Then we had breakfast, bagels and bacon!!!! It’s clearly bagel time, as we don’t want to carry them any further!!!

After a very brief rest we started to “fortify” our camp. Literally! Ice blocks were cut out of the floor of the mess tent – the ice saw is a scary tool -, and those blocks, along with snow blocks we cut from around camp, and we took from previously occupied camps, were used to build an ice wall around camp. This is in case the weather changes and we get a big storm, or worse, if we are stormed in. At 14,000ft we work slowly as moving ice and snow requires a fair effort, so another rest in the tents followed.

At 3:30 pm we were off to practice ascending and descending the fixed lines. It’s a while since most of us used a jumar, so the practice is really worthwhile, especially practicing how to unclip with heavy gloves on. Learning, and struggling, in real life, on the fixed lines is not an option. Nor is stopping and waiting as people struggle to unclip when on the steeper sections of the fixed lines.

It’s been a long few days. Building ice castles today was tough going. I’m pretty wrecked, so I’m hoping for a decent sleep. I really hope I feel better tomorrow!

What a day! A tough one for sure. We have arrived at Camp 3, at 14,200ft. The hike today was the move to Camp 3, so we pulled sleds as well- well most people did but not all. The 4th (last) man does not haul a sled, but he/me carries more weight on their back. We need the sleds up at Camp 3 to bring all the stuff down on our descent. The role of the last person (me in our team) is to control the sled of the person in front.

So it was a tougher day, more challenging than our first trip. Regardless of our attempts to split the weight, the 2nd trip is always heavier!. Managing the sleds up Motorcycle and Squirrel hill was tough, managing around Windy corner was challenging. A steep fall on the right meant a sliding sled could off-balance the sled puller. My role was to maintain a taut rope to prevent a slide. We got through it like experts. Once again the heat after rounding Windy corner was incredible. Base layers only. The new base layer is going downhill fast. We passed the cache and had a long haul in soft snow and heat to Camp 3. A 30 minute break, and then we set about making camp. A sudden wind and snow storm blew up as we did, nearly causing us to lose a tent. A couple of hours work and we were done – 4 tents, the cook tent, and the latrine.

Dehydration, the increase in altitude, as well as the 6 hour hike means a tired team tonight. But we’re at 14,200ft, with incredible views of Mt Hunter, Mt Foraker – it is always there, and seems bigger as we climb higher – the west rib of Denali, the Messner Couloir, and the route to 17,000 camp. What a privilege to be able to stare upon such beauty.

Today was a rest day. A true rest day. Nothing to do, and sleep until 9:30. Given the erratic sleep patterns, there never being any real ‘night’, the advantage of sleeping in had me intrigued. One really never knows how much sleep one gets. We go to ‘bed’ at about 8pm, not ready to sleep. We read, watch a downloaded TV show or something, and we fall asleep at some point. No one sleeps all night, but one never tries to open one’s eyes if awake, as it is so bright. I don’t fall asleep easily or early. I read as long as I can, usually stopped when my hand gets too cold holding my Kindle. I try putting the Kindle in my sleeping bag, but I can’t get my eyes focused on the print. I try adjusting the print size, up and down, but to no avail. When my hands get too cold, I just try and lie there, just rest. A good black out mask is a treasure. The other treasure is the pee bottle. No getting out of the tent at 4am for a quick trot to the latrine. Still the usual questioning “do I really need to go?” After 30 mins, a wasted 30 mins, unzip the sleeping bag, search for the pee bottle, try not to wake Andrew. “Should have done that 30 mins ago!”

This morning I was woken from being asleep at 9:30. My best sleep seems to be just before I wake, or am woken. I needed that sleep. Breakfast, believe it or not, was bagels and smoked salmon. Imagine that!! We were free to do nothing all day, but Dominic strongly encouraged us to do something. He said a day of laying around would make tomorrow’s second trip up Motorcycle hill to 14 Camp miserable. If we wanted to just walk, do it, but stay with the boundary of Camp 2, also known as 11 Camp, Outside the boundary was crevasse country!

Me, I wanted to practice my side-step walking. Dominic volunteered to go with me, and offer me his advice. We roped up and eventually ended up 3/4 way up Motorcycle hill. I learned to imagine how a ball might roll down the hill we were climbing, and to keep my feet at 90 degrees to that, to delaying moving my downhill leg for a micro-second when doing the side crossover step, and which step to use on smoother versus heavily walked on snow. It was a very worthwhile hour.

The rest of the day was relaxing. I spent an hour talking with Nate and Andrew on holiday destinations and restaurants. Nate bases his holiday on top-rated Michelin star restaurants – Barcelona – Mont Bar, Girona – El cellar de con roja. I can’t remember the rest!

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Andrew shared his favorite NY venues. – Atomix, Daniele and Shuko

After dinner tonight we prep’d for tomorrow’s move to Camp 3. We went through all our gear, and see if there is anything we want to leave here at 11,000ft. Part of this is the base layers and socks we have used since we flew out of Talkeetna 7 days ago. What a relief to wear a new base layer and underwear. You have no idea!! Tomorrow I will wear fresh socks!!

I have a blister on my small toe that needs watching. Ben helped apply a ‘Compeed like’ bandage. It is only bothersome when I descend, as it gets squashed somewhat in the toe of my boot. It’ll be fine.

Tomorrow is a big day – our move toward 14,000 and establishing a base to prepare to attack the summit. This will be our longer term home, and the place we would wait if the weather changes. We have walked most of the route 2 days ago, and we are eager to move on.

Today was the start of the “real mountaineering”. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I guess that’s why I came. I knew from reading about Denali that we were going to get to meet Squirrel hill, Wendy corner, and the Polo fields. I also knew that there was a tragic fall just a couple of weeks ago at Squirrel hill. One tries not to think, or especially dwell, about this stuff, but it does stick in one’s head. We were up at 5:20 am for a 6:30 start. Our goal today was to cache our food and stuff we need later in the trip just shy of 14,000ft camp. Between us and there was almost 3,000ft, and those renowned aspects of the mountain. Today was our first day wearing crampons, carrying an ice axe in hand, and wearing a helmet. The helmet is really a head scratcher. On steeper sections its goal to is protect us from stuff climbers ahead of us might drop – water bottles most likely. In other sections, such as today’s, it is to protect us in the case of a rockfall. I wonder about this, a big boulder thundering down from Windy Corner, and my little helmet is all I need!!!

Out of camp it was a testing start, 1,000 feet up Motorcycle hill. Not sure why the name, but a motorcycle surely would be handy, except there’s no way a motorcycle is getting up this! I used all the steps – mainly the duck-step, and occasionally the side step – to minimize muscle pain and fatigue. The other key trick is the break step, which allows you to take micropauses between steps to rest the non-load bearing leg. I reckon today I am carrying 40 – 50 lbs. I don’t look up, I’m taking it one step at a time, ensuring I take the micropauses, don’t stand on the rope, and only lift my head occasionally to ensure I’m in Andrew’s trail. We did well, and in no time we were traversing Squirrel hill, with the Peter glacier thousands feet below our left side. Once we hit the Polo field, a large fairly flat section, the sun was beginning to hit. Before we reached Windy corner we were in base layers. The temperature was about 20, but it was so hot. Windy corner it was not, so across an icy section with exposure to the right, threading the path between some crevasses, and we reached the cache site. From there we had great views of the various routes up Denali, including the Messner route, named after the famous climber, which is rarely attempted. We could see people making their way out of Camp 3 towards the 17,000ft camp.

A relatively quick turnaround and we were on the way back. Squirrel hill showed its true exposure on the return leg. I try not to think about the person who died here just a couple of weeks ago. He was doing this section on skis, so not roped in to other people. We were back at camp at 1pm. 6.5 hours round trip. Dom was happy – always a good sign. He constantly is monitoring the fitness and movement of the team, understanding what, and what not, we are capable of, and how fast we can move. Critical aspects of conditions were to change suddenly.

An afternoon of rest, reading and 2 episodes of Clarkson’s Farm. Dinner was Jambalaya – 6 lbs of minced beef with rice and some vegetables. Today I had seconds.

Tomorrow is a rest day, with breakfast at 9:30. Woohoo!

Today was a supposed “rest day”. We slept in ‘til 5:30am, which was welcome after some of our earlier starts. We were now at a height where snow melt and crevasse bridges was less of a concern, meaning we did not need to travel through the night. On the other hand the heat of the day was significant, despite the temp being in the 10’s or 20’s, so moving before it got too hot when we had full sun in the sky was important.

The rest day entailed going back to our cache at 10,000 ft to collect our stuff. We left camp at 6:30 am. It was cold, probably 15-20F. Despite our best estimate to cache half our stuff, the half left in the cache was heavier, or at least appeared to be, so the carry back up to 11,000 ft was tougher than expected, but it was relatively short. We were back by 8am.

Shortly thereafter, it was a feast of bagels, cream cheese, and bacon. A few hours of rest, followed by 2 episodes of Clarkson’s farm season 4, and then a refresher in uphill walking techniques in crampons with Dominic. I hate walking side step, but on steeper ground it provides some relief from the normal duck step. Doing either in crampons, and avoiding stumbles or slashing one’s gaiters, does necessitate some practice. My legs haven’t done either since late November in Antarctica.

Different teams on the mountain have different strategies on assaulting Denali. Some bypass Camp 1, and stop somewhere between Camp 1 and Camp 2, and maybe not cache until above Camp 2 – so they carry all their gear in one carry. That’s hard! However, they will also need to have a different rest day strategy, to acclimatize.

We had a group charcuterie lunch Al fresco in the afternoon, looking at these glorious mountains, getting to know each other better, and unfortunately watching the clouds gather on Mt Foraker to our south. Dominic says it’s not a great sign, but weather up here is unpredictable

Dominic says the real climbing starts tomorrow. So far had been ‘approach work’. Before going to bed tonight we pack our backpacks assuming we will move tomorrow and cache somewhere below 14,000ft. The cache will be our heavy layers, and lots of our food. Food remains the big question, it weighs a lot, and it seems like i brought too much. The consolation is everyone is in the same boat. I can leave some here at 11,000 and collect it when we descend, but the fear is running out, or running short.

So far it’s been pretty hot. While day temps may be on the mid 20’s to mid 30’s, the sun and the reflection make it feel like the 70’s or 80’s. Sitting outside is so hot. Most of the time we lay in our tents or sit in the Posh (cooktent). Lying in the tent, we put the sleeping bags on top/outside of the tent to keep the tent cool. It really works!

From Camp 2 we can see a large part of the next day. ‘Ski hill’ is the beginning of our next stage. We sit and watch other teams ascend, like little tiny columns of ants. It is steep, so will be a test, but so far so good!

Tonight after dinner the whole camp enjoyed the spectacle of a few guys skiing down, with sleds and duffles. Some were spectacularly successful, and some were a train wreck. As we watch we think skis would be nice, being able to descend in minutes versus hours. However, this is not simple skiing- no groomed runs here!

Night time temps are still manageable, so haven’t had to increase the nighttime layers yet. Sleeping has been ok. I am struggling to get to sleep, but I have to be woken each morning. The pee bottle is the savior in the middle of the night

We are at Camp 2, at 11,003ft. The view here is stupendous, and very turned around from the view yesterday. We now look at Foraker to the southwest, Thunder Rudge is right in front of us, as is our path to Camp 3, which is to our east. Just beside camp is a mountain with these huge seracs. I just stare at it and wander what’s keeping them from falling. These seracs are the size of multiple houses, thousands of tons of ice, glistening in the sunshine. It’s incredible.

The hike today was for the first part the same as yesterday, and then we passed our cache and swung east uphill, serious uphill, for a further hour and a half. The final pull up to Camp 2 is tough. Finally at about 9:30 amWe broke camp at Camp 1 at 4 am, having got up at 2. Finally at 9:30 am we crested the hill and we were at Camp 2. Today I listened to podcasts, as we tackled the hill beyond on the cache. I needed distraction. There is a reasonable crowd in Camp 2. We spent a couple of hours establishing camp. Ben, our 2nd guide, said to make it comfortable, as there is a risk of weather change, and we could be here a while. Andrew and I have a good spot. We took advantage of a previous tenant. The site needed some flattening, but it has an awesome boot hole in the porch. After setting up, I got a solid 2 hours of sleep. Then I helped get the posh built. It’s pretty elegant.

The temp outside is mid 20’s, which I cannot believe. Standing outside is very hot, almost too hot. Sunscreen is essential, as is wearing a hood, baseball cap, sunglasses, and a nose cover.

Dinner tonight is quesadillas. So far the food has been decent. Goal is to eat as much as you can. Take seconds if available. Also soup to start. Miso or some awful corn concoction. Soup goes in my mug. It means my soup tastes of coffeee, and my coffee of soup!9 hit the sack by 8 pm. There is a game of dice going on, but I got the sleeping bag and read my book, until my hand gets too cold. In bed I’m in a base layer, boxers, my down booties, my beanie and light gloves. Nights haven’t been so cold so far. Oh I forgot, earplugs and an awesome face mask that completely blocks the light. Tomorrow we go back downhill to collect our cache, to bring it up to Camp 2.

Today our goal was to take ‘half’ our stuff and cache it at about 10,000ft. Half of the total, a lot of which we can’t move. Our tents, sleeping stuff, cook tent, kitchen all have to stay. So we basically carry most of the food we need for the total expedition – personal food and group food, and fuel. We also cache anything else we’re unlikely to need tomorrow – ascenders, very heavy gloves, climbing helmet, spare glasses – anything to reduce the weight on the 2nd carry. What we don’t bring today is 5 days of food, in case conditions change, and we get stuck here at Camp 1. We carry all our layers up and down, as conditions can change at any moment.

We were up at 2:30 am – a ‘sleep’ in. Breakfast, finish packing, and leave at 4:20. Today is a long slog in snow shoes. Ski hill is known for crevasses, but the route is safe. Dominic, who’s been here many times, occasionally moves from the established path, to ground he knows is inherently safer. The loads are joyfully lighter than yesterday, but the ground is steeper. The pace is slow, steady. I like it. We take 3 breaks, approx an hour apart. Each time we stop I wished we’d kept going. I liked the pace, and stopping always mean re-establishing a rhythm. However, breaks are essential, we need to hydrate to eat, and put on sunscreen – always putting on sunscreen!.” Without food and water we’ll struggle later in the hike. While I walk I am focused on the rope in front of me – connecting me to Andrew, and our team. Keep it taut, but don’t pull on it. Also walk in the exact path of the person in front, on tested ground. The ground to the left or right might not be as safe.

As we walk people do different things. Many listen to music – 1 ear-piece only – some to a podcast. I pray for the first hour or two. Pray for my family, friends, relatives, deceased family, and the world. These prayers lead to my mind wandering about people, and how they are, what they’re doing, and wishing them well. It makes me grateful for the planet earth, and how beautiful it is, and hope we do something to prevent its destruction. It makes me realize how much I love my family, and how lucky I am, and I pray for their health and happiness. After that I just let my mind wander. Perhaps I will throw on a podcast. However, I try so hard to stay focused on the task in hand – getting safely to the next objective. I don’t try and take photographs as I walk – it would be nice, but I don’t have confidence in my skill to multi-task. I take photos at the breaks, or at an unscheduled stop.

The walk today brought us north towards the Kahiltna pass, with Kahiltna dome on our left. On our right is Thunder ridge, and behind that is Denali. As we cached, Dominic pointed out the route to Camp 2, and then to Camp 3 at 14,000 ft. Neither is visible, but it’s nice to have a vague outline of the next few days.

When we cached the temp was 15F, but with the breeze it was about 5F. Multiple layers were needed as we dug a deep hole to cache the stuff. Seemingly ravens will unearth and rip open shallow buried food.

After we turned around it was near empty backpacks, and empty sleds. Controlling the sleds, as we quickly made our return to Camp was “fun”.

We were back by 9:30. Then it’s rest, sleep, snooze, read, hydrate and eat.

Tomorrow will be similar, but we will bring the rest of the gear straight to Camp 2.

So far, so good….

We took off on schedule and landed on the glacier about 12 mid-day. Base camp is deserted. Everyone left when the weather improved. The pilot said this was the best weather of the season. We immediately set up tents and rested. It was too hot to move. We had dinner at 5pm and discussed the plan. We would move out at 3am. We then discussed our packing strategy – on our backs versus sleds, how to rope up with the sleds, and how to rope the sleds to prevent them flipping us if we fell in a crevasse. The issue with flipping is that we may fall out of our harness. That’s bad, really bad! We also discussed ice axe arrest when pulling a sled, if one of the team dropped in a crevasse. This is most likely the leader, as we are all instructed to follow exactly his foot steps.

Then we hit the sack. Sleep was mediocre. It’s hard to sleep at 7:30pm in broad daylight, and the apprehension of what lies ahead.

We were woken at 12. Breakfast, a quite horrible granola with powdered milk. Then we finished packing -emptying the tents, packing up all the sleeping stuff, plus the group food and kitchen. My bag without any group stuff was 71lbs, add 3 liters of water, and the group stuff. 90-100 lbs.

I was slightly heavier in the sled I think.

At 3 am we hit the trail. I was the last in our group of 4.30 am in Alaska is daylight, midnight in Alaska is like a November day in Indiana or Ireland – just dull. The initial stretch is downhill. The weight doesn’t feel so bad. The brake is on the sled, to try and prevent it clattering your heels. Everyone was in snowshoes. The temp felt like 0-10F. The snow was crisp underfoot, and good to walk on. After an hour of downhill, we took a right and headed up the Kahiltna glacier. In addition to the underfoot conditions being better, the bridges on the crevasses are more solid. This with the snowshoes to spread the weight, is the safest option. The sun was catching the tip of Mt Foraker, it was glowing a bright yellow. Beautiful!

The pull up the hill was tough, but we set a steady pace, and plodded upwards. We took 3 breaks to snack, and hydrate. At the final break we took out our sunglasses and put on sunscreen. The sun the right hand shoulder of Denali, as we reached Camp 1. Up there somewhere is the famous Cassin route – not for the faint hearted.

Camp 1 is beautiful. An amphitheater of the most beautiful, pristine white mountains. Denali was clear all day. Francis, Hunter, etc, all looking majestic.

We set up camp – 5 tents, a cook/dining tent, and a ‘bathroom’. I buried my food, the heat of the sun would turn my chocolate snacks into a giant glob. Everyone grabbed 2-3 hours of sleep, and then hung out in the tents – resting.

Dinner at 6, with delicious burritos, some hot chocolate, and discussed the plan for tomorrow.

We will bring half our gear towards Camp 2, and cache at around 10,000ft, and then come back down

It’s good to have a day down. It’s encouraging to be able to complete the first carry. The road gets steeper, but the loads will get lighter. Now to try and grab some sleep.