Day 5 - Carry to Camp One

Our goal today was to get a load of food and gear to camp one at 16240 feet. We hiked on rock scree through steep pitches of penitentes, all in an arduous snow storm. Penitentes are broad stretches of snow and ice turned into long, narrow ice sculptures by wind and sun. Though quite beautiful, hiking through a penitente with a 45 lb pack felt like a large sea turtle moving through a convoluted obstacle course. It was a tough and spectacular hike made envigorating by the constant flow of snow and wind.

We have a rest day at base camp tomorrow. I'm finding the mountain quite enjoyable, interspersed with some tough climbing. I'm feeling strong and well.

Back at you tomorrow from base camp.

Terri