At 5:30 am we heard from the climbers at C3 - they were feeling well and sounding energized.  The skies are clear, the winds low, and different than yesterday - NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY!

Last night around 9:00 pm, the entire Shared Summits team discussed the conditions and possible summit alternatives from this point forward.  Given the high winds (over 50 mph) that are forecasted to arrive beginning late in the afternoon on Friday and the very favorable conditions that appear to arrived until that time, the consensus seems to be in favor of moving today to C4 and moving the summit push up to tonight (actually early morning tomorrow.)  This strategy is plausible if two things materialize: 1) they can make it up to C4 today with enough energy for a summit push and 2) the Koreans (3 climbers & 3 Sherpas) who are at C2, move to C4 and are up for the same summit push such that the 9 of them can work together to break trail and endure the extraordinarily long up and down day.

On the second point, Chris Stensland and I made a visit to Mr. Hong at the Korean Camp at 5:45 am to convey a status report to them and to discuss their plans.  As we all peered out the tent flap with relief at the sunny morning conditions, Mr. Hong probed us for news on the trail conditions between C2 and C3 as well as on how our climbers were faring.  As opposed to yesterday's 10 hour odyssey, we all agreed the Korean's push to C3 today would take 5-6 hours.  At 6:00 am the Korean climbers called down from C2, and following the conversation, it appeared that the Koreans were preparing to take advantage of the day and proceed to C4 as well.  Our climbers will be breaking trail ahead of them leaving from C3 to C4 at about 7:30 am.  Then at some point all nine climbers will be together at C4 and can crystallize their summit plans--as they say here in Pakistan--In Shallah. 

At 10:00 am Stensland decided to check in with the group to learn of their early progress. Unfortunately Don's first trip out found a trail that was heavily loaded with fresh snow and ready to avalanche at any time, so he regrouped back at the tent and the team was reworking how they would ascend the first 500 feet.  A bit later the news wasn't any better, Bruce had taken a shot on another line and returned back to C3 with the same result. As time went on it became obvious that the trip to C4 would be a long one--probably another 10 hours.  That, with the news in a new weather report that the winds on Friday and Saturday were coming sooner and harder, all but sealed the fate--by 1 pm the summit push had ended.  With that, the climbers announced they would be returning all the way to base camp; we expect them at around 7:30 pm this evening.

Joel Shalowitz