I'll make this short since I have 10 Ukrainians watching me type this dispatch with awareness and intent to know what the heck I am writing about. These people have nothing but kindness and goodness deep within their bones. Such good people all around us, from these folks to the British across the valley to the true Nepalese oldest man of this Barun valley living in his stone hut from Feb-Nov each year, only travelling down valley for the harsh winter days, he is amazing and wonderful to be next to, to have grand talks about live, about his 50 or so Yaks that he owns which makes him the richest man in this Valley which means so much to these local people, which all have deep respect for each individual, Namaste....meaning I honor in you the lotus flower in which you honor in me.

The sun is shining, the warmth in the air sooths our minds and bodies as we sit around this amazing group of young and old men from the old eastern block nation. So much national pride comes from each person, just like the pride from the British that we experienced the other day when Chris and I were on our summit bid.....leaving our BC on the 2nd of May.....reading from our weather reports that the 3rd-7th of May would be good weather  above 8000 meters...making us think that we would be ready for our summit on the 6th and return down the other side of the mountain on the 7th May before the wicked storms come on the 8th-11th May. Well other things happen....like they can do in the 8000 meter realm. For one thing, the altitude above 7000 meters never cleared or became a welcoming friend to us. The weather reports were not accurate or even close to what they said the weather would be. Just like fish finders in the great oceans letting you know exactly where the big ones are.........my faith is not restored with these future thoughts since the first day I arrived on K2 in 1992. I do however respect the forecasts in New Zealand. When they say a southerly is coming we know it will hit us on Aoraki, same with the northwesters, we can count on these reports, but for the Himalayas.......very hard to figure out and trust.

The other misfortune......while climbing tour high point above 7000 meters....Chris came down with an ailment that might have done much damage to his wonderful, powerful and mighty body......at the same time his mind was thinking of the best movement for his life. We phoned around the world and talked to different doctors and came to a conclusion while sitting in our tent at the SE ridge Col camp, which lead us to the only direction we could travel. Our own route down the south glacier back to our 2 camps was out of the question, since it snow around half a meter which means over meter in the built up areas making this route deathly dangerous. Our only way down was with the British route to the toe of the SE ridge. This route has British history from the beginning with Doug Scott attempts in the 1980 and 1984 trying to climb the full length. The British Military team has tried this route now 3 times, in 2004, 08 and now again this year 2010. Amazing route, I could not say this before a few days ago when Chris and I did our own rescue, with the full help of 4 British military wonderful men. Dick, Phil, Pat and Matt, thank you for your help upon this day. We needed 9 full hours to get to the British BC, leaving at 11:30 and arriving at our safe place at 8:30pm. During this whole day we were helping Chris get down to a life saving altitude......Chris and I concluded with the doctors that he had four things that could prevent him from living....the first being the most important....PE, not the high altitude sickness but PE as in pulmonary embolism, which means a blood clot that could become loose and give him hours of life to live....Art Gilky experience in 1953 K2 expedition. We did not know which way this will go so we made no doubt about it, we had to leave right away knowing that the Fishtail helicopter was not coming for him that day.....this was organizing by our Global Rescue company and with Iswari, our trust worthy agent in KTM, Himalayan Guides. We are out of hear is what we told each other when we hung up the sat phone. The other possible conditions were walking pneumonia, a flu and or upper chest infection. All these possibilities are considered deadly above 7000 meters.

So now, as I am writing to you all, Chris is safe and sound in KTM getting treated for what ever has been happening to him. Thank you to everyone involved and who helped with this rescue, thank you.

With our wonderful team from day one of this expedition, we have decided to make a new plan. Ashley and Theo want to head back to their home land, so we arranged for them to travel home, leaving on the 10th May with Ram. They are so excited and happy to be heading home. Great job to the both of them for all their help with the filming and editing. Thanks. Ram will be heading back to our BC. During this time I will be heading back up our route to collect all the camps and gear that we left behind leaving nothing behind us. Then around the 14th-21st May, Giannina and I will be trekking to the North side of Makalu where I will be attempting a 1 or 2 day ascent of the 1955 Normal route.

The time is running out now for this email and for our time on Makalu where I want to finish this dispatch to you all lovely people who are following us with this climb and for Yuri to have his computer back. I will let you all know via Daan at Macpac how this next part of the journey will turn out for Giannina and I.

Sending you all our best from the Makalu BC area where we hope that you all will visit with us on one of the most beautiful treks in the world.

Namaste from Nepal and we'll be in touch always.

Much love and light,

-Marty and Giannina.