Dispatch 11: Push for summit stymied by weather
After carefully watching the weather for the last week, Chris and Marty picked May 6th as their best chance to reach Makalu's snowy summit. They had a narrow window as the weather is planning to turn again on the 8th with winds up to 70km per hour. The team left May 1st to reach ABC. The following day they traveled through shin-deep snow, bypassing their mid-camp and heading straight to Camp 1, located on the col on the SE ridge.

marty_climbing_to_col_camp-th.jpgHigh winds kept them trapped in their 6500 meters high nylon lodge until this morning, when they were greeted with clear skies and low winds for a push to a high-point of 7200 meters.

Unfortunately, deep snow fell on Makalu last night, making any big push impossible. The team's new plan of attack will be to make as much progress towards 7500meters and get a view of the eastern cwm before heading back to Base Camp to rest and await another potential summit window.

Do you have any questions for the Makalu team? Ever wonder what they eat at 6500 meters? Curious how Ashley is able to send video dispatches from the other side of the world? What kind of gear are Chris and Marty carrying during the expedition? Or how about what Theo and Gia are up to at Base Camp? Send your questions for the Makalu team and Chris, Marty, Ashley, Theo & Gia will answer them in the next dispatch! Email questions to christina at earthtreksclimbing dot com