Our day begins today at 5am as we are offered hot tea in our tent, by 5:30 we are dressed and wearing our monster boots and harnesses with our crampons stowed in our trimmed down backpacks.  At 6:10am we are off with a stop by our Lhopsu ( the stone structure that was the center of our Puja Ceremony yesterday).  We followed suit as our Sherpa Mingmar Dorji Sherpa and Mingma Sherpa showed us how to pay respect before our entering the Khumbu Ice fall. 

The path was well marked with flagged bamboo stakes.  At first it meanders back and forth slowly gaining elevation.  This pace quickens soon though and we find ourselves crossing gapping crevasses 50 – 100 meters deep on old aluminum ladders.  In places you could see the fixed line from years past that exited and entered a glass smooth wall of ice ten to twenty feet down.  Perhaps this was part of the path from years ago.

Our goal today was to make it half through the Khumbu Ice Fall, and we made it more than 60% before we turned around and returned for hot drink and food at base-camp.  Much deserved rest for the remainder of the day.  This consisted of naps for some and huddling around our gas fireplace and reading for others.  Dinner was outstanding!...Mutton sizzler all around with tomato soup and three plates of vegetable momos that I ended up eating most of…..and now I have to go as another plate of veg momos just arrived.

Good night to all
Namaste
Mark