A team of 4, David Nicholls, Darren Swift, Mark Lewis and Ben MacInnes successully occupied camp 1 on 21 April. The following day another load carry was completed from Base Camp whilst the team at Camp 1 pushed the route towards camp 2. The team left camp 1 at 0530 and reached their high point (5850m) at 0900 before making a cache of equipment. They decended in soft snow down the mouse glacier that leads to Ramtang. They reached camp 1 at 1000.

At this time Mark Lewis developed a headache. By 1300 his condition had deteriorated ad he was showing symptoms and signs of High altitude Cerebral Oedema. The team of 3 stumbled and staggered with Mark down the 7 Km of the Kangchenjunga glacier. Mark and the team frequently sank into soft snow and had to jump crevasses and glacial streams. At 1500 hrs radio contact was made with base camp and a team of 5 rushed out to meet thre descerndinrg team in the moraine at about 1700hrs. The team's senior doctor, Euan Lawson, administered oxygen and drugs. Mark was then led and hauled back to base camp.

Fortunately his condition stabilised so that further evacuation down the difficult path to Kambachen in darkness and deteriorating weather was not necessary. Euan stayed with Mark overnight and he was evacuated to Kathmandu by helicopter the following morning, Easter day. Mark is now recovering from Cerebral and Pulmonary Oedema in Kathmandu before returning to the UK.

Later on Easter day a snow storm hit base camp and over the next 24 hrs 9 inches of snow fell accompanied by thunder and lighting, confining everyone to base camp.

Tuesday 25 April saw a team of 8 depart for Camp 1 - David Nicholls, Darren Swift, Ben MacInnes, Euan Lawson, Andy Edington, Mark Reed, Dave Goldsmith and Paul Randell. They found it difficult going with the new snow and reached camp 1 just before lunch time. The following day the team of 8 load carried up the mouse glacier towards camp 2, to a cache at 5850m. At the same time the three remaining in base camp, Emma Smith, Tom Martin and Steve Bright load carried to camp 1. They returned to base camp with Darren Swift.

On Thursday 27 April a team of 4 - David Nicholls, Dave Goldsmith, Ben MacInnes and Paul Randell ascended to Camp 2 to stay. Andy Edington and Euan Lawson load carried again to Camp 2. Mark Reed descended to base camp.

Today Friday, the team from camp 2 mase the first summit attempt but were rebuffed by a technically demanding route and party acclimatisation. They plan to rest today at camp 2 and have a second attempt in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Weather conditions at base camp have not been condusive to solar battery recharging. We apologize for the lack of updates and e-mail communication.