Monday 17 Apr 2000 Kangchenjunga Base Camp
Today was another day of load carrying to Camp 1. The team carried a total of 92 man-days of the rations we spent our "rest day" sorting out yesterday. These rations consisted of Service rations packs with the bits we dont like or can't eat (appetite is extremely sensitive at high altitude) to be replaced with special morsels provided by our many food sponsors or bought in by Colin Scott our food member. Favourites items include Peperami mini salami sausages, Primula Cheese Spread, KP Peanuts, Raisins, Noodles, Kingfisher Norwegian Tinned Salmon, Spar Tinned Sardines, Twinings specialist teas, Tunnocks Caramel Wafers, Waitrose Dried Fruit, Ovaltine and Cadbury's Hot Chocolate. Two men's rations for 1 day weighs about 3kg (about 7lb) so about 150kg of food went up to Camp 1 today.
The weather was excellent when the team left Base Camp at around 0430 with a crystal clear sky with little wind. The temperature felt as though it was probably just above freezing point. The first pair reached Camp 1 at about 0900 and John Doyle, our communications expert, carried out the first radio check of the expedition with the leader at Base Camp. Good communications are vital and as the expedition progresses will become more so as the expedition leader tries to co-ordinate the movement of people and loads up and down the mountain so that the right people and the right load get to the right place at the right time. One of the worst things that could happen is that 8 team members converge on a Camp that has only 4 available sleeping bags!
The teams returned to Base Camp between 1100 and 1230 for a well-earned cup of hot orange juice followed by a hot dhobie (what we in the Services call a wash) in a small tin tub just big enough to stand in, followed by a couple of hours sleep. The pattern for the rest of the day has now been established and will see the team rise at 1600 when the cooks bang the gong for afternoon tea. (It is vitally important to drink as much fluid as possible at this altitude as dehydration is a major enemy of the high altitude climber and predisposes the individual to frostbite and other serious problems). After tea a series of games of Scrabble will usually ensue (we all play and take it very seriously) until dinner at 1800 and an early night at 1930 ready for tomorrows load carry.
Todays pictures show Dave Pearce and Dan Carroll crossing the rock band below the Hump; Neil Greenwood and Aleck Burrell approaching the Korean Camp 1 (green tents) at the Hump; Neil Greenwood at the Korean Camp and finally David Bunting and John Doyle at our Camp 1 with the magnificent sight of Jannu in the background.
