Kangchenjunga really is a most frustrating mountain. This morning John Doyle, Dan Carroll, Ian Venables and Ady Cole (Ady has swapped with Dave Bunting who has an altitude related problem which will confine him to Base Camp for the moment), plus Nima Dorje and Pemba Norbu, moved up to Camp 3. They intended to move to Camp 4 tomorrow morning which they would then leave tomorrow night at about 2000 for their summit bid. Andy Hughes, Colin Scott and Dave Pearce moved up to Camp 1 to support that summit bid and possibly make a second attempt the following day.

Then the mountain lived up to its reputation. It has snowed all day and at the 1400 radio check Ian Venables reported that conditions up on the mountain are not pleasant and it is likely that everyone will have to descend tomorrow and wait for things to improve. Fortunately we are ahead of schedule and can afford to wait a few days whereas the Swiss team, for example, are rapidly running out of time as they are booked on flights from Suketar to Kathmandu on the 18th May and it takes at least 5 (hard) days to walk to Suketar. We were actually beginning to think about leaving here ahead of schedule and getting home early but the mountain has put paid to that. Serves us right for daring to think along those lines!