Camp 2 is situated on a rocky moraine at 21,500 feet.
Photo by Didrik Johnck.
 

The team sits down for a dinner at Camp 2.
Photo by Didrik Johnck.
 

Erik taking a break before starting up the Lhotse face.
Photo by Didrik Johnck

Our night at camp 3 had to be one of the worst nights on the mountain that I have ever had.  As I lay there in my sleeping bag under layers of down, beside Didrik, I had the constant feeling that something was not quite right.  The night progressed with me getting a hell of a headache and not being able to keep much of my dinner down.  (You really have not lived until you have had to vomit in a Ziploc bag.)

Life at 24,000 feet is never easy, but this was especially hard.  You could look out of our tent and up to the south col, the "boneyard" of mountaineering. The place where dreams are made and broken.  Camp 4, the last camp of the climb, will be set up some time this week, and all that is left is to come back up valley and slowly, climb back up the mountain with the hope for our first summit attempt between May 7th and 10th.

Am I nervous? scared?  Of course. This mountain demands respect, and I try to give it nothing but.

Pete Athans showed up in base-camp yesterday.  A 6 time summitter, he is also a mentor of mine as we worked together at the Colorado Outward Bound School. 

He joined us for dinner last night.  When I shared my thoughts with him, he reminded me of an old Tibetan proverb that goes a little something like this translated, "The mind is truly like water, when it is left untouched and still, it becomes clear."

He said to try and remember that as we head for the top, try to leave all doubt behind and focus.
I guess to me, having dreamed of climbing this mountain from the time I was 14 to the ripe old age of 28,
The summit is the place where I have always put my hopes and aspirations, as a child when I was getting picked on or having trouble with my family, I would always imagine myself slowly walking uphill above the clouds, that all knowing thousand yard stare in my eye I saw in all of the climbers eyes in the magazines....

If I do not summit, I suppose I will always be content knowing that my hopes and dreams are safe up there, on the roof of the world. While always knowing that my journey and not the destination is the most important part.

Till then, I dream of loved ones, Colorado, and large salads with lots of Blue Cheese dressing......