Dispatch Twenty-one: April 14th, 2010 |
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Annapurna Expedition 2010 |
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Day Twenty-one: Climb to Camp I; Avalanche in BC, Thunder Storm Today, after a leisurely breakfast with everyone in Base Camp aside from the Russians and Peter and Piotr who are up on the mountain, I headed back to my tent to pack up my things. I was captivated by a huge avalanche that fell off of Niligiri and swept across the valley. The wind blast lasted over five minutes in Base Camp. Finally, around 11am, I started up out of base camp with a 30kg backpack for Camp I. I opted to carry my heavy 8000 meter boots and instead, wear my trekking shoes to Camp I. The difference was amazing. I arrived to Camp I in just three hours (mind you, carrying 30kg’s, so not a speed record here). I quickly boiled water and drank as much as I could take, knowing full well that I was still dehydrated from the stomach illness that held me captive in Base Camp these past few days. I offered Peter and Piotr tea as they passed my tent descending from Camp II back to Base Camp, then watched as huge storm clouds rolled in over Annapurna just as the sun set behind the mountain, making for quite a beautiful ending to the day. Dozens of huge avalanches roared in the distance as dusk turned to night. The clouds surrounded Camp I, reducing the visibility quite significantly, and distant flashes of lightning below electrified the night sky as I dozed off.
Photos: Left: Annapurna viewed enroute to Camp I; Right: Storm Clouds rolling in over Annapurna at sunset |
