Blume

Lhakpa Rita (center) and sherpas play a hand in Base Camp.

Following an evening of card and dice playing in which sea shells were used instead of poker chips, the big winner bought some Raksi (home-made millet whisky,) and things really got going. Next to gambling, which seems to break out if there are two or more Sherpas standing within 1 meter of each other, drinking, dancing, and loud singing are their next favorite recreational activities. It makes me sad to think that Americans might still be entertaining themselves like this if not for television

The last two Sherpani (women sherpa) assistants returned home to their village of Thame this morning, (home of base camp manager Ongchu Sherpa), which added to the festivities last night. There was definitely a line of long faces as we bid them farewell at 5:30 this morning for their 2 1/2 day trek home. Now we are a certified 100% male outfit...

Great weather and good reports from the climbing team in Camp I have raised our spirits though as things are looking quite rosy for the rest our mission. We expect the digital camera down here tomorrow with photos from the Khumbu Ice Fall and Camp I.

I'm heading for the New Zealand and Malaysian camps to see what's happening, then doing a few gravity measurements on the fringes of Base Camp.

Late morning saw a drastic change in the weather, and we now have a few centimeters of snow on the ground. The moon is starting to poke through, and unlike last night, it is the very definition of silence around camp.

-- Frederick Blume, Team Scientist