Burleson

Click to hear Todd Burleson's audio dispatch recorded over sat-phone.

Camp II, 21,500' (Click for bigger image)

From Burleson's Satellite Call:
Hi, this is Todd. It's May 20th, about 5pm. We are all at Camp II [21,500']. All of us team members and about half of the Sherpa. Things look good up here -- very, very sunny. We were hoping for a little news from the Icelanders. Looks like they do have high wind on the Col that may jeopardize them going to the summit tonight. But we're still here and in high hopes. Our summit date at this point would be the 24th.

Tomorrow, Guy Cotter, Ed [Viesturs], [Dave] Breashears, Pete Athans, and the Malaysians will go to Camp III [23,500']. We will take a rest day. We will just all follow each other up to the summit in the next few days.

What used to be a 5-ladder section has now become 3-ladders in the shifting Ice Fall. (Click for bigger image)

On the morning's climb:
Everybody was climbing well. The Ice Fall in my opinion was very scary. There was a three-ladder section at the end that literally the bottom of the ladder didn't touch anything so you just climbed up this rail that was tied at the top. [Shifting of the Khumbu Ice Fall constantly alters the route -- the three ladder section was a five-ladder wall just weeks ago.]

It's been 10 days since we've been up here -- actually 12 for me, and I was surprised how much the Ice Fall had changed.

It's good to be through it. We only have to go out one more time, and after that, we'll be safe.

-- Todd Burleson, Expedition Leader