Image: Im in there somewhere! Im in there somewhere!

ABC 20th May 2005 Summit profile.
    
Hi all,
We had the oxygen and radio briefing yesterday which definitely put us all in a more gung-ho mood.
The oxygen masks, regulators and bottles are all produced in Russia. The face-masks are all fighter-pilot models, and the oxygen in the 4 litre bottles is aircraft grade [free of moisture].
All the regulators have flow-rate setting of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 litres per Minute.
I plan to go onto supplemental oxygen during the climb between camp 2 [7600m] and camp 3 [7900m]. The flow rate that will be used during this time will be 2.0 ltrs per minute. Once I reach camp 3 [7900m] I will be sleeping on oxygen at a rate of 0.5 ltrs per minute. The following days climb between camp 3 [7900m] and camp 4 [8300m] will again be accomplished on a flow-rate of 2.0 ltrs per minute.
I will again try and sleep at 0.5 ltrs per minute at camp 4, before waking for the summit attempt at around 11pm. We awake [if lucky enough to have slept], and immediately begin melting snow for our water bottles and also immediate hydration.
We are planning to leave camp 4 [8400m] at 1.30am, carrying nothing but two oxygen bottles, liquid, energy-bars, cameras, radio and spare gloves. I plan also to carry my sat-phone. On leaving the camp the flow-rate will be set at 4 ltrs per minute, as to begin with the terrain is very steep, and it will be very cold. [the oxygen also helps your extremities stay warm].
Once on the ridge the flow rate is again reduced back to 2.0 lpm, until you encounter the 1st step, a small rocky cliff. The first step is climbed on a rate of 4.0, right up until you reach "mushroom rock", a place where you switch to your second oxygen bottle.
You remain on 4.0 lpm until you have scaled the second step, at which point you have covered 60% of the distance to the top. At this point you have been climbing for about 6 hrs with probably another 3 to go. Its quite daunting. However, by the second step, the sun should be up and you should be able to see the goal. Between the second and third steps, and indeed all the remaining climb to the summit the flow rate remains at 2.0 lpm. The overall time budgeted for the summit day climb from camp 4 to the summit [8850m] is 9hrs 10mins. Russell will be watching, via a powerful telescope from Nth Col, for any climbers who are suffering and therefore falling well behind his timescale. He has already made it clear that he will turn people round [via their personal radio] if this looks like happening.
If I?m lucky enough to summit I intend to try and descend to the Nth Col in the same day. I have no idea just how tired I will be at this point, but that?s my current intention.
Anyway, its currently snowing [20th], and we are still sitting around waiting for the nod from Russell as to when the window is opening and also the makeup of the two teams; who?s going first etc.
The weather will have the final say and we are all praying daily that we will get our chance. Russell seems reasonably optimistic right now - thankfully.

So, the summit attempt will hopefully look like this:
Day 1 - climb to Nth Col [7000m] from ABC.
Day 2 - climb from Nth Col [7000m] to camp 2 [7600m].
Day 3 - climb from camp 2 [7600m] to camp 3 [7900m] on oxygen.
Day 4 - climb from camp 3 [7900m] to camp 4 [8300m] on oxygen.
Day 5 - 1.30 am climb to summit [8850m ] + descend hopefully to Nth Col by nightfall.
Day 6 - rest and pack at ABC
Day 7 - hopefully homeward bound!

But, start date still to be decided!

More later,
DT.`

Previous Dispatches
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ABC 18th - 20th May 2005.   
Hi all,
Im afraid the agonizing over the weather continues. Yesterday, the 18th was easily my "worst" day so far. I suffered from a painful combination of homesickness, boredom, and fear

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ABC. 15th - 17th May 2005.   
Hi all,
Well its deja vu. I arrived back at ABC yesterday the 16th, having left bc on the 15th and having spent one night again at desolate interim camp.
The trek up was easier than the previou

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BC [still] 12th - 14th May 2005.   
Hi all,
Well I was wrong by one day. The first group of us, myself included, will depart for ABC tomorrow [15th]. Although we are all probably fit or acclimatized enough to make the trek to ABC in

Later dispatches - Previous dispatches