AUDIO: Thunder and snow

Gav reports heavy snow and thunder last night at Camp 2! No one has moved up obviously. Increasing numbers of teams are leaving the mountain - very few people left now! He has decided to head back down to Base Camp - although he's feeling fit it's not so good for health reasons to stay at altitude when not needed.

He will wait until 30th and see what the situation is. Hopefully by then some teams will be breaking trail above the S Col and he can follow them up.

There is a possibility that if no ropes are put in by then he'll be forced to finish. Gav is very fristrated by the situation - this is his third time on the lower slopes of Everest and he has never felt so strong and fit.

According to weather reports the monsoon is hitting the Bay of Bengal ... if it comes in as far as the Himalaya any time soon then that's the Spring 2005 window is closed for sure.

[End of sat message get cuts off prematurely due to connection problem]