Gav has just left an audioblog to say he has decided to go for it on his own. Late tonight he is going to head for S Col in one go! From there he'll wait for few hours and go for summit. This runs against what other teams seem to be doing so it's a huge decision. He says if this doesn't work his expedition ends. He is going very lightweight indeed ... more news as and when he gets back to us. Good luck Gav!
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]
There are vastly conflicting reports as to the weather over the next couple of days so Gav may well now go down to Camp 1 or BC and wait. Some teams are going up to Camp 3 tomorrow - but he has no camp three so he's not willing to forge ahead!
Gav is at Camp 2 - it took him 5.5 hours to get there from Base Camp. This indicates good level of fitness which is very important.
He says he'll probably stay there tomorrow. There are still no ropes above S Col and as he can't go up alone he's waiting for sherpas from other teams to break trail. He expects to head for the S Col on Saturday night with no sleeping bag - just a tent (v lightweight). Then he'll just sit there for couple of hours and go for summit!
He can't believe how many teams have gone - much fewer tents than before at Camp 2. Despite this he has slight fears that everyone's being bunched up for a crowded summit window. There may well be traffic Jams. Apparently there are two ropes on Hillary Step - one up and one down - this should hopefully speed things up?
As he gives this audio update he is sitting in the porch of his tent overlooking Nuptse and Lhotse having cup of coffee!
Gav prepares for Camp 1 climb tomorrow and hopefully on to the top! Still no reports of summits this year from south side - plenty from the north.
The audio is now up and running again - the two clips you may have missed at "AUDIO - Birthday message" and "AUDIO: Kili charity trek".
Sponsor advert:
Sponsor advert:
Gavin just off the phone and left an update for everyone.
Basically the weather looks like it is turning now for the better. On the North side about 60 people have summited but on the south side no one has made it up yet. Teams have tried but so far all have failed due to weather and the lack of fixed lines above the South Col. Yesterday there was a large meeting between all the teams at base camp and the commercial teams are
sending up ten Sherpas over the next three days to get the fixed lines set in place in a bid to open up the higher camps and summit route.
Gavin himself is presently in Gorak Shep and is heading to Base Camp tomorrow. If the weather holds he will then go straight to camp two then camp four with a provisional summit attempt on the 28th / 29th May. Some teams are looking as far as the 2nd / 3rd June for summit attempts which is unprecedented in Everest history. Usually the summit window - when the high winds lift off her summit, last for a short time in May.
Gavin is in great form and feeling good. Yesterday he walked down to Pheriche in two hours and met Helena and the trek team who are coming up to Base Camp to meet him. Helena was reporting on the Moving Mountains project in Bumburi and showing Gavin loads of photos of the work which has been undertaken. The wiring of the houses is nearly complete, the power house, which we thought would be the size of a shed is now nearly ready and the size of a house! Half the generator is also now in place and all is boding well. The work done by the trek teams has been fantastic and very soon the villagers will have electricity for the first time in the regions history.
Gavin himself sends a big thank you to all who have been involved and to everyone who is following his story and donating to make this project and all the others in Kenya happen.
Gavin is currently packing up a lot of his kit. As soon as he comes of the mountain he has to quickly get back to Lukla and then on to the village for the opening ceremony of the HEP and the Gompa (monastery) MM has been building. He then has to get back to Kathmandu and into London for his connecting flight to meet up with the Elbrus team in Moscow then after that
he flies directly to Tanzania to meet the Kilimanjaro and Aficamp teams. So he's now scratching his head wondering what kit to pack for the next three months of expeditions in Russia and East Africa.
Well that's all for now. Hopefully the audio blogger will be up and running again soon and we'll have some more updates from the mountain!
Gav chats about this August's Kili charity trek ... and how you can join him on this climb to the roof of Africa and raise money for community projects in Kenya and Nepal
Welcome to the journal of Gavin Bate's solo Everest bid in aid of Moving Mountains children's charity... The site features text, images and audio sent back from the Roof of the World! Please help support his courageous climb by donating to the charity (details below) ...
Here's our RSS newsfeed. 
