18thSep-Final members Troop in- second trip to Camp1
From atop my mountain perch from where I shoot members climbing up the precipice to Camp 1, the point of first rope ascend-known as the crampon point by the army guys-because thats where they wear the crampon, i had thought the ascent was only 20 feet. Today as I make to that point early at 5: 45 am –I find it is more than four stories high. Gary made it to Camp 1 today and he informs me , it is more difficult than Camp 1 in Everest ice-falls and all. I don’t heed any further proof as I am sufficiently intimidated by the sheet vertical climb of the route. However I saw the members incuding Gary-clamber up the glacier snout and am convinced that I can make it to the ridge atop the glacier at least. That much I want to do not just to take the pictures but also to partake some of the mountaineering experience that I will be writing about.
I take quite a lot of shots of the members climbing up from the `crampon-point. I was also in time there to catch them descending. Today the team members besides Jaidev who is in Ramche, consolidate in Base Camp. According to Kazi who himself arrived here today, after sorting our some issues with his large employees, there are 42 people in Base Camp tonight.
Just so for at supper there is every inch of space occupied. Most of us sit on stools with intersecting legs and plastic stretched across it, some sit on the trunks-which ferried much of the good. Only Col. Sharma sits on a stool with any backseat at all. He doesn’t speak much. He sits back extending his legs, enjoying all the deference, the army chaps shower on him.