Through some heavy breathing, she suggests the pitch goes at 5.11. The grovel factor has been pretty high so far on the route, but the upper two thirds of the wall look very clean and the single crack system going up the middle looks really good. We've climbed over 1000 feet, but the steep and difficult climbing lies ahead. Meanwhile, back at Base Camp, we've noticed a large gathering of people. Our Base Camp is situated right between Karmading village and Khorkondas village.
People seem to be streaming in from both sides, quickly filling our campsite.
We are confident that Dave, our ambassador, is making a lot of friends today. We finish the day in the dark, rappelling down with our headlamps. When we finally get back to camp, we are greeted by Zahid. He is a very consistent man and you can always expect a cup of jasmine tea wih the exact amount of sugar you prefer along with the 'return to Base Camp' questions. Dave explains to us that the special forces captain returned today with gifts of Pepsi, cookies and boxed juices for all of us.