Roy, at the wise age of 62, headed back to ABC to save his strength. The route to Camp 2 follows a long snowy ridgeline, from the North Col at 7,000 meters to the rocky part of the ridge at 7,500 meters. Once you leave the security of Camp 1, there is no shelter. You either push into the wind or turn back. This ridge has been the scene of many epics.
Storms appear out of no where.
The climb is a long one, even though it is only 1650 vertical feet. The Sherpas, who are always a few days ahead of the climbers, have established a few tent platforms out of the snow to form Camp 2. When we arrive, there are two tents standing. Marco and I crawl into one and Ellen and Owen into the other. I was having a rough day, I could keep pushing, but never felt strong.