Jamie Clarke’s Expedition Hanesbrands Everest Dispatch
April 23, 2010 – Jamie and Scott Move to Camp II
Camp II will serve as an Advance Base Camp for us throughout this expedition as Jamie, Scott and the Sherpa team climb higher and higher. Located on a glacial moraine in the middle of the Western Cwm at 21,200 feet above sea level, Camp II will have important amenities that will make life on the upper mountain bearable and it will also provide the infrastructure for safe and efficient operations on the upper mountain.
Sonam Sherpa will be the cook at Camp II. He will prepare meals for Jamie and Scott and he will also prepare hearty meals to keep the climbing Sherpas fuelled for their carries to Camp III and beyond to the South Col. We will maintain a 50 watt VHF radios station at Camp II that will make radio communication on all parts of the mountain clear and reliable. The way from Camp I to Camp II is still full of crevasses, challenges and excitement. It is not vertical like the Khumbu Icefall, but there is still plenty of interesting climbing along the way.
Join Jamie and Scott as they move up the Cwm to occupy Advance Base Camp for the first time.
Kami and Jamie prepare to leave Camp I.
Some crevasses, like hoops, are simply jumped.
There is no shortage of ladders – and deep holes!
Whoa ladder! Jamie gets a good grip as he moves up.
Ang Namgel waits his turn
Camp II, 21,200 feet, with the Lhotse Face in the background.
Ang Namgel installing radio antenna
Jamie tweaks the radio base station
We have a big tent at Camp II! Soup break while we are setting up camp.
Scott power center at Camp II