When we woke we realized that the tents were heavily snowed in. A river had formed under our tent so our first job was to divert the river. It was going to take everyone much longer to pack up the camp because everything was wet so they moved the departure time to 10:30am.
We could clearly see out initial goal in front of us, as we had to climb a steep, slippery slope up to the col. Our packs were very heavy so we all laboured up the slope. There were many others small and large teams on the move and teams would often stop to say hello and find out where we were from and which route we were taking. Although it was hard work there was a jovial atmosphere and absolute breathtaking views of distant snow covered mountains and white clouds bellowing above.
The narrow path would zig zag up the slope to reduce the steepness but by now the path now been heavily trampled and the surface had turned to ice so it was getting quite slippery. This meant that you had to concentrate on every little step and needed to anchor the two ski poles firmly in the snow. My foot slipped out from under me on one of the bends and I slid a short distance down the slope to Sibu's amusement. He couldn't help stating the obvious that it is best not to fall (ha ha). Every so often somebody stands on an ice covered hole and falls through, sometimes as deep as the knee which gives them a big fright....ask Jayson as this happened to him once.
Near the col we caught up with Phokwane as she had set off earlier to get a head start. We had a light lunch at the col and drank some refreshments.
Looking at our team it is quite amazing how much talent that we have which is great for inspiring the other team members. Obviously Sibu is our hero with what he has achieved and continues to achieve with his 7 summits and long distance running. Phil is amazing how he is able to race up and down the slope getting great video footage and seems to have unlimited energy. Rod is also very strong and it is clear he takes climbing very seriously. Johan was a top SA cyclist only seven years ago and was a contender for winning races such as the Argus Tour. Although I might not have nearly as much talent or experience as many of the teammates I feel really privileged to share this great adventure together and to learn as much as I can.
Just on the other side of col we came across another small camp. Somebody in the camp recognized Sibu so he stopped for a chat. The path traversed the mountain at a slight incline that kept us out of breath. I took it slightly slower as I wanted to stop and take some photos of the views....and because I wanted to conserve some energy for the summit push, which could be in the next three days. Frank was also seemed to be battling with the altitude and so we kept each other company with Bob right with us.
Eventually we reached Camp 2 (although the sign board says Camp 3?) after a four and a half hour climb. We set about erecting tents, collecting water and preparing meals as we knew that the weather would close in like clockwork in the late afternoon. By 5pm it was snowing and Jay and I were already tucked up in our tent. Although we had used suntan lotion and buffs to try shield ourselves from the sun's reflection off the snow it had not been inadequate and so we both had red glowing faces. We will need to be even more careful in the coming days.
We received news that there were high winds and lots of snow about Camp 2 which is currently preventing anybody from reaching the higher Camp 3 or the summit. We are hoping that the weather will be kind to us and open a window in the next three days.
By 8pm Jay was still hungry so he prepared a second meal of Cottage Pie for us which tasted out of this world. We sat and chatted about our lives and shared some experiences that had shaped our lives. We realized that we have a lot of similar traits. We were glad to be in each other’s company. We both went to sleep smiling.
In the early hours of the morning the wind was gusting through our camp and putting out tents to the test. I was worried that perhaps we could have done more to tie our tent down. It is not an exact science as each of the stones that we tied the tent to be different sizes and shapes. It was not easy finding suitable rocks and some had to be carried quite some distance. It is freezing in the tent, about minus 16 degrees, but we are cosy and warm in our sleeping bags. I hope the winds die down soon so that I can get back to sleep.
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