Dispatch 17: Climb from Base Camp (15,577ft/4748m) to Camp I (5703m/18,712ft)

Ryan climbing the mixed steep slope up to the traverse.
Camp I
Ryan preparing water in Camp I

Today, we woke up at 4:30am, ate breakfast together in the mess tent, prepared our equipment, and started out on the glacier toward Camp I at 6:00am. After just 20 minutes, we gained the steep slope that leads to the traverse. We climbed up this slope then traversed to the left to reach a long glaciated section of the climb which is covered in crevasses. Fortunately, these small crevasses were well marked and had fixed lines over them for security. We began to regret our “late” start, as the sun began to intensify and made the remaining hours of the climb unbearably hot. Chris had not been feeling well since breakfast, and apparently his stomach problem intensified over the course of the day. Ryan and I arrived to Camp I in around 6.5 hours, while Chris, thanks to his stomach issues took 10 hours. We set up our tents, melted snow for water, and waited as the weather came in and cooler temperatures prevailed. After Chris arrived, he quickly got some rest and made the wise decision to descend in the morning and address his stomach bug in base camp. In the morning, Ryan and I plan on climbing to Camp II then descending to Camp I where we will spend another night before descending to Base Camp ahead of the forecast bad weather.