May 6 camp 1

One of the warmest days I have seen here, sun almost all day, which is very unusual. We set up tents and supplies at camp one, only took 11 hours. This is the very long walk past the meadow where we had set up the yellow tent yesterday afternoon after the pujah. Up the ridge over the Cambrian sea floor, did I mention that Jay joined us on the walk to base camp. Maybe some other spirits also, we seem to be blessed. Over the boulder field mordor and then up the slabs. Tom is a brilliant companion, good natured patient and willing to engage every traveler in a conversation. Of course up here the only travelers are climbers turning back, the Austrian mountain rescue team, a few stray visitors and the Sherpas. And the only conversation is how are you doing on that mountain, I do not like going down but on the way down the slabs i was unaccountably joyfully happy. We had spread prayer flags between our tents, burnt incense and drank hot water from Nima's thermos. He is going completely by the book this time, or the lllama's book, which also instructed us to start on our left foot at exactly 7:00am walk around the puja bow at the little altar, stand in the juniper smoke and do a little dance. I added the dance part. Landed in Kathmandu on Monday, had lunch at base camp on Saturday and we have established camp one one, 18,525 feet, on Monday!