As things stand, Ray, Greg, Nadir and myself are setting off around 4.30 a.m. tomorrow morning for camp two...en route, we hope, for our first, and hopefully final summit attempt.
I hope that sounds good to you. If not, you shouldn't be reading this!!
Apparently there were many summits this morning, but the rumour mill is so unreliable here that YOU are better placed at home than us here to check on the details published on sites like "Explorer's Web" or Everestnews.com.
There is talk of around 100, which sounds a touch high for a first night when the final ridge was still to be fixed with rope, but let's see!
The more the better from our viewpoint, as it means less of a crowd in a few days time when we hope to go for the top.

Weather news:

Like all weather forecasts, each daily prediction for Everest can alter somewhat, compared to previous ones, and ours is a bit more unstable than we'd like. Henry is clearly very experienced at making sense of them all, and we ARE going up as planned, which tells you something, and his ideal has me summitting on the morning of the 27th, after a full night's sleep on the col on the 25th...i.e. NOT setting off on the night of arrival there, as we did in 2006. Henry has expressed a strong view that we stay together at the col, with all of us sleeping over the first night at the col. Ray and Greg are stronger than me always, and I think they'd prefer to go on the same night etc, but we have agreed currently to stay together.
There is clearly a chance that the weather will intervene, and we may be delayed, which is not a great thought. I will hang on as long as I'm allowed, though it's messy for work, but the others are less sure of that idea. Let's just hope....

Today I've felt pretty tired, trying to rehydrate really, and then pack for tomorrow's load through the icefall. Why does the bag always weigh more than we expect? We have a lot of snacks.

I've been working on battery charging, but as only two of the original four pda batteries are any use, we will have to try and keep updates briefer, and any message responses will also have to be general or short, I'm afraid. We can't know for sure how long we'll be up there, and what with the extra cold temperatures, battery life is short.
I'll probably do some audio-blogs instead, if possible, though some of you may perhaps not be able to hear them?
Perhaps my friend Harry, the site moderator, can add a short summary in text for those who can't hear what I've said?

Now I've got to get EVERYTHING together over the next few days, absorb the pain, eat as best I can, plod my way up slowly, without panicking, and hope for the best. Sounds easy enough? Just try it!

This is the moment? Well nearly.

Messages:

Bill R, thanks for a nice message...I take your point!
Ian S, as you say, there's not too much enjoyment now visible, but afterwards, ah there's the time to savour perhaps? I hope to see you in a short while!
Jackie, Thanks for those lovely thoughts, I'm glad you've felt so involved. Here's hoping it ends the right way.
Audrey D, thank you for travelling this far with me, and cousin Gerry too, along with
dear Ken and Shirley. I'm not that boy you remember any more, far from it. I wish mum could have seen my efforts.
Shanda, and Graham W, I hope when you get to check on me next it's all done and dusted for me. Thanks for following me thus far.

Please bear with me over the next week or so, if the site goes a bit chaotic etc. It's tricky up there.
GOOD LUCK AGAIN
TO SCOTT AND ANGUS WHO ARE UP THERE SOMEWHERE!

Lastly, another little music suggestion for around summit day...."This is the moment", sung yet again by my beloved Moody Blues, on the "bonus disc" from the compendium called "Time Traveller". I hope at least someone tracks it down, because it's THE song for that day...I hope.

Responses from Greg; Hi Si, great to see you message matey, thanks for the advice about chicken and chips, the latest news in 'ground unicorn weekly' is that it is only useful for running up moel famau, so I will stick with the chicken. Please let me know how the 'mighty Leeds' get on, did they get any points back? Thank you for passing on all the well wishes, it means a lot, please thank them all. Best wishes for now, see ya soon, Greg.

Jan
Hi Darling it was great to talk today, I look forward to my pasties! Things have already changed since we talked, we still go to camp 4 on the 25th but we are now going to spend a whole day there and now go for the summit on the 26th. Hoping to summit in the early hours of the 27th. I still plan to text you from each camp to let you know i'm ok. Greg and I plan to go all the way back down to camp 2 from the summit if we feel up to it. So don't worry if you do not hear from me for a while after summiting.
See you in 2 weeks, all my love Ray.

The Lambs
Hi peeps. Well it's all about to kick off, we head up tomorrow looking at summiting on the 27th. So far the weather looks better than 2004 so fingers crossed. I can't wait for this to be done then a few beers in Kathmandu followed by the flight home. It's been a long time away this time or is it just me getting older? See you all in a couple of week's Ray.