Mon 4 Dec '06 – Camp 1 2700 mts

Every now & then the wind would in a split second die away completely & you could almost hear a snowflake fall. But the then in the distance you could hear the roar & rumble as another massive gust gathered momentum high up on the top of the headwall as it prepared to sweep down the glacier in an attempt to wipe out anything that stood up to it. Over time you could count the seconds accurately until, with a huge force the wind struck the tents like demons trying to rip them out of the ground before devouring their occupants. But the tents & occupants stood up to the wind because we knew Mother Nature would not renege on what ever deal had been agreed. Taunt us if you will but we can wait here in safety‘til you run out of puff which you inevitably always do after 3-5 days. So I lay there I my bag for almost 2 days, doing nothing & thinking about even less. I had no book, no iPod & nothing to occupy my weary mind. Unable to sleep I nearly started getting into ‘rip-stop count’ but held back because I knew that once I started that, I would surely lose my mind!
Richard was being attended to by Ian who had to urgently give his badly frost bitten hands some primary treatment & during these 2 days I never got to see him but could occasional over the winds call out to him. I have to say that all times he was remarkably composed about his dire situation & never over this period or the following week or 10 days once complained or moaned. He simply said ‘Look, I’m alive. OK, so I might lose a few fingers or the tops of them but I’m alive’. He is a truly courageous, brave man with huge strength of character.
Once again I managed to phone Joyce & talk to her at length, filling her in on the basic details & it was a pleasure just to hear her voice even if it was so far away.