At last we have arrived at Base Camp!

We rose at 6 this morning to a gin clear sky and fantastic views of the upper Barun Valley. We packed the tents up for the last time and, due to the altitude, headed off at a very steady pace. We were camped at 4300 metres and Base Camp was to be at 4700 metres; moving too quickly at these altitudes so early could lead to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

We were treated to phenomenal views of Chamalang and Peaks 4 & 6. We gained height gradually and then, as we rounded the corner, the summit of Makalu appeared. As we got further round we all felt a lump in our throats as the full might of the South East Ridge and Black Gendarme soared into view. This was quite an emotional moment and we had to sit down to take in the scale of what we were about to undertake. We continued up the valley on very old moraine, which had grassed over then contoured around to Base Camp at approx 4700 metres.

Our camp is on a grassy shelf on the right hand side of the upper Barun Valley, we are sat about 50 metres above the flat valley floor and we have outstanding views of the South Face and South East Ridge of Makalu. After we arrived we paid, tipped and thanked our porters individually before they set off back down the valley. Our Porters have been the unsung heroes of the trek to Base Camp and we could not have made it here without them. For the people of the villages of the Himalaya, portering is a major means of putting food on the table. The porters are hardy people who always have a smile on their face and they should be treated with the respect and friendship they deserve. We have built a good rapport with these people whom we have grown to respect and admire for their tenacity and sense of fun under the harshest of conditions.

After our porters left we set about establishing our Base Camp and have erected a large orange dome tent, which is about 15' in diameter. This will become our mess tent and will be the focus for activity when people are resting from work on the hill. Our power experts Ben, Dick, Uisdean & Sam have worked like Trojans setting up the solar and wind generator equipment. This is essential so we can power our communications equipment for e-mailing friends & family, updating the website and of course powering the radios for use on the climb.

It is good to be here at last so the real work can begin in earnest.