The highlight of today was the puja held at base camp to bless the start of our expedition. At about 9 this morning, a local Lama led a ceremony which included the entire team and our supporting staff. This sort of ceremony is traditional in the Himalayas and we hope it will bring us luck. The Lama sang a Buddhist chant over burning juniper bushes and we all drank local spirits. The ceremony finished with a prayer on top of a large stone in front of the impressive backdrop of Makalu. The remainder of the day was spent checking our kit and food, which had been delivered by helicopter a few days prior to our arrival.

Tomorrow, we will split into 4 teams and reconnoitre potential starts to the climb as there are a number of possibilities open to us.

Finally, we would like to congratulate the HADT on their successful ascent of Mera Peak.