Woke up and did the standard.. The sun comes up early on the col, around 5am. So I just wait till the rays of sun actually hit my tent, then I start moving. (until then I just pull my beanie over my eyes so I can have the extra 2 hours sleep.
Then I got woken by the sherpas giving me a mug of boiling water, and another mug of boiling water, musily, granola and honey.
Baliand Passang were to be taking a load of oxygen and tents to 7800 today, I was to follow them up to the top of the ice slope.
It took us around 1 hour to get ready, down suit, crampons, ice axe, harness, 500ml of water and camera. Then we click into the fixe line that runs right past our tent and I started walking up through the Col. Which goes for around 150m, littered in tents.
I saw Andrew who was going down today, yesterday carried his load to 7800m and I saw a few other guys I had met along the way.
As I got to the end of the col. The whole north face of Everest opens up and is in clear view. You can see all the major land marks from here. The snow slope, the first and second step, mushroom rock and most importantly, the summit!
The walk up the snow slope is pretty bland, it is just that. Following a fixed line up what is exactly like a ski slope. The steeper parts have steps where the sherpas went up the night before.
So the actual walk is bland but the view is absolutely special. You can see to the right down to ABC, through the East Rombuk Glacier and the Rombuk Glacier to the left. In front the north face.
As I wasn’t carrying any loads, not even my backpack, I overtook a few people on this slope and some people even turned back after a bit. (the idea of going up here for now is just to push the acclimatisation a little and get some exercise)
I got to around 7450 up this slope when the boys were on their ways back to camp. I turned around with them and descended down the fixed lines.