Nicholas Rice: Manaslu Dispatch

2009 Solo Manaslu Expedition

Dispatch Twenty-seven: April 19th, 2009

Day Twenty-seven: Climb to Camp I (5,800m); Perfect Weather

Today, after the usual pack up my stuff and eat breakfast routine, I headed out around 9am (as there was a chance this could be a summit bid, I wanted to make sure that I hadn’t forgotten anything). The morning was calm, clear, and warm, and by the time I was sure I had brought all I would need for the summit bid, my pack weighed 25kg. Four sweaty hours later, I was in Camp I, along with everyone else it seemed from base camp. I went up to Lina’s tent to chat for a bit as her tent mates had elected to sleep, then I dug out my own tent (which had been completely buried by the new snow). When this was done, I got to my usual high camp activities; melting snow for water, making lunch, soup, and dinner, etc. The weather, as usual, changed in the afternoon, socking in Camp I in a whiteout and dusting the camp with snow.