July 26, 2005 - ABC (Camp 1) 4405 meters

Last night Doug, Nikki, Lisa, and DP joined up with Paolo, Vito, Antonio, and Mauro for a night at Camp 2 (5400 m).  Nikki, Doug and DP slept in one of the three tents which had been pitched by the Italian Machine a few days earlier.  Paolo, Lisa and Antonio were in another three-person tent nearby and Vito and Mauro were in a two person tent higher up near the water source (a "well" excavated in the snowpack).  Camp 2 was a city of colorful tents and every kind of language was heard well into the night - Russian, Polish, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, etc...It was a thrill to arrive after 7 hours and find a tent already pitched!  We brought up sleeping bags, pads, a stove and fuel bottle, pot and a little food for a dinner and "breakfast" (Lisa reminds me that the Italians have little appreciation for the good ol' American or British breakfast, i.e., more than instant coffee and a cookie).  When we arrived at Camp 2 around 12:30 pm on July 24 it was roasting - more like a sauna than a high alpine camp.  It was located up on a  steeply sloped moraine and on the side of a huge snow bowl that extended to the summit of Pik Lenin, a daunting 2000 meters above us.  The sun created its own kind of reflector oven.  People were lounging around in their underwear and some were quite a sight.  When the clouds came in and the sun dipped behind the mountains the once broiler was turned quickly into a freezer.  Temps never dipped much below 15 degrees F but the routine afternoon snow showers added to the high mountain glory.  Most of us felt reasonably well apart from the usual light headache.  Antonio decided to descend with Nikki, Lisa, Doug, and DP.   Mauro and Vito headed up by ski and Paolo by foot to Camp 3 (6100 meters) to pitch two tents and return to Camp 2 for the night.  The rest of us made a safe and quick (2 hrs) descent to ABC which felt like sea level and a pretty luxurious place when compare to higher up on the mountain. 

Now we're typing in the blue and yellow mess tent and Lisa just put on a light fleece and DP is still in his short sleeve paisly poly-cotton.  We are scheming and plotting about the next few days.  We are feeling strong and think that we will ascend to Camp 2 with kit and food for seven days and summit by the end of July?  All of our plans also depend on everyone elses pland.  Now Also just reached ABC from Achik Tash where GP, Marco, Paolino, Beppe, Mattia, Lino, and joined this morning by Ton and Gianfranco.  At ABC are also Giannermete, Ilaria, Pierpaolo, Mario, and Jordi.

David (aka DP), Lisa, and Doug lurking and waiting to add pics.