Day 18: Climbing up to Camp 1

Edit: this was supposed to have posted on April 20, but the Internet connection dropped during the upload and never posted to the Blog. Here it is:

Base Camp under snow.

It is the night of our first rotation to Camps 1 & 2. We leave in a few hours, precisely at 4:00 AM. I’m not feeling well at all. Despite taking really good precautions on the 11-day trek, staying healthy and making into Base Camp without as much as a cough or headache, my health status has quickly changed. I must have contracted some kind of a cold/virus on my second day here at EBC.

On the night of our first rotation, I’m feeling completely congested, body is aching and throat is sore and burning. It’s as if I have a combined Sinus Infection with the Flu and Strep Throat. I’m no longer waiting to see if it’s a viral virus or bacterial, I’m going straight to antibiotics.

While most of the team members are climbing tonight, I will remain at Base Camp or drop further into the valley to heal better.