Machermo 15,700'

We're writing to you from the village of Machermo, where we arrived in cool, misty weather around midday. Last night we stayed in Dhole, and this morning we made the gradual ascent uphill to Machermo at 15,700'. We had a few glimpses of Cholatse, Kyajo Ri, Cho Oyu, and Tenzing Peak, but most of the day, the cloud cover was pretty thick.

Photo: Bridget and Lonnie with Phurba Tamang, the local climbing guide.

Tomorrow we'll make our way up valley to Gokyo, the last place to grab a warm plate of daal bhat and a bed before setting out towards Cho Oyu Base Camp, where we hope to get a good look at our future objective.

Upward! Bridget Schletty