Cached at 16,200′

Yesterday the team left Camp 3 (14,200′ 4937m) to climb about 1,000′ up the “Bunny Hill” to where the fixed lines begin. This usually takes a couple of hours. Here, at the bottom of the Headwall, two ropes spanning 600′ in length run from the ridge at 16,200′ (4937m) to a large crevasse known as a bergshrund (where a glacier meets steep ice, and the sub sequential crevasse gapes widely and runs along most of the face of the mountain). Each climber tied into their ascender, and attached their ascender to the fixed lines. An ascender is a progress capture device that allows a climber to move up a rope, but when pulled down the rope the teeth of the device will bite into the rope and prevent an unexpected fall. After a couple hours ascending, the team reached the ridge and chipped a cache into the thin, wind buffed snow here. After burying it, they enjoyed a snack and the view and headed back down. Soon they will be ready to move to High Camp, and from there put in a bid for the summit.