Dispatch 50: Dave Checks in From Camp IV

Hey GreatOutdoors.com, this is Dave again, and I'm getting a little higher up Mount Everest. I'm calling you now from Camp IV at 26,000 feet, it's 1:40 in our afternoon. Like I was telling you down at Camp III, I started out today at 4 and got up here just after noon. A beautiful day, stunning day, blue sky, sunshine, a little on the hot side but definitely not complaining. Really nice to get up here to the South Col. Our Sherpa team already had some tents up for us. Paul and Fiona and Dennis had come up from Camp III, in great shape, so I've rejoined them as well as our great Sherpa staff up here. And I'm still kicking myself for not getting on the summit band wagon a few days ago and I don't think they had weather like this at the South Col. And I've been here on a bunch of stormy days in other years so I'm pretty pleased to be up here and find things so benign. The route is in good condition this year, a lot of snow on the route as opposed to rock and ice on some of the tough bands, the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur, and looking up the upper mountain from here, the South Summit, Triangular Face, they look like they have good snow on them. I'm not proud, I'm hoping for a nice easy track in the snow that's been beat out by 100 people this last week. We'll see what we get. I'll give you a call later today as we're getting closer to our departure and let you know how it's going. Bye for now.