NEWS: 4th Sep 2006
 
A new base at base camp

We have reached 5000m now, at Tibetan Base Camp (also know, even by the Tibetans, as ?Chinese Base Camp?. Once again, the drive was wonderful. There are two established, and our Sherpa staff have set up our camp and tents in anticipation. We are looking South up a broad glacial valley, and our camp lies on the western side. Ahead and to our left (east) Cho Oyu looms. It truly is massive, and quite daunting- its broad summit plateau lying nearly 5 miles high in the thin air. The two-person tents are spacious enough, and there is a well laid out mess tent set up in which we have tea and a light lunch before beginning work..

The afternoon is flat-out, and bodes well for the team, who work well together. One team set up the ?Drash? tent. Sponsored by Milsys, this amazing tent is designed for the most inhospitable environments, and to be erected quickly in military or humanitarian aid situations. We have had to dismantle ours for travel, but even so we have ground levelled and the tent erected in under 20 minutes. We have trialled the tent in the alps already this summer, but here it is in its element! Once up, the exercise bicycle ergometers are assembled, and shelving and desks established with wood strips resting on barrels. The Lode bikes are designed for normal hospital environments, but we are amazed at how ?at home? they are here!

Nearby, Mark Cox, Mike G, and Sundeep set up the power tent. We are using solar panels wherever possible, but supplement the power with Honda Generators. These rugged little beasts are remarkably quiet, and can also be tuned to burn on the thin air found at this altitude. We fill them with oil and petrol, and they spark up at once. The generated power is stored in a series of large Exide batteries- and we draw from these to drive the bicycles, computers, and satellite communications.

The other big great delight is that all our kit has arrived intact. This is down to good packing, but also down to Trifibre who made all our bespoke flight cases. They are remarkable, taking a total battering, and leaving the most delicate electronics intact.

By day?s end, we have achieved most of our targets for the following day. Thus satisfied, we retire to our tents for a good night?s sleep.