Temperatures were lower this morning and the wind was stronger. The skies were blue with a few high scattered clouds. I packed up insulated pants, down jacket, long underwear, ice ax, crampons, and snacks and started the trek up to III around 9:30. I chatted with Dan about the problems our team had when walking in a line (no rhythm, stop & go, some not using rest step) and he suggested that I fall in behind him. Jim looked chagrined but moved further back in the line. I much prefer to be near the head of the line where I can follow every step the guide takes. Liz took the spot behind me and later told me that she loved following my big red boots. The fresh snow made the route far more enjoyable than walking on scree, and the views just got better and better on the climb up. Camp III sits at the bottom of the Polish Glacier, which is an imposing 45- to 60-degree pitch and is covered with crevasses. Only climbers with strong technical skills attempt to scale this mountain via the route up the glacier.After caching our gear, we spent a bit of time up at III and then headed back down to II. The weather forecast for Tuesday afternoon and after is quite concerning (today is Friday). Severe winds are on the way. So, it looks like we will move to Camp III tomorrow, skip our rest day scheduled for Sunday, move to Camp IV that day instead, and go for the summit on Monday, February 1. Then we could descend on Tuesday just ahead of the storm. We'll see; things could change at any time.
There's so much in the Plover with me now that I can barely move.
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