Back To Basecamp

The whole team is safe and happy to be back down at basecamp (Maria said that coming down was the most painful part of the trip).

After packing up high camp, they descended the steep, crevasse-ridden headwall to Camp 1. The fourth member of the team, Matsumoto, was excited to see the summitters and was in great spirits after his "vacation" staying at the well-stocked Camp 1. His frostbitten fingers look great and there is no risk of infection. He made the right decision in remaining at Camp 1. He won't lose any tissue and they should be as good as new in a few weeks. The rest of the team admires his determination and dedication to the group as a whole. By choosing to remain at Camp 1, he enabled the team to go up to high camp in time to capitalize on the good window of weather they needed to reach the summit. His indomitable spirit defined "teammate" and when you get right down to it- that's one of the key reasons we enjoy climbing big mountains.

Now the team is waiting in the "luxurious comfort" of basecamp for the return flight to Patriot Hills. They hope to get to fly to the Patriot Hills Camp tommorow and will fly back to Chile as soon as tommorow night if the weather cooperates. We are psyched to have the whole crew back to basecamp healthy and happy.