The last few days as we rested in base camp we watched long lines of porters filing up the lower moraine, bringing with them loads of gear for the G2 expeditions. There is a rumor about the camp that a total of 13 expeditions will try G2 (and/or GI) this summer, and the base camp spots around us are already dotted with the bright colors of nylon tents. At least 70 people now occupy various spots at base camp - with perhaps 100 more to come, and from the proximity of the tents it would appear that most people are already missing the bustling congestion of the towns and cities they recently left.

Of course, camping is not the only activity on the moraine; as the summer sun warms the rocks and melts the snow, the air is also filling with the faint waftings familiar to 8000 meter base camps: human waste. Our semi-private base camp now shares extremely close proximity to other parties - close enough that my tent is now within earshot of the next camp's "facilities." Due to this fact, I consider myself now shockingly over-informed as to the current state of each of our neighbors' particular gastro-intestinal affairs - some bordering on critical. My once peaceful morning slumbers are now broken by the world's absolute worst sounding alarm clocks. You try waking up to that and not have a crappy day. And as for the neighbors, I may not know each of them by name yet, but I'm sure I could pick them out in a line-up using other distinctive attributes. (Someone pass the Pepto Bismol)

Speaking of which, I might as well use this opportunity to comment on our own particular facilities, especially since this dispatch has already deteriorated to such a level. Our cooks have done a wonderful job erecting our own drop-spot, and despite the obviously disturbing connection between cooks and building toilet facilities, the boys have shown great creativeness with particular attention to design, local, and prevailing wind. Of course, a quick stretch (or calisthenics) is recommended before using our facilities due to slightly non-anatomical positioning - unless of course you're a yoga guru or double jointed. Otherwise all things on that front are just dandy and require no further commentary...er...for now - unless a bad weather spell comes in and I run out of things to write about. Until then...

As for the climbing, a few days ago Bruce and I ferried loads again up to our 6000 meter camp, but spent our nights at 5500 m for David to acclimatize after his recent illness. Meanwhile, Billy and Guy went up to the icefall between G3 and G4 for 2 days to try their hand finding safe passage through - and turned around after making a stash at 6500 meters. They both arrived back in base camp this morning, greeted by stacks of pancakes and fake maple syrup.

Despite information that previous expeditions have passed through the tangle of ice on the far left, we have decided to tackle the right side, which appears more feasible under the current conditions. As we discovered last summer in Shimshal, years of warm temperatures have taken their toll on the condition of the glaciers in Pakistan, and this once benign slope is now quite a jumbled maze of huge ice towers and crevasses, crowned by a 100 meter vertical ice cliff extending the entire breadth of the glacier at the upper lip of the cwm. I guess here we can pause to thank Al Gore for pointing out climate change (formally global warming) - or was he the guy who invented the internet? I guess either way he should get some credit for this part of this dispatch, since both apply.

Early tomorrow morning Bruce, David and I will depart for the 6000m camp again, leaving David to acclimatize in the camp while Bruce and I carry the torch back into the upper icefall. The weather forecasts seem to indicate a good spell, so we plan to establish a tent in the cwm near 7000 meters - a long way from the congestion and waftings of base camp.