Update 2
Australian Manaslu Expedition 2002
Update # 2
The following information is current as of 9 pm (Sydney time) on Wednesday April 17 (or 4:45 pm in Nepal)
Yesterday the team celebrated Andrew's birthday with a sultana cake ( I suppose that is better than dhal)
Today was the tough part of the trek (it was also pretty tough on the receiving end of the satphone with many disconnects)
All were up for breakfast at 4:30 am and a 6 am departure to cross the Laryka Pass (5,105 m). The team entered the pass at 10 am and it was extremely tough going. However, all performed well and are now safely in camp at Samdo (elevation 3,760 m). Fortunately there was no fresh snow on the pass which made the path relatively firm.
Samdo is a village at which Tibetan refugees made their homes more than 50 years ago, they make their living as traders and are reportedly friendly and hospitable (more about Samdo and trekking in the Manaslu region on http://www.geocities.com/canebel/sama_bimthang.htm ).
The team is almost 2 days ahead of schedule and the current plan is to trek to Sama (3,360 m) tomorrow and spend three days based there during which they will trek to the Manaslu Base Camp (4,700 m) and then back to Sama. Sama is the point at which helicopters will deposit all climbing equipment which has not been hauled in by the trekkers and from which the trekkers will depart by helicopter for Kathmandu. The climbing expedition will commence from Sama in 3 days.
Poor satphone reception limited the communication and there is no additional news other than that all team members are fit and happy.
There is no current news on the other Manaslu expeditions
(to minimise further confusion I, George Lloyd, am not the George Lloyd who is a member of the expedition but merely his father (sitting comfortably in his lounge room in Sydney) and the conduit for information to supporters of the expedition)
Update # 2A
Apologies to those looking for Laryka on the net. The correct spelling is Larkya.
