Some efforts later, here I am at 6189m, the summit of Island Peak. I take this opportunity to go out again with all my camera gear (over 5kg: Two boxes, 3 goals, memory cards, batteries, tripod, pan head, and a bag to put everything), I door since the beginning of the stay in order to achieve this panorama cloudy... The view is a little bite, there are some clouds... However, we can clearly see the Lhotse in front of us, at 8516m altitude, near Mount Everest! For the descent, we will use an 8 with fixed ropes, to be faster at the bottom, because it's really bad! We go through the High Camp, then the Base Camp and then we continue our descent to descend low enough in the evening... at the altitude of Mont Blanc! We arrived at about 15:45 Chhunkhung, it's been almost eleven o'clock walk, 600m of vertical to positive, negative and 1450m. We have slept nine nights at an altitude higher than Mont Blanc!... Read the full story.

   Panorama made of 3 x 12 photos taken on the 10 April 2011.  

We here at the top of the wall of 200m. We see the top it is right there at your fingertips... There is still one last jump of 60m, was also equipped with fixed ropes. These meters are quite challenging, but with the excitement of reaching the top, we find hidden forces! However, although there is a fixed rope, it has no room for error here, because there are two vertical walls on either side of the ridge... ... Read the full story.

   Panorama made of 3 x 12 photos taken on the 10 April 2011.  

Around 6:30, we arrive at the foot of Island Peak. It is only 200m to assemble, arm strength, with ascenders. It is a kind of near vertical ice awaits us: we must cling with their feet, use the ax to stand, and on the other hand, the ascenders attached to a fixed rope. But it's getting bad, the snow is part of the... ... Read the full story.

   Panorama made of 3 x 12 photos taken on the 10 April 2011.  

Clock to 2:30, it was hot that night in the tent: -8 ° C! (compared to nights in the valley of Hunku). We leave at 3:30 to the front. It starts with a climb in the rocks, we kept the 'small walking shoes'. We climb to the big cairn, and to 6:00, we arrive at the foot of the glacier. We then slippers 'big shoes' and crampons, harness, gaiters... We roped to walk on the glacier between the cracks.... Read the full story.

   Panorama made of 3 x 12 photos taken on the 10 April 2011.  

The ascent is very steep, the pace is very slow. We arrive at High Camp, at 5450m around 12:30. Then we eat yak cheese, and a kind of fried pancake with red beans. For dessert, I took a cake with honey... Small pleasures are rare in remote parts... Then we go to the tents to prepare our bags for the night. Meanwhile, two carriers will collect water with wicker baskets... they come with baskets filled with ice!... Read the full story.

   Panorama made of 3 x 12 photos taken on the 09 April 2011.  

Last night I ate nothing, and yet, the fried rice and potato gratin looked delicious! Unless they had the taste of kerosene, as if they were wrong cooking water! We later learned that they stored the can of kerosene in the bowl during transport, hence the bizarre tastes... The alarm clock is to 7:00, and we dry the wet affairs, before leaving for the 9:30 High Camp of Island Peak. 1:00 we pass during the valley floor, without too uneven. At Base Camp, we are only passing through, and just before the abrupt rise, I realize this shooting.... Read the full story.

   Panorama made of 3 x 12 photos taken on the 09 April 2011.  

The day after the climb, we rest (and some Sherpas, the others will go shopping in the valley). We make socks for washing, taking advantage of the sun to make a phone wipes, and take some pictures. The machine freezes if left outside, it must fairly cool, even during the day, against the attempts by sunlight, the temperature rises to 30C. It's nice! During lunch, two avalanches are triggered in front of us, on the other side. I do not have time to take my camera, but it's a pretty sight! That's when I learned yesterday, in return, I was caught in the cloud of an avalanche in the same place. I thought when I was there it began to snow, like every night... Thile then shows me a photo he had time to take, and he's right... I just thought being in a cloud of snow! Snow on the ground seemed to me very fine, but I had not listened more than that, too busy not to lose sight of the wearer tents!... Read the full story.

   Panorama made of 3 x 12 photos taken on the 08 April 2011.