It was cloudy overhead this morning, threatening another pulse of snow. We'd enjoyed yesterday's calm sunshine and hoped for one more day of the same, but that didn't seem likely. The snow held off nicely for our Puja ceremony though and we even got a couple hours of sunshine. The climbing Lama had made his way up from Pangboche for the event... Ours was the first in camp other than the one for the Icefall Doctors (who have been hard at work building the climbing route for the past two weeks already). We sat and listened to the prayers and chants as our Sherpa team attended to all of the mechanics of the ceremony, distributing offerings and building the prayer mast with colorful flags radiating out in five directions. The idea is that we want the blessing of the gods before we put any of our team at risk on the mountain. Having watched a gargantuan avalanche come down over the icefall around seven this morning, we all hoped the gods were paying attention to our pleading. The Puja finishes with everybody throwing tsampa (barley flour) up to the heavens and then in a gesture of friendship and camaraderie, spreading the remaining tsampa on the cheeks and noses of one's fellow climbers. We all wished each other good luck and careful climbing and then toasted with beer, coca cola, whiskey, rakshi and chang (it wasn't a requirement that any individual have each and every one of those... we are at 17,500 ft and it really doesn't take much sipping to feel an amplified effect). After lunch, we walked out onto the lower section of the Khumbu Glacier to stretch our legs and explore as the storm moved in. We were able to walk on frozen streams and watercourses beneath great towers of gleaming ice. It was snowing good and hard by the time we got back to camp, but now -in early evening- that snow has quit although cloud still hangs low and plentiful around us. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn