Great day for hiking. Now that most of the team are feeling more or less adjusted to the 17,500 feet of Basecamp, today seemed like the day for walking higher. Our choices are limited in this dead-end valley since going up through the Khumbu Icefall for exercise is too spicy a proposition for most reasonable folks. Our solution is to backtrack a bit, following the trail partway back down toward Gorak Shep and then branching off to gain some elevation. The goal today was Pumori Camp One at about 18,200 ft of elevation. We like this particular stair master of a hike because the boulder-hopping is pretty similar to the ice-chunk hopping we'll do in the Icefall. As a bonus, we gained stupendous views of Everest (from North Col to South Col), Lhotse, Nuptse and those distant peaks like Ama Dablam and Thamserku that we used to see so regularly while trekking. We could also see the sprawl of tents down on the Khumbu, growing by the minute. Sure enough, when we reached the main trail during our descent, it was like getting on the interstate highway back home. Hundreds of trekkers, climbers, porters and yaks are now flowing in and out of Base. Tents are going up everywhere, helicopters are buzzing around like flies... The climbing season is cranking up quickly. We walked the half hour or so from downtown Everest Basecamp to our exit in the upper midsection and sat down for one of Kumar's great lunches. Afternoon is for resting, relaxing and rehydrating. We've got plans for cranking things up another notch tomorrow. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn