Made Camp 2 today, it's quite the distance from BC...and I'm still not even above 19,000'! The route to Camp 2 starts with a stretch of glacier travel. After which you gain a large cleaver that takes you to Camp 2. I had a leisurely morning in Camp 1, drinking insta - coffee and watching the weather before deciding to try for Camp 2. The weather today was all over the place. Annapurna's weather still feels very random and forecasts have been inaccurate. And as usual, what I'll do tomorrow will be dictated by the weather gods... RMI Guide Alex Barber

Today (April 1st) I moved up to Camp 1 at about 17,000' from 13,800' Base Camp. Enjoyed good weather in the morning which turned to light snow in the afternoon. The route to C1 is quite a distance from BC and has some enjoyable climbing. Low angle water ice and low grade mixed climbing, also a precarious arm wrap rappel of some 200' on the most insane choss... The recent snowfall - plowing through knee deep snow - made some sections of the route very tiring. I'm hoping the weather holds and I am able to make Camp 2 tomorrow. I've got three days worth of supplies including today, so I'd like to spend the next two at Camp 2. Hopefully the weather plays along... When I return to BC I'll post up a few photos for a visual of the route so far. RMI Guide Alex Barber

Yesterday I flew into Annapurna Base Camp. As the pilot and I made our way through the deep valleys from Tatopani, Annapurna I appeared, rising some 12,800ft above. Yikes! A beautiful jumble of rock and ice. I leaned over to the pilot and nervously asked him if he could return me to Kathmandu. He just laughed, assuming sarcasm... After arriving in base camp and setting up my camp, I went for a slow jog in the evening toward the glacier (see picture) and got my first glimpse of the way to Camp 1. The route looks to follow an ascending traverse across a cliff face of rock and snow which has the advantage of bypassing a 2,500’ glacial ice fall. It does seem like the slightly better of two bad options - although the cliff still holds many things above you that could become hazards. Tomorrow I’ll attend a Puja (a ceremony in which meditational prayers are offered to the Buddhas and holy beings to request their blessings or help), after which I’ll start pushing uphill. Currently it’s snowing here in base camp with consistent thunder. The weather forecast is predicting unstable conditions until April 4th. However, there seems to be an afternoon trend to the wet weather, which if it holds shouldn’t affect my acclimatization climbs to C1/C2. Well, that’s all I’ve got for now! RMI Guide Alex Barber

Annapurna Expedition March 27 - Update Enjoying the hotsprings of Tatopani while the helicopter does all the heavy lifting... sort of a ridiculous way to start an expedition. March 26 - Update In Tatopani tonight, we made several attempts to fly into Annapurna Base Camp today through low visibility and heavy rain. The low visibility prevented us from touching down though. Flying with less than 1,000 m visibility is quite hazardous with cliffs rising high above all around you. Hopefully with the more stable weather in the morning we will be able to fly into Base Camp tomorrow. For now our Helicopter is parked in a rudimentary soccer field in the small village of Tatopani. Pretty comical and has created quite the stir among the local population. RMI Guide Alex Barber

RMI Guide Alex Barber begins his solo / nO's attempt on Annapurna: The 24th of March around mid-day I made a turbulent landing into Kathmandu for my fourth 8000m expedition. The forecast for the next five days is showing two meters of snow… That combined with a large snowfall in late February has me nervous. I worry that I will arrive to a dangerously loaded mountain, a mountain known for its frequent avalanches. But as of now I am sending my bags ahead to Tatopani. Tomorrow morning (27th) I'll be taking a helicopter from Kathmandu to Tatopani and if weather permits I'll be in base camp tomorrow afternoon. For now, the focus will be to survive the congested streets of Kathmandu, as I make last minute purchases like fuel, food, lighters, etc.