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Thomas is still suffering from a sore throat; mine seems to be better after the anitibiotics, but my body has been weakened by the medication. Milan joined us up to ABC, Kevin is one day behind, so maybe he joins up again this afternoon.

Though everybody remembers 1996 as the 'Everest disaster', 2006 is proving to be worse. Many people have died this season, while the weather has been quite favorable. Yesterday morning we heard that our friend Vitor Negrete from Brazil died. He had summited without oxygen, but got into trouble on the way down. Sherpas got him back in a tent in high camp (8300m) but he did not survive the night. Just about a week before we had invited Vitor and his friend Rodrigo in our middle camp. We spent a pleasant dinner together, thinking back at 2nd June 2005, when we were on the summit together (at the same time). He has many years of hard climbing experience, now he is gone..

More fatalities will be announced the next days, we want to give families chance to get informed, but so far we count 10 or 11 dead climbers for 2006, while many people have not even started their summit bid. Too many take Everest not seriously and notable is that quite a few fatalities are from low-cost, budget expeditions, without proper sherpa support. It makes us think a lot. The 7summits.com/7summits-club.com goal is to get everybody down safe, with or without summit. Everest will still be there next year, but small mistakes have huge consequences for family, friends and lovers, so hopefully all climbers will realize this.

One guy who beat the odds was Dale Abenojar. You will have read about him on my blogs and many Philippine news agencies and follwersw have asked me about him, so here is the latest:

- on 12th May I saw him going up with a sherpa. He was dress in full down suit, at 6500m and going very slow

- 2 days ago, 18th, I saw him, again on a yak, going down, just below middle camap. I was going up, but while passing he said: 'Harry, I summited May 15 and lost one toe'

So the good thing is that he is still alive and can return to his wife and children ( I had given him less than 50% survival chance, but Everest can be strange in her decisions...), whether he actually summited he should prove himself, I have no further info about that... 

Time for breakfast here, weather is good, we will try to update more later. Signing off, bestregards,

Harry