Hey this is TA calling in from day 47 and we said the other day that 47 was sort of like what we were about recognizing that our trip is only about 3 weeks left in it. We are located at the Amphu Labsta base camp at an elevation of about 5400 and anywhere between 40 and 86 m above sea level depending on which device you consult. We wanted to say a big hello and thinking of you to Christina Tyler, sitting here at the foot of the amphu labsta. You would’ve loved seeing what we’re seeing here and what are we seeing? We’re seeing an amazing glacier ice fall with several ice shells that look somewhat like the gills of a mushroom. A giant glistening white mushroom amphsa icefolicus labtsa sidium is what I’ve named my giant icefall mushroom and tomorrow we will most likely be making our way up through those icefalls. Icefalls gills iced off with our crampons and big plastic boots to make our way over the third high passage.

We had a pretty good move today. I had 10 317 steps, Marian had 9 826 and Cam had 9 623. Coming in at around 7 km. It was a bit of hard work. I think one just because we were walking on Talus the entire time just about or snow and also just because I think we’re starting to have a build up of fatigue from some very big days at high altitude. I wanted to say a special hello to Holy cross elementary and the students there and hope you will join me in celebrating that we’ve reached over 750 000 steps for the great big walk with our steps today. We’re hoping to reach a million before we finish.

We had some very very variable weather today. I recognized it as a johari window of weather. It was definitely teaching me equanimity towards the weather. Basically if you have a graph that has a little sun and a little wind in one axis and lots and lots in the other corners. If we had a little wind and a little sun we felt pretty good. If we had lots of sun and very little wind we were way too hot. If we had lots of wind and very little sun we were two cold and if there was lots of wind and lots of sun we were pretty good and if other than that we were changing our layers and unzipping and zipping and unzipping and zipping. We were walking with Lhakpa today and basically he left camp and never adjusted the thing and he is my new hero. I do not know how he quite does that.

Thanks to Heather Courage for the Easter date. Thanks April 20th. We will know to send off Easter greetings and for your class doing 20 times around the gym. That is absolutely positively awesome. That is very exciting and I was thinking today about one of my favorite Buddhist books which is called the wisdom of no escape by (inaudible) and she says basically sometimes it is important to put yourself in situations that you cannot get out of except for one way and at the moment several of us are thinking yep, we’ve got one way to out of here which is over the pass. Again we are still waiting for the plan to be affected by our team. There is another group moving up valley. Our climbing Sherpa’s need to set the fixed lines to keep us safe as we go over the pass. So we don’t know if we’re on an early departure, mid departure, on delay or just what but most likely we will be going over the pass tomorrow and then heading down towards Island peak base camp for the night and then into (inaudible) the next day.

We gained about 200 m or about 60 floors today and probably felt every single one of those floors but all is well. We’re eating and trying our best to eat and drink up here at 5400 and change meters above sea level. Thanks so much for tuning in to the great big walk and hope that you found some place to take your own great big walk today and tomorrow will definitely be another of our great big climb type of days. Thanks and have a great day. Bye!

Total Steps for TA: 10 317 steps

Total Steps for Marian: 9 826 steps

Total Distance for TA: 7 km

Total Distance for Marian: 7 km

Great Big Walk acknowledges the support of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Quick Start Fund for Public Engagement in making these updates from the field possible.