Army Everest Team Reaches Camp 4

A quick update on the progress of the British Army team currently attempting the difficult West Ridge of Everest.

According to their lavishly appointed web site, the team are now in the process of setting up Camp 4 on the mountain after a spell of good weather has allowed good progress over the last three days.

The team has been rotating teams of climbers up front to maximise progress, and using siege tactics, and they are now less than 600 metres below the summit of the world's highest mountain - if they succeed they will be the first British summiteers to have used the West Ridge route to the summit.

Blogtastic...

Some of the most interesting reading on the expedition site is in the climbers' blogs section. Resting up in base camp, Shaun Phillips reflects on the realities of climbing at extreme high altitudes:

'All your romantic thoughts about climbing big mountains go out the window when you are stuck on a 50/60 degree slope trying to haul 40lbs plus of equipment up in near white out conditions, minus 20s and howling winds. Your only thoughts are how many more steps you have to do before you can stop for a rest. I have been working on between 20/30 steps then rest for 15/20 breaths to recover when we have been working between 6500 and 7500m.

'We were blessed with some of the best weather we had experienced on the mountain so far to take in the awesome views of Lhotse, Nuptse and down in to the Western Cwm. It was incredible to see the trail of ant like dots that make up most of the commercial expeditions on the south side, snaking their way up to the South Col. We are the only expedition on this side of the mountain which makes it all the more special.'

Top Site

We've said it before, but if you fancy whiling away a few minutes then www.armyoneverest.mod.uk is a phenomenal site complete with images and video footage direct from the mountain.

For general updates from Everest where climbers are now poised to summit this week see the excellent www.everestnews.com site.