Wake at 6am after a very cold, wet night. After a quick breakfast of omelette, sausage, toast and fruit, we leave at 8am for a four-hour, steep climb to Shira camp at 3,300m/10,800ft. Walked through moorland, very pretty terrain. Shared our lunch with a striped forest mouse! Packed lunches consisted of juice, fried chicken, a boiled egg, jam sandwich and a small cake. It transpired that lunch was the same every day, and as the bread and cake began to dry out, they would deep fry the sandwiches.
Beef and rice for dinner. Great stars! There’s a cave at this camp where 70 porters used to sleep overnight. They now sleep in tents, but 3 or 4 to a tent and at least two slept in the mess tent.