Everest Update: The latest dispatch from Wally Berg has a lot of ramblings about fruit cakes and the difficulties of sending e-mail via satphone from the village of Namche. But there is important stuff, too. To wit, the team is all back in Base Camp and ready to start climbing. The weather is beautifully calm, though the jet stream is supposed to sink down toward Everest, bringing high winds (Berg is hoping to find a small window to summit through). The Sherpas were up on the South Col for the past two days, beaking trail and fixing ropes. They report a lot of snow. And finally, Berg says that their latest summit target date is Oct. 22. Now it begins…..

Berg (left) and Sherpas: “Just tossing a coin to see who’s going to carry Maegan’s skis…….”

(Photo: Berg Adventures International)