We spent our first night at about 20,000 feet. I round these numbers off because the exact altitude isn’t that important. The first night at any new altitude is always a little unpleasant. With the lower oxygen levels you tend to sleep poorly and headaches and listlessness are common. To me the longest hour of the day and the shortest hour of the day is the one before sunrise depending on how you are feeling. Last night it was the longest. Took a hike toward Camp Two today. Camp Two is commonly referred to as Advanced Base Camp. It is in a well-protected area at about 22,000 feet. Our team maintains a cook tent and a mess tent there as well as sleeping tents. Next to base camp this is where we will spend most of our time. We only intended to hike there and back. Only the cook tent is up. Sherpas are beginning to bring up gear but the Camp is not ready for habitation and we are not acclimatized enough to stay there yet. Today I am moving very slowly. I once read that mountain climbing was like a journey into old age. I use to visit my grandmother in a nursing home every Saturday and I would watch the residents shuffle a few feet then lean against the wall. I know how they felt. Yesterday I had to take two-minute breathers 25 yards from camp. I wish I could put into words the weariness that having less than half the normal O2 brings. So I am at nursing home speed. Next time I come, with some time at this altitude in the acclimatization bank, I hope to be up to convalescent speed. I will never be at sea level speed. The section from One to Two is technically pretty straightforward. You can actually see ABC (Advanced Base Camp) from a couple of hours away. That may make it tougher. We met several of our Sherpas coming down who had deposited loads. These guys fly by. Of course they were born and live at 12 to 14,000 feet and some have already been up here a month getting base camp ready. Still it is a little embarrassing. Rhythm is such an important part of climbing. Finding that cadence that allows you to move for hours without becoming winded is vital to the mental part of this. I have heard athletes in other sports call it the “zone”. You never stop hurting but you stop thinking about it. For me I have not yet begun to set new personal altitude records. There are several who will shortly above Camp One. I have some advantage in this. There is a confidence in knowing that I will feel better, move faster and eventually life will return to normal. We will spend one more acclimatization night at Camp One and then we will move back down to Base Camp to recharge before beginning the next rotation