Himalaya Fall 2010: Eric Larsen In Camp 3, High Winds Predicted For Summit Day

As the Fall Himalayan climbing season grinds to a finish, all eyes are on Everest and Eric Larsen as he attempts to finish off his Save The Poles Expedition in epic style. The polar explorer has already been to both the North and South Pole this year, and he's hoping to complete the hat trick by knocking off Everest as well. But it isn't going to be easy, and as the last man standing on the mountain, he's got his work cut out for him. Worse yet, the weather may not be all that cooperative either. 

According to his latest dispatch, Eric reached Camp 3 today with winds that were on the rise, but still allowed him and his Sherpa guides to move forward. It was a long, slow slog up the Lhotse Face that involved few words and lots of heavy breathing. 

Eric admits that they are playing with a very narrow weather window, and order to take advantage of it, they'll need to be quick and have a little luck go in their way. The forecast for the next few days indicates that high winds are expected on Friday, his projected summit day. 

The plan now is to move up to C4 tomorrow and rest for most of the day. If the winds aren't too blustery, he'll make a go at the summit with the hopes of topping out on Friday morning. It's going to be a tough climb if he can pull it off, and if he does, it'll be the only summit of the season.