The morning sun quickly burned away the low hanging clouds and we were treated to spectacular views of the surrounding peaks. I could feel my mood brighten with the disappearing fog as well.

Our objective today was to reach the base of the Trakarding Glacier and establish a temporary base camp while we further scout the route ahead. Easier said than done.

For staters, most of the 'route' has been completely obliterated due to the earthquakes and ensuing landslides. Therefore, we spent the day picking our way through a seemingly unending series of rock and scree fields intermixed with smooth ice faces of the glacier underneath. Every single step throughout the entire day was precarious. Sliding rocks, sliding gravel, rocks sliding on ice... Walking through this terrain required our total focus.

Peter and I were talking about how we would describe this landscape to friends. Scoured and raw was the best I could come up with. Imagine a long mountain valley with nearly vertical walls on either side. Then place a glacier running lengthwise right down the middle. But not you average blue / white glacier. One completely covered with rocks, boulders and gravel of any and every size. Throw in a few vertical ice faces for fun and an undulating surface and you are beginning to understand the place we are in.

Still, I am drawn to these extreme environments. It was hard to not stare in awe at the sheer power of The processes that have created the earth's surface. Despite the harshness, there were still a few plants and flowers rooted somehow in the occasional patch of dirt, if you can even call it dirt.

As the day wore on, we became more and more anxious to find a camp spot. The bright sun was melting the ice faces and sending the rocks perched atop them, racing down in large rumbling crashes. I had been trying to make cairns so Peter, Tshering and our Porters could find their way back. Looking back, it was simply Rocks as far as the eye could see.

About 10 feet from our camp, I tripped and fell face first into the rocks. I managed to brace myself with my hands but my head still slammed into some rocks. I was lucky getting only a small cut above my eye. Had I not been wearing my Zeal sun glasses, I may have had a much worse injury as the lenses took the brunt of the crash.

Once in camp, we spent nearly an hour and a half moving rocks and shoveling gravel to make flat spots for our tents. Not surprisingly, our MSR shovels are also great for moving large quantities of glacier gravel.

Once again, we are noticing the large amount of melting ice and retreating glaciers. The glacier we were hoping to ascend no longer reaches to the valley floor as our maps indicate. We briefly scoped out a potential route but that is a problem for tomorrow and right now our Therm-A-Rest chairs are too comfortable to leave.

For those of you interested in helping the people of Nepal, we are partnering with the DZI foundation in their efforts to help rebuild schools in Nepal. To learn more about the DZI foundation and how you can donate, please visit www.dzi.org.