What a night! After returning to Base Camp at 5 PM local time, after an incredibly hard 11-hour-long climb from Camp 4, we went to bed feeling utterly exhausted. Because we all caught bad cases of the Khumbu cough, our camp sounded like a hospital ward for patients with lung problems. I hardly slept at all, despite being exhausted - that’s how strong the cough is. As a result, I am still very much in a state of mental daze and the fact that we summitted has not sunk in yet. No special, happy, or excited feeling…just pain and suffering, much like before. However, I am very excited about our upcoming helicopter flight back to Kathmamdu. The management of the Hyatt Regency there have kindly offered us the use of their helipad, and the thought of landing there already gave me the giggles  because our helicopter is gigantic (vintage Russian-made MI-17) and landing it there would definitely give the pool-going guests there a good dusting (the helipad is in relatively close proximity to the large, serene pool area). It’s a little strange to admit this, but I am more excited about taking a shower and getting my ridiculously long hair and beard trimmed in the Hyatt’s spa than about the fact that we all summitted -and safely returned from- Mt. Everest. I am sure in the coming days that will all change as the magnitude of the achievement becomes more clear. However, at the moment, Ran, Kenton and I are just giddy about our helo flight and about eating a good, rich meal at lower altitude. Tomorrow, when we retrieve all our camera gear (our stuff is strewn all over the mountain and the Sherpa are collecting it for us), I will post the most important picture of all - of us hoisting the Navy SEAL’s trident flag on the summit. I will also, over the coming week, write  in more detail about the rather eventful climb, during which I literally almost died no fewer than three times. However, I was too exhausted at the time to appreciate the perilous situations. To quote Kenton Cool at Base Camp last night talk about one such incident “and then I watched Mike slide down the Hillary Step and I thought to myself, oh no, he’s going to fall to his death!”

At the Geneva Spur with heavy traffic behind (we passed those guys!) (Courtesy Kenton Cool)

Kenton Cool, our guide, and I near the summit. Kenton is a lot more fit than I so he took off his oxygen mask. I wouldn't dare do such a thing until Camp 3.