Con (top) climbing the beginning of the Second Step - At this point we are roughly 28,230 feet high. It was 7am. Gene had turned around a couple of hours earlier. Julio and I decided to turn around here because with our limited oxygen and energy reserves, we didn't think we could summit and descend back to our high camp. This is the most dangerous and difficult part of the climb and if you think you're not going to summit, this is the place to turn around. Con and Lopsang went on to summit around 10:30 am. [0045EVE071]

![CAMP 2 [0030EVE071]](../imgThmb/0030EVE071O.jpg)
![CAMP 2 [0033EVE071]](../imgThmb/0033EVE071o2.jpg)
![JULIO AND LOPSANG [[0039EVE071]](../imgThmb/0039EVE071O2.jpg)
![THE NORTH COL - You can barely see the tents in the middle of this photo. [0041EVE071]](../imgThmb/0041EVE071A.jpg)
![JULIO, ARE YOU IN THERE? [0042EVE071]](../imgThmb/0042EVE071O.jpg)
![CAMP 3 - This was our highest camp at about 7900 to 8000 meters. [0043EVE071]](../imgThmb/0043EVE071O.jpg)
![I can barely see around the oxygen mask. Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of me high on Everest. Totally lame. I must go back. [0044EVE071]](../imgThmb/0044EVE071O.jpg)
![Con (top) climbing the beginning of the Second Step - At this point we are roughly 28,230 feet high. It was 7am. Gene had turned around a couple of hours earlier. Julio and I decided to turn around here because with our limited oxygen and energy reserves, we didn't think we could summit and descend back to our high camp. This is the most dangerous and difficult part of the climb and if you think you're not going to summit, this is the place to turn around. Con and Lopsang went on to summit around 10:30 am. [0045EVE071]](../imgThmb/0045EVE071O.jpg)
![LAMA JANGBU AT THE SECOND STEP [0054EVE071]](../imgThmb/0054EVE071o2.jpg)
![Julio having a drink on the northeast ridge [0055EVE071]](../imgThmb/0055EVE071o2.jpg)
![VIEW FROM NE RIDGE - I stood there thinking "I cannot believe where I am right now.' [0056EVE071]](../imgThmb/0056EVE071O.jpg)
![Looking back up the mountain as we descend, you can see some climbers to the right. [0057EVE071]](../imgThmb/0057EVE071O.jpg)
![Heading down to Camp 3, we see climbers heading up to their high camp for their summit attempt the next morning. [0060EVE071]](../imgThmb/0060EVE071A.jpg)
![Here I am looking back up the mountain. We see climbers heading up to their high camp for their summit attempt the next morning. Since our camp was lower, we climbed this terrain on our summit day but it was dark then. [0062EVE071]](../imgThmb/0062EVE071O.jpg)
![Lama Jangbu in his Big Blue Suit back at Camp 3. [0066EVE071]](../imgThmb/0066EVE071o2.jpg)
![After our summit attempt, I descended down to the North Col and took this shot looking back up at the various camps. Since Gene was down earlier, he had already descended to the North Col. Con and Julio stayed at Camp 3 for the night. This was a huge concern for Phanden, who stayed with them. Generally, the Sherpas don't want any climbers staying at high camp after the summit attempt. 8000 meters is not a place you want to be for too long. [0069EVE071]](../imgThmb/0069EVE071O.jpg)
![Looking down from the North Col at ABC - I descended back to ABC the next morning. That's my ice axe - didn't use it once, for anything, except in this photo. [0073EVE071]](../imgThmb/0073EVE071O.jpg)
![BACK TO THE NORTH COL - This is the next morning as I'm slowly preparing to descend to ABC. [0074EVE071]](../imgThmb/0074EVE071O.jpg)

