Back in Everest Base Camp!
News just in from Everest base camp and the report is that everyone is safe and well there, and looking forward to a few days of Adam’s excellent cooking – Adele, who is attempting Lhotse, is also there. Following Pem’s accident the team came down, leaving the majority of other teams to press on hoping to take advantage of what was forecast to be a narrow weather window. Some teams got to the top last night, but progress has been slow particularly through the Hillary Step. It looks as though a stable weather window will...
read moreSummit attempt on hold
Today we learned that the Sherpa team fixing ropes reached the summit of Everest at 13.30 on the 18th May 2012 Nepali time. Due to adverse weather, this is much later than the previous year, which was fixed to the summit on the 5th/6th May. The team were one of the first teams on the mountain and also one of the first to sleep at camp 3. This would have put us in a very good position for the summit in the next few days. However, due to the rope fixing occurring quite late this season we have seen a large number of people heading up from Camp...
read moreAccident at camp 3
David Hamilton has just phoned in from Camp 2. This morning, one of our Sherpas, Pem Chirri, was hit by falling ice at Camp 3. Apparently the ice came off a serac above and broke Pem’s arm and leg. He was airlifted from the Western Cwm and is now back in Kathmandu being treated in hospital. Pem is a quiet, unassuming man, with a slight build that belies his formidable strength in the mountains. Our thoughts are with him and we wish him a speedy recovery. The rest of the team are currently in Camp 2. This accident has put their attempt...
read moreResting in Camp 2
The Everest team set out up the mountain at the now familiar time of 1.30 a.m. after a fortifying breakfast of hot drinks and porridge (salami for Bruno of course). The night was crisp and clear for the 5th and final ascent through the Khumbu Icefall. David led the first half of the team into Camp 2 at around 10.a.m, followed by Pasang Tensing and the remainder of the team at 11.00 a.m Kathmandu time. The reports were that the weather was excellent, calm winds and clear skies. The team can now look forward to a relaxing afternoon and a full...
read moreLatest from Camp 2
So on Tuesday 15th with all team members all packed up (and showered!) a few brief pauses in card games and film screenings occurred to make time for last minute details, they spent their final day in Base Camp before their summit attempt. Werner was making his usual rounds of satellite phone updates back to Costa Rica, Bruno stocking up on meds and snacks, Cian attempting one last win at the rounds of cards and improvements on his coffee technique, Ian — well just his usual chilled-out self really –, Phil finished on all the...
read moreEverest Summit Attempt
Hi all, After a week waiting at Base Camp we have finally got a weather window. The weather this year has been very up and down and it can change very quickly. We will be leaving Base camp at 1am tonight (or tomorrow morning) and making our way through the Ice-fall and then onto camp 2. We are hoping to reach camp 2 around 8 or 9 tomorrow morning. We will have tomorrow and the next day to rest at camp 2. While at camp 2, we will be in radio with our base camp manager and monitoring the weather very carefully. After our 2nd day of rest at camp...
read moreWaiting in base camp
Some days time flies, others it stands still. Today is a standing-still sort of day. Another round of morning walks to Gorak Shep for the guys plus Adele.Here in camp it remains quiet. David’s called in from Camp 2, where he’s up for a two-day reccie of developing conditions and a chance to check out the Lhotse Face firsthand, after this last dump of precipitation. He reports down that the winds still blow heavily up high, strong on the Yellow Band. Just after our breakfast here, all the Sherpas returned from the last load...
read moreEarly summit push cancelled
Plans by Everest expeditions to fix the ropes to the summit in the expected good weather period (10-12 May) have been cancelled. Heavy snow on the Lhotse Face during the night of 9/10 May prevented both the ‘load carrying’ and rope fixing teams form climbing to the South Col as planned on 10th May. The 12 strong rope fixing team have returned to Base Camp. The weather is looking better today (11th May) and the load carrying sherpas are hoping to place all the equipment needed for the summit push on the South Col. Additionally...
read moreEverest Camp 3
Hi All, Everytime we go through the Ice-fall it seems to be in worse condition than the last time. It also doesnt help hearing stories of other climbers, sherpas and whole teams leaving the mountain. There are alot of rumours that float around Base Camp. I try to ignore them as it is as I want to concentrate on myself and our team. Recently we were told that the biggest team Himex (Russell Brice) would be packing up and going home. There were lots of meetings in Base Camp with the big teams. There were a lot of concerns about the Ice-fall...
read moreImpressions from Camp 3
Impressions from Camp 3 The reward for reaching Camp Three is a greater understanding of the geography of the Khumbu Valley itself. In the far distance, guarding the entrance to the valley, is Nuptse. On the left and on the right, the west shoulder of Everest itself. In the centre is the river of ice that is the Khumbhu Glacier, which buckles into wave-like peaks and troughs before tumbling down towards Base Camp as the Khumbu Icefall. Camp One is in the far distance too, with row upon row of tents formed on the peaks of these waves....
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- Weather permitting, hoping to summit around May 20th!!
- So Cian is all set for the summit! Leaving base camp tonight heading for camp 2, onto camp 3, camp 4 and the summit!
- Up to camp 3! so back in base camp now for a week before we attempt the summit!
