Everest 2018: Summit Wave 4 – Update SUMMITS!

Everest Oxygen

Teams are once again on the move from their high camps on the Tibet side and Nepal hoping to summit early Thursday morning 17 May, 2018. After yesterday’s big day with over 140 summits, today should be a bit quieter. Also, hoping for less drama after the failed oxygen systems on the North side.

Alpenglow Ends Season

After a dramatic evening of oxygen tanks hissing life saving oxygen into the atmosphere at 28,000 feet (link), theAlpenglow team made a joint call to end their spring season. Alpenglow posted on Facebook

Teams have decided against making another summit attempt. The enormous effort that it takes to reach 8,500m burns through the body’s reserves. In the climbing community, it is well known that exhaustion breeds accidents, so, in the interest of safety, the team has decided to pack up their climbing boots and call it a season.

Again, I want to applaud each member of this team from the guides to the Sherpas to the members and their base camp support plus the other teams on the Hill last night. Well done to all.

Summit Pushes Wednesday Night

7 Summits Club has 10 people at C3 headed up tonight. They report clear skies and excellent conditions and “only” about 60 people for tonights climb.  Transcend has another seven along with seven Sherpas. Look for another 20-30 on the Nepal side.

You can see the approximate location of many of the team on my Location Table.


UPDATE: Summits!!

Tim Mosedale says that “Adam, Rupert and their Sherpas have summited Everest this morning and are currently on their way down to the S Col. and Fergus and Adrian following tomorrow with their Sherpas. Hoping Rupert will be back at EBC early tomorrow morning to start his journey to the N side for his double attempt.” Note that Rupert Jones-Warner plans to summit both sides of Everest in a single season. Last done by David Liano in 2013

Transcend announced the first summits of Thursday:

At approximately 4:15 a.m., J. Praveen from the Andhra Pradesh State Social Welfare Educational institutions, has reached the summit along with his Sherpa guide and G. Raju reached the summit at 4:45 am along with his Sherpa guide. Raju also belongs to the Andhra Pradesh State Social Welfare Residential education institution and Prasanna Kumar, Bhanu Surya Prakash belonging to Andhra Pradesh and Vikas of Maharashtra reached the summit at 4:50 a.m

7 Summits Club had a great nite:

Today on may 17, at 5.30 in Nepal (2.45 in Moscow), the first group of the 7 Peaks Club Expedition, LED by Alexander Abramov, went to the top of Everest.
1. Aleksadr logačev
2. Vladimir Belʹkovič
3. Dmitry Tertyčnyj (17 years old)
4. Alexander tertyčnyj
5. Dmitry Tomilin
6. Kirill Semeškin
7. Alexander Popov
8. Alexey Balakin
9. Kamil Sučanskij.
10. Alexander Abramov leader and guide

And again Transcend from India had another successful day with 7 members and 9 Sherpas. They have been focusing on helping the youth of India to dream big and accomplish those dream using climbing as a tool. I want to thank them for providing the name and villages of the Sherpas and the ages of their members.

  • J. Praveen (M,19, Andhra Pradesh) reached the summit at 4:15 a.m. IST.
  • G. Raju (M, 19, Andhra Pradesh) reached the summit at 4:45 a.m. IST
  • Prasanna Kumar (M, 19, Andhra Pradesh) reached the summit at 4:50 a.m. IST
  • Bhanu Surya Prakash (M, 19, Andhra Pradesh) reached the summit at 4:50 a.m. IST
  • Vikas (M, 19, Maharashtra) reached the summit at 4:55 a.m. IST.
  • Vikram (M, 25, Karnataka) Reached the summit at 6:25 a.m. IST
  • Venkatesh (M, 19, Andhra Pradesh) reached the summit at 7:00 a.m IST

Sherpa Guides: Name, village.

  • Sange Dorjee, Khumjung
  • Pemba, Shisowa
  • Karma Gyalgen, Thamo
  • Lakhpa Temba, Mojo Bemgar
  • Lakhpa Tenging, Thangmote
  • Nima Nuru, Kotang Halesha
  • Furtemba, Phorte
  • Ang Nima Rai, Thangmute
  • Futsiring, Phorte

Seven Summits Treks posted this :”Francois Cazzanelli and Marizio Cheli both from Italy climbed Everest this morning with Ramesh Gurung and Nima Rima Sherpa.”

Also on the North but with zero detail is from Satori; “On May 16, 2018, the Satori Everest North Expedition team reached the summit of Mt. Everest. The team has since descended to camp II and are getting a well deserved nights sleep.

Lhotse

Not to be forgotten, Lhotse is a popular peak these days, especially for those Everest climbers who return to the South Col, rest up and then ascend Lhotse bypassing the return trip back up from Base Camp. Adventure Consultants reports their private team had success:

Guy reported that they had the entire mountain all to themselves, making climbing the Everest/Lhotse double even sweeter. Congratulations to the team: Leow Kah Shin – Singapore, 1st summit of Lhotse, Guy Cotter – New Zealand, 2nd summit, Pasang Bhote – Sangkhuwasaba, Nepal, 1st summit, Dawa Bhote – Sangkhuwasaba, Nepal, 1st summit

There were 80 permits for Lhotse this season and I estimate 60% also had Everest permits but only half of them succeeded. Don’t underestimate the fatigue after summiting Everest and then going on to Lhotse.

Shouts of Joy

I clearly remember my first Himalayan summit and the most recent. As we sat down on our packs at the summit hoping for a moments rest and drink of water, a Sherpa, perhaps not even from your team, clicks the transmitter on the radio and literally screams “SSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTT”  It feels like that soccer announcer who goes on forever with “GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL”. But what’s impressive is the announcer guy has oxygen, the Sherpa doesn’t! -:)

I’ll update this post throughout the night.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

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11 thoughts on “Everest 2018: Summit Wave 4 – Update SUMMITS!

  1. HI Alan, do you by any chance have news on Dr Melanie Windridge?

    Love your daily blog, thank you for the effort you put in so that those of us who can’t physically do it can still get a mental image. I most enjoy the fact that you include all the other mountains and not just Everest. Wonderful to feel a part of every one.

  2. Well done to all the summiters ! A splendid achievement.
    Still no comment on the state of the Hillary Step . Are we waiting for an official statement to be released ?
    Stay safe !

  3. Wasn’t sure as to where CTSS Team was located. Last post from them was that they were in C3…15thb it I think that you have them moving up to the Color topping out?

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