Everest 2018: A Big Year – Again
Looks like another big year on Everest, but not a record. Teams continue to arrive at the base camps but are also beginning to climb. Progress is swift on the Nepal side and about to take off on the Tibetan side. Nepal – Into the Icefall! EBC is buzzing with activity. Guides are running their […]
Everest 2018: April 18, A Day to Remember
On April 18, 2014, at 6:35 am, a small section of an ice serac released onto the Khumbu Icefall. 16 Sherpas were killed in a moment as tons of ice fell, leaving the mountain workers with few options and nowhere to hide. Today, four years later 2018, there is no climbing on Mt. Everest. No […]
Everest 2018: Into the Icefall
The #Everest2018 season continues in an orderly manner. Teams are at base camps on both sides adjusting to their new homes, and the thinner air. The first teams have entered the Icefall on the Nepal side. Soon the Tibet side teams will make the move to Intermediate and then Advanced Base Camp. Training at Base […]
Everest 2018: Base Camp Progress and Pujas
The base camps are coming together on both sides as the teams continue to arrive. Climbers are doing some skills review while the Sherpas build the high camps. A few teams have already entered the Khumbu Icefall. It looks like members will begin to climb to Camp 1 in a couple of days. So far, […]
Everest 2018: Active Rest at Base Camp
We begin week three with climbers adjusting to life at base camp. As a reminder that Nepal is one of the most susceptible countries on earth for earthquakes, a minor 3.2 magnitude earthquake was felt in Kathmandu on Saturday night. Active Rest A key to being successful on Everest is to stay active – even […]
Everest 2018: Weekend Update April 15
Mid April is always a milestone for the spring Everest climbers. One by one they are arriving at base camp on both sides of the mountain. It looks like the first member rotations will start in about a week on the Nepal side, perhaps earlier. The Sherpas are already making carries into the Western Cwm. […]
Everest 2018: EBC Filling Up
Activity is increasing as we approach mid April. Several teams have crossed the border with China heading for Chinese Base Camp (CBC) and many others are already at Everest Base Camp (EBC) on the Nepal side. There have been the normal annoyances but nothing major. One of the Icefall Doctors was hurt in the Icefall […]
Everest 2018: First Teams at Base Camp with new Rules
The flood of climbers continues to arrive in Kathmandu, trekking to base camp or crossing the border into China. The weather is decent and no serious issues have been reported thus far. 2018 like 2017 Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism has released a few numbers: Everest teams: 29 Everest foreign permits: 275 (thus far) Everest Sherpas: […]
Everest 2018: The Critics Corner
I’ve been covering Everest since 2002 and each year about this time in my coverage I get the usual comments decrying the commercialism, the tourism, the lack of skills by the climbers, the lack of challenge and more. Usually I ignore the comments and in rash cases delete them when they become personal or simply […]
Everest 2018: Week Two Begins
This week starts like last week – teams trekking or driving to base camp. So far, the season has no big surprises, just what we like this early. There has been a bit more precipitation than normal, but that could be, um, well it could just be the weather 🙂 Lobuche As the #Everest2018 season […]