The summit push is on and the south is pushing hard. Teams are at camp 3, Sherpas are at the South Col with tents and oxygen ready for the summit push.
If the weather window holds, per some forecasts, teams should arrive at the South Col mid-day Saturday, Nepal time and start their summit bids later that evening, May 15th. This would have summits on Sunday morning, May 16th starting perhaps as early as 6:00Am. Of course all of this assumes the winds die down enough for them to climb.
The competition continues and now is a bit ugly with feelings of deceit designed to trick the competitors. The Sky Climber team down at base camp report Carina Räihä at the South Col prepared to go for the summit anytime and Anne-Mari Hyryläinen has climbed to Camp 3.
Today (Friday) morning Anne-Mari and Pasang Wangchu started again to climb to Camp 3 in gusty winds. We also received information from our Camp 2 team that Carina had started her climb towards Camp 4 in the morning. This confirmed our thoughts that the information of Carina spending two nights in Camp 3 was all along intended to mislead us.
And some insight into what is driving at least one of these women:
If Anne-Mari was ready to forget the race and climb later in safer weather conditions she should let Carina continue taking the dangerous gamble alone and descend back to the Base Camp herself. The decision, however, is extremely difficult since the prize is becoming the first ever Finnish woman on top of the highest mountain in the world: one would get her name into the books of history, one would attain something no other Finnish woman has ever attained before. One would gain the status of a legend and at least metaphorically, immortality.
Once again, I suggest reading this entire post from Sky Climbers, it reveals the angst of the teams and the drive of the competition. And Peak Freaks has an update confirming Carina at C3 anxious to go higher but being coached to stay put for the moment:
Hugo checks in from Camp 3: They just arrived and with him is Pete, Bob and Carina. All is good, windy but tolerable. Carina was wanting to move to the South Col today but Tim explained to her there was no point. She wouldn’t be able to go higher because of the wind which would mean she would be just sitting up there sucking on oxygen when she didn’t need to and that she would be more comfortable with her team mates at Camp 3. She agreed. … Everyone is feeling good and there are Sherpas moving up and down easily so the winds are not hindering things as bad as some reports have indicated.
The large Himex team is waiting ly as reported by Bili Bierling who is blogging for the team this season:
“I am getting quite im but I know that high altitude mountaineering is a waiting game,” Helmut said when I was about to leave. However, like any other team on the mountain, the Himex crew will have to wait for the strong winds to die down in order for them to reach the summit, and come back down again. “The weather window has to be big enough for everyone to get back down safely as the summit is only half way,” Russell always emphasises.
In a very somber and serious note, the Khumbu Glacier has now returned four bodies of climbers who have died on Everest Expeditions. Eric Simonson posted a touching tribute to Ang Phinjo Sherpa who was a friend and colleague for IMG expeditions. He was killed April 21, 2006, in the lower Icefall near the first ladders when a huge serac collapsed.
Jangbu and I have worked together since 1991 and I know this had weighed on him and the family, so it is a big relief for everyone to finally recover Phinjo and close the loop. Phinjo is the only sherpa to die working for IMG; other than this incident, we have had only a few minor injuries over the years. He and the other two sherpas were doing everything right that fateful day, but they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when their luck ran out. So far this year the Icefall has been very benign, with very few collapses or avalanches. It reminds us to be vigilant, as we prepare for our final rotations and summit bids.
From the North, Bill Burke once again posted an audio report detailing a quick evac for an ill Sherpa and also that David Liano has left for his summit bid. We can safely assume other teams are also attempting this window over the weekend on that side, but there are no other confirmed reports. Last report was of the large (30 person) Chinese teams leaving Base Camp a few days ago. Hopefully they are able to get higher to set the lines.
I’ll post more on the South side attempts as it develops.
Climb On!
Alan
3 thoughts on “South Teams Racing Against the Weather for Summits”
Well said(written)that is.Yes,I agree Rick.In all that we can control as humans that is a top priority to having a safe climb.A good place to start in mountaineering if one asks me.
Rick: “As Peak Freaks reports, “This season we have three competitions… I just learned that there are three Western Australians climbing. The first to reach the summit will be given the title of the third Western Australian.” Really? The third? This is irrelevance reaching a new level of stupidity and if it drives them to push already thin margins.”
“Irrelevance”.. well put. When it comes down to it, since the very first time every following Everest summit is redundant except to the summiteer. If one wants, surely there’s some new random “first” that can be tacked onto it (first to the top with a hula hoop?). As far as I can tell, the summit is really an achievement of an individual vs. themselves.
So it seems that Altitude Junkies/Skyclimbers are doing the right thing “we have decided to bring down Anne-Mari and Pasang Wongchu Sherpa to base camp for safety reasons.” Winds are not expected to abate. Maybe it’s the certainty of the situation as forecasts now stand, but this whole competition thing really has me shaking my head.
My limited experience mountaineering tells me safety is often one of slim margins. Climbers push those margins enough already. Climbers on Everest push them even further. Add to that some idiotic competition, and its almost a guarantee somebody is working without a net. As Peak Freaks reports, “This season we have three competitions… I just learned that there are three Western Australians climbing. The first to reach the summit will be given the title of the third Western Australian.” Really? The third? This is irrelevance reaching a new level of stupidity and if it drives them to push already thin margins.
I had asked about differences in guides & companies as I find myself drawn into this game. I’m seriously questioning the judgment of Tim Rippel and Peak Freaks because they seem to have fed this game by promoting an early push and engaging in a little cloak and dagger. Not good judgment or maturity in my opinion.
Thanks Alan for providing a window into this arena. I may benefit more from observing behavior on the mountain than reading any brochure. For my money, solid decision making skills are priority #1. I don’t want a guide that is willing to sacrifice slim margins for cheap competitions, or anything else for that matter.
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