Everest 2012: Sherpa Train

Everest teams are spread all over the Khumbu and southern Tibet at the moment. A few are still at the high camps but most are holding at base camps or down in the villages enjoying the richer air.

There are 10 Sherpas from multiple teams working together to fix the rope to the summit on the south. They almost reached the Balcony, just above the South Col, when heavy snow stopped them. This is actually good news as the climbing conditions will be safer with more snow, but not too much!

The Sherpa Train

In addition to line fixing, the Sherpas are ferrying thousands of pounds of gear to the South Col and upper camps on the North. It is almost impossible to believe without seeing but there will be a line of 50 to 100 Sherpas snaking up the Lhotse Face, each with a pack loaded to 50 lbs or more consisting of tents, stakes, mesh nets, sleeping bags, pads, stoves, fuels, food, and oxygen bottles. It is a tribute to the human spirit and capacity to get things done.

The vast majority of western climbers will carry some gear but dramatically less, perhaps 15 pounds each. They carry clothes, food, water, their personal oxygen mask and regulator; sometimes their sleeping bag and pad.

Of course the western climbers only climb higher on their summit bid while the Sherpas will make multiple carries to stock the camps. Amazingly, the Sherpas, who don’t like to sleep above Camp 2 on the south, will make these carries from Camp 2 to the South Col in one day taking less the half the time of the strongest western climbers!

Encouraging Updates

The Patagonia Brothers aka Damien and Willie Benegas posted an uplifting message on their Camp 3 rotation. This is significant because these two guys are mainstays on the South side. Wilie has been one of the few Westerners to help the Sherpas fix lines to the summit in some years and this year was instrumental in establishing the alternate route up the Lhotse Face.

… today is the final day of ice and snow for the team, who are shortly leaving Camp 2 after a hugely successful second rotation, back to Base Camp and tomorrow down valley to breathe some richer air! Tomi and Luco (Lhoste) slept at Camp 3 (7000m!) whilst the remainder of the Everest Team (Willie, Pablo, Fer and Hernan) all touched Camp 3 but slept at Camp 2 for three nights. Good food, good company and lower winds have made for a great rotation and the waiting is soon to begin for summit weather, while this week the summit will be fixed.

Planning

The climb schedule for the next couple of weeks is becoming more clear with the winds picking back up over this weekend and the summit window developing around May 20th. On the north, the 7 Summits Club put a stake in the ground with summit bids planned for May 20 and 21. But don’t be surprised if some jump the window and go early. While crowds on the south have become an annual topic of speculation, and is real and dangerous; pushing in bad weather is worse. So time will tell how this evolves.

Ambitious Plans

Two of the more ambitious plans for Everest 2012 included Bil Burke at age 70 looking to summit from both sides. As I mentioned a few days ago he abandoned his south side and is moving to the north for that attempt but posted he might still return to the south if times permits!

Another study in determination is from Mike Moniz wanting to summit Everest and Lhotse then move to Cho Oyu. Well I had my doubts a few weeks ago as the south side was falling apart but now with the teams fixing Lhotse again due to the recent snowfall, and success on Cho Oyu this season, I think he has a great chance.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything