It seems like the teams are only talking about the weather this weekend on Everest. There is movement on Saturday as the forecast calls for very high winds soon.
Most of the teams moving up now are trying to spend the night or tag Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face. Once they have completed this task and returned to Base Camp, s their acclimatization program is complete and they will wait for a five day window of good weather to go for the summit.
There is talk of the first summit window around May 18th. This is along time for the climbers to wait – two weeks. Their acclimatization will last several weeks so that is not an issue, but boredom and focus will be concerns.
Big Winds
Wim Smets, climbing Lhotse, made this post today:
A storm is coming to lhotse. I will abort my acclimatisation trip and return to basecamp tomorrow. No early summit for me this time.
The US Air Force team with IMG climbed to Camp 2 on Friday and posted this report as they returned to C2 ready to go to C3:
The team made a very early start through the Icefall yesterday, and arrived at Camp 2 at about 9am Nepal time. They will be waking up shortly and spending a rest day to acclimatize. Other climbers report a very breezy night further up at Camp 3, and the winds at high altitude were strong enough that the Sherpas decided to delay another day before attempting to carry loads to Camp 4 on the South Col.
The large Indian team from Pune also moved to C2 preparing to go to C3. SummitClimb, Adventure Consultants and Mountain Trip are all trying to race to C3 before the winds hit.
This is the latest report from the Adventure Consultants team at Camp 2:
This is the second rotation up the hill, hence we aim not to stay at camp 1 any longer. One of the challenging factors was the tremendously cold wind yesterday – some of us wearing all our clothes (two down jackets plus a goretex jacket, but not down suits) walking to camp 2 in the sun!
To compare western climbers/members with our sherpas, today our fastest sherpa left camp 2 at 6480m and carrying loads OVER 20kg, they climbed up past camp 3 (which is a lot of distance as well as altitude) all the way to the South Col at 7950m, higher than most mountains in the world, searched for a campsite for Adventure Consultants, stashed the equipment in case of storms which takes time, and returned back by 9.45am!! 7.25 hrs! And all without oxygen. That fastest time was done by Pemba Chhoti who is famously strong. The other sherpa arrived between 10am and 1pm, all fantastic times.
David Tait, usually a man of dramatic, emotional dispatches, made a simple Tweet today from Camp 3:
Made it to c3 – more later weather bad
Sometimes a few words is all it takes! David has had problems with his power systems and I’m sure will post a longer update once he is back at EBC. He had wanted to go with the Sherpas when they fixed the line to the summit but with the bad weather moving in, I’m not sure of his plans.
Mike Chambers has a great audio update from Camp 3. He really captures the moment, again in a few words – 50 seconds. It is the Blog of the Day.
Down Valley
Peak Freaks, having touched C3, is now down in the Khumbu at Pheriche resting in the relatively oxygen rich air. They get the benefit of more oxygen in the air, sleeping off the ground but run the risk of getting sick from interacting with new people. This down-valley vacation happens every year with many, many teams going down for a few days before the summit bids.
For anyone following Chris Klinke and the team from Rolwaling, he has posted a lengthy update on his blog. They are also down valley after having spent a night at Camp 3.
North Update
It is not a lot different on the North but teams are taking different approaches to dealing with the weather.
Phil Crampton, Altitude Junkies, reported they are staying put at Chinese Base Camp:
Base camp continues to be hammered by strong winds and the visible plume coming off the summit from the jet stream is longer than the entire length of the Northeast Ridge. Our latest weather forecast expects the jet stream to stay in position for several more days leaving us stuck down at base camp.
Our Sherpas returned to base camp yesterday after spending two weeks at advanced base camp and above. They explained that advanced base camp is a miserable place indeed at the moment with the constant wind and that many tents belonging to other groups have already been destroyed by the high winds. We know of several teams in position at ABC waiting to climb to the Col but unfortunately the forecasts are not looking so good for the next several days.
But the Adventure Peaks team is at the North Col squeezing in that milestone before the winds hit. Bob Kerr made an audio post from the Col saying the weather was acceptable for the moment. At this point, they are climbing without supplemental oxygen by design to acclimatize, so they must be very, very careful with exposure to high winds to avoid frostbite.
I always find it interesting how different teams view risks and make decisions.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
12 thoughts on “Everest 2013: Race to Camp 3”
Alan-
With all these teams now likely waiting out a long weather spell, how or who decides which teams go first now that they are al in a “holding pattern”. Would presume a mad scramble is in no one’s best interest.
Sonya, This is pretty much normal for Everest. Team leaders do coordinate with some smaller teams choosing not to go if there is a huge team pushing. But there is no “climb traffic control” and each team is free to select when they climb.
hi Alan, i dont know if you heard it yet,
if not so im soory to report that David Tait told on twitter this morning,
that a sherpa died last night. David said he was only 37 years old.
hope you have more news about this
greetings
Henno
At around 2 pm Nepal time I got a call from Mike Chambers with the first IMG classic group to over night at camp #3. At around 5am as they were getting ready to go down one of the Sherpa from his group became very ill he called down to base camp for assistance they tried to revive the man but could not get a pulse. It is thought that the cause was from HAPE. the rest of the group are now at camp2 -1 or at base camp and ok. this came on very suddenly.
Ah man!! That is really sad news. RIP the young man 🙁
Hi Alan,
My son is climbing with the Air Force team, and I follow their posts, as well as those of IMG, their guide team. I love reading your site posts as well, however, because it gives me so much information regarding other teams, as well as your wonderful commentaries. I especially loved reading about your personal climbs and your perspective on what helped with your successful summit. The weather is really concerning today, especially since it is preventing them from being able to spend the night at C3, as it sounds as if experiencing that miserable night really helps later with the summit push. True?
Jean
Hi Jean,
There are different thoughts on if an overnight at C3 is really required as it takes a tremendous amount of energy. But most commercial outfits try to get three but if they don;t it is OK. Personally, I always stayed there, but it took a huge amount of effort. I think the biggest benefit may be mentally, not physically. If they team does not, I would not worry. I know from climbing Vinson with Rob, they are amazingly fit!
Alan (and Jean)- my son Kyle Martin is also with the Air Force team. Thanks for the interpretation and commentary of whats’ going on, it helps fill in the blanks for those of us who are following the climbers.
Hi Jean
I wish your Son and the Air Force Team all the very best of luck 🙂
Jean,
Reading your post, I recalled my thoughts (and I suspect many of my actions ie. watching web-sites for up to date information and informed comment) when my son Cian was attempting Everest this time last year with the Jagged Globe team. He came back in good order ie. with all his fingers and toes – having summitted in late May.
My thoughts are with all (including the Sherpas) involved in attempting Everest and all theirs who are following the efforts.
Alan,
Thanks again for your work im gathering and making information available to us.
Jean- understand your son has been a big help to not only our Air Force team of climbers, but to others on the mountain as well. He sounds like a wonderful young man.
We have cold winds in North Yorkshire but compared with Everest I think it would be described as a gentle summer breeze.These next few days must have a big effect on the climbers minds, wondering if and when. To me it sounds the hardest task of the climb. At least when you are on the move your mind is more than occupied. Lets hope Everest shows her kinder side in the coming days Cheers Kate
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