Many people focus on the climbers when thinking about Everest, and rightfully so. However supporting those climbers is a massive exercise in logistics.
The team from International Mountain Guides starts around the first of every year gathering gear and sending it to Kathmandu for further transport to Everest Base Camp. They use a variety of methods from trucks to airplanes to helicopters to porters, and of course, yaks.
Eric Simonson and Ang Jang Bu of IMG sums it up this way through a series of posts:
The Sherpas finished packing up another batch of supplies, and today they loaded up the truck to drive it all to Jiri. All total we have 143 porter/yak loads (3,626kg) of food and gear all packed and ready. The plan is that it will get flown by helicopter from Jiri to Shyangboche in the next few days.
Up in the Khumbu, Jangbu reports that we had 143 loads flown by helicopter to Shyangboche yesterday, with more cargo still in Jiri waiting to fly.
the weather has been marginal the last four days, so a lot of the Lukla flights have been canceled. The result is a massive backlog of cargo in Kathmandu waiting to fly to Lukla (this is why we started flying team supplies in to Khumbu many weeks ago). To mitigate the current situation, Jangbu reports that today they sent Kaji Sherpa with a smaller truck filled with base camp duffels to Manthali (a small airstrip south of Jiri). There is a better chance to get cargo flights tomorrow into Lukla from Manthali than from Kathmandu.
In addition to the member climbers, there are the Sherpas and support staff at Base camp that all have to be fed and provided tents for sleeping eating, cooking, toilet and shower – a lot of tents!!
For example this is the Jagged Globe team:
Our team of 33 comprises; 3 expedition leaders, 1 Sirdar, 12 climbing Sherpas, 9 climbers, 2 chefs (Gavin Melgaard is also on our climbing permit), 4 cook staff in base camp and 2 Camp 2 cooks.
Altitude Junkies has 30 Sherpas supporting their team. Arnold Coster has 11 tons of gear – 22,000 pounds or 9979kg!
And sometimes the life of a guide is not all that glamorous as shown by Willie Benegas waiting for bags at 3:45Am in the Salt Lake City airport!
Filling the Duffel
Of course individual climbers have the same challenge but in a significantly smaller way. They must cram all their gear into two large duffel bags suitable for transport on porters’ back or the side of a yak.
But just getting their gear to Kathmandu can also be a serious challenge with excess baggage fees, lost bags. Some climbers will send their gear weeks in advance using freight companies in order to lessen the mental burden.
Usually climbers spread out all their gear on the floor much to the chagrin of their spouse but to the delight of their pets! This was my gear recently for Mansalu which shrunk down to the two duffel bags.
Trekking to Base Camp
Teams continue to stream into the Khumbu. Dave Han leading an RMI team posted this:
Yesterday was a whirlwind marathon of packing and prepping in the chaos of Kathmandu. This morning was the staccato hurry up and wait of getting up and out to the airport and hanging to see if the weather would permit flying. Flying conditions weren’t perfect when we got through security at the domestic terminal in Kathmandu. We ended up waiting several hours -swilling coffee, listening to music and people watching- until the pilots felt good about taking off for Lukla. Once up and out of the smog layers of the Kathmandu Valley, we were ed to stupendous views of the Himalaya. Those with port-side window seats could pick out Mt. Everest as the flight progressed. But we were only up about 45 minutes before the pilots put the Twin Otter into a dive. They had Lukla’s crazy-angled airstrip in their sites and it was clear from the steep mountain walls all around that this was our one shot at parking the plane. Heart rates shot up, cameras were clicked on and the wheels touched down perfectly.
OK, Everest 2014 is well on its way.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
17 thoughts on “Everest 2014: Moving a Small City”
Thank you for another informative article Alan. Lol I am terrible at packing a bag, so better start training for that too!
Please add me to your email list.
Many thanks
Will do but anyone can join the notification emails by using the form in the lower right corner of each page. Thanks for coming along.
Hi Alan , looking farward to your coverage this season. Can you please add Himalayan ascent please onto the list. From sth side. Thanks . Nik (sydney)
Hi again Nick. I’m glad to add them but only if they have an active blog that I can track. I had them on the list but took them off as their website is not connecting so I have nothing to report for them.
hi Alan , thanks for that. looking forward to this years coverage , niko.
Having discovered your website several years ago, your climbing chronicles have ignited a passion for reading about the sport, and I have learned so much from you. After the first of each year, I start counting the weeks, anxiously anticipating April and your latest accounts of life on Everest. My wish is that one day you write a book about your experiences of both climbing and covering others’ climbs. It could easily be a best seller because of your balanced insight, as well as your gift of telling a riveting story, allowing those of us who’ve never set foot, on a mountain path, to feel as though we are there, living it step by step.
At the age of 64, having recently lost my job due to downsizing, I continue to look after my 93 year old mother, as I have for the past 14 years, but just fulltime now. I am so fortunate to still have her in my life, and so blessed because she still has an amazingly sharp mind. Yet, I do so understand the ravages of Alzheimer’s as I lost my father to that insidious disease in 1996. It is difficult to explain to someone who has not experienced it up close just how devastating it is for the whole family, but most especially for the care-givers. Or, the emotional adjustment necessary when the parent-child roles are strangely reversed.
My sincerest gratitude to you for all you do to bring attention and much needed financial assistance to the worthy cause of finding a cure for Alzheimers. And, thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge of mountaineering.
Respectfully
Carolyn
Thank you Carolyn, I am often asked about a book. Perhaps one day but for now my website is my book 🙂 but thank you. My heart goes out to on the loss of your father and now taking care of your mother. Such a role reversal in life?
Another good blog Alan,I’m with you all the way. Cheers Kate
I have been reading your blog for years, Alan! It is a vicarious thrill.
Do you know of any filmings this season? Discovery’s “Everest Beyond The Limit” series started my keen interest in all things climbing.
Thanks Margaret. There are several movies being filmed this year on Everest that will show later this year or even next year including a BBC documentary of the Sherpas, another one that follows Himex Sherpas all season and the Discovery Channel will do a live broadcast of Joby Ogwyn’s wingsuit jump off the summit. There are two major motion pictures currently in production on Everest as well that will hit the theaters in 2015.
I have to wait 91 years to see the movies!!!!! I was hoping they would come out sooner!
Yes Andy, may you live to an old age! 🙂
Thanks alan, nice post.
Dream Himalaya Logistic Operator to Adventures Global ready to play the game. Approx 3 ton of loads already flew to Syangbouche and reached at base camp today by yaks, Sherpas already at base camp making the camping site. Within a few days time, the game begins…..
mind boggling and -blowing all the work that gets put in… hats off to all those porters
Nice post Alan, gives some insight about our jobs! btw that 11 tons is not all for my team; I am coordinating a couple off different teams on the mountain.
Informative! Thanks Alan.
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