Everest 2021: Summit Wave 3 – Update 3

UPDATE 3:

UPDATE 2: First summits on Wave 3.

GPS tracker and his message shows that Jonathan Lamy just summited. More expected soon. I estimate 75 on this push.

UPDATE 1: Madison Mountaineering left South Col for Summit. They posted:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest team.  It is nearly midnight on May 23rd and we’re getting ready to head out and go for our summit attempt here on Mount Everest!

A little gusty up here but the winds are supposed to die down.  So we’re hoping the forecast holds true and we get some nice, calm winds up there today and a clear sky for a nice view.  We’re all excited to start our summit push and we’ve been training hard and prep’d for a long time.  So, this is the BIG night!

We’re gonna set off here shortly and we’ll check in when we get back.  Thanks!

You can follow them on their GPS tracker. They left around midnight, Teams usually leave the Col between 7:00 and 9:00 pm.

It’s unclear what is happening on Everest late Saturday night, Nepal time. I’ve checked with several teams and there is little to no communications from the South Col. High winds and a lenticular cloud is hovering over the summit. Usually, teams will NOT climb in these conditions. Another team canceled their expedition citing COVID.

My best guess is 1) they have left and not updated their home teams or 2) more likely, they are holding at the Col for the winds to lie down. Several posts suggest 100 people headed to the Col yesterday, so combined with those already there, probably 150+ at the Col tonight.

From Summit Climb:

22 May – Everest News Continued: South Col !! We arrived at 1645 pm. Our team is doing well, Sherpas are amazing as ever. Climbing the Geneva Spur was a little steep but not bad. We are still climbing together with the same 100 or so people. Everyone was being polite and helpful. The group is moving at a good steady pace. The weather has been a bit mixed, with clouds shifting around throughout the afternoon, especially due to this massive lenticular cloud clinging to the summit like a windblown head of hair. So after this long 10 hour day, we are cresting the Spur, onto the South Col, finally reaching out in excitement to touch our ultimate goal: 8000 metres! But, I have to admit, we feel a bit dissapointed…Its so damn WINDY up here Now we are safe in the tents resting, drinking, eating, and huffing huge amounts of bottled oxygen. Except for some of our members who are trying to climb without O2.

Please visit my location page to see where the team’s last reported location.

Another Cancellation

Mountain Trip canceled their expedition citing a lack of Sherpa support. They’ve had six Shepras flown to Kathmandu with COVID symptoms. This makes three teams citing COVID for canceling: Chinese on the Tibet side, Furtenbach, and now Mountain Trip.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

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