The Everest spring season is starting slowly, at least on the Nepal side of the Hill. The Tibet side remains closed to foreigners. Multiple teams are trekking to Everest Base Camp – Nepal, aka EBC. Each weekend during the season, I’ll post a “Weekend Update” summarizing the main stories for the past week.
Big Picture
Each year, the climbing starts later and later on Everest. There are a few reasons behind this starting with many climbers using altitude tents to acclimatize to as high as 7000 meters at home. This reduces the number of acclimatization rotations and time on the mountain by several weeks in some cases. Also, climbers are using high supplemental flow rates starting at lower elevations. This means they can move faster and, again, perhaps reduce the number of rotations. So, instead of seeing an early April rush, today, we see a trickle. But the trails will soon fill with climbers headed to EBC.
As of March 31, the Ministry of Tourism has issued 40 permits to five teams for Everest. I expect around 400 total foreign permits to be issued.
The Icefall Doctors have installed the fixed ropes to Camp 2. The Nepali guide company Imagine Nepal was awarded the job of fixing the ropes from C2 to the summit. Even though the Icefall is now open for business, I don’t expect to see significant summit traffic until early May.
Teams are arriving in Kathmandu, and some, like 8K Expeditions, Adventure Consultants, Alpine Ascents, IMG, Climbing the Seven Summits (CTSS), Makalu Extreme, are already on the trek to EBC. Other teams are en route to Kathmandu to get their permits.
Most of the climbing action is on the other 8000-meter peaks. Imagine Nepal reports they have established Camp 3 and reports deep snow with frequent avalanches, but conditions are improving on Annapurna.
Finally, yet another update (reversal) on the solo trekker ban. The Kathmandu Post reported that the Nepal tourism board is demanding all trekkers (not climbers) must hire a guide or a porter to always be with them while on the trek. A trekker found traveling on designated trekking trails without a guide or TIMS card can be fined USD$91.00 with a 20% kickback to the official who finds them. Local officials in the Everest Khumbu region had said they were not informed and would allow solo trekkers. However, now it appears the Board has made an official policy change, and it applies to all trekking routes throughout Nepal. Like many of these rules, the impact can range from none to annoying a few people.
2023 Storylines
Every season seems to have a storyline, and this year they include female climbers, no O’s climbs and climbers with disabilities. Let’s explore them.
Female Climbers
Each year, more female climbers are on the 8000ers. While still early for this spring, of the forty permits issued, eleven are for females or 27%. In 2022, 66 females summited, or 10% of the total summits, while historically, female climbers represented just 7%. Two female climbers that are pushing the envelope are Adrianna Brownlee, 21, and Norwegian Kristin Harila, 36. Both are trying to summit all 14 of the 8000ers as quickly as possible. I understand that both will get exceptions to enter Tibet and climb Shishapangma.
No O’s
Of all Everest summiteers, only 3% shun supplemental oxygen. There are several people who have announced their no-O’s intentions. Note that often a person will say they will not use it but end up using it on the summit push. The aspirants include Nepali Dabuti Sherpa, Brazilian Carlos Cannellas, Hungarian Suhajda Szilard, and Andorran Stefi Troguet. Controversial Taiwanese climber who became infamous for some dubious claims last year’s Grace Tseng, 28, also on Everest trying without Os.
Disabilities
You may remember that the Ministry of Tourism banned all people with disabilities from climbing Everest, but Nepal’s Supreme Court later overturned the ban in June 2018. I wrote about it then in this post. Now, five years later, there are several climbers with disabilities on the 8000ers.
First up is Lonnie Bedwell, a blind US Navy veteran who is attempting Everest and Lhotse. Lonnie was the first blind person to kayak the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon and later joined Eric Weihenmeyer’s team down the same river. He was a National Geographic Adventurer of the year several years ago and has a number of movies, mostly about his kayaking exploits. He is climbing with Michael Neal and Bryan Hill who just completed riding their bicycles, solo and unsupported, from the Indian Ocean to Phaplu, Nepal.
I did Podcast with deaf climbers, Scott Lehmann and Shayna Unger, who are aiming to be the first American deaf couple and, to their knowledge, the second and third deaf climbers to summit Mount Everest. Also, they are trying to become the first deaf couple to compete the Seven Summits. Both were born, as they say, profoundly deaf, meaning they had no hearing at all. They live in the Washington, D.C., area and are educators and mountaineers. They summited Denali, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Ecuador’s Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, and Mont Blanc, plus Scott has all the US High Point.
“Interesting?”
Carlos Soria, at age 84, will attempt his nemesis, Dhaulagiri, for the fourteenth time, yes, FOURENTH!! He was there in 2015 when the earthquake hit but never made it to the mountain. However, some still count it as an attempt; thus, the fifteen you may see elsewhere. He will climb with his regular partner, Sito Carcavilla, and be supported by six climbing Sherpas.
Marc Batard, 71, will try again to find an alternate route from the Khumbu Icefall along the flanks of Nuptse. I’ve written quite a bit about this.
Opportunity
If you summited Everest and would like a special watch to commentate the accomplishment, Bremont is selling a limited run of 100 watches using crowns carried by Brit Garth Miller in 2022 on his summit climb. Of note, Bremont will make a donation the Khumbu Climbing Center to help advance Sherpa’s climbing skills.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
The Podcast on alanarnette.com
You can hear #everest2022 podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Why this coverage?
I like to use these weekend updates to remind my readers that I’m just one person who loves climbing. With 37 serious climbing expeditions, including four Everest trips under my belt and a summit in 2011, I use my site to share those experiences, demystify Everest each year and bring awareness to Alzheimer’s Disease. My mom, Ida Arnette, died from this disease in 2009, as have four of my aunts. It was a heartbreaking experience that I never want anyone to go through; thus, my ask for donations to non-profits where 100% goes to them, and nothing ever to me.
Summit Coach
If you dream of climbing mountains but are not sure how to start or reach your next level, from a Colorado 14er to Rainier, Everest, or even K2, we can help. Summit Coach is a consulting service that helps aspiring climbers throughout the world achieve their goals through a personalized set of consulting services based on Alan Arnette’s 25 years of high-altitude mountain experience, including summits of Everest, K2, and Manaslu, and 30 years as a business executive.
One thought on “Everest 2023: Weekend Update April 2”
Love your site & follow it every Spring season – Only an arm chair mountaineer enthusiast – love your presentation, humor, and “mountainful” of experience ! Thank you for all you do ! Sandi in Oregon
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