The Himalayan season continues pretty much normal while we have summits on a few of the “other 8000ers. China has issued climbing permits for their side of Everest.
Summits
The rope fixing team from Seven Summits Treks has reached Lhotse’s summit at 8,516 meters and will now move to the South Col to finish the route to Everest’s summit. The team included Dendi Sherpa, Tenging Gyalgen Sherpa, Namgel Tamang, Pam Dorjee Sherpa, Pemba Tashi Sherpa, Dawa Sherpa, and Tashi Sherpa. Nepal issued 130 climbing permits for Lhotse. Many of these will tag its summit after Everest to claim a double.
On Makalu, Seven Summits Treks reports eleven summits on May 6 after five Sherpas, followed by four members, fixed the route on April 11. Notably, Pakistani female climber Naila Kiani made history by being the first woman from Pakistan to summit eleven of the 8000ers when she topped out on Makalu. Also, Australian Allie Pepper made it without using supplemental oxygen.
Delays
One mountain where there are issues, albeit normal ones as well, Dhauligiri 8167 meters. Heavy snowfall and bad weather conditions have prevented anyone from going higher than Camp 2. When they do, it will be on the summit push. This 8000er always seems to have weather issues.
Normal Icefall Woes
While some in the press cite problems on Everest, long-time climbers see it as business as usual. The good folks at Adventure Consultants had a false start on May 5 when:
Two hours later, partway up the Khumbu Icefall, we stopped as radio chatter filled the silence. Ahead of us in the darkness, a Sherpa team had reached an impasse on the route. A recent collapse had made continuation impossible, and we heard that ladders were needed to fix the route. Information is patchy and confusing at these times, and we waited for confirmation. Groups ahead of us were turning around, and Sherpas dropped loads at their high points to save effort on the next journey. Different teams united in descent as a line of head torches returned to Base Camp. We were back in our sleeping bags by 4 am and hoped to catch up on sleep. Shortly after 6 am, the first helicopters were above Base Camp, rotors clattering the thin air as they wheeled above tents to approach the helipad. By 7 am the sun was hitting our tents and the temperature rose, further sleep was difficult. So we rose and met for a second breakfast, more palatable than midnight. We had some light snow at Base Camp this afternoon, enough to cover the Welcome Mat but not enough to hamper progress. News tells us that the route is fixed. The SPCC Icefall Doctors reacted quickly and installed three ladders to bridge the gap. So we shall meet again for another midnight breakfast before departing for Camp 2.
Icy Lhotse Face
As I’ve been reporting all season, this past Himalayan winter was unusually warm and dry, thus creating a true hard-packed ice surface on the Lhotse Face. As one of my Summit Coach clients told me, “Yes, it was hard blue ice with no steps formed yet. The next time should be easier.”
Madison Mountaineering checked in from Camp 1, “All good here in C1 (6050m/19,849ft). I went for an acclimatization hike today. We’re finally getting some snow as well! Much needed to cover the icy conditions.”
Tibet Opens
- Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow celebrated the receipt of their climbing permit:
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Adrian Ballinger Everest 2024
In case you haven’t heard, our Everest Expedition is underway! After a five-year hiatus from the North Side of Mt. Everest, Alpenglow Expeditions is back on the mountain with founder and lead IFMGA guide @adrianballinger at the helm. Our team of 7 Everest climbers, 7 North Col climbers, 8 guides, 14 Sherpa, 1 Base Camp Manager, and over 900 pounds of gear have made it to China and are en route to Everest Base Camp on the North Side at 17,000’/5,200m. In the coming days, our team will convene in Chengdu before flying to Lhasa, the Holy City and administrative capital of Tibet. There, they will visit Potala Palace, the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama, before driving for two days across the Tibetan Plateau. After reaching Base Camp, the team will spend the next 5 days resting, acclimatizing, and reviewing technical skills needed to ascend to higher camps on the mountain. Stay tuned for more updates as our expedition keeps rolling over the next five weeks!
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Podcasts
You can listen to #everest2024 podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Breaker, YouTube, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Everyday Everest
Next drop on May 8, 2024
A new 16-part podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season.
Based on my Fictional 2020 Virtual Everest series, I’ll have a twenty-minute updated episode of the story a few times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home, trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push. The story’s protagonist, Harper, sets the tone for the story when she tells her husband, Marc, “Honey, I’m going to climb Everest.”
You can listen to Everyday Everest on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Breaker, YouTube, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Previous Everyday Everest Series Episodes
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 14–Summit Push
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 13–Climbing Above Camp 3
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 12–Summit Plan for the Team
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 11–First Summits
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 10–Climbing the Lhotse Face
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 9–Summit Date Planned
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 8–Suffering at Camp 2
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 7–Into the Cwm
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 6–Into the Icefall
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 5–Arrival At Base Camp
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 4–Blessing in the Khumbu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 3–The Trek Begins
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 2–Hello Kathmandu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 1–Welcome and Part 1
Preparing for Everest is more than Training
There are five Summit Coach clients on Everest in 2024
If you dream of climbing mountains but are unsure 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 worldwide achieve their goals through a personalized set of consulting services based on Alan Arnette’s 30 years of high-altitude mountain experience and 30 years as a business executive. Please see our prices and services on the Summit Coach website.
