We have the first death on an 8000-meter peak of the season; a Sherpa with Seven Summits Trek died while descending from Makalu’s summit. Teams are getting in position for Nepal side summits while more teams enter Tibet for Everest. Remember that both Cho Oyu and Shishapangma are closed to foreigners for climbing this spring.
First reported by Everest Chronicle, Lakpa Tenji Sherpa, 54, passed away at Camp III after saying he didn’t feel well. His fellow Sherpas were helping him descend. He was from Mahakulung in the Solukhumbu district.
Nepal Update
On the Nepal side, the ropes should reach the summit on Thursday or Friday. Many teams have already left EBC to be positioned at Camp 2 for their summit dash. IMG noted they are anxious to go:
The fixing Sherpas are aiming to establish the route to the summit of Everest in the next couple of days. Phunuru reports that the IMG climbing team is eager to get started! Today, the team practiced with their oxygen systems and fine-tuned procedures for use at high altitudes in very cold conditions, where all skin must be covered and masks and valves can freeze. The team will head to Camp 1 and Camp 2 in the next couple of days, depending on weather forecasts and the progress of the route fixing. We’ll keep you updated!”
Summit Schedule
- EBC- C2: 6 hours (note: some teams will stop at C1, and go to 2 the next day)
- C2-C3: 6 hours – sleep at C3 using supplemental oxygen (note: some teams start Os at C2)
- C3-C4 (South Col): 4 hours – leave SC around 8 pm the same day (note: some teams will spend a full night at the South Col)
- C4-Summit: 8-12 hours- stay on the summit for 15 to 60 minutes
- Summit-C4: 3-5 hours – quick 30-minute rest and drink water
- C4-C2: 2-4 hours – sleep at C2
- C2- EBC – 2-4 hours – celebrate!
Nepal has issued around 414 Everest permits, so using one and a half Sherpa in support for each client and assuming a 40% dropout rate, i.e., they will not make a summit attempt, we have around 600 climbers set to attempt a summit.
Denali
Not to be left out, it’s climbing season on North America’s highest, Alaska’s Denali, at 20,310 feet/6,190 meters. The season was declared officially open on April 27, 2023, with Park Rangers flying to their base camp at 14,000 feet. They will stay there and conduct patrols the entire season, something I wish Nepal officials would copy, stationing qualified and empowered rangers at Camp 2 and rotating a few from the South Col.
According to the National Park Service, 953 climbers have registered, but only 43 are on the peak, and no one has summited.
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
Final drop on May 10, 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 15–Summit!!
- 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.
