Expedition operator 8k Expeditions found the bodies of their clients Usukhjargal Tsedendamba, 31, near the South Summit, around 8,550m and his climbing partner, Purevsuren Lkhagvajav, 53, near the Balcony at 8400 meters. More climbers summited on May 13th and 15th, bringing the total to 97 Everest summits from the Nepal side and the Tibetan rope team on the Tibet side.
The Mongolian climbers left the South Col for the summit at 7:00 p.m. on May 12th. They climbed without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support in very high winds. The Sherpas who found Tsedendamba told the media that he appeared to have “fallen down from the rope and stuck a few meters below the South Summit.”
From previous year’s deaths, the Nepal Army, on a cleaning mission, recovered a body on Lhotse and another on Everest. They will be delivered to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital’s forensic lab in Kathmandu. The twelve-member cleaning team aims to retrieve five bodies and ten tons of trash from Everest.
In very high winds, Michal Ryszard Wensierski and Purba Sherpa from Makalu Adventure summited at 7:25 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15th. Imagine Nepal reports that American Cranford Stoudemire with Nima Nuru Sherpa summited on May 13th at 6:10 a.m.
Lhotse has seen over 50 summits thus far.
The high winds are expected to ease this weekend, with “light winds” in the forecast for the next ten days. However, most teams are targeting May 19-21, eager to close out the season. Masses are positioned at C2 and soon at Camp 3 and the South Col, so it appears that almost every team is targeting summits this weekend, with a few exceptions.
Given ten days of low winds, it’s a bit perplexing that so many teams would push to go at the same time. I can easily see a scenario where teams will spread out, and the concerns around crowding will not materialize this season. Let’s hope so.
Adventure Consultants, however, still don’t like the forecast and will remain in Camp 2 and wait for safer conditions, “Our initial planned summit day is not looking as good as it could. So we will sit tight, continue to monitor the weather and keep you updated as we go. For now, know that even though Camp 2 is hard for your loved ones, it’s a little bit more fun today!”
IMG is already breaking down their camps and leaving Everest after summiting an unknown number of people on May 12.
Great news, all the IMG Everest climbers, Lhotse climbers and sherpas have safely descended to Base Camp. In addition, Camps 3 and 4 have been dismantled and all gear and oxygen bottles brought down. Currently our team of sherpas are at Camp 2 dismantling camp in preparation for the final down carries through the Icefall. Ang Jangbu reports that there is a cloud cap over the summit today, and that the winds are ripping up high. Timing is everything!
On the Tibet side, Furtenbach is pushing his “Flash” team to the summit and may top out mid-next week. They posted, “Our North Team arrived well in Interim Camp.” The other commercial teams, Climbalaya and Alpenglow, are more relaxed and will wait for what they see as “perfect conditions” next week or even into June. The Chinese opened Tibet later this year but extended the season to June 11, making for a wide schedule.
On Everest, there have been about 97 summits thus far, with 414 permits issued to foreigners.
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
A 16-part podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season.
Based on my Fictional 2020 Virtual Everest series, I posted a twenty-minute updated episode a few times a week throughout this season. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to 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 Episodes
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 16–Home and The End
- 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 Series Part 12–Summit Plan for the Team
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 11–First Summits
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 10–Climbing the Lhotse Face
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 9–Summit Date Planned
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 8–Suffering at Camp 2
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 7–Into the Cwm
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 6–Into the Icefall
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 5–Arrival At Base Camp
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 4–Blessing in the Khumbu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 3–The Trek Begins
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 2–Hello Kathmandu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series 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.
