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Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's

Everest 2012: Season Recap: A Study in Risk Management

 48 Responses »
May 302012
 
Everest 2012: Season Recap: A Study in Risk Management

If there was one phrase to sum up this season where over 500 people summited Everest, it might be: risk management. There were signs from the beginning that the Everest 2012 season would be different when Sherpas establishing base camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall reported that the upper mountain looked “dry”. Once climbers started moving up higher, urgent requests were made to the Icefall Doctors to move the route in the upper Icefall away from Everest’s West Shoulder  where a huge snow and ice serac sat waiting to drop, search potentially killing climbers and Sherpas making their continue reading

Everest 2012 Team Locations

 248 Responses »
May 292012
 
Everest 2012 Team Locations

Welcome to Alan Arnette’s Everest 2012 coverage Last 2012 Everest News – 31 May 2012 A sincere and deep thank you to everyone who made a donation to one of the Alzheimer’s non-profits. That is why I do this. Very rough, check unconfirmed estimates: Total at base camps: 446 westerners plus 500 Sherpas totaling 946.  548 combined summits from both sides 57.93% summit to attempt rate. 10 total deaths. If you have a general Everest question, please post here as a comment and I will try to address it. Start or stop email notifications of new posts using the form continue reading

Everest 2012: Weekend Update May 27

 14 Responses »
May 272012
 
Everest 2012: Weekend Update May 27

The final week in May is always special in the Khumbu – the end of the Everest climbing season. Sherpa families anxiously awaiting their loved ones to return from the time honored role of leading Westerners to the top of the world. Many Westerners are reflecting on what happened to them over the previous 7 weeks and a few hardy ones waited anxiously for their chance; perhaps the last of the spring season. With this back drop, on a normal year climbers would confidently began the climb towards the South Col and North Col. But this has not been a continue reading

Everest 2012: Summit Wave 5 Recap

 15 Responses »
May 262012
 
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 5 Recap

Friday night, May 25 into Saturday morning, mind May 26 could have been the night of the Everest 2012 season. Almost 100 climbers summited as early as 3:30AM in conditions rarely seen on Everest – clear skies, no winds and mild (for 29,000′) temperatures. Incredibly some even missed the sunrise from the summit by arriving a bit too early! These teams had waited ly through more drama than any climber should endure but choose to take the last summit window of the season. There was a constant risk it would not emerge, especially as the monsoons started on schedule in continue reading

Everest 2012: Summit Wave 5 – Update 3

 33 Responses »
May 252012
 
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 5 - Update 3

Update 3 The SummitClimb team that turned back last week made it this morning in outstanding time. This from Arnold Coster: This morning Jangbu Sherpa and John reached the summit of Everest at around 3:30am. Sandra, Richie, Steve, Chauwang, Lakpha and passing followed at around 5:30 am. The weather was beautiful and quiet. No winds and not too much people. They are all back at the Southcol taking a rest, before they will descent further. Depending how tired they are; some will continue to camp 2 others will decide to descent only to camp 3. Of note with this team, continue reading

Everest 2012: Summit Wave 4 Recap

 19 Responses »
May 252012
 
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 4 Recap

We saw many successful summit climbs on Everest overnight, May 23/24. I estimate about 115 combined on both sides. This was a typical Everest summit day and more representative of how Everest is climbed in modern times. Teams carefully considered the winds as they arrived at the South Col, some choose to go up, hospital others to wait for the forecast of yet lower winds Friday night; neither decision was wrong. The dire predictions of crowds, death lines and a re-occurrence of last weekend didn’t materialize, thankfully. To be fair, the events of the last window had everyone on edge continue reading

Everest 2012: Summit Wave 4 – Summits!!! – Update 1

 26 Responses »
May 242012
 
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 4 - Summits!!! - Update 1

Update 1 – Summits Kenton Cool has reached the summit on Friday morning, May 25 abut 4:45 AM. He is preparing to send a live video update from the summit to the BBC. Check his Facebook page for more information. Update 1.5: I just spoke with Kenton Cool’s home team and the laptop went down due to the extreme cold so they will do an interview from C4 when the get down in a few hours. Kenton reported the winds were picking up bit overall a great day on Top of the World! Adventure Consultants summited at 5:10 AM as continue reading

Everest 2012: The Final Push

 36 Responses »
May 242012
 
Everest 2012: The Final Push

Well Everest 2012 is coming to an end. Teams are now positioned at high camps twitching with anxiety for summit pushes starting in a few hours,   Thursday night, check May 24 and again on Friday Night, May 25 Nepal time. Summits the following morning. Eric Simonson, IMG,  provided this weather insight: The jet stream is still running parallel to the Himalayas, but the forecast has it moving to the north over the next couple days, with a drop in the winds. At the same time, moisture is starting to form to the south of the Indian subcontinent. As the continue reading

Everest 2012: Preparing for the Summit

 41 Responses »
May 232012
 
Everest 2012: Preparing for the Summit

There is a distinct difference between going first and last on Everest. First opens the route, takes the chances, explores the unknowns. Last, leverages the route, risk the fickle weather and explores the unknowns. Either way, they deserve our respect. The last wave of summit climbers are making their way to the higher camps on Everest on both sides. On the South they are sleeping at Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face but this time with supplemental oxygen, a similar story on the North at ABC. Their leaders and home teams are glued to the weather forecasts assuming the predicted continue reading

Everest 2012: Above the Death Zone

 36 Responses »
May 222012
 
Everest 2012: Above the Death Zone

As we ease closer to the next and final wave of Everest summits, advice the recent events of deaths on both sides of Everest have to be on the minds of the climbers. The South Experience A first hand report by Leanna Shuttleworth who summited with Alpine Ascents on May 20th, reveals just what they experienced. It is without a doubt the Blog of the day complete with startling images: Kami, my dad’s summit Sherpa, has now summitted Everest 18 times and said that it was the worst weather he’s ever been up in and that he didn’t think we continue reading

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