Tag: Everest 2021 Coverage

Up to a foot of heavy snow at Everest Base Camp brought climbing to a halt the last 36 hours. Teams will let the snow settle for a day or so before heading higher for acclimatization starting this weekend. Record permits, now approaching 400 will guarantee crowding unless the weather is significantly better than usual. But with more people not using O’s, are they at greater risk?

Climbing continues on Everest but Nepal just issued new rules as to who can climb when.  Incredibly late as teams are in the midst of their expedition planning. Also, teams are starting their acclimatization rotations with some at Camp 1 in the Western Cwm.

I caught up with Everest Guide Mike Hamill owner of Climbing The Seven Summits (CTSS) live at EBC to discuss Base Camp luxuries for #Everest2021.

CTSS was founded by Mike after years of serving as a lead guide for another major company. He has a loyal following of clients and has set long-term goals to be a significant player in the global mountaineering market. Mike’s vision is to meet his client’s needs and expectations and appears to be a leader, not a follower when it comes to base camp services. While some people may not understand this level of service at a place like Everest Base Camp, Mike feels it’s entirely appropriate as he explains in the interview.

The 2021 spring Everest season continues pretty much on track in spite of a few developments. The climbing permits issued by Nepal are approaching the 2019 record numbers so look for crowds similar to 2019 in the usual spots. The weather has been pretty normal as well. An avalanche off the West Shoulder of Everest made a direct hit on the Khumbu Icefall blocking the route on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. The Icefall Doctors suggest it will take five days to repair. 

Video interview with Everest Climber Eric Gran from Dingboche. This is Eric’s first trip to Nepal and he describes the journey thus far for #everest2021.

The first few climbers have made rotations to Camp 1 while the rest of the teams at Everest Base camp are preparing to enter the Khumbu Icefall for the first time this season. The permits for Everest continue to grow, now 321 on 34 teams approaching the 219 record of 382. Lhotse has an astounding 83 on 9 teams. Look for over 700 people on the routes this spring.

The weather continues to be a concern, not current but previous with a dry winter of little snowfall making the Lhotse Face rock hard blue ice. We are seeing this on Annapurna with a summit bid underway. Unexpected hard ice above Camp 4 caused the Sherpas to use more rope than they carried and they ran out. More was helicoptered in from Kathmandu, a first to my knowedge.

I was asked to summarize the Everest season thus far, my answer, “normal.” The fear of quarantines, extensive testing, and chaos in Kathmandu never materialized. In fact, most people flew in and out over a couple of days, shorter than usual. Flights to Lukla were about as expected, albeit with some delays for the smoke from forest fires. And the trek to EBC, well normal except that the teahouses were pretty empty due to the lack of trekkers. Now with climbers at base camp, they are ramping up for their first rotation, again pretty much on time. The only pressing issue, other than potentially a massive COVID outbreak at camp, is the weather.