Tag: EverestER

2010 Coverage, Everest

Climbing in Place

With yesterday’s fresh snow, teams were content to take a day or so to let it settle. Unlike expeditions on Denali where you are stuck for a week at the 14 camp or High Camp in your tent or snow cave, on Everest, climbers have the luxury of large tents, folding chairs and tables. And at Base camp, heaters! … One more item to note, Tim Ripple tells us that Nepal Telecom has turned on coverage for Everest. When first announced they said it would reach the summit but let’s wait for confirmation before making that claim.

2010 Coverage, Everest

Climbing for a Cause

As we spend the last day of April monitoring the climbers on both sides of Everest, I thought it would be good to look at their motivations. Climbing historians know of the famous 1923 George Mallory quote, “Because it’s there” but others have more personal reasons. The primary action on both sides right now is working on their acclimatization through rotations to from low to high camps.

2010 Coverage, Everest

The Strategy of Acclimatization

Alan in Ouray

The big news is that the route to camp 3 on the Lhotse Face is now in thus preparing the way for climbers to spend the night at the highest camp prior to their summit bid. Many teams on the south have now spent a few nights as high as camp 2 and on the north only a couple have even made it up to the North Col due to harsh weather at the moment. Over the years, the strategy of acclimatization has not significantly changed. The primary tenet is to climb high and sleep low thus stressing the body to create more red blood cells needed to provide oxygen to the muscles.

2010 Coverage, Everest

Teams Settling into Base Camp

More teams arrived at base camp today. One of the early chores is to set up the electronics. This means solar panels, deep cell batteries and generators. All this drives the never ending thirst for power. As is normal these days, many climbers have their own blogs. In 2009, I counted 25. I have 23 listed already for 2010! EverestER reports some interesting s and just how tall is Mt. Everest?

2010 Coverage, Everest

The Migration to Base Camp Begins

Yaks to Everest Base Camp

After last week’s flight delays to Lukla, Yeti Airlines and others are running full loads this week. Multiple reports from teams speak of their uneventful flights to Lukla – which is a good thing! Lukla is generally ranked in the top three most dangerous airports in the world due to the short runway perched on a cliff. For the next few weeks, however, teams will be in Kathmandu and in the villages throughout the Khumbu.