{"id":22538,"date":"2016-05-01T21:14:23","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T03:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=22538"},"modified":"2016-05-04T23:25:36","modified_gmt":"2016-05-05T05:25:36","slug":"everestlhotse-2016-season-continues-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/01\/everestlhotse-2016-season-continues-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest\/Lhotse 2016: Season Continues, But Not For Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everest\/Lhotse 2016 carries on as smoothly as a season goes, and now without me. I\u2019ll get to my situation in a moment but as I write this on Sunday May 1 climbers on the Nepal side are dealing with fresh snowfall. Many are back in base camp after successful rotations to Camps 1 and 2 with a few even following the Sherpas up the Lhotse Face and spending a difficult night at Camp 3.<\/p>\n

I hate to be a broken record, well actually not in this case, but the season – on both sides – continues to progress nicely with few surprises and little drama. However, the press seems to be able to create drama where there is none, or perhaps it is their sources ing publicity for their companies, or careers that creates the drama.<\/p>\n

Media Induced Drama<\/h3>\n

There have been various media reports of avalanches on the Lhotse Face and in the Khumbu Icefall. These are a bit overstated and unnecessarily dramatic, especially the one about the Lhotse Face. IMG reported the names of the Sherpas and their teams who are fixing the ropes\u00a0as Rinji and Nima Tshiri from Adventure Consultants; Nawang and Namgya from Himex; Fura Gyalzen and Tenzing Cholar from Asian Trekking; Tamding and Nima Gyalzen from Jagged Globe; and Chewang Lendu and Damai Serki from IMG. <\/span><\/p>\n

This team of Sherpas began to fix the line from Camp 2 to the summit and found the bergshrund (a large crevasse at the base of a hill) to be larger than expected. They simply went further to the climber’s right bypassing the shrund and continued their work. All in a day\u2019s work for these guys.<\/p>\n

Sadly, this report of \u201c<\/span>An ice collapse has closed the Lhotse Face\u201d<\/span> was widely distributed on climber\u2019s Facebook accounts, other websites and in the general press. It created unnecessary angst for those back home.<\/p>\n

Why this made news is another example that anything remotely out of the normal, especially if can be consider negative, makes news, around Everest.\u00a0 <\/span>I find it particularly disturbing that some commercial guides perpetuated the story. One can only guess at their motive but I\u2019m sure their sites got a nice uptick in volume, and their names appeared in a newspaper.<\/p>\n

Another silly report is that helicopter flights are putting climbers in danger by flying too close to the mountain thus could cause avalanches. I invite you to Google<\/a> \u201ccan helicopters cause avalanches\u201d and decide for yourself if there are any facts to support this report from the BBC<\/a>. But this is a good, credible read<\/a> on the subject;<\/p>\n

One thing remains clear – reports about Everest, no matter the source or angle brings readers and other media, social and reputable, to repost with zero fact finding.<\/p>\n

Latest Everest News – Monday\u00a0May 2, 2016<\/h3>\n

If you scan the location chart<\/a> I am trying to keep updated, you will see teams on the Nepal side from base camp to Camp 3. Over on the Tibet side, they are spread from Chinese Base Camp (CBC) to Advanced Base Camp. As usual, there are reports of strong winds on the Tibet side. This is one reasons many people prefer to climb from Nepal as the mountain itself blocks the brutal north winds and base camp is much more comfortable – of course this is all relative.<\/p>\n

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