What can I say but 2016 continues\u00a0to progress like the seasons of old – acclimatization rotations getting completed, ropes put up to the Cols and soon will be to the summits. Teams are eagerly awaiting that spat of calm winds that define\u00a0the summit window.<\/p>\n
The summit window is rumored to begin around\u00a0May 11, but in my opinion, only the overly eager will push to summit at that time\u00a0as it is still extremely cold near 9000 meters and frostbite risks are real. Waiting another week is not \u00a0a big deal. With \u00a0the good overall weather, there should be – should be – a long series of suitable weather windows this year thus crowding should not be an issue on the Nepal\u00a0side of the mountain.<\/p>\n
The Lhotse Face is reported to be hard packed causing some climbers a bit of leg fatigue as they need to occasionally kick their crampons into the hard surface.<\/p>\n
Snow is reported at the South Col, a but unusual as this area\u00a0is usually wind blown. However the Triangular Face between the Col and the Balcony should have a layer of snow keeping loose rocks in place. Climbers will still wear helmets.<\/p>\n
On the South, team have spent nights as high as Camp 3 and on the North, the North Col.<\/p>\n
Many teams on the Nepal\u00a0side are keeping the helicopter companies very busy by chartering choppers to take them to the lower villages for a few nights of rest and recreation; some teams have\u00a0gone as low as Kathmandu and stayed in 5 star hotels. The cost can range from\u00a0$2,000 to $5,000 depending on destination – one way – and is usually split among 3 to 5 people<\/p>\n
This has become quite common in the last 5 years. But it was Anatoli\u00a0Boukreev who coined the phrase “touch grass” before the summit, and by that he meant\u00a0walking down to one of the villages in the Khumbu, not flying \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Family and\u00a0friends back\u00a0home are usually starting to worry\u00a0about the summit push, and rightfully so. By now, each climber has seen how they perform at relatively high altitudes – Camps 2 to Camp 3 or near 7000 meters. The guide blogs only talk about “how impressed they are with the strength of their team”. This is part\u00a0of the letterhead and a standard comment each season.<\/p>\n
By reading the individual blogs you can get the real sense\u00a0that the Lhotse Face is hard, the Icefall dangerous, and their bodies\u00a0are fatigued. None of this is out of the\u00a0ordinary. The real test is on summit night.<\/p>\n
The doubts about health and skills are now amplified. But this is where all the training (and hopefully experience)\u00a0\u00a0will come into play. Now is the time.<\/p>\n
Between now and then, the climbers need to\u00a0rest, to recover from pushing themselves. They need to get their minds in the right place to push when needed and put all the small aches and pains behind them – to ignore the distractions and focus on the task\u00a0at hand.<\/p>\n
This is not easy. This is another point where the team dynamics begin to play a role. By selecting whom you spend time around may make or break your mental ability to deal with summit night – postive will beget positive, negative, well will kill you.<\/p>\n
With the summit bids starting late next week, the next 7 days will be key.<\/p>\n