{"id":40672,"date":"2022-04-19T13:05:04","date_gmt":"2022-04-19T19:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=40672"},"modified":"2022-04-19T13:53:43","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T19:53:43","slug":"everest-2022-how-fast-can-you-climb-everest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/19\/everest-2022-how-fast-can-you-climb-everest\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2022: How Fast Can You Climb Everest?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Heavy weather is stalling summit attempts across the Himalayas. On Everest, it’s time to test the Icefall, with the first climbers entering the Icefall for rotations to Camps 1 and 2. The Sherpas have said the Icefall is “easy” this year. Let’s look at why it takes two months to climb Everest or does it?<\/p>\r\n

Big Picture<\/h2>\r\n

Lots of activities on Everest. Sherpas are ferrying loads to stock Camp 1 and 2 in the Western Cwm. Other Sherpas are fixing the ropes from Camp 2 to Camp 3 and beyond. They hope to reach the summit by Mayday. Members are reviewing basic skills and adjusting to Base Camp life. Several teams have completed their acclimation on Lobuche. Furtenbach Adventures<\/a> reports in with :<\/p>\r\n

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News from our current Everest Expedition. In best weather our whole Classic Team with guide @luckydavewatson<\/a> climbed Lobuche East. They arrive at Everest BC today.<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
IMG<\/a> notes progress at the High Camps:<\/div>\r\n
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Our Sherpa Team is continuing to work on Camp\u00a02 and progress is being made with setting up the main kitchen and dining tents. This is a big job at Camp\u00a02, and we use plenty of rope to anchor the tents in the likely event wind kicks up.<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
Brit, Tim Mosedale<\/a> is heading into the Cwm:<\/div>\r\n
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We\u2019re going up on the hill for a few days so will be out of touch. We\u2019ll have 2 nights at C1 (around 6,000m) and then 4 or 5 nights at C2 (around 6,400m) before coming back to EBC for a well deserved rest.<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Heavy snow stalled the summit attempts on Kangchunga and Annpurna where an avalanche was reported on the route, not uncommon. On the other 8000ers, teams have just arrived at their base camps, with a few climbers already climbing.<\/p>\r\n

Thus far, the season is progressing as expected. No drama, thankfully.<\/p>\r\n

Weather Station Repair<\/h2>\r\n

In 2019, a team of Sherpas installed four\u00a0<\/span>weather stations<\/span><\/a>\u00a0at the Balcony (8,430 m), South Col (7,945 m), Camp II (6,464 m), EBC (5,315 m), and Phortse (3,810 m). Now, two have problems: at the Balcony and one at the South Col. So a team is headed up this spring to repair them.\u00a0<\/span>Jiban Ghimire,\u00a0<\/span><\/a>Pete Athans<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>Dawa Yangzum Sherpa<\/span><\/a>\u00a0plus a Sherpa team led by Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa form the team.\u00a0<\/span>source<\/span><\/a><\/p>\r\n

Of course, both Athens and Dawa Yangzum are climbing legends and were part of the 21-person strong team first to install the stations. It is great to see them back on this project. A climate scientist leads the overall team from Appalachian State University, Barry Parker.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dawa Yangzum has an impressive climbing resume with Everest, 2012, the youngest female on K2 in 2014, where we met, and the first female Nepali woman to summit the fifth highest peak Makalu. In 2021, she claimed the role of the first woman to reach the true summit of Manaslu. She is a North Face sponsored Athlete and a guide for Alpine Ascents. She also works as an instructor at the Khumbu Climbing Center in Nepal.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A bit of history, Athens has 36 Nepal Himalaya climbs to his credit, including seven Everest summits. His last was in 2002. He was part of the 1999 team, including Bill Crouse, that installed permanent GPS survey points at South Col (27,000 feet) and the highest bedrock of the mountain. In addition, they completed simultaneous GPS measurements of the summit, South Col and Kala Pattar, to see if Everest was growing taller. They also installed weather monitoring devices at various points of the mountain.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

These measurements showed the summit at 29,035-feet\/8850-meters. However, China and Nepal stuck to their previous measurements; China at 29,017.16-feet\/8,844.43 meters underneath the snow, and Nepal at 29,028-feet\/8848-meters using the top of the snow. In December 2020, China and Nepal jointly\u00a0<\/span>announced<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that they remeasured and updated the summit altitude and that both countries agreed on 8848.86-meter\/ 29,031.69291-feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Leave No Trace<\/h2>\r\n

I applaud the efforts by the various Nepal Tourism departments to help clean up and keep clean the Khumbu area and mountain camps. One excellent example, with the clever name, CARRY ME BACK (CMB) Program is from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee<\/a>. They announced:<\/p>\r\n

\u201cCARRY ME BACK\u201d – CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU! We are very excited to announce that the CARRY ME BACK (CMB) Program – a crowdsourced waste removal system to transport semi processed waste from Khumbu for proper recycling – has restarted from this week after the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n

The main aim of this program is to transport semi-processed recyclable materials, such as aluminum cans and PET bottles for recycling with voluntary support from trekkers. We have setup the pickup station at Police Check Point, Misilung near Namche Bazaar where anyone interested can pick up approximately 1 kg bag on his\/her way back to Kathmandu and drop the bags at our drop off stations located near Lukla gate or Lukla airport. At the end of trekking season, Tara Air will airlift the garbage from Lukla to Kathmandu and hand it over to Blue Waste to Value for recycling.<\/p>\r\nThe CMB program was initiated by Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee<\/a> and Sagarmatha Next<\/a> in partnership with Sagarmatha National Park, Sagarmatha National Park Buffer Zone Management Committee, \u0916\u0941\u092e\u094d\u092c\u0941 \u092a\u093e\u0938\u093e\u0919\u0932\u094d\u0939\u093e\u092e\u0941 \u0917\u093e\u090a\u0901 \u092a\u093e\u0932\u093f\u0915\u093e Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality<\/a>, TARA AIR<\/a> and Blue waste to value<\/a>.The program is sponsored by Dell Reconnect. We request all trekkers trekking in the Everest Region to participate in the CMB program – a great way to reduce your carbon footprint while trekking in the foothills of Mt. Everest.<\/blockquote>\r\n

There are other efforts ranging from individuals to commercial guided teams to the Nepal Army working this spring to clean up old trash. But, come on man, don’t leave it in the first place!<\/p>\r\n

Do Your Job, Or Tells You Won’t.<\/h2>\r\n

The farce around Liason officers continues, onlineKhabar<\/a> reports:<\/p>\r\n

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Department of Tourism has issued a new code of conduct for its liaison officers this season. According to this, the officials who dare to act against the code will have to face action as per the law.\u00a0Hence, the department has urged them to inform the department in advance if they are unlikely to do their duties at the base camps as assigned.<\/p>\r\n

To make sure that, no one skips the duty and stays away from the camp, the department says the officials shall submit pictures and videos of them with members of climbing expeditions at the base camps to the department.\u00a0Likewise, they have been directed against letting climbers carry out any illicit activities during their climbing.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

So they need to report that they will not show up at EBC and do their job? Will they still get their $4,000 salary? So much opportunity for Nepal to improve its mountaineering procedures.<\/p>\r\n

Dhaulagiri: Back to BC<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

Carlos Sori, 83, Sito Carcavilla, and the six Sherpas, Mikel Sherpa, Nigma Sherpa, Nawang Sherpa, Nigma Tenjen Sherpa, Dawa Sherpa, and Dorjey Sherpa, all aborted their summit bid due to poor weather. They retreated to C1 and will descend to BC soon.\u00a0<\/span>Their home team posted on social media:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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After seeing the weather forecasts, Carlos Soria and Sito Carcavilla have decided to go down to the CB to wait for a more favorable opportunity. They have achieved unbeatable acclimatization and all that remains is to wait patiently for the best moment to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

Annapurna: Waiting<\/h2>\r\n

Tawainese member, Grace Tseng’s home team reported in:<\/p>\r\n

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I received a satellite phone call from Grace yesterday.\u00a0At present, the climate situation in Annapurna does not seem to be ideal. There are still an avalanche in the past few days, but don’t worry, Grace is very safe and in good condition at present. People are waiting for good weather at Camp 2. Please continue to cheer for her. Looking forward to the good news of returning to the top!<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

That’s all of today’s news. Now let’s take a look at why it takes weeks, if not months to climb Everest.<\/p>\r\n

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Everest Time<\/h2>\r\n

Climbers are at Base Camp to begin their climbs. It’s mid-April, and most people summit around May 19th, so what’s the hurry? Good question. Let’s look at how long it takes to get to the top of the world. I’ll look at Nepal and Tibet because after all, China will reopen one day, right?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The new shiny penny in climbing the big mountains is the so-called “speed ascents.” Known by other adjectives, let’s just call them fast or speedy but not to be confused with what Uli Steck did or Kilian Jornet does, which is real speed climbing. This new ‘fast’ is where ‘regular’ climbers hope to cut the time required to summit an 8000-meter peak by a third or even a half.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When Hall and Ball led commercial climbs on Everest in the early 1990s, the entire climb took at least two months. Fast forward to 2019, and\u00a0<\/span>Roxanne Vogel<\/span><\/a>\u00a0went from home-summit-home in two weeks climbing with Lydia Bradey and Alpenglow. Roxanne is unique and amazing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Returning to earth, movest expeditions since 2000 will spend around 36 days on the mountain to summit. That translates to around six weeks, home to home. So when you hear about someone who summited in three days, they probably came directly from another 8,000er or several, were fully acclimatized and strong, and went from EBC to the summit directly, so it’s not a clean comparison, but it looks great for headlines!<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Pre-Acclimatization: Real or Marketing for Everest Climbers?<\/h3>\r\n

There are mixed feelings about this as you will read. It’s becoming much more common in 2022 but had a rocky road over the past decade. For example, in a 2017\u00a0<\/span>Bloomberg<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(a business-oriented publication) article about mountain guide and owner of\u00a0<\/span>Alpenglow<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Adrian Ballinger’s use of altitude tents, his competitors made these comments:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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“Complete bloody hogwash,” says Simon Lowe, managing director of\u00a0<\/span>Jagged Globe<\/span><\/a>, the British mountaineering company founded in 1987 and one of rapid-ascent climbing’s most vocal critics. “It’s snake oil.” Russell Brice, the 64-year-old New Zealander who runs\u00a0<\/span>Himalaya Expeditions<\/span><\/a>, agrees, flatly discounting the tents’ safety. Guy Cotter, who runs\u00a0<\/span>Adventure Consultants<\/span><\/a>, warned that the tents, which mimic the oxygen concentration at altitude instead of the change in air pressure, can interfere with sleep in the final weeks of training when it’s most important.”<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

Ballinger was mentioned in the article defending his approach:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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Ballinger remains convinced that the tent works based on a trove of evidence gathered on himself. He does his own blood work during training, and he has seen a spike in red blood cells for all 15 expeditions that he’s used Hypoxico.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

Another enthusiastic proponent of altitude tents is Lukas Furtenbach of Furtenbach Adventures. We’ve had many discussions about the effectiveness of the tents, and Lukas is firm, citing European study after study proving it’s real. He aggressively advertises what he calls “Flash” climbs on many mountains, including\u00a0<\/span>Everest, in three weeks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for $108,000. This\u00a0<\/span>article<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in von<\/span>\u00a0bergundsteigen<\/span><\/a>\u00a0by Lukas is an excellent tutorial on why he has such strong beliefs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Most of these speedy climbs are more expensive because operators want to minimize their risks by using higher oxygen flows, more experienced western guides, and a dedicated team doctor. They also bundle the price of the altitude tent into the price. Alpenglow asks for $85,000.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I did a deep look in 2014 at the use of altitude tents. While dated, it still has a lot of valid information. I asked the well-respected\u00a0<\/span>Dr. Peter Hackett<\/span><\/a>\u00a0about his views plus interviewed Brian Oestrike, then CEO of Hypoxico<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>You can read it at this link<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The good folks over at\u00a0<\/span>Uphill Athlete<\/span><\/a>\u00a0did their usual, deep analytical evaluation of altitude tents in 2018. The discussion was led by Steve House and included comments from Alpenglow’s doctor, Monica Pris. It’s an excellent balanced article that ends with a series of questions, most answered with “unknown.”<\/span><\/p>\r\n

One more comment on altitude tents. The entire team should have used the same technique. Most operators like to run their teams in groups to leverage Sherpa and logistic resources. If one person is off-schedule, it creates problems for the leader. Ballinger requires every Everest climber to use the tents, “Pre-acclimatization using Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems. An eight-week rental is included in the expedition price, and use of the system (or equivalent pre- acclimatization) is a requirement for joining our\u00a0<\/span>Rapid Ascent™<\/span><\/a>expeditions.”<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Another factor for those using altitude tents to consider is the weather. Suppose you get delayed by heavy snow, winds, or even a typhoon. In that case, all the time you saved using an altitude tent evaporates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

To be clear, I’m not saying don’t use them, or they don’t work. On the contrary, I’ve spoken with many climbers who used these tents to say their blood chemistry did react, and they felt better upon arriving at base camp. Just, don’t assume sleeping in the tent will replace the hard work of acclimating or for some unexpected delay, won’t nullify your advantage.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Climbing Everest<\/h3>\r\n

With the caveat that every guide service has its own schedule, techniques, and habits, what I will describe is a broad generalization based on my six climbs on Everest and Lhotse (not all summits), two climbs in Tibet plus 20 years of following the Everest season on both sides.<\/p>\r\n

Let’s break it down into six\u00a0major components to climbing Everest:<\/p>\r\n

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  1. Travel to Kathmandu or Lhasa<\/li>\r\n
  2. Travel to Base Camp<\/li>\r\n
  3. Acclimatization Rotations<\/li>\r\n
  4. Summit Attempt<\/li>\r\n
  5. Travel back to Kathmandu<\/li>\r\n
  6. Travel home<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    OK, here we go.<\/p>\r\n

    Travel from Home<\/h3>\r\n

    The flight from home can take up to three calendar days when considering time zones and datelines. Not much you can do about that! Once in Kathmandu, most teams will take one to three days to finalize details, adjust to the new time zone and get their climbing permits. Then, those climbing from Nepal will fly to Lukla, or recently to Namache, or even higher if they used an altitude tent, to begin their trek to base camp. Most teams climbing from the north side will take a flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu.<\/p>\r\n

    Getting to Base Camp<\/h3>\r\n

    Crossing into China<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    \"Altitude<\/a><\/p>\r\n

    This short period can quickly turn into a week or two with delays for those climbing on the Tibet side. The Chinese are well known for closing the border without notice or citing a reason. So climbers are stranded until someone in Beijing changes their minds or the border manager sees the ‘lig$t.’<\/p>\r\n

    These closures are usually associated with fear of foreigners protesting China’s takeover of Tibet in 1950. In addition, they often coincide with anniversaries of riots, uprisings, or previous conflicts. This uncertainty is the primary reason I think climbing from the Nepal side reduces the risks, with all due respect to those who fear that side for other reasons\u2014or flying to Lhasa and bypassing crossing the Nepal-China border.<\/p>\r\n

    The travel to the Chinese Base Camp on the Tibet side is relatively standard, especially when leaving from Lhasa. Climbers are driven to base camp by a representative of the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA). The trip usually takes about five days from Lhasa, assuming you can get there. Travel from Kathmandu is iffy, as previously discussed. Still, if possible, it requires about five days with acclimatization stops along the way.<\/p>\r\n

    As I opened this article, the “speed” operators who had their members sleep in altitude tents should be acclimatized to 17,000’\/5200m or about the altitude of base camp.\u00a0This pre-acclimatization might reduce the number of days to trek to the Nepal base camp. However, when in China, you still have to be driven by the CMA to Chinese Base Camp (CBC), but it would take two days, not the more standard five that allows for acclimatization along the way.<\/p>\r\n

    Trekking the Khumbu<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    Traveling to Everest Base Camp (EBC) on the Nepal side is a totally different story. Most people cherish the opportunity to trek the Khumbu on their way to EBC. \u00a0It takes between 7 to 10 days depending on how many acclimatization\u00a0nights you take (more is better). Some people will go via Gokyo using an extra few days to see this beautiful part of Nepal.<\/p>\r\n

    \"Khumbu\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

    But those in a hurry will take a helicopter to reach base camp on the Nepal side. Advocates will tell members that\u00a0this will keep them healthy by avoiding the teahouses and communing with trekkers in the Khumbu.<\/p>\r\n

    While it is true that almost everyone will get some kind of stomach bug at some point on an Everest climb, I think it’s best to get it out of the way early rather than at base camp a few days before your summit push. In my experience, 90% of ALL climbers, regardless of how they get to EBC, get some kind of GI or upper-respiratory issue. This is not a knock on hygiene, it is a fact of life when adjusting to a completely different type of food.<\/p>\r\n

    But more to the point, I think the trek to EBC is a highlight of any Everest climb\u00a0and an opportunity to support the local economy thru porters, yak\u00a0herders, teahouses, and the families who grow and sell food. Plus the scenery is some\u00a0of the best on the planet!<\/p>\r\n

    OK, in any event, you made it to your respective base camp. Congratulations!<\/p>\r\n

    Acclimatization<\/h3>\r\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

    This is the area of great change in the world of climbing. Even if you pre-acclimatize, you have to acclimatize to a higher altitude- full stop. By acclimatizing to 17,000′, you still\u00a0have another 12,000’\/3600m to go! Note, some claim you can acclimatize higher with the tents.<\/p>\r\n

    The common wisdom for those climbing on supplemental oxygen, about 97% of all Everest summiteers historically, is that you need to touch or better yet spend a night at 23,000’\/7,000m. This is Camp 3 on the South and the North Col on the North.<\/p>\r\n

    If you are not using supplemental oxygen, then the rule of thumb is to reach 8000 meters before your summit attempt. However, in 2022, some operators put their clients on Os at Camp 2 on the Nepal side, that’s ‘only’\u00a021,000’\/6400m, less than the summit of Aconcagua.<\/p>\r\n

    Nepal Side Rotations<\/h3>\r\n

    In the “old” days ~ pre-2005~ the usual rotation looked like what I show in this animation I created:<\/p>\r\n