Everest/Lhotse 2016: Season Continues, But Not For Me
Everest/Lhotse 2016 carries on as smoothly as a season goes, and now without me. I’ll 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 […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: A Mid-Season Update
Everest 2016 is developing into a ‘normal’ season. As we enter the last week of April, climbers are working hard to get their acclimatization programs in before the traditional poor early May weather but based on this year current weather, that may or may not happen. I’m starting to sound like a professional meteorologists! 🙂 […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Into the Cwm for First Rotation
Time has come to leave Everest Base Camp for our team’s acclimatization rotation to Camp 1 and Camp 2 in the Western Cwm. The purpose for this is to naturally change our blood chemistry to better deal with the lower level of oxygen molecules available at the higher altitudes. The available oxygen at base camp is […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Gear Ferried into Western Cwm as Safety Move
A bit of Everest history happening right now, 10:00 am April 23, 2016 Nepal time. Summit rope fixing gear (rope, anchors, oxygen for the Sherpas above the South Col) is being long-lined to Camp 1 by helicopters – all approved by the Government. It has taken six trips by the helicopter plus a spotter in a […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Everest ER to the Aid of All
For the past 13 seasons a team of volunteers from across the globe have come to Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side to give aid to anyone in need. All they ask is for each climber with a permit to pay $100 and not only are their medical needs met but also entire team is covered from Sherpas to […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Nepal Approves Major Safety Change for Everest
The Nepal Ministry of Tourism who manages Everest and other Nepali peaks often makes announcements that seemingly have no foundation in reality, for example putting a ladder on the Hillary Step or stopping climbers with disabilities from climbing from Nepal so it’s curious that one of the most significant changes since Everest was first summited […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Sacred Birds and Kala Patar
Trying climb an 8000 meter mountain is like building a house while living in it and waiting for the roof to be installed. Today, we awoke to another perfect Himalayan morning with clear skies and unseasonably warm temperatures. While other teams race to get to Camp 1 for their acclimatization rotations, we are comfortable taking […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Sherpa Training for Saftey and Longetivity
A common question about Everest is how to make it safer. With over 30 deaths just in the past two years, climbers, Sherpas and families of both often ponder what can be done. Most deaths can be prevented in the big mountains by having appropriate experience, making good decisions or climbing with experienced partners. But […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Tears Right Below the Surface
April 18, 2014 at 6:35 am, a small section of a long standing feature on the West Shoulder of Everest, aka an objective hazard, released onto the Khumbu Icefall. 16 Sherpas were killed in a moment as tons of ice and snow fell, leaving the mountain workers with few options and nowhere to hide. For […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: First Trip into the Khumbu Icefall
Today our Altitude Junkies team, along with a few other teams, made the first sortie into the Khumbu Icefall. We got up at 4:30 am and left our base camp at 6:00 am passing by the puja alter with smoldering juniper boughs sending smoke into the air. I paused for a moment to take it […]