Everest 2022: Summit Wave 3 – Update 1
After a strong first day for multiple commercial summits, we move into what could be the largest this season. I estimate there were well over 100 total summits made up of 40 members supported by 73 Sherpas. There were no deaths or rescues reported, but we may still learn of difficulties. Overall, the weather was ideal, with low winds and temperatures around 0F/-20C. Tonight should be the same.
Everest 2022: Summit Wave 2 Recap – 100+ Summits, 1 Death
We have our first Wave 2 summits on Everest 2022! I’ve received reports directly from Everest that the weather is excellent tonight, making for ideal summit conditions. I estimate between 60 to 90 people (clients and guides) on the Hill this morning. The summit temperatures are hovering around 0F/-17C, which is extremely warm. This is excellent news for those climbing without Os as they will move slower and be colder than those on Os. Look for huge summits crowds leaving the South Col Thursday night, May 12, for a May 13 summit.
Everest 2022: First Member Summit was Yesterday, May 9!
Much to my surprise and probably many others, Portuguese climber Pedro Queirós was the first member of 2022 to summit this spring season. He summited at 9:39 am on Monday, May 9, 2022, with Mingma Sherpa of 14summit and owned by Subin Thakuri.
Everest 2022: Summit Wave 1 Underway
Teams are leaving the South Col for the first wave of summit pushes tonight, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Everest summit record holder Kami Rita Sherpa was evacuated from C2 with snow blindness. The high winds seemed to have calmed allowing these first summit attempts.
Rescue and Frostbite on Annapurna 2022: Tim Bogdanov
This is a special Podcast and YouTube interview with Tim Bogdanov, 37, who was rescued from Annapurna last month. He tells a chilling tale of getting lost and multiple mistakes he made during his no Os climb.
Tim has summits of Manaslu and Annapurna plus over 30 6,000-meters peaks around the world. His style is to climb alone and without supplemental oxygen. He summited Annapurna on April 28 alongside an Indian team that was climbing independently. Also on the summit, that day was Italian Alpinist Giampaolo Corona, who was climbing in a similar independent style.
They both got into serious trouble once descending, albeit separately. The rest of the story is in the video.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Everest 2022: Alpenglow Makalu Success, Avalanche Death on Lhotse
With a good window before a brief windy period, teams are positioning for Everest summits and reaching the summit of Makalu, Kangchenjunga, and Dhaulagiri. But there was a tragedy on the South Face of Lhotse.
Everest 2022: Weekend Update May 8 – Ropes to the Summit!
It was a busy week in the Himalayas with summits on multiple 8000ers, including Everest. On the Nepal side of the mountain, Kami Rita Sherpa led the rope team to the summit and at the same time extended his summit record to 26. Sadly, there were two more deaths of the season, one on Kangchenchunga and another on Everest. Still, thus far 2022 is a low-drama season. With the good weather emerging, the summit trolls will now allow everyone to make their attempts.
Big Picture
2022 is turning out to be an unusual season but in a good way. On Thursday, I did a podcast with three world-class meteorologists, Michael Fagin of Everest Weather, Chris Tomer of Tomer Weather Solutions, and Marc De Keyser of Weather4expeditions , about what we are seeing and can expect these last few weeks of the season. They all agreed that it is warmer than usual, drier than usual, and with less wind than usual. The culprit is the Jet Stream is not sitting on top of Everest like it usually does.
They even suggested that we may see another year like in 2018 when we had 11 consecutive days of low winds that allowed a record year for Everest summits with 802 summits on both sides. The Nepal side saw a total of 562 summits made up of 266 foreigners (aka members) and 296 High Altitude Workers (aka Sherpas). We won’t see anything like that number of summits in 2022, perhaps around 400, including support.
A wild card was a potential typhoon brewing in the Bay of Bengal but now it appears that “ASANI” will track away from making landfall. Again, there are currently NO typhoons warnings issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center:
Everest 2022: Weekend Update May 1 – Summits, Rescues and Cimbing – A ‘Normal’ Season
It’s May Day on Everest and some teams are having a party, while others are focused on their acclimatization schedule, and some now eying the summit. But everyone needs to wait for the fixed ropes. The upper mountain may have some moderate winds that may delay the rope team. We saw summits on a few 8000ers but the conditions remain iffy. Still, thus far 2022 is a low-drama season.
Big Picture
With so many climbers high on Everest, the news is scarce due to a lack of comms. Teams are doing their rotations on Everest to Camp 2 and sometimes a bit higher to Camp 3, few if any thus far are following the traditional model of sleeping at Camp 3, nearly 7,000-meters. Those who won’t be using Os will need to go to 8,000-meters before their summit attempt. But for now, several teams declared good enough and are settling in to wait for the summit weather window. It will be at least two weeks or so until the forecast shows a few days with the summit winds under 30mph/50kph. Some teams are now doing the fashionable “touch grass” down valley, ready to return at a moment’s notice for the summit push.
Everest 2022: Weekend Update April 24 – First Rotations Begin
As we enter the last week of April, the climbing on Everest is in the full program. Climbers are all over the lower mountain from EBC to Camps 1 and 2. Sherpas are incredibly busy stocking camps. Meanwhile, on the other 8000ers, progress was stalled by weather, but still climbing underway on some others. All in all a low-drama year thus far.
Everest 2022: Weekend Update April 17 – First Deaths, Carlos on his Way!
Activity is strong at Everest Base Camp, with more still on the trek. The permits increased as expected this past week and will top out fairly soon. They still lag behind last year by over 100 for Everest. The fixed lines are now to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm, ready for more teams to arrive at EBC this week. We saw the first 8000er deaths of the 2022 Spring season this past week. #everest2022
Big Picture
As of April 15, 2022, the Ministry of Tourism has issued 738 total climbing permits thus far, with 262 for Everest, with 56 female climbers. The United States represents the largest country on Everest this year with 58 climbers, a spot recently ceded to India and China, with only 21 and 9 climbers, respectively. The UK comes in at 33, with Canada at 14 and Australia at ten thus far. Russia has 16 climbers on Everest this season.
Everest Base Camp is rapidly filling up with most teams reviewing basic skills and preparing for their first walk into the Icefall, a big day ahead. See the tracking table for the latest team locations.
Climbers on Dhaulagiri and Annapurna are climbing with summit pushes expected soon. Also, climbing will soon begin on Kachchenunga and Makalu.