Everest 2024: Weekend Update May 5: Winds Calm, Climbing Continues
The biggest news from Everest is the lack of news. Typhone-force winds strafed the mountain like a summer hail storm in Colorado. Reports of forty or more tents were damaged at Camp 2. Despite this, a few teams continued their rotations, and more made plans as hopes increased the fixed ropes would reach the summit next week. The high winds of last week have calmed, and there is no typhoon activity of substance in the Bay of Bengal. Let’s hope for a May of long weather windows! #everest2024
Everest 2024: Everyday Everest Podcast Part 13–Climbing Above Camp 3
Part 13 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 40, 41, and 42. I’ll continue my annual coverage as usual.
Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a FICTIONAL team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I’ll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.
In Part 13, our protagonist, Harper, experiences climbing above Camp 3 for the first time. She moved in lock-step behind Mingma, who led the train. He set a steady but swift pace, knowing that speed is your friend in these conditions and keeps you warm.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Everest 2024: Nepal Supreme Court Passes Climbing Rules
While tents were being blown around at Camp 2, the Nepal Supreme Court issued a series of well-intended vague rules that potentially will join a long list of ignored rules. The largest and most well-connected operators have long learned that doing whatever they want has no consequences other than making more profit.
I applaud the authorities for the WAG bag experiment this season and their RECCO program, even if they did not think through it. Also, the Supreme Court ruling effort is well-intended and may be the start of meaningful changes to enhance safety and environmental protection. #everest2024
Everest 2024: Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 12–Summit Plan for the Team
Part 12 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 37, 38, and 39. I’ll continue my annual coverage as usual.
Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a FICTIONAL team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I’ll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.
In Part 12, our protagonist, Harper was confident and ready to get going. Sitting around base camp, even with the occasional hike to Pumori or Gorak Shep, was getting old. The conversation around the dining table was also getting old. It was time.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Everest 2024: High Winds
Everest’s summit is slammed by hurricane-force winds, causing most teams to hunker down or pause rotations for a few days. However, the fixed ropes have reached the South Col. China confirms it will open the Nepal border on May 7th. #everest2024
Everest 2024: Weekend Update April 28: Teams Into the Western Cwm
Commercial teams have begun their acclimatization rotations with climbs to Camps 1 and 2 in the Western Cwm. The Icefall route is more complicated this spring, and some climbers take ten hours or more to reach the first Camp. The fixed ropes are now well up the Lhotse Face. As of this update, no Everest teams have entered Tibet. #everest2024
Everest 2024: Icefall Misery
I’m getting reports from climbers who completed their first rotations to Camp 1 and are now back at Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side that the Icefall is quite challenging this year. Some say it takes ten hours to navigate the route to Camp 1, which has an amazing number of “zig-zags.” The number of ladders is extremely low, under five. Another team drops climbing in Tibet. And no search on Shishapangma this spring. #everest2024
Everest 2024: Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 11–First Summits
Part 11 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 31 and 32. I’ll continue my annual coverage as usual.
Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I’ll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.
In Part 11, our protagonist, Harper, gets excited as tGuide John Paul tells the team, “Good news, everyone. The first commercial team summited last night. The storm held off, and they threaded the needle. 20 Japanese members with 22 Climbing Sherpas.” John Paul told his team over breakfast. “Japan has very strong climbers.”
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Everest 2024: Climb Here, But Not There!
This is the late April Everest 2024 Weekend Update. The headlines are significantly more positive than last weekend: Permits are a bit higher, which is good for the local economy but not so good for the mountain. The fixed ropes, aka the route, are all the way to Camp 2, thus opening the path for Sherpas to establish the upper camps and for clients to begin acclimatizing. #everest2024
Everest 2024: Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 10–Climbing the Lhotse Face
Part 10 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 31 and 32. I’ll continue my annual coverage as usual.
Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I’ll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.
In Part 10, our protagonist, Harper, takes the Lhotse Face, ”
Wanting to pass another climber, Harper makes eye contact with him. No words were spoken; only a nod was exchanged. Harper unclipped her ‘biner while keeping the jumar attached. Harper reached around him to clip the ‘biner back onto the rope ahead of him. He stood still not wanting to make any movement that might throw both of them off balance. Harper took a few small steps around him and reached back to unclip the jumar. Now successfully past, Harper reattached the jumar and continued climbing higher. ”
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything