Preparing for Everest 2019!
With #Everest2018 in the books, I wanted to step back and see what lessons were available from this season and how to prepare for #Everest2019, if that’s in your mind. First off, let me start with a plug for my consulting service, Summit Coach, where I have worked with many climbers over the past 18 months to help them successfully summit Everest, Gasherbrum II, Denali and other peaks across the world. More on this in a moment. Everest 2018: The Good and the Bad This season was good in many respects with my estimate of a record 700+ summits and a death count in the “median” range, but once again could some of these deaths have been prevented? Global Rescue CEO Dan Richards said they conducted 66 evacuations off the peak ranging from 2 to 3 a day. Everest ER said they treated almost 400 patients, mostly for respiratory issues, followed by musculoskeletal injury, then stomach upset. Perhaps more alarming was their comment, “We may have seen more cases of frostbite than ever this year.” And they had eight cases of life-threatening HACE or HAPE this season. 2018 Lessons Frostbite is preventable: with the oxygen, clothing, boot and glove technology, there are few reasons for anyone to suffer frostbite. If they did, it suggests having boots too tight (feet swell at altitude), or too few layers, too little supplemental oxygen or even removing gloves at the wrong time (as if there ever is ever a right time!) These are all climbing basics. Stomach issues are preventable: It’s all about hygiene on Everest (or any other mountain). Use of a hand sanitizer is the first easy step – use often and thoroughly including deeply between the fingers and always after using the restroom. Next is up to the cooks in the kitchen and your teammates. All water must be boiled – come to a full boil. Both sides of Everest suffer from too much human waste thus the water supply must be assumed to be contaminated at all camps. If your water is always tepid – be afraid! As for your teammates, were there water bottles sitting on the dining table? Probably and this is how yak dung gets into your food supply. The bottle sits on the ground, moved to the table, moved around and voila, contamination occurs – a simple fix. Don’t be a slob: Human waste and litter continue to be a problem with new, and old, climbers plus support staff visiting the world’s peaks in record numbers. While Everest is the poster child, this disgrace is occurring across the globe at an alarming rate. Here in my Colorado Rocky Mountains, the 14,000-foot peaks are seeing regular occurrences of graffiti on rocks. On peaks like Elbrus, there are fields of human solid waste. Even on Denali which has had a “blue bag” policy for years, they allowed the waste to be thrown into crevasses and now experience downstream water contamination. Both Nepal and China have tried to enforce litter rules for the last ten years, but lacking oversight, everyone on the mountain, and I mean everyone, has contributed to the problem so its time for the climbing community to step up and clean up their own backyard. Buyer Beware – Not all Guides are Guides: Once again, stories are coming out from Everest 2018 of clients being abandoned on the mountain, climbing alone and dying. I can go through the old adage of you get what you pay for but it’s deeper than this. In some cases there is an outright fraud by operators promoting their services with a slick website while asking top prices, saying whatever the customer wants to hear and delivering the minimum. Poor leadership, poor organization, poor hygiene are the common complaints I heard this season. The promise of two room sleeping tents, cots, unlimited internet, hot showers and “the best food ever” is no substitute for proven experience along with an excellent safety record. The best way to protect yourself is to get references from customers from the previous season that match your experience and age. Then ask again. Sadly, you cannot believe what some operators tell you and that leads me to the next point. Self Sufficiency: you are responsible for yourself – no one will take care of you on the mountain. It is a huge mistake to believe climbing a few 6,000 or 7,000 meter peaks is a substitute for real mountaineering experience. If you plan to start with no experience and climb Everest next year, think again. But I know you are saying, “Alan, this year hundreds summited with almost no experience? Are you just trying to drum up business for guides?” First, I promise you we have not heard about the near-death experiences, on-mountain rescues and other crises – the Nepal government put a gag order on any bad news this season and operators have always lacked transparency about their problems. 2018 was one of the best weather years in the history of Everest – 11 straight days of low winds allowing hundreds to spread out on each side thus reducing crowds and long waits at altitude. This was the number one reason the season was mostly safe. But what if it was 2012 with less than five summit days, or the weather moved in unexpectedly like it did in 1996? With so many clients on the mountain, there is simply not enough qualified support available – no matter what the operators say. I was told over and over about “guides” who lacked language skills, or even basic climbing skills. Disaster was averted when oxygen regulators failed at 8,000-meters this year only because most of them occurred with long-time, highly experienced guides who acted quickly and professionally to avoid client deaths. So in order to protect yourself against unqualified guides, gain the proper experience starting on low peaks increase the difficulty and altitude over a few years. Enjoy the experience and don’t view Everest as a peak to be “conquered.’”
Introducing Summit Coach – Consulting for Aspiring Climbers
If you dream of climbing mountains but are not sure how to start or reach your next level from a Colorado 14er to Rainier, Everest or even K2, Summit Coach can help. Summit Coach is a consulting service that helps aspiring climbers throughout the world achieve their goals through a personalized set of services based on Alan Arnette’s 20+ years of high altitude mountaineering experience and 30 years as a business executive. Summit Coach is fully independent and does not sell gear or trips. It is not a guide service and receives no compensation from any outside organization. All advice is based on decades of personal experiences. Is this for you? Summit Coach was design for motivated individuals open to creating a climbing plan in order to gain knowledge and experience to ensure a success experience on the world’s high mountains. If any of these points fit your situation you may benefit from Summit Coach: Not pleased with your experience on a recent climb Want to climb Everest but not sure where to start Unsure on the best gear at the best price Unsure about the best way to gain experience to have a successful Big Mountain experience Want to be in the best shape possible for your climb but unsure how to start All guide services seem similar and are not sure who you can trust Is the lowest price guide service safe? Please visit the Summit Coach website to review the four levels, and pricing to meet most any budget. Clients These are example profiles of a few current and past members: 32 year-old male aspiring to climb his 1st 8000m mountain, Pakistan’s Gasherbrum I 35 year-old male targeting Everest in five years 45 year-old female on her final preparation for Everest in six months 32 year-old male preparing for Peruvian volcano in six months 34 year-old male training to return to Tibet’s Cho Oyu after not summiting last year 28 year-old male aiming for Denali, his 1st big climb Contact Summit Coach today. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything 10% of all Summit Coach revenue is donated to Alzheimer’s nonprofit organizations to support caregivers and research
Gear: winter Layers
With winter about to launch in full, and the upper United States experiencing an Arctic cold wave, I thought now is a good time to review some thoughts on how to layer for those winter climbs. I just got back home from a great summit climb on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire at 6,289 feet. But don’t let the relatively low altitude fool you into thinking its not cold on the top! “The rock” is known for some of the most unpredictable and worse weather on the planet. On April 12, 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory recorded a windspeed of 231 miles per hour (372 km/h) at the summit, the world record for most of the 20th century, and still a record for measured wind speeds not involved with a tropical cyclone. When I summited with Chris Ummer, who has 100 summits on the rock, it was not that bad with winds above tree line about 40mph, temp about 10F making the windchill -15F. But the visibility was almost zero for much of the day. A week before Washington, I summited one of my local peaks, Twin Sisters at 11,427 feet. That day it was very cold, below 0F but there was no wind. So, we have two very different climbs with different conditions. What did I wear? Basically the same layering system. My general rule of thumb is to never have more than three layers on at any one time and at least one “layer of last resort” in my pack. Base Layer – head to toe This is the key to every layering strategy. A good base layer will wick away sweat, while keeping you warm. It should also feel good next to your skin and the top will have a long zipper for venting. Finally, thumb loops are a convenient feature. There are several types of materials to select from including synthetics (polyester and polyester blends), silk and wool. I’ve tried all and my choice is Merino wool – hands down, full stop – end of discussion! 🙂 When I look at my base layers neatly stacked on one of my gear shelves, I have tops and bottoms from Icebreaker, Ibex and Patagonia. I have found these brands to be well made, good features and last forever if cared for properly (simple washing every now and then). I also wear only Merino wool skull cap, liner gloves, briefs and socks. If it touches my skin, then it must be … well I think you get the idea! Why am I in love with the wool from a sheep? Glad you asked! First, I like how it feels next to my skin. Second, the stuff doesn’t seem to smell. Third, I never seem to get too hot or cold in spite of wide ranging temperature changes. For the record, I wear short sleeve Merino wool tops in the summer. However, moisture control is the characteristic that always brings me back to Merino wool. I never feel like I am trapped in a sweatshop. It has a magic property of wicking away the moisture before it begins to build. By the way, that is the secret to the no-smell zone. Those stinky bacteria never get a chance to settle in. Finally the lightweight material is easy to cram in my pack. I usually have an extra top stowed away somewhere. The fact that the individual strands of wool absorb water vapor before it condenses makes it an ideal wicking layer. According to a New Zealand industry group, Merino can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture before it starts to feel damp. Its regain factor (the amount of water in the fiber expressed as a percentage of its dry weight) is 17 percent under standard conditions, compared to between 1-4 % for synthetic fibers. So what is it with this Merino wool and where does it come from? Merino is a breed of sheep primarily raised in New Zealand and Australia. Selling the wool has tuned into a huge industry. A quick review of the major gear companies that sell Merino wool based products find quick agreement on a few basics: the wool is some of the quality in the world, it does not irritate the skin like traditional wool, it is renewable and easy on the environment and the wicking ability keeps the skin drier. Merino used to be expensive and not used widely for sports base layers but with competition the price has dropped. Today New Zealand and Australian sheep farmers dominate the market. And quality clothing are available from many of the major brands. In fact Icebreaker has a complete layering system made of 100% Merino wool – very nice. The only real controversy seems to be around how the wool is prepared after sheering. Patagonia explains that each strand of wool contains barb scales that must be removed to prevent skin irritation. Some processes use chlorine to remove the barbs and smooth the material but Patagonia uses a chlorine-free process. Icebreaker, Ibex, and Patagonia all use environmentally friendly manufacturing approaches as specified by the New Zealand MAPP Tech supplier. Mid Layer Here is where it gets interesting and where you can have a good discussion (or fight) about what is the approach. The mid layer is supposed to trap the warmth your body generates but passes thru the moisture so you don’t get wet and cold. Just like base layers, there are a multitude of materials, designs and features to choose from. On my recent climbs, I decided to do a simple experiment using two of my favorite Patagonia layers: the R1 Hoody and the relatively new Nano-Air Hoody. There are similar products from most of the major outdoor gear brands. The R1 is what Patagonia calls fleece or really traditional Polartec material. The inside layer is a basket weave so that it creates an air layer on top of your base layer. This equals warmth and easy movement. They incorporated Capliene 4 stretch panels under the arms, cuffs