Virtual Everest 2020: Camp 2
On their active rest day at Camp 1, our fictional climbers took a short hike into the Western Cwm. Today, they move to Camp 2 at 21,000-feet. If it’s sunny, it’s a brutal walk, if cloudy and windy, it’s a brutal hike. They want a Goldilocks experience: high clouds, light winds. In the real world, […]
Virtual Everest 2020: In the Western Cwm
The Western Cwm is known as the valley of silence. But it could be called a microwave oven. The icy walls that define the valley reflect the harsh rays of the sun creating an almost unbearable environment. But just when it gets too hot, it gets too cold. Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Weekend Video Update April 26- Lukas Furtenbach Interview
During this Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas project, I’m adding a new aspect of my coverage, a video report on most Sundays. I will recap the week and preview what we can expect coming up. Also a brief interview with the guides participating in the Support the Climbing Sherpa project. Today is […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Climbing to Camp 1, and 5 Years Later
With an introduction to the Khumbu Icefall completed for our fictional team, now they return for a rotation to Camps 1 and 2 in the Western Cwm. They are treated to magnificent views of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse. It is magical. On a personal note, I (Alan) was at Camp 2 on April 25, 2015, […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Weather Day and Tough Conversations
Our fictional team returned from their first trip to the Khumbu Icefall. Almost everyone did well, but there are signs of problems for a couple of climbers. Today, it snowed heavily at base camp, so it will be quiet but … also a difficult conversation. Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas is a joint […]
Virtual Everest 2020: First Steps in the Khumbu Icefall
The first trip into the Khumbu Icefall can be shocking. It starts steeper than thought, has more ups and downs than advertised and when you see that first ladder, second thoughts are common. Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas is a joint project of Alan Arnette and several global guide companies. Our objective is to entertain […]
Virtual Everest 2020: It Takes a Village
Is mountaineering an individual or a team sport? Can you really climb Everest, “solo?” Why are there 1,000 people at Nepal’s Everest Base Camp? Does it really take that many people when less than 300 foreigners summited? Our fictional team from Mount Everest Guides takes on these questions over dinner after a training day at […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Puja at Base Camp
Before climbing begins, the Sherpas perform a puja ceremony. Usually, a Buddhist Lama treks in from a nearby monastery the night before. If at a big camp like Everest, he will perform several ceremonies during the same day. If the camp is too far away from a monastery, for example, on K2, then one of […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Settling into Base Camp
Arriving at Everest Base Camp, on either side, is exciting. In Tibet, it’s a bit calmer because you drive in. In Nepal, it’s the end of a week-long trek. Either way, it’s a sight not to be believed by our fictional climbers. A small city of over 1,000 people in Nepal, about half that or […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Weekend Video Update April 19- Gordon Janow Interview
During this Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas project, I’m adding a new aspect of my coverage, a video report on most Sundays. I will recap the week and preview what we can expect coming up. Also a brief interview with the guides participating in the Support the Climbing Sherpa project. Today is […]