The sun was so bright
The sun was so bright in my tent that I put my sunglasses on before getting out of my sleeping bag. The rumors of a foot of snow proved false this morning. I awoke to the sound of Lama Thame Sherpa chanting his morning prayers. I was back in base camp. We completed a major […]
Lhotse Face
We are in our tents at 23, s 350′ on the Lhotse Face listening to the snow gently falling. We left camp 2 about 6 AM for our important night at Camp 3. What I found amazing from my last climb here were the crowds. I guess there were over 150 climbers today and as […]
The Killer Cwm
Today we are comfortably resting at Camp 2. Everyone is in good health and spirits after a breakfast of toast and omlets. The Cwm lived up to it’s reputation yesterday but first a little on the Icefall. We left BC a little before 6 AM and made good time. in spite of our 9 day […]
Everest 2008 has had more
Everest 2008 has had more surprises than a Dick Cheney bird hunt. We have had several successful round trips through the Icefall plus several nights at Camp 1 and 2. Now are ready for the key climb to Camp 3 for a night. Then the summit! I am finding the climbing on Everest quite different […]
Dispatches will resume in mid-May
The Khumbu Icefall: Gatekeeper for Everest
The Khumbu Icefall – 2, 000 feet of moving ice – serves as the gateway to almost all routes on Everest’s south side. It is incredible to think that the early Swiss and British expeditions made this ascent in leather boots with nails for crampons and trees for ladders. Today we made our entry into […]
Pujas: A Mystery
The Lama said Thursday the 10th between 7:00 and 10:00 AM is for the Puja. OK – who would argue with that? After a much better night, I dressed in my down pants and jacket – it was 14 degrees inside my tent at 6:45 AM. The Lama was prompt as everyone skulked over to […]
Welcome To Base Camp
OK, try left side is . No, on my back. Right side – yes, that is it. Ugg, the crocodile roll begins. The last night in a tea house was supposed to be comfortable – a quasi mattress, walls, a roof. But three hours of sleep was the I could muster. Dawn came none too […]
Everest Audio Dispatch: from the Summit of Kala Patar
Alan describes the views of Everest from the summit of Kala Patar and his feelings about the upcoming climb. To hear this Everest audio dispatch, just click on the link. Thanks for listening and following Alan on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains…. Everest […]
A Father's Memory
The email read in part “can you see if his memorial is still there?” The trek to Base Camp takes you through 30 or more stone memorials built to honor climbers who have died on Everest. This email was from the 80 year-old Father of such a climber. The clouds moved out overnight and we […]