Everest 2012: Season Recap: A Study in Risk Management
If there was one phrase to sum up this season where over 500 people summited Everest, it might be: risk management. There were signs from the beginning that the Everest 2012 season would be different when Sherpas establishing base camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall reported that the upper mountain looked “dry”. Once […]
Everest 2012 Team Locations
Welcome to Alan Arnette’s Everest 2012 coverage Last 2012 Everest News – 31 May 2012 A sincere and deep thank you to everyone who made a donation to one of the Alzheimer’s non-profits. That is why I do this. Very rough, check unconfirmed estimates: Total at base camps: 446 westerners plus 500 Sherpas totaling 946. […]
Everest 2012: Weekend Update May 27
The final week in May is always special in the Khumbu – the end of the Everest climbing season. Sherpa families anxiously awaiting their loved ones to return from the time honored role of leading Westerners to the top of the world. Many Westerners are reflecting on what happened to them over the previous 7 […]
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 5 Recap
Friday night, May 25 into Saturday morning, mind May 26 could have been the night of the Everest 2012 season. Almost 100 climbers summited as early as 3:30AM in conditions rarely seen on Everest – clear skies, no winds and mild (for 29,000′) temperatures. Incredibly some even missed the sunrise from the summit by arriving […]
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 5 – Update 3
Update 3 The SummitClimb team that turned back last week made it this morning in outstanding time. This from Arnold Coster: This morning Jangbu Sherpa and John reached the summit of Everest at around 3:30am. Sandra, Richie, Steve, Chauwang, Lakpha and passing followed at around 5:30 am. The weather was beautiful and quiet. No winds […]
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 4 Recap
We saw many successful summit climbs on Everest overnight, May 23/24. I estimate about 115 combined on both sides. This was a typical Everest summit day and more representative of how Everest is climbed in modern times. Teams carefully considered the winds as they arrived at the South Col, some choose to go up, hospital […]
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 4 – Summits!!! – Update 1
Update 1 – Summits Kenton Cool has reached the summit on Friday morning, May 25 abut 4:45 AM. He is preparing to send a live video update from the summit to the BBC. Check his Facebook page for more information. Update 1.5: I just spoke with Kenton Cool’s home team and the laptop went down […]
Everest 2012: The Final Push
Well Everest 2012 is coming to an end. Teams are now positioned at high camps twitching with anxiety for summit pushes starting in a few hours, Thursday night, check May 24 and again on Friday Night, May 25 Nepal time. Summits the following morning. Eric Simonson, IMG, provided this weather insight: The jet stream […]
Everest 2012: Preparing for the Summit
There is a distinct difference between going first and last on Everest. First opens the route, takes the chances, explores the unknowns. Last, leverages the route, risk the fickle weather and explores the unknowns. Either way, they deserve our respect. The last wave of summit climbers are making their way to the higher camps on […]
Everest 2012: Above the Death Zone
As we ease closer to the next and final wave of Everest summits, advice the recent events of deaths on both sides of Everest have to be on the minds of the climbers. The South Experience A first hand report by Leanna Shuttleworth who summited with Alpine Ascents on May 20th, reveals just what they […]