Everest 2012: North Side Deaths Bring Total to 11- Updated to 10
New deaths have been reported today on the North side bringing the season total to 11 deaths. Also I can confirm the death of a Czech climber, doctor Milan Sedlacek, He led the first Czech to the summit of Mount Everest. Cause of death is thought to be altitude related or exhaustion. North Deaths Updated with names and first hand report I have confirmed through a live conversation with Jamie McGuinness of Project Himalaya currently climbing on the North side of Everest that there are 2 deaths with a possible third in motion. Climbing with Himalayan Guides, Spaniard from Tenerife, Juan José Polo Carbayo, 43, of exhaustion after his summit on May 19 or 20 after his summit Climbing with Monterosa, a German climber,Ralf D. Arnold, broke his leg at the 2nd step and has died. And 69 year old Italian Luigi Rampini, also climbing on a Monterosa permit and logistics, is now at his 4th night at 8300 meters without oxygen. He refused to descend a few days ago and is presumed dead. Update: He was rescued per this report It appears all these climbers with either solo or with limited Sherpa support but certainly without Western guides and climbing as independent climbers basically on a permit with base camp support only. This first hand report is now posted from North side climber Ferran Latorre and translated from Catalan to English using Google: Finally comes the moment of truth in the coming days and try to reach the summit of Everest. Will be on 25 if everything goes according to plan. This has been an issue for us long and hard, especially hard in recent days, just in advance of our attack when we needed more rest and peace of mind •. But both yesterday and before yesterday we experienced two very bad days. The news of the death of a climber Tenerife, another expedition member, and the confirmation of the disappearance of the German mountaineer Ralph, who shared with permission, we have deeply dismayed. In addition, Camp 3 (8300 m) is the only climber Luigi seventies, after the two days of waiting and ended with the provisions, to invite him to abandon his sherpa. The Italian has sixty-nine years and with whom we share CB, has decided to wait alone in Camp 3 that came a new opportunity to attack the summit. No radio and no communication these days, only to return last night of his sherpa, we learned what had happened. Yesterday late So we organized a rescue group, led by the Rescue Team of the TMA (Tibetan Mountaineering Association) today try to get there and persuade him to return to CB Advanced. It seems that oxygen but does not want to use, and that it is likely that after three days longer remaining provisions. We fear for his life because, given his stubborn nature and certainly obsessive. My condolences to all the families of these climbers. 10 Confirmed deaths 40 year-old Karsang Namgyal Sherpa climbing with Prestige Adventures related to alcohol at base camp Peak Freaks’ Namgyal Tshering Sherpa fell from a ladder into a crevasse near C1 Dawa Tenzing with Himex from stroke in the Khumbu Icefall and died in Kathmandu 33 year-old Indian, Ramesh Gulve, climbing with the Pune team suffered a stroke around Camp2 and died back in India. Dr Ebehard Schaaf with Asian Trekking of HACE near South Summit after his summit Shriya Shah-Klorfine, 33, a Nepali-born Canadian climbing with Utmost Adventures died below the Balcony after her summit Won-Bin Song from South Korea climbing with the Korean Everest & Lhotse Expedition died after a fall at the Hillary Step and then at the Balcony after his summit Chinese climber, Ha Wenyi climbing with Mountain Experience died just below the Balcony Juan José Polo Carbayo, 43, climbing with Himalayan Guides, died May 20 after summiting from the north, probably of exhaustion. Dr. Polo had been living in the Canary Islands, Spain. Climbing with Monterosa, a German climber, Ralf D. Arnold, broke his leg at the 2nd step and has died after his summit 69 year old Italian Luigi Rampini, climbing on a Monterosa permit and logistics, spent 4 nights at 8300 meters without oxygen. He refused to descend a few days ago but was rescued per this report He was attempting the summit. The missing Nepali Sherpa guide who was missing since May 19 reported back to his team at base camp. Notes: There were summits on Lhotse yesterday. Jake Norton posted on his personal site the Eddie Bauer/First Ascent West Ridge effort has been cancelled due to the same conditions that stopped the Conrad Anker led National Geographic one. The missing Nepali Sherpa guide who was missing since May 19 reported back to his team at base camp. We always see south but these excellent photos are from May 18/19 2012 North side Everest climb by 7 Summits Club Rarely seen pictures of the Sherpas fixing the line to Everest Summit in 2012 posted on Facebook Alert This is reposted from ExplorersWeb: Ted Atkins issued an alert this morning to all climbers shooting for the next summit wave around May 25: “I leave BC tomorrow heading for Lhotse on the 25th,” he wrote to ExplorersWeb. “We know conditions are ‘marginal’ for this route. Topout has issued a number of new Summit regulators out at the request of Summit. Two of these have failed before getting onto the mountain. I urge everyone with Summit regulators to test them before committing to use high. We realize this is late but these failures only came to light today so I have walked to Gorak Shep to get a mail out. The failure rate is two out of a batch of 20, so a check is important. Failing oxygen can lead to increased risk of frostbite and other altitude related illness for climbers not acclimatized for an ascent without the aid.” Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything
Everest 2012: Positioning for the Last Wave
The last wave of climbers are positioned at Camp 2 on the South and ABC on the North. The last weather window of the 2012 spring season is taking shape with May 25/26th being the sweet spot. Weather I spoke with Everest weather expert, prescription Michael Fagin who said the monsoons were forming off India: Numerical forecast models are now starting to indicate an increase in upper level moisture in Southern India by May 25 and beyond. Models are also starting to show a shift in the upper winds by May 25 in Southern India and beyond to a more easterly direction. Both of these weather patterns are indicators that the monsoon should be starting soon. In fact this concurs with the meteorological department from India stated that the 2012 monsoon will start on time and hit the Kerala coast by June 1. Translation: it is now or the Fall for Everest 2012. The Icefall Doctors always remove the ladders on May 31 putting an end to the season. Over on the North, check there is no such hard stop and summits can continue until the heavy snows began. There have been summits into mid June on some rare years but probably not 2012. Summit Experiences By many accounts, this past weekend, especially Saturday night was difficult. Friday it was the crowds, Saturday it was the winds. Several teams are now safely back in base camp and climbers are updating their blogs. This account from Jon Kedrowski ‘s home team. Jon turned back with his SummitClimb team on the South: What happened? The jet stream all of sudden backed itself over the summit. A 2-hour wait at one of the chokepoints near the summit left climbers caught in these 80mph winds. Jon was ascending while other climbers from the previous day who had summited were descending through the chokepoint after 18-hours or more on the mountain. Cut-off times were ignored and oxygen had run out. Jon tried to save four seperate climbers. “ Jon is from Colorado and was interviewed by phone for the local Fox affiliate. Full disclosure, I am also interviewed for this: Planning for Success Climbers descending through the Lhotse Icefall are reporting it is in good shape, which was a huge concern earlier this season. It appears that low temps plus the fresh snow throughout May have somewhat stabilized the fragile environment. Dave Hahn‘s RMI team is at Camp 2 and posted this update: The climbing route is actually in pretty good condition. The ice fall is scary as ever but the Ice Fall Doctors have been doing a good job and we got through in pretty quick time. It was a beautiful morning nice and clear and calm. The mountain is quieting down a little bit. There were a lot of Sherpas carrying loads down today for expeditions that were finished. So the mountain is quieting down and we think that is a hopeful sign for us. The forecast is coming together and there are still a few teams still around that are on the same time frame as us. We have been comparing notes. Things are going pretty well. Our Sherpa team is going to come up tomorrow to ABC. We are going to rest tomorrow and get ready for the Lhotse Face and moving to Camp 3 the following day. We are pretty optimistic. Dealing with the Deaths The multiple deaths of this past weekend have rippled through the remaining climbers and is now hitting the trade press. This is often difficult but an overriding mantra for many climbers is “that if it was me, I would want my teammates to go on.” There have been multiple attempts to tie the weekend deaths with Himex’s decision to pull out. I believe this is a stretch. The climbers who lost their lives, mostly died from altitude related issues, not route conditions that concerned the Himex Sherpas the most. Also knowing Himex, they would have waited out this window thus avoiding those crowds entirely. But it is easy to oversimplify the situations searching for answers that may lie within the climbers themselves. Some of the climbers were still ascending very late in the day when most climbers had already returned the South Col. This plus the winds and fatigue was a for disaster. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything
Everest 2012: The Significance of Everest
An 18 year old summits Everest fulfilling a dream and then experiences the trauma of passing newly perished bodies on the descent. A 70 year old, turns back from the summit choosing family over a summit as the relentless winds force an obvious but still difficult choice. Summit or not, young or old; Everest remains significant for every person who steps foot on the route. Over this past weekend we have witnessed the harsh realities of climbing the big Himalayan mountains like Everest: attempts, success and death. It was a difficult journey for those on the mountain, and for those home watching their loved ones. For those on the sidelines it was a lesson in life. For those who don’t understand, they never will. And that’s OK, the rest of us do. Over 300 people accomplished their dreams, some had an easy time, others barely made it and four did not. The early window was fraught with ambitious and aggressive climbers. They worked to get in position to maximize their chances and many won. It was difficult, standing in line at 28,500′, controlling each breath of bottled oxygen as if it was their last, cursing the crowds and then straining to look beyond, to the see the next anchor, to see the top of the world. And then they celebrated, forgiving the pain it took to get there. The next wave added an element of difficulty beyond understanding. Those teams with the most experience, climbed as a team, constantly checking in with one another, moving as a group; the brotherhood of the rope. They climbed together, summited together and descended together. Now they celebrate together. But some who climbed that night felt the harsh reality of altitude. The sudden onset of fluids on the brain, in the lungs; the instant feeling of weakness, of bliss, of sleep. Those around tried anything, everything in their power; but it is never enough.The simple equation of life, of death. Phone calls were made, reports filed and the grieving began. The questions without answers, the blame, the guilt. The process is unforgiving. And it will happen again. Climbers climb for the same reason teacher teach, writers write and dreamers dream. Without goals that challenge your essence, provide satisfaction from the pursuit itself and feed the smile at the end of the day; the questions of life often have empty answers. The next set of Everest climbers are on their way. They will move to the High Camps, rest and focus. Then they will move to the stating gate and stare at the snow capped peak in front of them and wonder, is this my time? We will never now the precise details of what happened to Dr Ebehard Schaaf, a generous doctor who wanted to see everyone accomplish their dream. Or Shriya Shah who said proudly “This is my dream and passion, and want to do something for my country. Nothing is impossible in this world, even the word ‘impossible’ says ‘I M POSSIBLE’! And the others who remain on Everest, remain a mystery. But if the work of those who summited or those who didn’t are simply dismissed as a moment of entertainment, real life reality; we have all missed the point, and missed an opportunity. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything
Everest 2012: Weekend Update May 20 – Summits! – Death Update 3
Update 3: Season summary – 8 Confirmed deaths, 1 Missing: 40 year-old Karsang Namgyal Sherpa climbing with Prestige Adventures related to alcohol at base camp; Peak Freaks’ Namgyal Tshering Sherpa fell from a ladder into a crevasse near C1; Dawa Tenzing with Himex from stroke and died in Kathmandu; 33 year-old Indian, Ramesh Gulve, climbing with the Pune team suffered a stroke around Camp2 and died back in India. Dr Ebehard Schaaf with Asian Trekking of HACE near South Summit, Shriya Shah-Klorfine, 33, a Nepali-born Canadian, Song Won Bin from South Korea died at the Balcony from AMS and then a fall. Chinese climber, Ha Wenyi. A Nepali Sherpa guide has been missing since May 19. Update 2: 4 Deaths This report from the Nepal Ministry: According to Tilak Ram Pandey, Liaison Officer, Department of Mountaineering at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Shriya Shah, a Canadian Non-Resident Nepali and Dr Schaff Erich, a climber from Germany, lost their lives while descending from the top of the Mount Everest. “Shah died near Everest summit, while Schaff breathed his last at the South Cole,” Pandey told THT over phone from Everest Base Camp. Shriya, who was born in Kathmandu in 1979 and grew up in Mumbai, was the owner and president of SOS Splash of Style Inc, a company recognised as the exclusive importer of Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s ‘Khazana’ products in Canada. Meanwhile, Song Won Bin from South Korea, a Chinese climber and a Nepali Sherpa guide have been missing since Saturday. “Fellow climbers are searching for them,” Pandey said. More information on Shriya Shah and her website. She was climbing with Utmost Adventure Trekking out of Kathmandu. Very, very sad. More information on Song Won Bin. Update 1: 4 Deaths I can confirm that there were 3 deaths, probably 4, on the May 19th summit push. Western guides reports 3 bodies on the South Col route near the South Summit and 1 person apparently suffering from severe HACE. Their names, countries or teams are unknown but the deaths have been confirmed. As I previously reported, Asian Trekking chairman, Ang Tshering Sherpa, reported that Dr. Eberhard Schaaf of Germany, climbing with AT died from high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) at the south summit. If I have a summit number on the location table, those teams have not published any reports of death or injuries from their respective summits teams. Obviously, I don’t track every team or climber if they don’t publish public information. So if their team is not on the list, I have no way of knowing anything about them. I know this is horrible news and those who have not heard from climbers they were following are quite upset. All I can suggest is to contact the company they arranged their climb with if you have not heard from them directly. Please do not contact me as I have no further information or means to find out more details at this point. However, I will post confirmed information as I receive it on this site. The normal fatality process is that the Nepal Government Liaison Officer assigned to each team files a report with the Nepal Ministry of Tourism who then issues a press release. The families are usually notified immediately by the expedition organizer. Last night, the weather was very difficult with high winds and low temperatures. There were many summits but also many teams turned backed. Note, it appears these deaths were not related to the earlier Lhotse Face rockfall or Kumbu Icefall dangers. Normally I wait to post such information until there are more details but news of these deaths are all over the climber’s blogs and creating massive anxiety, thus I felt I would share what I could 100% confirm. My sincere condolences to all the families, teammates, and friends. If there was one word that described this week it has to be “whiplash”. The excitement, uncertainty and drama of Everest 2012 continued to captivate climbers and non climbers alike. This week we saw a bit of everything from summits to turn-arounds to false starts to full out res. And sadly one death that was reported. I estimate there have been over 300 summits this week alone. Ropes The week started perfectly with the teams on the South side working together to contribute the Sherpa power needed to fix the lines to the summit. It was a classic “brotherhood of the rope” moment with Sherpas from IMG, Jagged Globe, Patagonia Bros, Rimo, AAI, Chilean, North Face, Peak Freaks, Adventure Consultants, 7 Summits, and Asian Trekking all working together to attach over 1000 meters or 3300 feet of rope to the icy flanks of Everest all the way to the summit. However, once complete, the flood gates opened and teams were already positioned at the South Col in anticipation. Weather Windows At this point in any Everest season, the weather dominates everything. Two weather windows had been identified. The first was around May 18th and the second, May 25th. With the warm conditions, low snow in April and early May, combined with rock fall and avalanches, almost every climber and Sherpa wanted to get up and off Everest ASAP. This sense of urgency translated into one of the largest crowds the South side has ever experienced. Over 200 climbers snaked their way up the Lhotse Face this week, jugging the lines towards Camp 3 and then to the South Col with laser like focus on summing on the morning of May 19th. A large concern was this window was viewed as narrow with high winds picking back up towards the end of the period. That combined with the crowds caused many teams on the South to make the safe bet to wait for the second window. The same movie was being shown on the North but, in already almost constant windy conditions, they knew if they wanted to summit this year, it was going to be in high winds, no matter what the forecast
Everest 2012: Wave 3 – Update 3 – Summits
May 19/20 on Everest has been difficult one with high winds, medical and canceled or aborted summit attempts. But we also have summits. Now we hold our breath as they descend in difficult conditions. Update 3 – Summits There are reports of small independent teams summiting around 6:00AM Nepal time but only spending a few minutes due to the high winds, cold temps and frostbite risk. Also I have received reports of other teams turning back in mid climb between the South Col ad Summit due to the conditions. So, cheap it makes it all the more impressive that Alpine Ascents has put their team on the top of the world including 18 year old Leanna Shuttleworth. This just posted from AAI: The team has reached the top of the world!! Climbers Rob Sobecki, Laurence Clark, Mark Shuttleworth, Leanna Shuttleworth, and Marc Hester reached the summit of Mt. Everest along with Guides Garrett Madison, Lakpa Rita and Jose Louis Peralvo. The climbing was tough with gusting winds and some driving snow, we could not have done it without are amazing Sherpa Team. Joining us on the Summit are Kami Rita Sherpa, Karma Sarkee Sherpa, Ang Passang Sherpa, Ningma Tsheri Sherpa, Pemba Tenzing Sherpa and Ang Nuru Sherpa. No one climbs Mt. Everest alone and we are especially thankful to all the family and friends who have supported us day in and day out over the last two months. We could not have done it with out you. Unfortunately, not all of our climbers were able to make it to the summit on this attempt. They gave their all and worked hard, but were forced to turn back due to various reasons along the way. I can also report there are summits on nearby Lhotse, the 4th highest peak in the world. It was questionable if anyone would summit this rocky peak given the route is rockfall prone in good years much less in low snow years like 2012. AAI reported that Ben Jones reached the summit of Lhotse at 11:11am on May 18th yesterday morning! There are other teams climbing to the summit on the North side , including 70 year-old Bill Burke and SummitClimb. No word on any of these thus far. But regardless of their result, this was a very difficult day to attempt the summit of Everest. Now the descent will be grueling as the climbers are exhausted. But taking their time and with the warmth of the sunlight, they will have a long but hopefully safe journey back to the South Col. Congratulations to all. Update 2 – AAI still Climbing Alpine Ascents just posted their team is above the Balcony going slowly. I confirmed this with AAI’s home team. Other teams including SummitClimb should be on their push but have not posted any updates. This is kind of surprising but obviously their weather forecast showed the window continuing and worth the risk. From AAI: The team has made it above the Balcony. The winds have kicked up and the going is a bit slow, but the weather is clear and the team is pushing on. The South East Ridge is not as steep as the Triangular Face although it can be a fairly exposed at times and there are still several more hours of climbing from the Balcony to the South Summit. There are nearly two more hours until the first rays of sunlight begin to reach Mt. Everest. Our climbers are doing some great work up there, so let’s wish them the through these final hours of the night. You can follow them on their GPS tracker on their site and on Leanna Shuttleworth’s. Update 1 – Summits Canceled The high winds appeared to have not let up and even intensified. Gusts were predicted at over 40 mph – very dangerous. Most teams will not climb above 30 mph. Thus is sounds like most if not all the teams are pulling their climbers off their bids. I assume they will descend to Camp 2 or even base camp and try again around May 25th. Adventure Consultants just posted: Due to poor weather on the upper mountain tonight’s summit bid has been postponed. Strong winds, cloud and snow have meant that our team have decided not to go up. The few other climbers that had already departed the Col for the summit have already turned around. Climbers are leaving the South Col now (10PM Nepal time) and Camp 3 on the North trying to squeeze in the last summits of the first weather window. Reports are coming from the South Col of high winds so this one may be pushing the climber’s limits. I don’t expect the same crowds like last night because these winds were expected and helped create the rush last night. Hopefully this will allow these climbers to maintain progress and not get too cold just standing in place. Gear Discussion High altitude climbers wear multiple layers to protect them from the extreme wind and cold. It starts with a base layer, most often merino wool, then another thicker wool mid layer, perhaps yet another wool shirt before using a full down suit. This should keep them warm but still allow for venting moisture that comes from sweating – yes you actually sweat when climbing in the dark at -20F! Their feet are protected by double boots that are heavy, perhaps 2.5 lbs each. Most climbers wear two wool socks but you have to be very careful because feet swell at altitude and can cut off blood flow resulting in frostbite. Some climber use foot bed warmers such as from Hotronic Obviously hands are critical so most people use several gloves starting with a thin base layer of wool again, then a thicker glove and finally mittens. Again it is critical to allow for blood circulation. The most important factor with hands is the ability to manipulate the technical equipment required to attach a harness to the fixed ropes. The technical
Everest 2012: Wave 2 Recap
There were many summits on May 19 as expected. The winds seemed low in the morning but picked up as the day progressed. There were reports of delays at the Hilary Step and over on the North due to crowds. I have updated the location table based on information available and estimated some in the “other” category. We know there were several large teams on the South and Chinese on the North but there is no way of tracking them. The normal reporting practice on the South is once the team summits, ask they report the results to the Nepal Ministry of Tourism and they eventually publish a press release or report – this can take days or months for the official report. Hopefully the team you are interested in will publish something through their hometown press if/when they summit. It was confirmed that Ueli Steck and Nepalese Tenzing reached the summit on May 18, ed 2012 without using oxygen. South The early reports are mostly from the traditional commercial teams. They had good success last night. Between Adventure Consultants, IMG and Peak Freaks, they put 45 people on the summit. All have a second wave either at Camp 3 going up today or base camp hoping to summit around May 25. These expeditions listed the names of their summiters on their websites. The Indian Pune team also enjoyed success: Sagarmatha Giryarohan Sanstha and Giripremi — the two Pune groups — announced success of their respective expeditions on their Facebook pages. It was a bitter-sweet success for Sagarmatha group, though, as it lost one of its members, Ramesh Gulave, to altitude-related sickness in an earlier stage of the expedition a few days ago. Eight climbers from Giripremi, including Tekraj Adhikari and Krishna Dhokale, and four from Sagarmatha Giryarohan — Shrihari Tapkir, Sagar Palkar, Balaji Mane and Anand Bansode — reached the summit from the `South Col’ route, from Nepal. Other summiters included: Will Calton and Tom Burton of Ogden, Utah Bangladeshi Nishat Majumder and M A Muhit UK Youth: Becky Bellworthy, Mollie Hughes, Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton (21) Fyodor Konyukhov age of 60 North The Altitude Junkies team reports excellent success on the North in spite of high winds. Phil Crampton said: We had the weather day chosen by Michael Fagin and it was perfect including the predicted strong summit winds. Grant with Pasang Nima, Mila with Pasang Ongcho, Mark D with Ang Gelu, Ian with Kami Neru, Mark H with Chhongba and myself all reached the summit this morning at different times. Unfortunately Margaret turned around after about 10 hours due to the nagging cough that has been hindering her performance recently. Margaret has already climbed Everest from the south side as well as Manaslu. Grant Rawlinson with that team posted an emotionally drained audio post just after his summit. Also, a new women’s age record was set by 73 year-old Japanese Tamae Watanabe who summited Saturday morning with Asian Trekking. Wave 3 More to come, including Lhotse. Alpine Ascents has several climbers wanting to get Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours: Alpine Ascents Guide Ben Jones is in the region doing a little personal high altitude climbing. He is currently fixing lines on Lhotse with Damion Benegas. They departed early this morning and are making great progress, fixing the lines as they go. At 27,940 feet, Lhotse is the 4th highest mountain in the world, and its proximity to Mt. Everest provides the opportunity to link two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours. Currently only three people have managed the task; Alpines Ascents Guides Garrett Madison and Mike Horst, and Alpine Ascents climber Tom Halliday. Garrett Madison is hoping to repeat the feat this year along with climbers Leanna Shuttleworth and Mark Shuttleworth. They would become the 4th and 5th people to do so and Leanna would be the first female to climb two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours. My sincere congratulations to all who climbed yesterday in what sounds like difficult conditions. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 2 – Update 1
Update 1 For those climbers starting very early and climbing fast, search the weather has been good. Case in point is Adventure Consultant’s Ang Dorge Sherpa who made the summit (his 16th) in 7:20 with Spaniard Joan Clofent. This is significant in that it indicated the route was in good shape, the weather acceptable and the crowds low. As a reference, IMG’s Kami Sherpa (13 times) and I made the same climb last year in 7:40 which was unbelievable for me. In general climbers can expect to take from 7 to 12 hours to summit and about half that to return to the South Col. Most will push on to Camp 2 taking another 4 to 6 hours. Unless the climber has a personal satellite phone or their guide service is updating the website, don’t expect hear anything until they return to base camp a day later … I know forever. There are reports of increasing winds from both sides. Grant Rawlinson with Altitude Junkies made a very brief voice dispatch from Camp 3 on the North after his summit saying the winds were strong on top. Very happy for Axe! Peak Freaks has canceled their second wave of climbers positioned at Camp 3 on the South due to the winds and will go again on May 25th. So it sounds like the winds have picked up. It was forecasted to be around 30 mph with gust to 40, at the ragged edge of comfort but still achievable. I had 40 mph winds last year on my summit. No word on crowds but climb times “feel” slow to me so the crowds could be an issue on this wave. Remember not every team reports real time but this is that I can see of total summits or nearly there (Sherpas, guides and members). I will update the table once they post their complete info. Adventure Consultants: 15 International Mountain Guides (IMG): 22 Peak Freaks: 15+ S2/Windhorse: 4 OK, so this is how it goes. They tell us they are leaving and nothing :). They climb, we wait but we have the better end of this deal. What they are doing takes the human body to it’s limits. I admire each and every climber regardless of their result. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything The second summit wave is underway with teams lining up all along the route above the South Col and Camp 3 on the North. General Updates: Please note I may update the site a few times during the large volume summit pushes so you will receive several emails if you subscribed to receive updates. If you are wondering about a specific team or climber, please understand that I cannot follow everyone because most of the climbers and teams do not have websites or are not providing updates. The normal practice is once the team summits, they report the results to the Nepal Ministry of Tourism and they eventually publish a press release or report – this can take days or months for the official report. Hopefully the team you are interested in will publish something through their hometown press if/when they summit. An update from yesterday’s summit by the 10 Chilean climbers and 10 Sherpas; as more information came out it seems the Chilean team and the 7 Sherpas fixing the rope basically summited together as shown by this audio post on the Chilean team site: ” The Sherpas who rigged Rodrigo Jordan route give me the top …. sample of his infinite generosity and humility strong” Again, congratulation to the Chileans for being the first team on top of the world in 2012! Climbers Climbing A few updates already from the South. First from Eric Simonson of IMG. See their site for a great summit shadow picture: IMG leader Greg Vernovage reports that the IMG climbers have now left the South Col (8:30pm Nepal Time). Sounds like there are quite a few other teams also climbing tonight, so they wanted to get out on the route ahead of them Conditions are good and not too windy. We are keeping our eye on the wind, as it is supposed to start ramping back up over the next 24 hours. Next check-in will be the Balcony in about 5 hours or so. And from Tim and Becky Ripple of Peak Freaks. See their site to follow them on SPOT: At 21:00hrs Nepal Time, Marty Schmidt heads up the first group to the summit. If you are watching SPOT you will see the tracks of Andreas Breitfuss from Australia and Tashi Thundu Sherpa, the second wave is now sleeping at C3 and will move up to the South Col tomorrow. They should reach the Balcony in about 3 hours from now as I was late getting Tim’s report, he’s been busy coordinating all the movement of our teams. All is looking good, stay tuned for regular posting here throughout the night. And Adventure Consultants has checked in. See their site for a full list of climbers: Ang Dorjee and Joan left the South Col at 8pm local time and as I write this Mike, Wilfred, Peter and Neil are donning their crampons and are about to start their ascent. Dean and Iza plan to depart in another half an hour, at 9.30pm. Jagged Globe has decided to delay their summit bid until the next window after one of their Sherpas was injured and their view of the crowds. On the North, teams have also left with a staggered start. This update at the last minute from Phil Crampton The head of the Tibetan rope fixers, Samdo who is present at Camp 3 with the Chinese team, has organized the several teams present with staggered departure times to try and avoid any bottlenecks on the respective steps. We are quite pleased with our slot as we had planned to leave at midnight anyway and we have the 11:30 PM slot. Also a note about the 7 Summits Club. Fedor Konyukhov who is climbing
Everest 2012: 1st Summits, More on the Way
Everest 2012 continues to surprise and meet expectations of many climbers. We have the first summits of 2012 on the South. The ropes are now fixed to the summit on the South and North side as the weather window holds. First 2012 Non-Sherpa Summit – Paraveneh Kazemi – Updated Feb, find 2013 Iranian female climber, Paraveneh Kazemi and Sherpa Nima Gyalzen, summited just behind the rope fixers but ahead of Chili team. They went on to summit Lhotse make her the first woman to summit Everest and Lhotse in the same season. She was on a permit with an International team of Prestige Adventure company. You can see her summit video on YouTube and on her website. Summits – Chile – Updated A very strong and experienced team from Chile summited before noon on May 18th, the first of the season. It took them 6 hours to reach the Balcony where fixed lines had already been set and about another 6 to summit. It appears they climbed from the Balcony to the summit without the benefit of fixed ropes given the reports that the Sherpa team setting the line reached the summit at 1:30PM. They did comment the winds picked up on the summit, not unusual, but have descended safely. They posted: At 13:50 hrs local Chilean expedition successfully achieved the goal of his journey: to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The group of 10 Chileans and 10 Sherpas, led by Rodrigo Jordan, arrived in good condition at the place, thus becoming the first expedicionen this season that accomplishes this feat. Update: As more information comes out it seems the Chilean team and the Sherpas fixing the rope basically summited together as shown by this audio post on the Chilean team site: The Sherpas who rigged rodrigojordan route give me the top …. sample of his infinite generosity and humility Apparently speed climber, Ueli Steck also summited without using supplemental oxygen. Well deserved congratulations to all. The weather looks good for their summits with somewhat high winds but under most team’s limits of 30 mph. Gusts could be uncomfortable. South Col Start Many teams are preparing to leave the South Col between 8 Pm and midnight Friday night, May 18, looking for summit early Saturday morning. Several audio dispatches commented on the long lines of climbers and Sherpas moving from Camp 3 to the South Col, some said 200 climbers, others 100 to 150. A post from Adventure Consultants reveals the impact of the crowds with part of their team delayed by 2.5 hours due to crowds traversing the Yellow Band and Geneva Spur. Our first summit team for the 2012 Everest season are poised and resting on the South Col before their summit bid begins tonight. Mike, Ang Dorjee and the main team left Camp 3 close to 6.00am and made good time getting to the South Col by 11.00am, despite crowded conditions. Dean and Iza left an hour later and hit a few traffic jams, arriving at the South Col at 1.30pm. This was still great time and means that everyone has time for a descent rest. The Yellow Band, a strip of limestone that crosses Everest is notorious for bottlenecks. The route crosses a thin crack where the ropes are now attached using bolts, not age old pitons. This allows climbers to move faster but there are several awkward moves required. But more importantly, this is really the first time many are climbing in full high altitude gear: crampons, heavy boots, down suit, oxygen bottle(s), oxygen mask, and goggles/sunglasses. It is like no other feeling and takes time to get used to and slows many, many people to a crawl. Oh and the altitude. Supplemental oxygen only makes a difference of 3000′ so their bodies feel like they are at 23,000 without supplemental oxygen. Ian Ridley has posted a picture on his blog of the climbers above Camp 3 heading towards the Yellow Band. He also commented on their schedule which may include returning to base camp. I encourage you to read his post. By the way, the Jagged Globe Sherpa who was injured by ice fall on the Lhotse Face is back in Kathmandu and expected to fully recover. The final climb to the South Col is another semi-difficult section where climbers feel the angle is almost vertical but really more like 45 degrees, still steep at 26000′ or almost 8000 meters. There are two ropes but it is very common for lines to develop. Again, don’t get too concerned about this because it is quite common every year. Yes, not the climbing situation but teams work through it. It really becomes becomes an issue if someone is not 100% or did not plan for enough oxygen. However, it can impact overall performance if the climber arrives extremely tired and not able to rest before their departure i around 12 hours later. At this point the climb really shifts to mental toughness and not letting things get to you. Strategy An interesting strategy is that of Alpine Ascents (AAI) where they take enough oxygen, food and fuel to spend a full 24 hours on the South Col. This approach allows them to move very slowly up from Camp 3 arriving late in the day, take a full rest day and leave for the summit the next night. They arrived on Friday and plan to summit on Sunday morning. Almost every other team moves quickly from C3 to the Col and gets 12 hours of rest, also on oxygen, before leaveing for the summit that night. They minimize their time (and costs) at the severe altitude to avoid the debilitating effects of the altitude. I interviewed Todd Burleson about this strategy in March and he said: Spending a rest day on the South Col has proved to be a great benefit for our climbers. In the12 years since we implemented the rest day on the S. Col almost every climber has succeeded in reaching the
Everest 2012: Summit Wave 1 Underway
As expected some teams and climbers have jumped the rope team and are on their way to the summit. 1st Summit Push, view No ropes First the Chilean team left about 11 Pm on Thursday May 17 hoping to reach the summit in the early morning hours of May 18th. The entire team of 11 climbers and 10 sherpas, are in good condition at Camp 4, after reaching the place, located at 7950 meters, between 14:00 and 17:30 hrs. local. After about 9 hours of hard work, the group is hydrating and resting to depart at 23:00 hrs. local to the goal of the expedition: the summit of Mount Everest. To follow as they are favorable weather conditions, the team of climbers should arrive tomorrow, Friday 18 to the top of the roof called world. 1st Summit Push, No Oxygen! Also currently en-route is Ueli Steck, but this is not 100% confirmed. If he is climbing per his update on his site, he is climbing without using supplemental oxygen. The Weather locks great. I will leave Basecamp tomorrow morning, after a nice Breakfest in the sun to Camp 2. 17. May i plan to leave also late and go straight to Camp 4 were i will have a couple hours rest before set of for a Summitpush around midnight. Hope this time i will not get to cold and reach Summit May 18. morning. Staggered Departures Tim Ripple, Peak Freaks,also known for solid information just posted on his blog: Tomorrow the mission will be complete with ropes fixed to the summit. Marty suggests there are probably 80 or more people at Camp 3 tonight. The plan is for half of them to head up on the 18th and the other half on the 19th which we’ve taken as our main window but also allowing the 20th as a back up for those opting to layover at the South Col for the night. All the teams in this push have agreed to stagger their departure times from the South Col to the summit which should help with movement up there.The weather is awesome right now, low to no wind and the part being the temperatures remain cool making traveling quite pleasant, unlike the past couple of years where it was unbearable for some. It’s shaping up good up there and the next beauty window like this one will open up again on the 24th if not sooner which would merge the two windows offering a fantastic season of opportunities for everyone. It appears the weather window is a bit longer than some teams thought a few days ago thus allowing for a more leisurely climb to the summit. This will help avoid some of the concern about bottlenecks. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything
Everest 2012: Ropes Near the Summit
Update 1 Chilean team left South Col near Midnight May 17th to summit without fixed ropes. Would be first 2012 summits Update 2 Also Ueli Steck is on his way. He is climbing without supplemental oxygen. Best news of the season, no winds on Thursday May 17 allowing the rope fixers to set lines high on both the North and the South! This is extremely exciting because it shows 1) progress and 2) the weather forecast was spot on! Big Picture With the winds cooperating and teams on both sides pushing according to their respective schedules, ed look for summits as early as Friday mid morning, prescription May 18 Nepal time. I expect the vast majority of climbers to summit over the weekend in the morning on May 19 and 20, again Nepal time. Ropes Nearing Summit on South Alpine Ascents (AAI) posted progress on the fixed lines today: The winds were completely calm all afternoon and it can really heat up with the sun reflecting off all sides of the Western Cwm.Lakpa Rita has been coordinating Summit fixing for all teams on the mountain. Lakpa’s brother and Assistant Sirdar Kami Rita is on the fixing team and just called in saying the lines are fixed to the Balcony. All the ropes, ice screws and pickets are in place at the Balconey to complete the Summit Fixing. This means Everest should see its first summit of the season tomorrow and that the path will be laid for our climbers to make their push on Saturday night! But some seem to be on the heels or even ahead of the Sherpas. It is not clear if they are trying to be the first team to summit this season but if so, of luck and safe climbing. The Chilean team posted (translated): During this day (early morning in Chile) the issue has made ??it to Camp 4 and hope that if they go out tonight (late in Chile) and arrive in the morning, after midnight in Chile, would be doing summit tomorrow. As time comes along. Ever Higher on the North, Summits May 19 and 20 While most North teams are not updating their sites, I believe it is a safe assumption they almost all are moving on the same schedule and I have updated the location table. Alex Abramov of 7 Summits Club posted this today: The summit bid for the first group is scheduled for 19th of May, for the second – on the 20th of May. The weather forecast is good enough. Almost everyone who is on the north side, plans to climb the summit of Everest for these days. Altitude Junkies continues to keep us updated. Phil Crampton, who returned to the North after a few years on the South, posted his team is at Camp 2 moving to Camp 3 on May 18 and going for the summit that night. That would also have them on top of the world on Saturday, May 19. Grant Rawlinson aka Axe, expressed the sentiments of many as he reached one of the highest camps on the planet: I’m now lying in Camp 2 ( 7900m) breathing oxygen at a flow rate of half a litre per minute. Feel great. Changed from a dead donkey this morning into a superman after some terrible sleep. I climbed to 7300m, and then turned on the O2 at a 1.5 litre per minute flow – made me into a superman! Never felt so strong on a hill as the last 4 hours heading up. We need the people wo are fixing the summit route ropes to finish by tomorrow or I might have to do it myself. Even our sherpas are tired after getting to 7900m with their loads. Hoping for an hour or two of sleep. Tomorrow , we hit Camp3; and then we leave for the summit on the night of May 18th. God, let tomorrow be the night. Asian Trekking provided this information: Asian Trekking’s International Everest Exp.2012 – Japanese Leader Tamae Watanabe (73yrs) and Muraguch and their climbing sherpas Mingma Sherpa, Phura Nuru Sherpa and Phurba Sherpa are on their way to camp 2 ( 7700m). They plan to move to camp 3 (8300m) tomorrow, the 18th May for the summit push. Bill Burke, Ryszard Jan Pawlowski, Paul P.Kepczynski and Iwona Z. Wingert are at advance base camp planning their summit push. Accident on Lhotse Face Jagged Globe reported one of their Sherpas was hit by falling ice. This should not be confused with all the rock fall experienced earlier in the season. Falling ice on the Face is not-uncommon. This morning, one of our Sherpas, Pem Chirri, was hit by falling ice at Camp 3. Apparently the ice came off a serac above and broke Pem’s arm and leg. He was airlifted from the Western Cwm and is now back in Kathmandu being ed in hospital. Pem is a quiet, unassuming man, with a slight build that belies his formidable strength in the mountains. Our thoughts are with him and we wish him a speedy recovery. The rest of the Jagged Globe team are currently in Camp 2. This accident has put their attempt back by 24 hours, which David thinks may put them outside of the weather window. We will update when we hear more news. Along those lines, I keep seeing reports about all the deaths on Everest this season. Clearly any accident or death is a huge tragedy. There have been 4 deaths I know of: 40 year-old Karsang Namgyal Sherpa climbing with Prestige Adventures related to alcohol at base camp; Peak Freaks’ Namgyal Tshering Sherpa fell from a ladder into a crevasse near C1; Dawa Tenzing with Himex from stroke and died in Kathmandu; 33 year-old Indian, Ramesh Gulve, climbing with the Pune team suffered a stroke around Camp2 and died back in India. Rescue Training We often hear about Sherpas who spring to action to save a fallen climber, well they need to be trained