Everest/Lhotse 2016: Icefall Officially Open
The Icefall Doctor officially opened the Khumbu Icefall for climbers this morning. IMG sent a handful of Sherpas with loads to Camp 1 and a couple to investigate the route to Camp 2. They had their Puja yesterday. We understand the route through the Icefall is good this year. Meanwhile more teams continue to stream […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Arrival at Base Camp
I walked by Gorak Shep, the last and highest of the Sherpa villages, on the way to Everest Base Camp (EBC). The climber and trekker traffic has picked up considerably. The walk to EBC follows a narrow dirt path along the top edge of the age-old moraine dug out by the Khumbu Glacier. Yak trains […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: A Day around Namche
We went to the Everest View Hotel and were rewarded with a nice view of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam between the clouds, then to Khumjung for a visit to the Sir Edmund Hillary school where the boys were playing football in the fog. Plus some yaks decided to break free! 🙂 News: Weather has been unusually […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Signs of a Quieter Season.
I arrived in Nepal and immediately felt something was different. The normal crazy drive from the airport to the hotel was, well, almost relaxing. Traffic was reasonable, drivers almost polite … Kathmandu has changed. In speaking with guides and other climbers, there is a sense of calm anxiety about this year’s Everest season. Perhaps it is […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: Preparing to Leave
How many times have I written that headline for myself, and for so many others? Its the end of March and climbers from around the world are on airplanes flying to Kathmandu in hopes of reaching a long sought after goal. For many, too many, it is deja vu – all over again. Excellent Kathmandu based reporter Rajan […]
Everest/Lhotse 2016: I’m Returning to Nepal and to Climb Lhotse … again
So many reasons to stop and only a few to keep going … – The devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015 took 9, 000 lives and destroyed millions of homes plus created havoc in Nepal’s tourism industry. It would be easy to stop going to Nepal … – Only 1 of 244 compounds in 413 Alzheimer’s […]
Everest 2016: A Changing Mountain – Part 3
Some people are questioning the wisdom of climbing Everest from Nepal. Is the North safer? Is this another change in climbing Everest that could result in a serious economic impact for Tibet, but more so for Nepal? The Nepal (south) side of Everest has seen a tragic series of events the past few years including Himex abandoning their entire expedition […]
Everest 2016: Who’s Climbing This Year?
Most Everest climbers are finishing their training, wrapping up last minute gear s and preparing their loved ones for that send-off at the airport. Only two weeks to go for many. It is always dangerous to note certain individuals climbing as, in my opinion, everyone making the sacrifices to attempt Everest are unique in their […]
Everest 2016: A Changing Mountain – Part 2
“How can I get on a team to climb Everest?” This is the second most asked question on my blog other than “How much does it cost to climb Everest?” The short answer on how to get on a team is money. Sadly, these days most anyone can join an Everest team if they have the […]
Everest 2016: Interview with an Everest Weather Expert
As regular followers of Everest climbs know, the weather is the make/break factor for all expeditions. And the forecasts are critical for the safety of teams. While it may seem straightforward given the success rate we see in modern times, predicting the weather is far from a science as this interview with Michael Fagin shows. […]