Everest 2018: High Winds Persist
As we get into summit time, I will be posting several times a day when new information dictates. The winds were forecasted to calm on 11 May but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Reports from the Nepal side calls for climbers to stay put as the winds continue to gale at all altitudes. The […]
Everest 2018: Summit Strategies as Forecast Improves, Helicopter for Boyan
An atmosphere of optimism has overtaken Everest as the winds are predicted to calm, and the temperature warms. Climbers are feeling the summit in their bones for the first time this season. The schedule appears to be: fixed ropes to the summit over the next few days, first member summits around 13th May and then […]
Everest 2018: Stunning Video of Fall, Helicopter for Boyan, Teams Prep for Summit
All is well on Everest but communications on the Nepal side from base camp was disrupted when an early morning lightening storm took out part of the Wifi system. Updates are sporadic now. Teams are all over the region from base camp to Kathmandu to Shanghai! Packing Up, Heading up and Waiting All eyes are on […]
Everest 2018: Waiting and Packing-Summit Time Approaches
The excitement is building as team after team is packing for their summit push. All the years of saving, dreaming and training are coming to a head over the week. A large snow blast hit the upper Khumbu Icefall in mid day but no one was injured. While they were packing, It was quiet with […]
Everest 2018: The New Generation of Everest Guides Making Their Mark
With the #Everest2018 season pausing for wind, I wanted to explore a few trends that are in full demonstration this season. All is well on both sides of the mountain today albeit with big winds and thunder and lightening reported at the Nepal Base Camp on Wednesday 9 May 2018. All bets are that the […]
Everest 2018: Summit Plans Developing
We are entering the sixth week of the #Everest2018 season and overall it’s going quite well. Today, Monday 7 May saw climbers on both sides mostly at their base camps waiting for the ropes to get set to the summit but a few tried to go higher and were thwarted by high winds. The rope […]
Everest 2018: Nepal Silly Rules Strikes Again
In what would be celebrated by most countries for skill and an attraction to others, Willie Benegas and Matt Moniz skied down the Lhotse Face this weekend. They proudly posted their accomplishment on Facebook and now, instead of being lauded by the Nepal Ministry, they are being attacked for not following silly and secret rules. […]
Everest 2018: Weekend Update May 6
It’s early May on Everest so that must mean the wind is blowing, and how it blows! Most teams are back in their base camps waiting out what is forecasted to be several days of 100mph/160kph winds above 8000 meters on both sides. This means no rope fixing, no reaching 8000 meters for acclimatization for […]
Everest 2018: Skiing and Waiting
The winds have arrived on both sides of Everest above 7,000 meters and may get worse before reducing in speed. It is testing the patience of some but for the veterans, this is normal and understand that patience is key. Given the winds are at fairly high elevation, teams are still able to go on […]
Everest 2018: Taking Weather Risks
Everything has been going so well on #Everest2018 that it had to end soon given the history of this mountain. It seems that not everyone is happy about the rope fixing and with high winds about to hit some are taking risks to summit and return before it hits on Cho Oyu. Everest teams are […]