Climbing News: The Difficulty of Finding the Summit
If there is one certainty in mountaineering it is not to believe everything you read, and in some cases your own eyes. For the second time this season, well-regarded Sherpa guide, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa seems to have missed the summit. First on Nanga Parbat by his own admission now on Broad Peak according to one of the climbers with him. These are not the first time Mingma has had his summit questioned even though he claims to have summited 11 of the 14 peaks above 8000 meters. For many climbers, these claims end up being honest mistakes where the climber believed they had reached the true summit, but later – based on photos, videos and GPS tracks, reveal they actually reached a false summit or one slightly before the real summit, aka the fore-summit. I have always taken the climber’s word when they say they summit. While there have been false claims over the years, the vast majority of climbers are honest and I’m not willing to paint all climbers with one bad brush. Mark Horrell had made several nice posts about false claims. Mingma is not alone with scrutiny. The late Ueli Steck was questioned about his summit of Annapurna when he offered no independent evidence like a photo, GPS track or witnesses. And even Kilian Jornet is under some scrutiny by a few conspiracy theorists of his claim of two Everest summit within a week this year since he also has offered no similar conclusive evidence to their satisfaction. Sometimes, the fraud is real and, when caught, the climbers admit it. Two of the more famous modern day cases were by Christian Stangl on K2 in 2010 and the Indian police couple who photoshopped their faces into another climber’s Everest summit picture in 2016. Broad Peak “non-summit” Earlier this month, Mingma posted that his team had completed his fourth summit of an 8000 meter mountain by topping out on Broad Peak just days after he summited K2. They summited in bad conditions – low clouds, snow and wind. Mingma was with several Sherpas, Pakistani climber Ali Raza, John Snorri Sigurjónsson and Fredrik Sträng Now Sträng has formally retracted his claim (click this link to read entire post) The reason for me abandoning the claim is that I am not 100 % sure any more if we truly made it to the main summit or not. When we (5 Sherpas, 1 Pakistani and 3 members on Mingma Sherpas team and I) “summited” it was in a snow blizzard, poor visibility and in treacherous terrain. I immediately asked Ali Raza on the “summit”, “is this the summit?”. Ali was on the main summit 1-week prior our attempt and have summited twice before our attempt. He should know where the main summit is and I don’t see why he should lie about being on the wrong summit. When I asked him for the third time “is this really the summit!?” he became irritated and said “YES!”. I looked around, I was confused, I had studied the route many times (I even made 3 summit attempts in 2012 when I tried to climb Broad Peak) but at that altitude and in that snow blizzard I simply did not recognise myself from the pictures that I had seen. But I was also overwhelmed by Ali Raza and other members who where totally convinced that this was the right spot. For those of you who have not been on Broad Peak I would like to inform that Broad Peak summit ridge is a complicated one and especially in a snow blizzard. Nima Sherpas altimeter showed 8047 m so this should be it!? When I came home researcher Eberhard Jurgalski contacted expedition leader Mingma Sherpa and me asking questions about our summit videos. I had long discussions with Eberhard and we e-mailed images back and forth and started an investigation cross-checking summit pictures with other summit pictures. Something was not right. Most of our group was still in Pakistan with chapatti-slow-internet so it was hard scrutinising the material since we could simply not send it. Then finally we got a GPS coordinate from John Snorri Sigurjónsson who climbed with O2 with us on Broad Peak and the GPS showed 8030.89 m (probably 17 m short from the summit). We double checked the position of the GPS coordinate and things did not match with the main summit. Something was clearly wrong but we also know that GPS sometimes works poorly and for instance when John had summited K2 with O2 in Mingmas group one week earlier the GPS did not show the correct altitude on the summit of K2. Instead it showed around 8600 m (about 11 meters short from the summit) so the GPS alone could not verify our true position. We looked further and started comparing summit videos from for instance the Turkish climber Tunc Findik who had been on Broad Peak main summit one-week prior our attempt and when we zoomed in the images (remember that our summit video is in a snow blizzard so this was hard work) I felt and so did Eberhard that they did not match 100 %. Broad Peak summit video by Mingma Broad Peak summit video by Tunc Findik Where is the Summit? This may seem academic or even silly if you have never climbed a big peak. I can tell you that climbing in white out conditions, fog or low clouds makes everything more difficult, obviously, but even finding the true summit. Today, most climbers use a GPS device to track their route. The device shows the altitude and many rely exclusively on that to determine the summit. But it is not that easy. The altitude measurement uses a table based on the barometric pressure. If the device is not calibrated that day, or there is a large change in pressure, the reading can be off, sometime by a lot. The best evidence of a summit are the GPS coordinates. Eberhard Jurgalski says for Broad Peak the approximate coordinates of the main
Russell Brice Continues to Guide, but with Caveats
Last week, I made a post about Russell Brice’s public statement that he will “hang up the guiding boots.” In that post I also hoped this was an emotional reaction to cancelling his second expedition on K2 in three years. Well we now have the answer. Brice to “Stay” Russell Brice, stung by his decision to stop his K2 expedition this season when another team went on to summit, wrote a heartfelt description of exactly why he made the decision to end the summit push on K2 and summed up his newsletter with these startling statements: So once again it would appear that I have made a bad judgment call, and should really be still on the hill. I came here at the request of my members because they put their trust in me. I took this on as an honor but also as a great challenge to deal with this mountain. I have failed, it is time for me to give up this game. I have enjoyed the experiences along the way, it has not made me rich or have a stable home life, but I have managed to see many parts of the world and meet many interesting people along the way. It’s time to hang up the guiding boots and put my own personal boots on. He now clarifies his intent. He said he is not leaving guiding altogether but rather planning to spend less time at base camp. He posted in his recent newsletter (emphasis is mine): And of course I need to discuss my flippant comment that I would hang up my boots. Thanks for all of you who have sent supporting messages, they are all appreciated. It is nice to know that people appreciate my work, but you do not have to live in a tent, wake up early every morning, make life dependent decisions, then work a full day, and be on call 24/7 for half a year at a time, living on basic food, in a different culture which is often rather vague with objectives but full of bureaucracy. So far this year I have been at home for less than 16 days, I have spent over 100 nights in a tent, have done more than 25 international flights and effectively have had no days off from work. I used to be 25 once, and enjoyed this life, but now I am 65 and as much as one may want, the body just does not perform the same, and trying to keep up with those who are half my age is challenging and fun, but it takes its toll. I did not intend to imply that I was leaving the industry – it is my way of life, maybe I intended to suggest that I might be spending less time at BC than I have in the past. There is plenty of exciting news to come with further development of Himex and our operations, and I need to spend more time in a real office rather than a tent office on the side of a mountain. Maybe the view will not be so great, but at least the air conditioning and temperature control might work a bit more reliably. Thanks again for all the support. Next week I will be back in Kathmandu to start our Manaslu trip with Richie Hunter as guide. Himex Changes? As you read, Russ teases that there are other changes afoot for Himex. It is well known within the close climbing community that he has wanted to sell Himex for quite a while, including to one of his guides at one point but they had a falling out and the deal evaporated. So, I will not be surprised to see Russ bring on a financial partner and Russ take more of a back office role similar to how Eric Simonson runs his Everest expeditions from the US while Greg Vernovage and Ang Jangbu Sherpa are at base camp or Todd Burleson’s Alpine Ascents who lives in Alaska and rarely goes to base camp. Russ has cultivated excellent guides with Richie Hunter, Mark Woodward, Shinji Tamura, and Hiro Kuraoka plus his long time Sherpa Sirdar, Phurba Tashi who is tied with Apa Sherpa for most Everest summits at 21, who is now content to lead the climbing team from base camp as well. No matter, change is always a constant in the climbing community. It is rare to see companies last more than a few years as guides tire, the competition is tough, the pay and working conditions are difficult and the risk is real when you take on daily decisions of life and death. As always, I wish Russ the best, no matter his role. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything
Russell Brice Announces End of Guiding Career – Update
UPDATE: It appears that Russell Brice’s comments last update from K2 left us with an incorrect impression. He now clarifies his intent that he is not leaving guiding altogether but rather spending less time at base camp. He now says (emphasis is mine): And of course I need to discuss my flippant comment that I would hang up my boots. Thanks for all of you who have sent supporting messages, they are all appreciated. It is nice to know that people appreciate my work, but you do not have to live in a tent, wake up early every morning, make life dependent decisions, then work a full day, and be on call 24/7 for half a year at a time, living on basic food, in a different culture which is often rather vague with objectives but full of bureaucracy. So far this year I have been at home for less than 16 days, I have spent over 100 nights in a tent, have done more than 25 international flights and effectively have had no days off from work. I used to be 25 once, and enjoyed this life, but now I am 65 and as much as one may want, the body just does not perform the same, and trying to keep up with those who are half my age is challenging and fun, but it takes its toll. I did not intend to imply that I was leaving the industry – it is my way of life, maybe I intended to suggest that I might be spending less time at BC than I have in the past. There is plenty of exciting news to come with further development of Himex and our operations, and I need to spend more time in a real office rather than a tent office on the side of a mountain. Maybe the view will not be so great, but at least the air conditioning and temperature control might work a bit more reliably. Thanks again for all the support. Next week I will be back in Kathmandu to start our Manaslu trip with Richie Hunter as guide. Original post: This was part of the exciting news that K2 was summited on 28 July 2017 but I believe it deserves a separate post In a heartbreaking newsletter long time high altitude guide Russell Bruce announced he is ending his guiding career. I hope this is a moment of regret and will not hold. A Leader Brice’s first commercial expedition to Everest was on the north side in 1994. He personally has 14 summits of 8,000m mountains, including two Everest summits under his belt. He summited Aconcagua at age 64. One climb few remember was in 1988 attempt via the never before climbed Three Pinnacles on Everest’s northeast ridge. He knows what he is talking about. Russ’ Himex team was on K2 in 2015, the Česen route, without a summit. Last year he subcontracted his K2 team to another operator who also didn’t summit. In 2012, he made a gutsy and controversial decision to end his Everest expedition one month early when the hanging serac above the Khumbu Icefall threatened to collapse. It didn’t that year and hundreds went on to summit but two years later later it did taking 18 Sherpa lives in the collapse. Russ was never afraid to make a hard decision if he thought lives were at risk Russ is a logistic expert and an leader in advocating safety for members and moreover, his staff. He was instrumental in getting the Nepal government’s approval to use helicopters to ferry loads to the Western Cwm on Everest this eliminating hundreds of Sherpa trips thru the Icefall. He is always willing to use his resources to help a climber in trouble, even if that climber was independent or on another team. He tried in vain to save David Sharp who died on the north side of Everest in 2006. Ironically he was widely, and unfairly in my opinion, criticized. You can read my complete interview with him at this link Himex Base Camp Russ was known for having the absolute best camp at Everest, or on any of his trip. I profiled his Everest Base Camp in 2012. I opened it this way: I’ve been in many base camps but I knew I was somewhere special when I was told “… and this is our garbage tent.” Welcome to Everest Base Camp, Russell Brice style. In 2011 while climbing Everest, I spent the afternoon with Brice getting to know this man and how he runs his expedition base camps. Let’s just say, it’s different. Most expeditions will promote their excellent base camp facilities and talk of gourmet food, individual tents, and clean kitchens. Today, this is the ante to play the game and let me say from the start that many operators take great pride in their base camps, and rightfully so. With guided expeditions becoming more competitive along with soaring prices, climbers are starting to expect more, sometimes unrealistically so. You read the complete post here. K2 2017 Russ prides himself in reading weather forecast and giving his member the best, safest opportunity to summit and get back safely. It was this study of the facts that lead him to cancel this year’s K2 attempt. He posted: After studying the weather very closely, and some intensive discussion between members, guides and Sherpa’s we decided to call the expedition off. We cannot see any clear weather to follow up even if we did work hard and got the route to C4 on 26 and 27 as there is another front of bad weather expected on 28 and 29. This brought differences of opinion, should we postpone our departure arrangements and wait for better weather or should we pull our departure date forward and leave as soon as we can clear the mountain. Most were in favor of pulling departure date forward. It is always interesting to see that those with the most money
Everest 2017: Catching up with Russell Brice
Russell Brice has one of the most recognized names associated with Everest. As I mentioned in an interview I did with Russ just prior to the season he came to notoriety on the Discovery Channel’s “Everest Beyond the Limits” series about 10 years ago. But few people know that Russ is a world-class climber in his own right. Born in New Zealand in 1952, he now lives in London. He started climbing as a young boy in New Zealand and soon found his way to the Himalayas and Alps. He has numerous attempts and summits on Everest and other 8000m peaks. In spite of a broken computer, Russ was kind enough to respond to a few questions via smartphone from Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side. Latest News – May 6 Before we get to Russ, on a very sad note, Min Bahadur Sherchan, 86, died from unknown causes at Everest Base Camp. He was attempting to set the age record and was reported feeling well. My condolences to his family, friends and teammates. A Sherpa fell down the Lhotse face and was helicoptered to Kathmandu. He is reported out of critical danger. Also the rope fixing on the Nepal side has stalled due to high winds. Sherpas tried to reach the South Col but turned back Other teams trying to sleep or tag Camp 3 also retreated on Saturday. Some have successfully spent the night at C3 this season in spite of the harsh conditions. Similar reports from the North Col and higher on the Tibet side. See the Tracking Table for estimated locations. There is talk from the multiple weather forecasts of a calm period around the corner. Russ suggests this also. If this happens, it will allow the rope fixing team to reach the summit and the teams to spread their summits bids across multiple days. Thoughts from Russell Bice I caught Russ in rare form with his traditional understated comments and self-deprecating humor. Now, here’s Russ: Q: Russ, we have been trained by you to get regular Everest Newsletter updates. Why none this season? I broke my computer during the walk in which is a good excuse. Many of my members are writing so is there any need from an old man.? But what i see in this age is many people are telling the world what they are doing…..which is not much. Actually i am spending a lot of time trying to do a lot so i have no time to write. Q: Can you give us a summary on how the season has gone for Himex thus far? Oh pretty good. It was quite difficult to organise the Paul Oakenfold (concert at base camp) trip. Paul was a really nice guy who accepted the difficulties of walking into BC and he did a great show. I was not so impressed with some of his support staff and film crew who were so arrogant as so many film crews are these days. It was a big challenge for me to have the support in place that was required but somehow we managed. I also took on the responsibility to organise the rope fixing to the summit. So we were quite busy packing loads to be carried to C2. We managed to get the permit on 13 April and flew the loads to C2 on 14 April. This saved about 68 Sherpa loads through the Icefall. As i write this we are planning on fixing rope to the Balcony tomorrow and to the summit on 7 May. Actually we delayed by one day yesterday as we felt that the wind was too strong today and it is unreasonable to ask Sherpas to work in this wond for the benefit for many climbers who have gone on holiday from Everest. Q: This season seems to have a lot of wind. Do you feel this is normal or something different going on? In fact, I feel that this is a very good season. Yes we had a little wind to start. Why people talk about this is because the direction caused a bit of disturbance at BC because of the winds rotations off Pumori. There was a stray jet stream section that broke away from the normal flow but that did not last long and in fact had generated a much more stable pattern for us now. I see this building up to be a long stable and early season. But what do i know about weather? Q: What are the the overall mountain conditions up to the South Col thus far? snow, ice, rock, etc? Not so bad. We see that conditions are quite dry and there is not so much snow on the Lhotse Face but not too much rock fall. It will be hard for the first teams on the ice but after a few teams and Sherpas have been on the route it will become easier. If we have some snow that will help However the route through the Icefall is very active. We have already had more than 6 collapses that have closed the route. The average temperature is only – 8C at 02.00 third year. The Icefall is more narrow and is moving faster so we need to be careful. Everyone at BC is asking the Authorities for permission to fly loads to C2 but they have not issued this. We are all very concerned that we might have another avalanche accident. I am also spending a lot of time pushing this….that is more useful than writing newsletters. Q: Lot’s of talk about how many people are on the south side. Has this been an issue for your team thus far? No not so many people….i think about 300 plus. Actually i think this is quite manageable especially with the predicted weather. Q: Any guess on first member summits? So if rope fixing goes well we should have rope to summit on 7 May and them i am sure we will see members on summit on 8 May. I hope
Everest 2017: Russell Brice “Old School” Prepares for Another Season
Russell Brice is a legend on Everest. He came to notoriety on the Discovery Channel’s “Everest Beyond the Limits” series about 10 years ago. But few people know that Russ is a world-class climber in his own right. Born in New Zealand in 1952, he now lives in London. He started climbing as a young boy in New Zealand and soon found his way to the Himalayas and Alps. Back in 2011, I sat down with Russ for a long conversation. Since then we have had many such opportunities to talk about his climbing experiences, Everest, trends and dangers including last year during my Lhotse attempt. When I asked Brice about the Discovery series he told me he wished he had not done these shows, they had not helped his business. He felt they were edited for drama and reflected poorly on some individuals. The David Sharp incident came to mind as we discussed the pros and cons of global exposure. Brice made it clear that he did more than any other expedition operator would have to try to save Mr. Sharp given he was not a Himex member. He sent his own Sherpas back up the North side in 2006 with oxygen, he took Sherpas away from his own climbers on their summit bid to provide assistance and he met with Mr. Sharp’s parents in London to return his personal items at his own expense. Brice, looked at his shoes as he told me these stories, sighing occasionally. It reminded me of the saying the no good deed goes unpunished. We spoke of death on the mountain and while he has seen many deaths of personal friends while climbing, he had experienced only one death in all his years of guiding, a junior Sherpa in 2006 from altitude sickness. Again, he became reflective as he spoke. He told me of sending two of his members back home early on an expedition after heart conditions surfaced. I asked Brice if he felt like he was God sometimes – “Not God, but these people pay me to give them a chance to climb Everest and not die. And I take that responsibility seriously.” He responded. I moved on to ask him about the evolution of climbing Everest. Brice’s first commercial expedition to Everest was on the north side in 1994. He personally has 14 summits of 8,000m mountains, including two Everest summits under his belt. He summited Aconcagua a few months ago at age 64. One climb few remember was in 1988 attempt via the never before climbed Three Pinnacles on Everest’s northeast ridge. He knows what he is talking about. I asked about the location of camps on the north side, the acclimatization schedule most teams use today and the routes we all use. He surprised me with his candid answer of “we made it up as we went along early on the north side.” I was expecting something more analytical. He said of the high camps on the north side, they ended up where they are because that was where the Sherpas ran out of line, or out of daylight. They moved a bit over time but are basically in the same spots that Mallory and Irvine used in 1924. Today, he prides himself on looking for new ways to climb Everest, such as using Lobuche for acclimatization. His Base Camp is legendary with the Tiger Dome tent complete with a big screen TV and espresso machine. In 2012 I did a post on how he runs his camps and why his members love it and are willing to pay a premium for hs expertise. So, whats up for 2017 with Mr. Brice and how does he feel about all the new trends being publicized in the financial press on how to take short cuts to summit Everest. Q: What are your expectations of the season – crowds, weather, surprises from the Nepal Government (Ministry of Tourism – MoT)? I think that success on Everest last year was very important to regain confidence from climbers that the mountain was as safe as it ever can be, and that the route had not changed drastically, so I suspect that it will be busy on the mountain again, especially from the many new local Nepal companies. I see that the monsoon has already started to form so I will not be surprised if we have warm general temperatures on the mountain again this year. I personally feel that the freezing level is getting higher (in altitude) every year, hence we are seeing some radical changes in snow pack and ice formations. Something that we as mountaineers around the world need to be aware of and take note that routes are changing and so our decision making also needs to take note of this. Who knows what the MoT will be like this year, as the people there change so often, and in fact now the government is on an eight month rotation, so we have very little idea of who might be in charge. We will see !!! Of note is that Foreign Operators have at last been accepted as Associate Members to the Expedition Operators Association (EOA) in Nepal. I also heard that the SPCC Icefall Doctors are aiming to fix the Icefall earlier this year, which will hopefully mean that we can fix the summit rope earlier and that we can have an earlier summit period. What we are all concerned about is that by the end of May all the protection equipment is melting out on the route through the icefall, so we have many complaints from climbers about safety (but of course not much help in replacing gear). Q: What changes are you asking the MoT for Everest 2017? Such as using helicopters to ferry gear into the Cwm. We as the EOA have been asking the MoT for permission to fly all the rope fixing gear to C1 so as to avoid 78 Sherpa loads through the Icefall for several years. Last year we finally received this permission
Everest 2012: Confirmed – Himex Cancels all Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse Climbs Fearing Dangerous Conditions – Update 2
Himex – update 2 Himex posted on May 7, discount 2012, the official announcement of their climbs cancellation today, Monday May 7. Many other teams and climbers are talking about their pullout and report that the Himex Camp 2 is being taken down. The update mentions they are offering Camp 2 supplies to other teams to minimize Sherpa travel through the Icefall. Climbers note that while they respect Brice’s decision and acknowledge the difficulty, they remain fully committed to a safe and hopefully successful summit attempt. Of note, Himex stated they will return to the Himalaya in the Fall of 2013 (Manaslu?) and Everest in spring 2013. On May 9, Himex posted an update on their website citing the reasons Brice felt it was too dangerous for Himex to continue and addresses their future on Everest. Read it here. ————— Russell Brice’s Himalayan Experience (Himex) 2012 expedition is officially over. He announced on Saturday to all of his member climbers including Everest, Lhotse and Nutpse. At the root of the cancellation was the danger in the Khumbu Icefall. Some of his western members had posted the news starting with a short note from Joe Martinet’s home team saying the expedition was over. Today further details were posted on Greg Paul blog with these details. I encourage you to read his entire post. Russell laid out all the reasons for his decision….many of which we were already aware of from past discussions. However, we thought time would cure the problems on the mountain. The summit window usually does not open until May 20th so we had time on our side. Knowing this we were all wondering why Russell pulled the plug so soon. He explained that never in his life as an Everest operator had he seen worse conditions than this year. It was not just the dry windy upper mountain but especially the Khumba Icefall. The clincher for Russ was the fact that his experienced Sherpas were scared to death of the Icefall. In fact, in a rare display from folks that don’t talk much and usually just follow instructions, three head Sherpas spoke up and expressed the concern about the mountain and how dangerous it is this year. They were truly concerned about exposing their Sherpa team to further danger that taking more loads up the mountain would do. One of the most experienced Sherpas on Everest broke down in tears apologizing to us but at the same time not backing off one iota from his concerns. Russell expects an accident of catastrophic proportions to possible hit the icefall. Even if it is a remote possibility our safety not our summiting is his primary concern. It is still very hard to hear this and swallow it. This year’s Himex members included the well publicized Walking with the Wounded, a team of disabled UK war veterans. In addition to the cancellation, one of Himex’s Sherpas, Dawa Tensing Sherpa, suffered a stroke and is not expected to live. Now the team is retrieving gear, breaking down tents and preparing to return home. A few might try to tag one of the trekking peaks. As for the impact on the other teams, reports today, Sunday, came in that climbers safely climbed the Lhotse Face and slept at Camp 3. No other team has announced plans to cancel as of now. I will post more details tomorrow. As you can imagine, this is the most difficult decision an expedition operator has to make. He has the expectations of his members – their investments in time, money, training, support from family; for many this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, it is what you agree to when you sign up – you abide by the decisions made. I hope no one second guesses Russell. I know this man personally and can only imagine that he has not slept for days. Spending his free time pouring over weather maps, reviewing logistics, talking to his Sherpas and other team’s leaders; calling trusted advisors. But in the end, he is responsible for almost 100 lives on Everest- a responsibility he takes personally. Is his decision correct? This is not for anyone other than Russell and his team to answer regardless of the outcome of Everest 2012. For now, I wish them all safe travels home. Climb On! Alan Memories are everything
Everest Base Camp – Himex Style
I’ve been in many base camps but I knew I was somewhere special when I was told “… and this is our garbage tent.” Welcome to Everest Base Camp, Russell Brice style. In 2011 while climbing Everest, I spent the afternoon with Brice getting to know this man and how he runs his expedition base camps. Let’s just say, it’s different. Most expeditions will promote their excellent base camp facilities and talk of gourmet food, individual tents, and clean kitchens. Today, this is the ante to play the game and let me say from the start that many operators take great pride in their base camps, and rightfully so. With guided expeditions becoming more competitive along with soaring prices, climbers are starting to expect more, sometimes unrealistically so. Everest Base Camp A base camp is just that, the camp where you are based for an expedition. In this sense, you want it to be comfortable, clean and convenient. A place where you can recharge after a difficult acclimatization climb or regroup after a summit bid. A place you literally call your home away from home. Most expeditions will offer dedicated tents for dining, cooking, sleeping, showers and toilets. Then they may add communications, medical and storage tents. Almost all will heat the dining tent with a propane heater and provide power for lights from solar panels supplemented by a generator. The next level up is when there is a “social tent” where climbers can hang out and relax on comfortable chairs or even some kind of sofa, believe it or not. And then the entertainment: stereos, and flat screen TVs with DVD’s for movie night. Finally we reach a crescendo with an open bar and espresso machines. Yes, all this at 17,000 feet surrounded by rock, dirt and ice. Himex Base Camp Brice came over to our camp one snowy afternoon in May 2011 and over lunch invited me to tour his base camp . He never expected me to write this article but with so much attention on Everest these days, I thought my readers would enjoy seeing an inside look at how he runs an Everest Base Camp. As I took the tour with Brice, he took great pride in showing me his version of the expected amenities. It was one of the most impressive camps I had ever seen in over 30 major expeditions. It was set up with military precision and 5 Star hotel cleanliness and service. Cooking, Eating, Sleeping and More Each climber had a private 3 man sleeping tent that provided more than enough room to spread gear out and sleep comfortably on thick mats. They were lined up in a straight line suggesting a laser was used to align the tents. The kitchen was a very large yellow canopy that covered stainless steel tables, dutch ovens, and food prep stations. The dirt floor was covered by a nylon tarp. So far nice but not unique amongst the top operators, I mentioned to Brice. His response: “The dirt floor is covered by a nylon tarp then insulation followed by outdoor carpet. Actually this is quite different from other operators. Others have a stone floor as it makes it much easier for cooks to tip water / fat etc on the floor rather than taking it outside. By having carpet means that cooks cannot do this, so hygiene is improved and it makes it safer and more easy for the cooks whilst cooking.” The dining tent was another large and long yellow canopy that Brice had custom made for his expeditions. A long table was covered in a plastic table cloth, plastic flowers adorned the table next to well organized condiments all sitting on top of indoor/outdoor carpeting. Comfortable chairs with padded cushions lined the perimeter of the table; a sturdy heater in the corner stood by for the cold evening. Several light bulbs hung from the ceiling to provide light, powered from solar panels. Brice prides himself on not using a generator unless absolutely necessary such as for charging a film crew’s batteries overnight. Sherpas arrive in mid March, well before the members, to set all this up so when the members arrive they can focus on, well enjoying base camp. The toilet tent was the nicest I had ever seen, and I say that with sincere appreciation. Another large yellow tent, actually there were two tents – a mens and a ladies – with sit down toilets (a urinal in the mens), and carpeted floor. A sink for hand washing was in each restroom. Another separate, rather large tent provided room for propane heated on-demand hot water showering. A chair and hooks were conveniently located inside the tent to accommodate changing clothes. The Sherpas also had it nice with more yellow tents smartly lined up housing four to six persons per tent. Oh, and about that garbage tent. Well, you guessed it, another large yellow version that housed all the kitchen scraps and trash generated by modern climbers stored in plastic bags outside the reach of ravens, yaks and yetis. As with all Everest Nepal side expeditions, this trash is taken down valley and burned or buried like in a modern city. The Dome But the Pièce de résistance for Brice was his social tent aka the Pleasure Dome, White Pod or Tiger Dome (winning!). Again, many expeditions will use a dome from Mountain Hardwear for a similar feeling, but there is more to this than nylon. The Dome, made by White Pod, was literally an extremely large round domed tent maybe 50 feet across and 20 feet high with clear plastic floor to ceiling windows serving as a window to watch the world passing by. You entered through a small wooden entry room, a foyer so to speak, to prevent the cold and snow from spoiling the interior ambiance. The day I visited, most of his members were at the higher camps on Everest so the base camp staff were taking
Reading Everest Weather
More teams have made the decision for a summit bid this weekend. The latest include the Malta Everest team, half of Peak Freaks and a two person team from First Ascent. They are now at camp 2. Why are these climbers going to the top in marginal weather? Well maybe the weather will not be marginal – at least according to some weather forecasts. Before looking at the weather, an quick update on the teams. There is movement on the north perhaps to fix the rope to the summit. On the south, the vast majority of the teams have chosen to wait for a longer weather window and the teams at C2 are resting up and waiting for the winds to calm before going higher. Most top teams pay for a professional weather forecast. These are teams of meteorologists who not only look at the data but also interpret it and then communicate the forecast and recommendations to their members. Climbers pay for these services and keep them private since it is a value to their team members and a safety issue.
Climbing for a Cause
As we spend the last day of April monitoring the climbers on both sides of Everest, I thought it would be good to look at their motivations. Climbing historians know of the famous 1923 George Mallory quote, “Because it’s there” but others have more personal reasons. The primary action on both sides right now is working on their acclimatization through rotations to from low to high camps.
The Somber Part of Cleaning Everest
Climbers are making great progress with their acclimatization rotations on both sides of Everest. The Sherpas are now starting to fix the ropes to camp 3 high on the Lhotse Face – a great sign. On the north, Adventure Peaks is looking to move to the North Col For some teams, the next climb through the Icefall will result in the almost mandatory night at camp 3. This is quite early at this point. As always, the weather will have the last say. It seems to happen like this every season, great weather through late April when everyone gets excited about an early summit, then the snows start and the mountain is shut down in early May.