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14 April, 2008
Dear SummitClimb news readers,
Today we went into the Khumbu Icefall for the first time.
I think the route is great and a lot easier than previous times I was here.
All of the members enjoyed playing with the ropes and ladders a lot.
Yesterday most of our members went to Pumori ABC, which
lies at about 5700 metres/18,700 feet, thus making today's walk in the
icefall a lot easier.
We are not allowed yet to climb to camp 1 until the army
arrives here. They are going to keep an eye on the climbers here on the
south side, so nobody does anything bad to the torch climb on the other side
of Everest.
I think tomorrow we will have another meeting in basecamp
and then be able to proceed to C1.
That is all for now. I'll write again as soon I have more
news
Earlier:
On our walk from Pangboche to Pheriche we got about 3 inches of fresh snow,
which made it pretty tough, but it was also a great adventure. Luckily, when
we arrived in Pheriche, there was a hot stove waiting for us and our cooks
prepared us an excellent.
After a good night's sleep in Pheriche,
we woke up in the morning and the sun was shining again, with all of the high
peaks around us covered in a fresh layer of snow. We had a beautiful hike to
Dughla with nobody having any trouble with the altitude.
We had a good meal and sat around the
stove again. After a good night's sleep we walked to Lobuche, where we plan to
stay tonight. We saw our first views of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Pumori
here. Everybody is getting very excited to reach basecamp tomorrow.
Tomorrow is going to be a tough walk,
taking about 8 hours to reach basecamp. There are rumors that basecamp is not
very busy, which is good for us and I'm sure our sherpas have reserved a very
nice spot for us. So until we reach basecamp, that's it for now. Everybody is
doing great and we're having a good time. I'll call you again from basecamp.
This was Arnold. Bye, bye.
Earlier: 6 April, 2008: Team
moving up to Pheriche.
Hello SummitClimb news. This
is Arnold, the leader of the Everest/Lhotse Expedition 2008.
I'm calling from Pangboche at
about 3950 metres/13,000 feet and it's a snowy day. All of the members have
left and are walking to Pheriche today, 4200 metres/13,900 feet. Everybody
is doing fine and we are strong and healthy.
Yesterday we had a big puja
ceremony led by the lama here in Pangboche and the expedition got blessed,
so we are good to go now to base camp. We decided to stay one extra night in
Pangboche because we had some problems getting enough porters and yaks. All
of the teams are moving up at the same time because of the permits being
issued so late this year. While creating some minor logistical problems in
the valley for others, it's not going to affect our expedition at all.
Right now it's snowing a lot
and I think it is going to be an adventurous walk to Pheriche. That's it for
now. Everybody is doing fine and I'll call back in a couple of days. Thank
you. Bye, bye.

One of the many terraced
hillsides on the trek to Everest basecamp (Elselien te Hennepe).
5 April, 2008: Mr. Kaji
Tamang, our field supervisor telephoned today. Due to heavy snowfall, the team
stayed put in Pangboche today, and did not move up.
Hopefully the snow will clear
so the team can move up tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
4 April, 2008: Mr. Emil Friis
called today. He is from our EBC trek plus Island Peak climb.
"The team are having a
wonderful trek and staying in Tengboche tonight. It was a very beautiful trek
from Namche and spectacular views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Everest, Lhotse,
etcetera, were on display throughout. The Tengboche monastery itself is a very
beautiful place. We are staying in a comfortable teahouse now and enjoying
delicious hot drinks and biscuits before dinner. Our trek leader Mingma and
his wife Yengi are doing and amazing job of leading and taking care of us. We
are looking forward to tomorrow's adventure."

Our past Everest basecamp
trek leader, Elselien, receiving a blessing from the local Buddhist Lama in
Pangboche (Liz Stevens).
Everest 2008:
Hello SummitClimb news
readers, I am Arnold the leader of the Everest / Lhotse expedition.
On 1 April, after a rainy start in Lukla, we all arrived
dry in Phakding the same day. Everybody was very happy to be on the trail in
the fresh mountain air!
After a quiet night of good sleep, the whole team walked
up to Namche Bazar at about 3500 metres on 2 April. Although this is a steep
hike, the whole team did great. I think we have a strong group this year.
On 3 April we spent our day relaxing in Namche Bazar. This
is the last big village on the way to basecamp. It has a nice market some
good restaurants and bars, and the hiking around town is great with some
good views of Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse.
On 4 April, we will walk to Pangboche, which is about a 6
hour walk from Namche. On the way we will pass the monastary of Tengboche.
This will be an interesting stop on the way.
We will stay in a nice lodge with great views of Ama
Dablam and the south face of Nuptse and Lhotse.
So everything is going well and all of our team members
are having a great time.
More news in the next dispatch.
2 April, 2008
The team made it to Namche
Bazaar. It was a beautiful trek. They plan to rest tomorrow. Thanks for
reading!

Namche Bazaar, the capital
of the Sherpa people. See this unique village on our trek to and from
basecamp (Tunc Findik).
1 April, 2008:
Our team flew to Lukla today
on a beautiful sunny morning. Everyone was very pleased to be getting out of
Kathmandu and beginning their expedition.Looking forward
to an enjoyable trek to basecamp.
Our team boarding the plane for Lukla (Dan Mazur).
31 March, 2008:
Today we gathered the entire
group together and had a nice breakfast and then all of our expedition and
trek leaders, as well as office staff presented an orientation session to
the members and helped them finish their shopping and packing. We are ready
to go! We had a delicious final banquet, said goodbye to our new friends in
Kathmandu and went back to the hotel to get to bed early.
Tomorrow, April 1st, we will fly up to Lukla first thing
in the morning to begin our trek. Kathmandu has been lovely, warm and
peaceful, a very interesting city, and we will miss it very much. However,
we will look forward to the next chapter: trekking to bascamp. We will keep
in touch. Thanks for reading!
30 March, 2008:
Hello, this is Dan Mazur from
SummitClimb.com writing to you from a beautiful and peaceful Kathmandu.
More of our team members are arriving in Kathmandu, and
our staff has been meeting their flights and bringing them to the hotel. We
have been checking the members equipment and clothing, as well as helping
them purchase/hire any missing bits and pieces. We all went out to dinner
and had lots of fun. Our team orientation is scheduled for tomorrow morning,
and we are looking forward to having our team all together.
We fly to Lukla tomorrow, on the 1st of April to begin our
trek to basecamp. Thanks for reading and we will send more news tomorrow.
29 March, 2008:
Hello, this is Dan Mazur from
SummitClimb.com writing to you.Our team members are
arriving in Kathmandu, and our staff has been meeting their flights and
bringing them to the hotel. We all went out to dinner last night and had
lots of fun. More members are due to arrive tomorrow, and our expedition
orientation meeting is scheduled for the morning of the 31st.
Then, we will fly to Lukla on the 1st of
April. Thanks for reading and we will send more news tomorrow.

A view of
Swayambhunath Stupa, the "Monkey Temple". It is the most ancient and
enigmatic of all the holy shrines in Kathmandu valley. Swayambhunath's
worshippers include Hindus, Vajrayana Buddhists of northern Nepal and
Tibet, and the Newari Buddhists of central and southern Nepal. Each
morning before dawn, hundreds of pilgrims will ascend the 365 steps
that lead up the hill, file past the gilded Vajra (Tibetan: Dorje) and
two lions guarding the entrance, and begin a series of clockwise
circumambulations of the stupa. On each of the four sides of the main
stupa there are a pair of big eyes. These eyes are symbolic of God's
all-seeing perspective (Elselien te Hennepe).
Everest from the South Side
in Nepal

Full size
picture
Base Camp - 17,500 feet (5350
meters)
This is a
picture of the popular South Col Route up Mt. Everest. Base camp is located
at 17,500 feet. This is where climbers begin their true trip up the
mountain. This is also where support staff often remain to monitor the
expeditions and provide medical assistance when necessary. Many organizations
offer hiking trips which just go to base camp as the trip is not technically
challenging (though you must be very fit).
From base
camp, climbers typically train and acclimate (permitting the body to adjust to
the decreased oxygen in the air) by traveling and bringing supplies back and
forth through the often treacherous Khumbu Icefall. This training and
recuperation continues throughout the climb, with the final summit push often
being the only time to climbers do not go back and forth between camps to
train, bring supplies, and recuperate for the next push.
The Icefall
is in constant motion. It contains enormous ice seracs, often larger than
houses, which dangle precariously over the climbers heads, threatening to fall
at any moment without warning, as the climbers cross endless crevasses and
listen to continuous ice creaking below. This often acts as a testing ground
to judge if less experienced climbers will be capable of continuing. The
Icefall is located between 17,500 and 19,500 feet.
Camp I -
5900 meters
After the
Icefall, the climbers arrive at Camp I, which is located at 19,500 feet.
Depending on the type of expedition, Camp I will either be stocked by the
climbers as they ascend and descend the Icefall, or by Sherpas in advance.
The area
between Camp I and Camp II is known as the Western Cwm. As the climbers reach
Camp II at 21,000 feet, they may be temporarily out of sight of their support
at Base camp. Nonetheless, modern communication devises permit the parties to
stay in contact.
Camp II -
6500 meters
As the
climbers leave Camp II, they travel towards the Lhotse face (Lhotse is a
27,920 foot mountain bordering Everest). The Lhotse face is a steep, shiny
icy wall. Though not technically extremely difficult, one misstep or slip
could mean a climber's life. Indeed, many climbers have lost their lives
through such mishaps.
Camp III -
23,700 feet (7200 meters)
To reach Camp
III, climbers must negotiate the Lhotse Face. Climbing a sheer wall of ice
demands skill, strength and stamina. It is so steep and treacherous that many
Sherpas move directly from Camp II to Camp IV on the South Col, refusing to
stay on the Lhotse Face.
Camp IV -
26,300 feet (8000 meters)
As you’re leaving C4…it’s a
little bit of a down slope, with the uphill side to the left. There are
typically snow on the ledges to walk down on, interspersed with rock, along
with some fixed rope. The problem with the rope is that the anchors are bad,
and there’s not much holding the rope and a fall could be serious. Fortunately
it’s not too steep, but there is a ton of exposure and people are usually
tired when walking down from camp. The rock is a little down sloping to the
right as well, and with crampons on, it can be bit tricky with any kind of
wind. There’s a little short slope on reliable snow which leads to the top of
the Geneva Spur, and the wind pressure gradient across the spur can increase
there as you’re getting set up for the rappel. Wearing an oxygen mask here can
create some footing issues during the rappel, because it’s impossible to see
over the mask and down to the feet. For that reason, some people choose to
leave Camp 4 without gas, as it’s easier to keep moving down the Spur when
it’s important to see all the small rock steps and where the old feet are
going. Navigating down through all of the spaghetti of fixed ropes is a bit of
a challenge, especially with mush for brains at that point. One lands on some
lower ledges which aren’t so steep, where fixed ropes through here are solid.
At this point, it’s just a matter of staying upright, and usually, the wind
has died significantly after dropping off the Spur. The route turns hard to
the left onto the snowfield that leads to the top of the Yellow Bands.
Camp IV,
which is at 26,300 on the Lhotse face, is typically the climbers' first
overnight stay in the Death Zone. The Death Zone is above 26,000 feet.
Though there is nothing magical about that altitude, it is at this altitude
that most human bodies lose all ability to acclimate. Accordingly, the body
slowly begins to deteriorate and die - thus, the name "Death Zone." The
longer a climber stays at this altitude, the more likely illness (HACE - high
altitude cerebral edema - or HAPE - high altitude pulmonary edema) or death
will occur. Most climbers will use oxygen to climb and sleep at this altitude
and above. Generally, Sherpas refuse to sleep on the Lhotse face and will
travel to either Camp II or Camp IV.
Camp IV is
located at 26,300 feet. This is the final major camp for the summit push. It
is at this point that the climbers make their final preparations. It is also
a haven for worn-out climbers on their exhausting descent from summit attempts
(both successful and not). Sherpas or other climbers will often wait here
with supplies and hot tea for returning climbers.
From Camp IV,
climbers will push through the Balcony, at 27,500 feet, to the Hillary Step at
28,800 feet. The Hillary Step, an over 70 foot rock step, is named after Sir.
Edmond Hillary, who in 1953, along with Tenzing Norgay, became the first
people to summit Everest. The Hillary Step, which is climbed with fixed
ropes, often becomes a bottleneck as only one climber can climb at a time.
Though the Hillary Step would not be difficult at sea level for experienced
climbers, at Everest's altitude, it is considered the most technically
challenging aspect of the climb.
Summit -
29,028 feet (8848 meters)
Once the
climbers ascend the Hillary Step, they slowly and laboriously proceed to the
summit at 29,028 feet. The summit sits at the top of the world. Though not
the closest place to the sun due to the earth's curve, it is the highest peak
on earth. Due to the decreased air pressure, the summit contains less than
one third the oxygen as at sea level. If dropped off on the summit directly
from sea level (impossible in reality), a person would die within minutes.
Typically, climbers achieving the great summit will take pictures, gain their
composure, briefly enjoy the view, then return to Camp IV as quickly as
possible. The risk of staying at the summit and the exhaustion from
achieving the summit is too great to permit climbers to fully enjoy the great
accomplishment at that moment.
As most
readers of this page know, the return trip can be even more dangerous than the
climb to the summit.
Pictures from Enrique
Guallart-Furio web site http://ww2.encis.es/avent/
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