Follow
the Everest Training Team on Mount Pumori this autumn. Led by Tim Rippel and his
Sherpa team. We have formed an outstanding group of beginner to intermediate and
advanced climbers this season. The expedition will begin in the capital city of Kathmandu
on October 4, 2010 and will be back in Kathmandu on November 6, 2010.
SPRING 2011- Peak Freaks
Celebrates 20 Years in the Himalayas!
Nov. 7, 2010: Kathmandu: Helicopter
crash in the Khumbu, Everest region.. Tim was sitting in our office in
Kathmandu today when a call came in: Two people are missing after a helicopter crashed on a rescue
mission in the Everest region of Nepal early this morning. The helicopter was
one of the 3 new high tech AS
350 B3 high altitude machines that were brought to Nepal last spring and
owned by Fish Tail helicopters.
It was on it's way to rescue two climbers from Mount Ama Dablam. Tim said he was told that one climber was
successfully lifted and taken out. The helicopter and rescue worker were on
their way back to pick up the second climber from in behind Ama Dablam when the
wind hit the helicopter slamming it against the mountain.
The new helicopters were used for
the first time on Everest south last year recovering bodies from days gone by,
performing rescues and used for a quick trip out to Kathmandu for post Everest
climbers.
The young pilot had gone through
extensive training for this type of operation and is well known by some of
our staff in Kathmandu. So sad, our prayers go out to both workers
families.
Namche Bazaar: They made
it.... Beers, pool and an after party at a Sherpa's house... sounded like good
ending. Well not exactly the ending yet, there are still many more adventures
ahead of them.
I will be introducing one of
Namche Bazaar's most honorable families in the weeks to come. Tsedam Sherpa and
his wife Ang Phurba and daughter Kami and what they have been doing to care for
the Khumbu's homeless children.
Photo: Party in Namche, Tsedam
taking in the children's laundry and the children lined up for a photo shoot for
Tim. Ahhh.... they are adorable.
November 02, 2010: No
news - just some great photos showing good times on the teams walkabout...
Happy boys- doing what climbers do- work hard, hurt, laugh, wake up and do it
all over again......More photos on Facebook.
October
29, 2010: - new
world record- Just when
we think we've seen and heard it all with regards to psychotic behavior thought
to be a serious side effect of AMS - Petter Hiden
(Sweden) and Nabil Lodey (UK) raise the bar setting a new world record- '"THE
WORLDS HIGHEST SWIM".
Hi Becky,
I'm currently in Namche and exhausted - the disappointment of the summit push
required some other form of endurance event - and Tim's estimate of 10-12 hrs
from Base Camp to Namche was just the challenge. Pierre and I made it in
9 hrs and I am pretty exhausted sat here sending you an email - it will be a
good sleep tonight.!!
It's been an amazing expedition. We were disappointed that the
conditions high up did not allow for a safe summit. The Ecuadorian
climbers are two very lucky men having pushed through the difficult section
and summitted just before dark. Everyone in basecamp waited for news on
their progress down the mountain with baited breath - I think their summit
took over 20 hrs in total. For us, we looked forward to heading up to
Tower 2 (the highest point that could be safely reached). When we headed
up the mountain, ABC looked unrecognizable, the camp was littered with huge
ice boulders only meters from our tents and the landscape looked more
lunar than anything else with ice and rock being jettisoned through the couloirs
that we had to climb through to reach Camp 1. There is no protection
through that route so it didn't take a genius to soon comprehend that Pumori
did not want us on her slopes. With these missiles on her SE route, and the
huge avalanche on the standard route - we got the hint! The risk factor was
just two high so we packed up and made our way back to base Camp. The Sherpas
managed to clear all the tents and ropes from the mountain in just one day
which was an incredible feat. They really are the supermen of the
Himalayas and it's always a pleasure to be in their company.
So the expedition wasn't over just because we couldn't get up high.. Tim
organized an amazing rock climbing day where all the lessons were put to the
test as Adam, Romano, Petter and myself practiced lead climbing on on the
cliffs above base camp. It was one of he highlights of the trip and acted
like a mountaineering graduation !
And then there was the world record high altitude swim - the lake next to base
camp has to be the highest in the world with the summit of Everest as a back
drop. It would be a shame not to have a swim at some point during the
expedition. The appropriate time arose two days ago, and having waited
for the ice to melt by lunchtime, Petter and I took up the challenge. It
was cold !! Very cold!! However, medical support was on hand and we soon
warmed up in the dining tent in sleeping bags with plenty of hot drinks.
Unfortunately, Petter is not in the photos but we have a video to be posted on
the website in due course.
So now, the team has parted ways, a few of us are heading back down the valley
for flights home and Tim is taking another group for a new trek in the Gokyo
region. It should be a great trek with some amazing views of the major
peaks in the region.
We all leave exhilarated by the climbing and scenery, enriched by the
experience and the new friendships, and teased by one of the most beautiful
but technical mountains in the region. With the new skills leant and the
experience gained, I wonder how many of us are already thinking about the next
mountain.... There are a few who now have Everest in their sights.
Could a dream turn into reality? Why not?
Thanks Tim and the amazing Peak Freaks Sherpas for a great expedition !!
Nabs
Nabs also so kindly uploaded photos that you
can see on Tim's Facebook.
I also think there was a possible a speed
descent competition to Namche. It may be hard to beat Samuel's descent in one
day from Pumori base camp to Monjo- whew!!!
October 27, 2010: Sad
news and a new direction....
Everyone is down off the mountain
from our team. Our Ecuadorian friends left yesterday and a team of Korean
climbers have arrived. The Korean's are climbing a variation on Pumori up from
the behind Kala Pattar.
The Himalayas has lost another
dynamo climber. 19 times Everest summitteer Chhewang Nima Sherpa age 43,
while on Baruntse- a 7129m peak that is considered one of the easiest climbs in
this region. He was swept away by an avalanche while fixing rope to the summit
for the crowds that embarking on the area right now. The search for his body was
officially called off today. Baruntse is situated in the eastern
region and gets significant snow fall compared to the Khumbu. Chhewang Nima's 19
x Everest is second to world record holder Apa Sherpa of 20 Everest summits.
Juniper is burning and tea candles have been lit, so sad... We are thinking of
his family during this difficult time and send our prayers.
What's
next: Tomorrow we are doing more work on rock then we are off
for some exploration. We are heading out on a walkabout. There are a couple of
unclimbed 7000m peaks that I have been wanting to check out for sometime now.
The team is all having a really good time together with new friends so we are
going for a side-trip adventure. I will still be checking in so stay
tuned. ...Tim
October 26, 2010: Just a
quickie today..... reporting that Warren, Adam, Tino, Roger and Jim are all at
ABC tonight. There was more icefall today on the route to Camp 1 so Tim is
not too sure about exposing anyone to the potential danger above. The rest of
the members are at base camp. All is good...
Becky
October 25, 2010: It's been
a tough autumn season in the Himalayas this year. There were only a small number
of people who were lucky to get on top of something this season including yet
another disputed summit, for whatever reason this never ceases to amaze us. Yesterday two
Ecuadorians were two of those lucky climbers who got on top of Pumori but not
without consequence- one member is said to be dealing with frost-bite. They
described their experience to Tim as being horrendous taking them much longer
than they had anticipated to navigate the summit ridge due to rock fall, the
same report our Sherpas gave upon their return. This section can't be seen till
you get into it as it's on the other side from the view from camp.
Collectively our team has made the
decision to happily continue with the training session of the climb enjoying
what they came for but remain below the summit ridge. This is a boot camp that offers living on the edge
of risk and dangerous terrain all while learning how to identify it and get around
it insuring everyone gets home to their loved ones well equipped with preparedness
in all aspects of mountaineering. In comparison, a straight forward high
altitude snow slog walk to the top of something with a fixed rope without
looming potential hazards doesn't offer these tools to learn by. Tim is still happy with this area
and has designated it as good Himalayan boot camp terrain. It offers ice, glacier travel, rock and beauty,
technically much more than what one would encounter on Everest in previous
years. They have before them many practicing objectives and experiences to
engage in. Keeping in mind Everest is very much a mental challenge, we feel you
need these important experiences to set the right tone when that time
comes. Another bonus to note is that it's quiet! We are typically the only ones here which is rare today in
sometimes impossible popular and bustling Himalayan climbing routes. This is a bonus to us
in our low impact green theme strategies with a focus on safety due to the lack
of crowds. One can get a true sense of expedition life as it used to be while on
this program. We try to keep it as raw as we can without sacrificing comfort and 100%
safety. This approach may not be for everyone but for us it's the only way.
This climb is not only good for
aspiring climbers at any level but in particular it's a good warm up pre-Everest experience. There will be no surprises when that time
comes, without exception everyone should be a self-reliant climber should things
go wrong up there. If you're not, we believe you shouldn't be there and we
congratulate all our participants in doing their due diligence to themselves,
their sponsors, their loved ones and their climbing partners in investing in
being as best prepared as they can. We have
taken beginner climbers on this program who 4 months later went on and summited
Everest. We have also taken climbers who never aspired to climb
Everest, joined, and were completely surprised by their abilities and comfort level
and went on and
summited Everest. It's not an 8000m peak but you still have to demonstrate the
ability to acclimatize in just getting here. Some do and some don't, so it's a
pretty good investment to test yourself before heading off to a 8000m or Everest
without knowing this about yourself. We feel that if your body shows the ability
to adjust and endure here, it will adjust on Everest, there is a lot of time
while on Everest to sit it out and let your body catch up and with today's
technology including better masks and oxygen supplements- success rates
are increasing ten fold.
Tim and I already discussed the
"what if we can't get on top" scenario before he left this season.
Though everyone or most seem happy with the outcome, summit or not, we can
appreciate how nice it would be for the team to celebrate on top, putting the
icing on the cake of everyone's experience. We decided that next year we will
work it here as before, working as high as it is passable and safe and if it's
not, we will include an alpine style ascent summit bid on nearby Island Peak (6145m) at
the end of the climb and/or Lobuche East (6119m ) peak often used as an
acclimatization alternative to Camp 2 on Everest during the Everest season. More
to come on this later.
Global warming is creating
complete havoc here and in all mountains of the world. We must be adaptable if
we continue climb.
What's
next? A couple of the accomplished
climbers have opted to move down to lower elevations enjoying more time in the
Sherpa villages before the team all gather in Kathmandu for a party Tim has
organized. The majority of the team continues to climb. They're going up in two
waves to the second tower that gets them up really high for that exceptional
view in the eyes of Everest and the opportunity to continue practicing skills.
I wanted to share this creative
video by Canadian climber Jerry Auld (a reversing story of the motivation to
reach a summit). Also please know that we will continue to
blog till everyone is safely back in Kathmandu. The adventure never ends just
because the summit bid does nor should it. Many would vouch for that :)
October 24, 2010: Correction:
Island Peak summit list- Team #1- was not Ray Moore but rather our Serbian
participant Ilija Studen. Good job Ilija! No doubt Ray would have summited being
an accomplished climber including a successful summit with us on Aconcagua but
he caught a stomach bug the night before the push. He's still very happy with
his Peak Freak Himalayan experience and had some nice words to say about our
program and connections we have built here over the years. He just got measured up for his
down suit whilst in Kathmandu for his intended ascent on Cho Oyu.
October 24, 2010: 21:00hrs (Nepal
Time)
Ecuador
has two summits!!... BUT.... they are still on their way down in the
dark at the time of Tim's check in. Considering they left at 03:00hrs this is an
extremely long day for this style of climbing. All their other members have
turned back due to difficult conditions. I don't have the full story yet but our
Sherpas are back down discussing the situation with Tim. They are not happy with
the stability- rock fall in particular. As you can see in the photos below
Pumori has endured considerable melt this monsoon and even in light of the
frequent snow falls this autumn, Everest's daughter- Pumori- continues to melt
too quickly. We have been climbing here since 1998 and I must say I never seen a
photo with so much rock exposed as this one. Also, the photo with the route to
Camp 1 looks quite crumbly compared to previous years.
Tim is waiting to speak to the two
summiteers to get their feedback and will make a decision on our teams next move
after that. I have a pretty good idea knowing Tim and his 'safety first'
ethics. Stay tuned!
October 23, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time) - Nabs checks in from Gorak Sherpa with an update and photos.
Big thanks Nabs!!!
Avalanche seen from BC
Training Session
Climbing to Camp 1
Hi Becky,
Hope
all is well. I am checking in from Gorak Shep on our first rest day at base
camp. We have finished the instructional element of the expeditions- Tim guided
the team through all the elements of high altitude climbing on rock, snow and
ice with his usual panache, patience and humour. The team are all confident and
looking forward looking forward to using all the skills leant over the last few
weeks. The conditions have been challenging with regular snow falls but the
morale and sense of humour at base camp has never faltered. A few of the team
have suffered from illness and injuries and I have been amazed at the tenacity
of those who are operating at reduced level of strength. Roger and Warren in
particular are tough cookies!! I also heard that Romano is returning to base
camp after having his injured finger looked at at a medical clinic down the
valley- once he returns he officially becomes the toughest Aussie on the tream,
taking the title from Roger. Right now we are resting and getting ready for the
summit push- with the dates of 30/31 October designated as the summit dates. The
two teams were announced this morning and i am delighted to lead team 2.
Hopefully we can get a full complement on the summit this year. Right now we're
eagerly watching the progress of the Ecuadorian team who will hopefully summit
in the next few days. I attached a few pictures of the team at Advanced Base
|Camp and on our way towards Camp 1. I will send another email in a couple of
days before we head up the mountain.
Everyone says hi to family and
friends back home.
Nabs x
SUMMIT
MEETING: Tim is asking me to watch the
weather closely starting October 28th, we know what that means.
ECUADOR
SUMMIT PUSH IS ON: They are now on the move. Tonight sleeping at Camp
2 and leaving at about 03:00hrs Nepal Time to the summit. Every is watching
closely in great anticipation to learn of the conditions on the summit ridge. We
have encountered unsafe conditions the past couple of years but Tim says he has
a good feeling this season.
Member check up: At the time of
Tim's check-in Romano had arrived back at base camp. He must have been booking
it up the Khumbu trail. The team is stoked to have him back. Silvie made the
decision to call it quits due to her uncontrollable cough. Adam!!!... sorry I
missed inserting his name on the last roll call. He is doing awesome, strong and
adds a great deal to the team and especially stories from his extensive world
travels.
Marty Schmidt sends a SMS to Tim
to confirm his turn around at 7500m on the Lhotse wall due high winds. Winter
has set in and now we will be watching and wondering about the alleged winter
ascent expedition.
PHOTOS:
More photos from Nabs including larger versions of the above on FACEBOOK.
October 22, 2010:
Catch up time! If you
referred to Facebook yesterday you would have learned that we had a technical
issue here at the office yesterday and I wasn't able to blog. What can you do?
Fix it !!
Here's the scoop... The team did
an awesome job up on the mountain the past two days and are now resting at
Pumori Base Camp. They made it up to Camp 1 and slept two nights at ABC. Silvie
is having trouble with her cough. She went up Kala Pattar yesterday to gain some
altitude but it kicked her pretty good. Warren is also suffering from a bad
cough but did get up to ABC.
Romano checks in from Namche to
say he's coming back up- the team is very pleased to learn of this. Everyone
else that was expected to swing through base camp did and everyone is accounted
for. The Russian duo with Namgay Sherpa are off and climbing Island Peak while
Mingmar Sherpa "my number one" joined with Irina, Eric and Jo Anne
also made it to BC today. We also got word that the first wave Island Peak group
flew out to Kathmandu today, a day ahead of schedule and are now happy city
dwellers.
AVALANCE: There was a big one
today ripping down off the Standard Route. It was so big that the team managed
to get quite a few shots of it in action. The team apparently complimented Tim
saying that they now fully understand why he refuses to climb the standard route
that has given Pumori a bad reputation.
THE CLIMB: The Ecuadorian's are
now on their push and have asked for some help from us to the put the route and
ropes to Camp 2. Tim has sent Paulden and Tashi up our two very strong skilled
Sherpa climbers. I was surprised to learn the Ecuadorian team was so large. Tim
thinks they started out as 10 and are now down to maybe six who remain healthy
and strong. They are all doing great.
Tomorrow, day of rest...
stay tuned.
October 20, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
ABC-(5700m) "The
team is all tucked in their tents at ABC and doing well. Romano is in Pheriche,
we await news from him. Roger
and Silvie-Marie stayed at BC today to care for their cough. We received
word that Martin, Ayo and Ray and Ang Nima summited Island Peak on October 18th-
big congratulations out to the team. They should be sending photos
tomorrow.
Tomorrow we will move up to
Camp 1 and stock camp. The
Ecuadorian's didn't manage to punch through to Camp 2 today and are back at Camp
1.
Over and out from ABC.....
Tim"
Photo: Lama Mingma
performing the Puja at BC.
October 19, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
One man down:
"Everything
was going to plan today. Everyone except Silvie who chose to lay low with her
cough went to ABC today. We
hung out, took pictures and had lunch. On the way down teammate Romano
Mihailovic from Australia was walking down a nice gentle grade with gravel on
it. He slipped hyperextending his little finger so much so that it broke the
skin resulting in breaking his finger. Team medics Dr. Tino and Paramedic Damion
are concerned about fragments lodged within and have recommended he retreat to
the Pheriche clinic to get their opinion and may need to go to Kathmandu for an
x-ray. We will keep you posted on his situation.
Word has it that there were a
bunch of Island Peak summits today. We don't have names yet but we'll keep
everyone posted on those stats just as soon as they are available.
Our second wave Island Peak
members Natalia and Sergey from Russia arrived at camp today. Tomorrow morning
myself and their Sherpa guide Ang Namgay will spend time with them doing a
technical skill review. They are having a great time and report having bumped
into our Gokyo trek member with Mingmar Sherpa who are also having a ton of fun
by the sounds of it.
THE CLIMB: Today our
Sherpas took rope to Camp 1 and returned to BC. Tomorrow after lunch our team
will head up to ABC again and spend a
couple of nights there. We will get up to Camp 1 for acclimatization and do a
carry.
The
Ecuadorian's are on the move too. They are currently at Camp 1. They are on
their summit push so they won't be down again till finished. We are all wishing
them great success and extreme safety.
EVEREST: Ang Namgay
reports a team from possibly Denmark ??? are in the valley preparing for a
winter ascent on Everest. More on this later when we get the details. Over and
out- Tim"
PHOTOS:
Skill review area above base
camp
Ang Namgay Sherpa, 6 x Everest
summits
October 18, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
"Tomorrow
we are off and climbing!.... Today the weather was a bit unsettled as predicted
and by this evening there are signs that the high
pressure is moving in. It's cooling off and the skies are clearing. Tomorrow
should be crisp and clear so we are moving up to ABC. We will carry a load, hang
out, let our bodies adjust to the altitude gain, have lunch and then come down
in the early afternoon. So in other words, we are officially climbing now
starting tomorrow. Team is happy....
Marty Schmidt is at Everest
base camp and looking at moving up through the Western Cwm tomorrow to Camp 2.
He also reports that American Eric Larsen just summited Everest with his 5
Sherpas, the first autumn Everest summit in four years- big congratulations go
out to them. They are packing up so this will leave Marty as the only one up
there. He refers to it as the Valley of Silence. I can only imagine what that
must be like...totally awesome!
I'm not in touch with the IP
team right now but I would think they are probably going to summit tomorrow.
Stay tuned!
Over and out...Tim"
PHOTO: Our route
October 17, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
YOU REALLY HAVE TO TRY
THIS!!!!! Click this link then "be sure" to click EARTH
and take a ride around Mount Pumori with our team..... oh so cool..... SPOT
LINK Zoom in and have a play...
Base Camp white-out!..Tim calls in to
say it's a winter wonderland up there today. There's about 15cm on the ground
and it's sticking. They
got out today on the rocks to do some more skill reviews and emergency shelter
building but he wasn't happy with the slippery conditions so they did some dry
land training instead. This would include knot tying, scenario reviews, Gamow
bagdemonstration and not to forget Tim's intense photo display of
frostbite and dead bodies to scare the heck out of these guys on "what
not to do" when climbing on Everest and the consequences. Their not
pretty and I had the task of printing them for his binder this season.
With the new snow comes the opportunity to get
into another part of our training program which is Avalanche
Prediction, formation and forecasting, route finding and snow
science relative to mountaineering in the Himalayas. Pretty important stuff
considering a release above you no matter how good of a climber you are can be
the end of your story.
Weather: It looks like the snow storm
will start to settle out toward the end of tomorrow and behind it will be winds
but nothing that would affect our teams at these elevations. The Island Peak
team should be able to get up on top but they will have to work for it with some
trail breaking needed.
ROUTE: The Ecuadorian team also laid low
for another day and now their push to C2 will also take some work and our team
should be able to help them with that in the days to come.
PHOTO: Emergency Shelter building
October 16, 2010: 21:45hrs
(Nepal Time)
Snow time! Ok, I was right
about the snow, Tim said it snowed all day today but it melts throughout the day
at camp and will pile up tonight as the temperatures drop. The team got out
today to work on skill development and everyone is a bit sluggish from the colds
circulating, but in time they should be able to kick it.
ROUTE: Our Sherpas made a
carry of tents and ropes to ABC today and the Ecuadorians took the day off and
didn't push to Camp 2. Tomorrow our team will work some more on rock and then if
it looks good we will go up to ABC.
WEATHER: From what I'm
seeing in the forecasts they may not go up tomorrow either. It looks like it may
be snowing for about 2 more days.
ISLAND PEAK TEAM: They left
camp today. Instead of going to Gorak Shep yesterday to spend the night they
instead stayed in the comforts of our camp and left from here this morning. They
should all be tucked in in their IP base camp tonight. We are hoping that their
timing will work for a bid on the summit considering the current weather. We
always add a bad weather day in our IP itinerary so hopefully this work for
them. Here is their schedule:
Day
13Oct.16/10
Trek
to Chukung- IP Base Camp
Day
14Oct. 17/10
Pareshya
Gyab 4,970m or high camp [5,600m]
Day
15Oct. 18/10
Climb Island peak
[6145m] and back to Pareshya Gyab
Day
16Oct 19/ 10
Flexible
day for weather, health etc.
If strong they can miss the high
camp either up or down or both giving them a bigger window.
Birthday parties!!!.. Yesterday
the team celebrated Damion's birthday and Ang Karsung made him a chocolate cake.
Tomorrow is Roger's birthday so more cake. With the snow it's a good time to
fatten up.
Marty Schmidt made a trip to our
base camp yesterday for a visit. Tim said the team had a great time listening to
them re-hashing stories of days gone by.
ROLL CALL: It's time to
tally up who is where for our followers.
PUMORI BASE CAMP
Damion
Roger
Warren
Romano
Pierre-Henri
Jim
Petter
Silvie
Samuel
Tino
Nabs
ISLAND PEAK BASE CAMP
Ilija
Kuntal
Martin
Ayo
Lori
Ray
Laurel
Trekker Al Bligh's itinerary now separates from
the team as he and makes his way back to Lukla with his guide.
PHOTOS:
(1) Looking up summit of Island Peak (2) Looking down from the summit of
Island Peak- *Don Odegard photos.
October 15, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
No news is good news!..
Well I waited and waited and have a good idea why I didn't get a report from
Tim. It's likely one of two
reasons or both. When I spoke to Tim yesterday he was starting to feel a cold
coming on that's been circulating throughout the team since day one.
Airplanes!!!!... breeding bug capsules... damn! He tried and did manage to stay
virus free till he reached base camp. Guess that's a better place to nurse a
cold than in the valley. Staying healthy in this environment is truly a
challenge for everyone.
I'm left to assume he went to bed
early with his ginger tea and hoped to stay awake to make his check in call but
probably feel asleep. Or, scenario number two- "weather"- I have been
watching our weather reports and see significant precipitation in the area. The
freezing level is at their current elevation which could mean they are getting
dumped on with snow this evening and this could also hinder satellite
reception.
Eyes on Lhotse: We are
keeping an eye out this season on Tim's longtime guiding buddy Marty Schmidt
from New Zealand. He is on his way up to climb Lhotse (8526m), solo. There is a
team on Everest this autumn so the icefall will get fixed. Tim took with him
this season a rather large telescope and will be monitoring his progress. Pretty
exciting distraction to say the least. We wish him great success. Go
Marty!
PHOTOS:
Two "mountain
machines" as dubbed by the people that know them: Marty and Tim
Ang Nima and Tim, Ang Nima is
leading the Island Peak team this year. Ang Nima is so popular with our trek
groups these days that he rarely gets out to climb. He is pretty excited to
be back on the crampons. Ang Nima has been family for now 20 years. Love
him!!!!
October 14, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
"PUJA....
we started at 07:30hrs this morning and it lasted a couple of hours. After
breakfast I took the Island Peak team out for their
technical training session and they are stoked about their ascent in the next
few days. Tomorrow they will climb to the top of Kala Pattar (5545m) to not only
gain some altitude but to also snap those infamous photos of the Khumbu glacier
and the route up Everest. The weather is beautiful so they should get some good
shots. After that they will retreat to Gorak Shep for the night then move back
down the direction we came from, then up the Imja glacier direction to their
Island Peak camp. They are all doing fantastic!
OUR NEIGHBORS:I
met with the Ecuadorian team today. They said they have been following our blog
for about 8 years now so they know our pioneered route well. They are wicked
climbers!!!... our Sherpas are pleased that these guys are breaking trail and we
will be supplying the rope. This is a first for them in years that we have been
playing here. If all goes well for them they are planning to summit on or around
October 21st. We will keep you posted.
THE ROUTE: The
Ecuadorian's say they are climbing in shin deep snow right now which is good.
They will head up to Camp 2 day after tomorrow. From what I see, the route looks
like more ice than previous years leading up the summit ridge. As before we will
see what they pop out onto on the ridge in the days to come. Will it be snow or
will it be ice or will it be a setup just right for safe passage? In the
meantime we will get on with what we are here for. Our boot camp will get
underway day after tomorrow.
GREEN
BASE CAMP: Our solar lights are illuminating the area nicely. We
brought a newer version this year from home that are now independently solar
powered. This means we don't have to plug them into our larger solar source as
they have their own- way to go good on our Canadian Tire Store! These guys do an
awesome job in introducing small affordable solar solutions.
Something else we are testing
this year is reusable pocket warmers. To recharge you pop them into boiling
water briefly till they
return to a liquid form which is contained in a small
plastic pouch. When you need to use it, crack it and the solution solidifies and
gets darn hot. I want to see how long they last up here and how user friendly
they are. There is no doubt they will be hot enough.
Tonight's dinner for all the
mom's and wives at home who will no doubt be wondering was; tomato vegetable
soup, sushi, roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, mix vegetable and chocolate
pudding. Happy climbers :) - over and out... Tim"
PHOTO: Team at BC after
before our Puja. Thanks to Warren again. He also attempted to send one of the
ceremony but we didn't get it. Instead I got a duplicate of the same photo.
Larger version will be posted on Facebook:
October 13, 2010: 21:45hrs
(Nepal Time)
Pumori BC
(5209m) "Yes it's true, we are here. It was a great day with
everyone getting acquainted with their new home. Ang Karsung was tossing out
some exceptional dinning this evening and everyone was busy sorting out their
expedition bags and placing all their cozy comforts in their personal tents.
Tomorrow Lama Mingma will
conduct our personal Puja for our teams and
equipment and will also be giving a special shout out to Melissa Jenkins and all
other breast cancer
survivors and those still under going treatment around the world.
Richard, Ayo, Martin, Al and
Laurel should be in Lobuje tonight, I haven't heard anything so they must be
doing good and hopefully be here tomorrow to participate in the Puja.
Over and out from Pumori Base
Camp, more details tomorrow.... Tim"
Patrick Crawford made contact from Kathmandu today. He informs me that his sat
levels are 99%, he had x-rays on his lungs and reports to be in really good
condition and can't believe what happened to him when he is feeling so good now.
This is exactly what is suppose to happen, recovery is almost immediate when
proper steps are taken to ward off disaster and possible death. Good work team!
Patrick's departure will be a difficult one for him considering he is feeling so
good now. We are certain he will be back here one day real soon, and who knows,
he may do perfectly fine the next time. You just never know what will trigger
AMS, each time can be a totally different experience.
Happy to see SPOT is kind of
working. A new feature this year is when Tim sends an OK message it posts
directly to his Facebook which is kind of cool but I still would like to see the
tracking working as it did before enabling us to see where they came from to
keep it all in perspective of their achievements thus far. We should also be
able to see their actual ascent up the mountain- zoomed in and with elevations.
I will keep on this till rectified to our satisfaction. Ho hum :) Nice new spot
this year but with obvious glitches.
PHOTO: Showing via SPOT
their location at base camp between the lakes. Click on the photo that I have
linked and play with the satellite button and use the zoom. It's quite
fun....enjoy :)
October 13, 2010: 10:45hrs
(Nepal Time)
Spot
messenger sends a signal. The team has just now arrived at Pumori Base Camp
(5209m). Exciting night tonight here at home. The Chilean miners being lifted up
and celebrations of arriving at base camp. Ok, off to bed I go.... over and out,
Becky
Lobuje
(4930m) "One more sleep and we will be at base camp. I'm so looking
forward to the comforts of our camp,
my home away from home. Ang Karsung AKA "Carlton", as dubbed by last
years Everest climbers along with Lhakpa Gelgan and Desh Kumar did a fine job
last night cooking for us here in Lobuje.
Martin and Ayo from our Island
Peak Peak team are still in Dingboche, they are going to lay low one more day
for acclimatization. They were successful in their acclimatization hike above
the village today and with them is Laurel and Al who arrived late due to their
international flight delay. They will need to stay over here one more night.
This location is a critical stage in attaining proper acclimatization. One
should not go higher past this point if your body hasn't caught up. Everyone is
different, it's a hemoglobin make up and it has nothing to do with
fitness.
The doctors from the Pheriche
HRA clinic have noted that there seems to be more than normal incidents of AMS
this season. There could be a couple of factors, one being people moving too
swiftly and not taking the warnings seriously. Perhaps the run on accommodation
plays a roll too- people unable to find rooms, so they push on.
THE ROUTE:
Ang Karsung informs us that
there is an Ecuadorian team on our preferred route, they are climbing Alpine
style, no ropes, so it will be interesting to see how much progress they have
made when we arrive tomorrow, we are looking forward to meeting them. Our boys,
Paulden, Jangbu and Tashi have been up to our ABC already staking it out while
we have been trekking.
WEATHER:
It's snowing lightly here in
Lobuje this evening and Becky tells us that the freezing level has been moving
up and down between 4900m and 5200m so that matches up with what we are getting
locally.
Next report coming from base camp tomorrow,
can't wait. Over and out, Tim"
Photo: Our route, the south
ridge, up the left hand side of Pumori. Photo taken by Khalid Alsiyabi on our
way to Everest last spring.
October 11, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
Dingboche
(4421m) "Good evening everyone back home and a happy Thanksgiving
to all our Canadian families and
followers. In the past we would normally be at our Pumori base camp enjoying
roasted chicken on this day but because the weather patterns have been changing
in this region, and the world for that matter, we moved our expedition start
dates back a few days to better work with the lingering monsoon and back logs of
trekkers and climbers to this region as result.
Speaking of which; there is bad
weather in the Khumbu right now. We are informed that the flights have been
cancelled in and out of Kathmandu to Lukla for three days now. Three of our
Gokyo loops trek members who are with Mingmar are still in Kathmandu and it's
hopeful they will get out tomorrow as the weather is suppose to improve.
Last night part of my running
back and forth between Pheriche and Dingboche and again this morning was dealing
with the unfortunate departure of young Patrick Crawford from Kamloops
B.C. Patrick's oxygen saturation levels were dropping significantly and by
the time we reached Dingboche they had dropped enough to cause concern. I took
him to the HRA (Himalayan Rescue Association) post in Pheriche. Three doctors
rotated shifts throughout the night monitoring his condition. By morning it was
determined that his climb will sadly end here due to the Pulmonary Edema version
of acute mountain sickness. Typically a helicopter would be called in to
take him out to Kathmandu but the weather would not allow for this. Instead we
organized a horse, supplied with oxygen and a Sherpa to take him to Namche
Bazaar where he is now resting. Tomorrow a helicopter will be dispatched from
Kathmandu (weather permitting) to take him out to Kathmandu hospital for
assessment and to prepare for his eventual departure home. His
young spirit and enthusiasm towards this climb will be missed by all.
You never know who will get
hammered by AMS and sometimes there are contributing factors. He has climbed
Denali before and is very fit. We did all the proper steps to acclimatize
properly, going slow, staying over two nights in Namche, day hike above Namche
and so on. However he was nursing a bit of a cold which can inhibit the
respiratory system, and likely in this case, enough to bring full on AMS. The
only treatment for this is to go down. Thanks to our team doctor Tino Solomon
and the HRA doctor team for their prudence. Tim"
Today
the team as planned, hiked above Dingboche to assist with tomorrows altitude
gain to Lobuje. We have booked the entire lodge in Lobuje and at this point hygiene
becomes a concern. To deal with it we have Ang Karsung and the boys bringing
down our camp kit from BC and cook in the kitchen of the lodge in an attempt to
ward off getting sick at this stage of the journey. After Lobuje it's base camp,
an exciting time for these expeditions. Good food, off the main trail, sleeping
in tents, ambience at it's best.
Warning! The Khumbu valley
is busy. Once again we remind those who attempt to come here during the peak
seasons independently. There are no rooms!!.. Groups have reserved the lodges in
advance. Independent trekkers are being turned away with no place to sleep.
Table tops and floors are reserved for porters and house staff during extreme
situations. Trekkers should consider this and please do not put them out in the
cold :) Sorry! but because of the popularity of this particular trek route,
traveling outside a group is getting more and more difficult. If you decide you
absolutely want to go it independently we highly recommend bringing a tent. You
will be expected to pitch a tent in yard of the property owner and eat from
their kitchens. No free loading allowed, flat land is limited and yaks have
priority on their grazing areas and we must remember this is a park which comes
with rules to maintain it's pristine beauty.
Photos: Provided by Warren
Bruce:
Team at the Namche blessing
with Lama Phu. My they all look so nice!
A few of the Island Peak
members.
Larger versions on Facebook
Still waiting for SPOT to respond to our
situation, sorry! TBA
October 10, 2010: 21:00hrs (Nepal
Time)
Dingboche
(4421m) "Busy day getting everyone accounted for and tucked into
their beds. The fog rolled in this afternoon causing
a bit of confusion. Dingboche and Pheriche are situated at a junction and there
are various trails leading several different directions from here. One way is up
toward the Khumbu glacier and the other is towards Imja glacier. It's not
uncommon to go astray here and especially when hampered by fog.
I had to do a section of the
trail a couple of times this evening gathering everyone up and right at this
moment I'm still out here reporting to Becky with my headlamp on as I do the
last little pitch back up the hill to Dinboche. Perhaps some yak style
bells tuned specifically for Peak Freak'ers may be something to consider for the
future. All in all it was fun day and there will some good stories to share in
the morning.
Tomorrow is our acclimatization
hike day at this new elevation. We will push the team up higher and come back
down to sleep in Dingboche. I was observing the mountains today after hearing
stories of a lot of snow on the Tibetan side turning back many climbers this
season. From my experience here, mountains like Ama Dablam and Everest south
don't appear to have that much snow on them. The rain level did go up a bit
during the past weeks before we arrived but from our reports not that high. I am
inclined to think that most of the snow was dumped on the other side of the
Himalayas. We can't see Pumori yet from where we are but once we are our way to
Lobuje day after tomorrow we will have a full view of what we will be up
against. Ok, I've arrived, over and out, it's pillow time.... Tim"
Photo: Bridge crossing on
the Dudh Kosi river. The river that comes out of Everest. At the junction near
Dingboche and Pheriche.
* Dudh (Nepalese for milk) Kosi
(river running south)
P.S.
Here's a little blip from Warren Bruce: "The Pumori crew is now at
the Highland Sherpa tea house waiting for the Island Peak group to catch up. I
was up early this morning and had the tea house to myself for a few minutes. The
early morning light coming through the curtains was bouncing off Ama Dablam,
there was a faint smell of wood smoke from the central heating system and
Buddhist chants were playing on the radio. Om Mani Padme Hun."
One also came from Nabs saying
that he and Warren were sending me a bunch of photos. Unfortunately I didn't get
anything. Maybe they will find there way here eventually. It's possible that the
solar storage can't keep up with the heavy lodge traffic this time of year.
October 9, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
Namaste
from Pangboche (3901m), "Tonight with me is everyone on the
Pumori team except for Richard Mollet from the UK, he
is staying in Deboche with the Island Peak team. We had a good day today, we had
a blessing from Lama Phu before leaving Namche Bazaar, since we won't have that
privilege this year from Lama Geshe, somehow I know his thoughts and prayers are
still with us. I feel his presence up here on the hill and I know he wants
nothing more than to be here in body too, I have confidence that he soon will
be. We still have our Puju at base camp in the days to come so all our equipment
will be blessed so we are covered.
Tomorrow the Island Peak team
will join us in Dingboche, they are with Ang Nima and Ang Karsung's son Sonam is
also with them. It's very rewarding to have our long time family of Sherpas
growing old with us and to know that their son's and daughters are working with
us too now. Together we get to share stories of the joy of grandchildren. I was
hoping to bring my favorite side kick Ethan, now 10 years old over this October.
Many of our followers now how much he means to me, but it's not going to work
out this time around. We will try again next year. That day could be the
highlight of my life having all the grands together over here. Next year,
2011 is our 20th anniversary operating in the Himalayas so that might be a good
time to celebrate with all the families together at the same time. We look
forward to that day. Over and out... Tim"
Warren Bruce from Vancouver has
been compiling comments on his IPAD from some of the members to post here,
probably tomorrow from
Dingboche we will get it out for family and friends following.
SPOT.... We are just about up and
running as it should. We are still working on a glitch. It appears SPOT has an
issue. We have managed to at least offer you a location transmission via SPOT to
Goggle Map but the tracking isn't working which would allow everyone to follow
their trail up the trail in progression.
Give it a try:
PHOTOS:
View from up on Pangboche
hill. Mount Ama Dablam in the background. This is one of our stock photos so
imagine it with a lot more snow now.
Sherpa children being
entertained by some drawings of themselves.
October 8, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
Just a quickie, everyone is doing
well. Nice day up to Khunde and Khumjung, many photos were taken of the views
and everyone is back down
in the lodge in Namche Bazaar. Nice weather, good food, good people and good
times. Laurel and Al are here now.
Tomorrow we
trek
to the village of Tengboche (3866 meters), the cultural and religious center of
the Khumbu. At the monastery we attend Buddhist ceremonies and rituals performed
by local monks. Vistas from Tengboche are spectacular. The jagged peaks of
Thamserku and Kangtega stand to our south, as Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama
Dablam are visible to the north. The Monastery at Tengboche is one of the most
well known in the world as the Rinpoche is revered throughout the Buddhist
community and has authored a number of books and essays. In the past our groups
have had an audience with the Rinpoche and received his blessing. This is often
a moving and intense experience. Views from this locale (one of the finest on
earth), include Kwangde 6186 meters, Tawachee 6467 meters, Nuptse 7878 meters,
Lhotse 8500 meters, Everest 8852 meters, Ama Dablam 6857 meters, Kantega 6778
meters, Thamserku 6607 meters. After visiting Tengboche we move to spend the
night in Pangboche.
SPOT seems to be having a glitch
that were are currently working on. In the meantime here is our itinerary to
Pumori base camp.
Oct. 8- trek to Pangboche
(3901)
Oct. 9- trek to Dingboche
(4412m)
Oct. 10- overnight in
Dingboche, acclimatization hike to (4780m)
Oct. 11- trek to Lobuje
(4931m)
Oct. 12- arrival Pumori Base
Camp (5209m)
FACEBOOK PHOTO UPLOAD TODAY
October 7, 2010:
21:00hrs (Nepal Time)
Namaste
from Namche Bazaar! We are all here in good kicking in our home here for the
next two days. We had some good laughs last night in Monjo hearing the tales of
why Jim was missing. We'll let him tell his story. Everyone is doing really
good, moving along nicely and all feeling terrific.
Note from Jim:
Becky "I'm lost in Monjo"....
Becky.. "I'm found in Monjo" everything worked out. I got a lodge in Monjo
that was 20 meters away from where Tim booked us. I made pretty good time
arriving here as the main group didn't arrive until a couple hours later. They
were in a coffee shop in Lukla, that's why I couldn't find the group, so I was
hurrying up trying to catch up to them. Had a good workout!
The team will laying low tonight. Going slow is
very important when ascending these higher altitudes until your body has had the
chance to adjust, you are at risk of AMS- acute mountain
sickness if you move too quickly. Yak speed is critical, nice a slow....
Tomorrow everyone will go high and
sleep low. Going up to the twin Sherpa villages of Khunde and Khumjung will
offer them an altitude gain that will prepare for the next day to Tengboche and
Debouche. While up there tomorrow they will visit the Hillary School, the Khunde
Hospital and have lunch at Ang Nima's house with his family. The views from his
home are the by far the best. You can see Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Nuptse
from here. It sounds like they will be beautifully brightened this season with
all the new snow. Wish I was there.
The team will also have a special
blessing done for them in the absence of Lama Geshe in Namche Bazaar.
Tomorrow Al Bligh and Laurel
Ambrose who were set back from their delayed international flight should be in
Namche Bazaar tomorrow with the team.
Tim demonstrating the headache you will get if you trek too quickly.
Kathmandu airport bound
for Lukla
Arriving in Lukla... hold
on!
Loading the Zomu's
Jim retracing his tracks
on the map
Warren keeping track of
the beer, Jim lost no problem- beer lost- big problem.
Tino and Damion, our two
medical professionals keeping an eye on everyone.
I don't know what's up with SPOT.
I forgot to ask Tim. It hasn't started transmitting yet. Tim has a photo
album on his Facebook that will have the full version of the photos. Do check
there in the next little while for updates and larger versions.
Many thanks to Warren Bruce from
Vancouver, B.C. for keeping the of visuals coming... Very much appreciated!
Becky
Some folks may have missed the
news that Lama Geshe just recently had a stroke. He is now 79 years old but
lives a good healthy
mountain life and for that reason we are certain he will recover.
Lama Geshe has blessed hundreds of
climbers for safe passage to the top and back on the peaks in the Khumbu. It's
going to be a bit unnerving to not have him there for the first time in our 20
years here. Tim and I, the Sherpa people of the valley and their families feel
much the same in that to climb without his blessing would not be a good thing.
We take our climbers to his home in Pangboche each season for a personal
blessing. Our members are given the sanji (red cord) he ties a special knot in
it for them and puts it around their necks offering protection and blessing. Tim
is given a special hand sewn pouch from Lama Geshe that holds a stash of the
sacred juniper bush. I believe he does this one for Tim because he has such a
large responsibility in his hands and a little extra blessing may be needed. Tim
faithfully wears it around his neck till at least week after he has returned
home. Then they are stored in a basket in our home. He also brings home all the
Khata silk scarves that you see around their necks, also blessed by the Lama. We
have these strewn throughout our trees in the forest where we live.
His son Jigme who is staying in the
US with his host family has taken an emergency leave this semester at
Nazerth College and is now in Kathmandu to care for his father.
Donations are being asked
for and collected directly by Jigme Sherpa who serves as Director of the
fund. 100% of donations will be utilized to benefit Lama Geshe and his
family.
Those who know us know how
dear Lama Geshi is to us. We pray for him and his family now as he has
for all the climbers in the past.
I am posting on a separate page is
progress as we are being informed and you will also find a link to send a
donation if you wish.
I was happy to read that not only
does Lama Geshe want to return home the mountains now, but also because he wants
to eat food that's grown in the Khumbu- We relate! Check out our "Green
Theme" page. We are trying to work towards the 100 mile diet for our
expeditions. We're getting close but it's still really hard to catch salmon up
there.
Tim checks in:Clock
work!... everyone is safe and sound in Monjo enjoying one of their best
sleeps so far. After flying for
multiple days for some, 12+ hour time zone changes and the chaos of the city,
this is the night they start to get into the slow swing of life in the
Himalayas. When leaving Lukla (9380 ft / 2860m) they meander up the gentle
winding trail along side the Dudh Koshi river to the village of Monjo, just 40
feet lower in elevation than Lukla. The walk typically takes about 3 hours, nice
and slow. Chombi's lodge is built on ledge next to the river. It is tight in the
valley from Lukla to Namche Bazaar. The mountains and river making the gorge
where the trail is formed. The fresh air tonight and sound of the river will
have everyone rested up and ready to hike up the steepest part of this journey
up the Namche hill tomorrow.
We should get some team photos
when they get to Namche Bazaar. In the meantime I will share this one.
PHOTO: Zomu's .. compare
their stature with the photo above of the Yak's.
P.S. To all our past participants
Ang Nima and Ang Karsung yell out a big Namaste over the satphone to everyone.
October 5, 2010:
21:00hrs (Nepal Time)
Tim checks in:
Everyone is tucked in bed except for Kuntal (from Mombi) who had some last
minute shopping to do tonight. Tim was just saying good night to him when we
touched base.
We are unfortunately minus two
members, Al Bligh and Laurel Ambrose both from Canada were to arrive on Cathay
Pacific's - Dragon Air today but they experienced a mechanical in Dhaka and were
sent back to Hong Kong to overnight. A little glitch in their itinerary but we
have put our back-up plan into action. They will be scooped from the
Kathmandu airport tomorrow evening, we will let them rest up at the hotel for
the night and then fly them separately to Lukla the next day to catch up to the
team. Kaji Sherpa in Lukla will have their porter organized and by the time they
reach Namche Bazaar (Day 2), there they will meet their team for the first time.
Laurel tells me there are 118 people with them also booked on treks and climbs
affected by this so let the adventure begin, for them it already has :)
Tim reports everyone enjoying the
city tour this morning visiting Durbar Market and the Monkey temple with Sangeta
our tour guide for many years. By now everyone is feeling at home in the city
and getting to know their way around with the help of Nabs.
All the team bags managed to get
out this morning from Kathmandu to Lukla and the porters and zomu's- aka zho's
or dzo- spent a hard day on the trail working their way up the valley. Once the
bags arrive in Namche they will be loaded up onto our yaks. We don't use yaks
lower in the valley as the trail gets extremely congested as well these big
creatures double in size with duffel bags hanging from their sides. Also they
don't do well at lower altitudes yet thrive at 4000m plus so we use the zho's
who are the F1 cross breed of a yak and cow who can tolerate the lower altitudes
and not as bulky.
That's all for now, stay
tuned! Becky
October 5, 2010:
10:00hrs (Nepal Time)
Looking good team!......"Good
morning Becky. At the request of Tim I'm sending you the team photo taken this
morning. With a little cropping you should be able to get the photographer's
finger out of the frame. I think there are two people missing from the photo as
they're still getting used to the time zone change. In other words "they
slept in and missed out".
Half of the team has gone on the city tour and the rest of us are doing last
minute shopping or resting up at the Nirvana Garden. The weather here in
Kathmandu has been great -sunny and warm. I could do without the car horns, dust
and crazy traffic though. Looking forward to tomorrow morning's flight to Lukla
and the fresh air. I think I'll prefer the thin and clean air of the mountains
to the thick and dirty of the city."
Warren
A few of our followers may be
surprised to see some of your buds in this photo. We welcome back Nabil Lodey
who was with us on Everest in 2008. Nabs will be providing mentorship to the
Everest training team on what to do and not to do, check knots and offer his
infectious sense of humor through out the climb.
Also onboard is Ray Moore who some
will know from our Aconcagua expedition 2 years ago. We will be posting more
photos once on the trail of the entire gang together so stay tuned.
October 4, 2010: 21:00hrs
(Nepal Time)
Namaste from Kathmandu... Today is
the first official day of our Pumori 2010' Everest Training Climb. Though a few
members have been here early taking advantage of the pre-climb tours in the
region and gear shopping, I am happy to say that everyone from the Pumori 2010
team list and the Island Peak team #1 list are all here with me this evening in
Kathmandu. We all gathered for dinner at the Third Eye enjoying an evening
getting to know each other.
Things are running along smoothly. I
have the climbing permits in hand and everyone's bags are organized. Tomorrow at
06:30hrs Ang Karsung will start getting them all tossed onto planes heading up
to Lukla to our Sherpas who are waiting up there. They will receive them and start
loading them on the yaks who will take them to base camp.
It's busy here in the capital city.
This is the onset of high season in the Himalayas. Skies are typically clearer
and it's a bit cooler never mind the outstanding back drop of the mountains that
have been nicely frosted as a result of the wet monsoon
throughout Asia. The monsoon quit right on schedule, the end of September,
opening up the airways for flights in and out of the popular trekking and
climbing routes.
How does it look up there?......
Well, we have been watching the weather all summer long and it hasn't been the
best climbing season for some of the Himalayan giants that are typically climbed
mid to late summer. There have been numerous avalanches and just way too much precipitation
and foul weather.
Our timing and schedule seem once
again to be working with us. There is a
significant amount of snow pilling up up there again. Hopefully the mountains
and glaciers will have a chance to heal, that is hopeful but possible.
If the temperatures cooperate and keep cool, it will be a good thing. A
positive note on the conditions is that the monsoon has stopped so this new
abundance of snow will have a chance to settle out and bond to the mountain by
the time we start to climb. Here is our itinerary PUMORI
2010' Everest Training Climb for your to see where we are and when. I will
also be carrying our SPOT tracker once again. I will get it up and tracking once
we arrive in Lukla.
What's next? Some of the members
will be off on a morning city tour with Sangeta who has been leading these
outstanding educational tours through Durbar Market, the Monkey Temple and more.
I will be doing various chores and just getting to know our team. It's time to
hit the pillow, it's been a long day....... over and out...Tim
Once again we are opening up a link between young Nepalese scholars and our expedition participants. An
opportunity for family members and friends
following at home to make a pledge
and nominate one of your climber or trekker friends or family, please refer to
the Learn For Life Nepal website: LEARN
FOR LIFE NEPAL Tax receipts on amounts as little as $20.00 will be issued. For more information
contact Becky Rippel or Vanessa Higgott
THANK YOU SPONSORS!! EVEREST
BASE CAMP TREK 2010 WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!! ALMOST $27,000 RAISED BY TREKKERS AND
CLIMBERSclick
here to read about it...
A little something to
get everyone pumped... enjoy!
With a special foreword by
Conrad Anker, the mountaineer who discovered George Mallory's body in
1999, the books featured in the EVEREST SERIES were on-site historical
reference texts during the filming of The
Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest - in theaters 2010. The books also
include Conrad's trip journal from the now historic Altitude Everest
Expedition. The 2-book set features Mount Everest-The
Reconnaissance (1921) and The Assault on Everest (1922). These
historical texts give a reader a sense of context and insight into man's
relationship with the world's tallest mountain -- and the land and people
that surround it.
This season we will also be
entertaining a team of base camp trekkers who will follow with us to our Pumori
Base Camp before setting out to stand on top of Kala Pattar, the shoulder of
Pumori a 5550 m (18192–18209 ft), a non-technical trekking peak before pushing
on to touch the mouth of the Khumbu glacier at Everest Base Camp.
Also joining us this seaon at Pumori base camp for a technical
briefing/training is our Island Peak team. Some will be in the early stages
of training for Everest and beyond. All in all, once again it's going to be an exciting time
for everyone in the Himalayas this autumn.