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Mt. Everest Expedition: Practicing Patience

Posted by: Melissa Arnot | May 03, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 17,575'

Arriving back at Base Camp always comes with a sigh of relief. Today was no different, except perhaps the sigh was bigger.  We spent five days and four nights at Camp 2, deep in the Western Cwm. The jet stream was sitting very near the top of Everest, which sounds an awful lot like a freight train roaring in the night. The purpose of this rotation was for our team to acclimatize and further prepare for our summit bid. We set out with the hopes of sleeping at Camp 2 and walking to Camp 3. Like always, you have to pause and listen to what the mountain is telling you. This season has been very windy and dry, and as we have been making plans to get high on the mountain, we have been hearing stories of rockfall coming from above. A certain amount of flexibility has been a vital part of our plan. Yesterday, we set out for a walk towards a new path up the Lhotse Face. The fixed line and route were just being established as we arrived, providing a seemingly safer way to access Camp 3. We enjoyed our walk (actually, that is a slight lie, as it was very very windy, but it did the trick of getting us some exercise) and headed back to our camp for lunch. The route has proven to us that it is dry and not welcoming travelers. It is the beginning of May. We need some new snow. Now we wait, now we listen. I am ready for some rest right now, as is the the team. So, for now I can find gratitude in being down at Base Camp, out of the wind, but back in the waiting game.

RMI Guide Melissa Arnot

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Acclimatizing at ABC

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot | May 02, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 21,300'

Hello,

This is Dave Hahn calling from Advanced Base Camp on Mt. Everest.  Beautiful day today, it was kind of windy last night and wind continued during the day.  Roaring up above and just gusting down below where we were.  We went for a hike, a roped up hike with crampons and ice axes, exploring the upper end of the Western Cwm.  We went up to the start of a new climbing route, a new way of accessing the Lhotse face that a number of friends of ours were working hard to put in today.  We wanted to check out their efforts and get a look at the terrain over there.  So this a bit several hundred meters to one side of the existing route where it crosses the Bergschrund at the base of the face which is a little too active in rock fall in the conditions that we have right now.  So this is an effort to try to find an alternative.  It was a good outing for us.  We were out for about 3 hours and enjoyed working against the altitude and working in the cold wind and seeing things from a little bit different angle.  We came back and spent the afternoon in camp.

Consensus is that conditions are pretty dry and dangerous on the Lhotse face.  So many teams were not having their members or Sherpa go up on the standard route, but others were. Our intention now, not being able to safely climb at the moment without some new snow or some change, is to head down to Base Camp in the morning.  So that is what we are looking to do – up early and heading down.
That’s all for now.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Team Continues to Acclimatize at ABC

Posted by: Melissa Arnot, Mark Tucker, Dave Hahn | May 01, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 21,300'

Happy Anniversary to the first American Summit team on Mt. Everest!
That climb happened forty-nine years ago today.  Thanks to all the teams of the past for the valuable insight on how to climb this mountain as safe and smart as possible. 
Dave Hahn and the RMI team remained at Camp 2 (ABC) for another night. All is well up there as they adjust slowly to these extreme altitudes. Conditions on the upper mountain are rough with the jet stream still over top and limited tracks in the upper route for now.  Dave is the master at making the best use of their time up high and when they return to Base Camp I’m sure they will be ready for some rest down here in the thick air of 17,575’.

We are now in the meat of the Mt. Everest climbing season.  There are teams all over the mountain and everybody is at a little different stage in their schedule to get themselves ready for the summit. The cooperation between the teams this year has been fantastic and the resolve and commitment to work together is outstanding.  It is a small community here and everybody pulling together is making for a very enjoyable season.
Lots of work ahead and many more amazing photos to be taken. Hold on - summit time is just around the corner because it’s the month of MAY!

Happy May Day!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Team readies for next rotation

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot, Mark Tucker | April 28, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 17,575'

Hello,
It is a beautiful day at Everest Base Camp. The climbing team and I did a nice glacier walk out from Base Camp. Just enough to stretch the legs and stop at the internet cafe en-route. There has been lots of packing and loads distributed to the Sherpa team who will help carry gear up to Camp 2 tomorrow. The rest days here at Base Camp have been good for the climbing team members and it looks like tomorrow they will begin their next rotation up high.  We had two members of our Sherpa Team, Lam Babu and Yubaraju, that spent last night at Camp 2.  They reported that everything is ready for the climbing team to inhabit this upper camp.

So, our plan is a 3:30 am breakfast, with requests of eggs, rice porridge, cold cereal and some hot drinks. The team should then be walking out of camp at 4:00 am headed for Camp 2.

We are hoping for good weather and for everyone in the team to feel strong as they climb higher tomorrow.

We will keep you posted.

RMI Guide Mark Tucker

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Mt. Everest Expedition: The Team Completes their First Rotation

Posted by: Melissa Arnot | April 24, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 17,575'

After three nights spent at Camp I, the time to descend came early this morning.  The lively winds helped to motivate us out of camp when the sun hit our tents. Walking down through the icefall after being up for a few days is always interesting, and amazing how fast things have changed. Everyone made their way through the ever-changing river of ice efficiently.  Base Camp always feels so much sweeter after a few nights up high.  We arrived under clear skies and unpacked into the solitude of our own tents; our home away from home. Everyone is doing really well, and after a few days of rest at Base Camp, we will all certainly be feeling even better as we prepare for our second rotation onto the upper slopes of the mountain.

RMI Guide Melissa Arnot

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Dave Hahn Checks in from EBC

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot | April 20, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 17,575'

We are kicking off our Everest climb for Spring 2012. 

We’ve already been overseas for a little more than three weeks now and at 17,500 ft Everest Base Camp for about a week.  We’ve benefited immensely from the work put into the building of this comfortable and efficient camp by RMI’s Jeff Martin, basecamp manager Mark Tucker and the entire Sherpa staff.  The climbing team feels confident that they’ve now shaken off the “trekker germs” collected during our 11 day push up the Khumbu Valley.  Everyone seems well acclimated and we’ve successfully stretched our legs and lungs on the hills around camp and the approaches to the Khumbu Icefall.  On April 16th, we held a Puja ceremony, seeking the blessing of the gods before putting ourselves in danger on the mountain.  The Puja was deemed a great success and our Sherpa team has consequently completed two missions through the Icefall, going as far as the site which will become our Advanced Base Camp (or Camp II) at a little over 21,000 ft.  Reaching that camp will be one of the goals of our climbing team in these next few days, but we don’t intend to sleep that high just yet.  First things first… if all goes well, we want to get an early start tomorrow morning, say around 5 AM, and then to climb through the Icefall to spend three nights at Camp I (just under 20,000 ft in the Western Cwm).  Our Sherpa team tells us they are satisfied with the present state of the ever-changing Icefall Route.  As usual, we’ll need to climb steep glacial ice, cross ladder bridges over deep crevasses, pass efficiently under avalanche threats and generally keep moving well when the going gets tough.  We figure that this first push should take us around 4 to 4.5 hours.  The climbers have spent most of today sorting gear, packing food and getting packs neat and orderly.  We even showered and put on semi-fresh clothing.  Now we’ll launch our first “rotation” on the mountain toward an eventual summit push.  Each rotation should take us higher on the hill, encountering different challenges and hazards… but also progressively bigger and more spectacular views of the world.  Descending back down to basecamp for smart rest and recuperation between rotations will take on added importance as we get farther along with the game.

It is a big season on Mount Everest with perhaps 40 other teams encamped around us at the base of the mountain.  We’ve each been happy to bump into friends and fellow climbing guides around camp and plans are being laid for communal meals and gaming sessions to fill the downtime.  The weather has been “normal” enough with each day starting cold and sparkling clear, but then clouding up by noon and dropping a little snow by late afternoon or early evening.  Our views of Everest’s summit pyramid have revealed a dry and increasingly rocky profile to the upper mountain.  Either the winter didn’t produce significant volumes of snow up high, or -as is more likely- the jet stream winds have been working overtime to scour the peak.

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Hahn & Arnot Prepare

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot | April 18, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest

RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Melissa Arnot reached Everest Base Camp a few days ago and the expedition is underway! Keep an eye on the RMI Blog over the coming weeks for updates on their climb. In the meantime, check out this video from Outside Magazine where Dave describes his preparation for climbing Mt. Everest.

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Mentally Preparing for the Summit

Posted by: Melissa Arnot | May 15, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 21,200 ft.

Waking up at 3:30 a.m. is never easy, especially at 17,500 ft. Somehow though, as the alarm went off yesterday morning, it was easy to rise. The wind was blowing gently, making the tents speak - I think they were saying “get outta here.” As I began crunching through the icefall, the normal adrenaline kicked my pace up a notch, but also the excitement for what is ahead. Even though I have been through the icefall many times, this time it feels different. I am hopeful that when I come back down, I will not have to go back up again - this is our summit push.

As I wind through the ice blocks and snow-covered crevasses, I have to admit I am filled with a new kind of trepidation. Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on this earth, and even in normal conditions it would hand me a challenge. This year has been different though, as it has been filled with some extra challenges. I wanted to attempt to climb without supplemental oxygen, and that certainly added an unknown element to the trip. I have had many questions for myself since I made that decision, the biggest of course being: “Is it possible?” Early on in the trip I injured my ankle and that has really slowed me down, not just physically but mentally as well. I really feel like I need to be 100% to try to climb without O2, and as the trip has gone on, it has become clear that this isn’t the case. At any rate, climbing Mt. Everest will still give me a great challenge and there is still so much work to be done.

As I lie in my tent resting at Camp 2, I think about the climbers surrounding me. It is certainly humbling to be around some of the world’s best (and strongest) mountaineers, as well as the cameramen who work twice as hard as any of the climbers. It is also pretty special to see Erica attempt to tackle a goal so large. At times I have to remind myself that she is really one of the only people here who isn’t climbing for a profession, and I admire her strength and adaptability to work with this group.

Today is a rest day, and my mind is already playing with the thoughts about summit day - how will the weather be, will I feel strong, how can I be an asset to the team… But summit day could still be days away, so for now I will quiet my mind, rest my body, and let the gratitude I feel for where I am right now wash over me.

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Summit Push To Begin May 8th For Viesturs, Whittaker & Arnot

Posted by: Melissa Arnot | May 04, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 17,350 ft.

The chatter of Sherpa staff waking up and getting going is the first thing I hear, then the sun hits the tent and it is time to get up. Basecamp is a busy place, but I always think of it as the place that is ruled by the rise and set of the sun. As soon as the sun hits, it is too hot to stay in the tent and once the sun recedes, it is too cold to stay out. I like the simplicity of that; I don’t have to think too hard about where exactly to be.

If all goes well and the weather holds, this will be our final rest before the summit push. There is still so much to do, but plenty of time. At Camp 3 on the last rotation, it was a great test of how things will work, and what still needs to be done. Today, I look through the gloves that I can choose from for the summit bid. I scan my climbing clothing, seeing what needs to be washed one last time and what is ready to go. I count out the energy gels that I will use for the summit push, and tuck in a few packages of fruit snacks for good measure. Looking at all of this equipment, it is hard to imagine that in less than a week it will be tucked onto my body and my back, on my way to the summit.

Of course, so much has to line up. A week seems close, but in reality, it is still a world away. The weather has to be good, but also we have to feel good as climbers. Your body has to be strong and your mind open to the challenge that is ahead. On the summit push, I need to stay healthy, avoiding any stomach bugs or head colds that might be trying to come my way. If everything does line up, then you have to be open to the mountain’s terms. If I have learned anything, it is that you have to come prepared with health and strength but also humility and openness. Nothing is assumed. You have to be prepared to take this experience and enjoy each step of it, knowing that the mountains will give you exactly what they want to - that is the beauty of it.

These are the thoughts that are roaming through my mind as final preparations are being made for the summit. Somewhere between being aware of what the mountain is telling us, and which gloves I should pack, I realize that all the preparations (the mental and the physical) are the part of the experience that I value so much, the part that I can take with me on the next adventure. But for now, I will focus on this adventure.

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Melissa Arnot’s Ankle Recovers For Trip To Camp 2

Posted by: Melissa Arnot | April 23, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 17,530 ft.

It always amazes me how much of a temperature extreme you can experience in the mountains. The last few days have been really good for me, as I left Basecamp and made my way to Camp 2. At 5 a.m. this morning, I woke up at 21,000 ft. to the sound of wind whipping at the tent door and a light frost coating the inside of the tent from my nighttime breath. As I sluggishly pulled my boots on and fidgeted with the frozen ends of my crampon straps, I shivered a little and squinted out to the first morning light, hitting the glacier well below me. A cup of spiced cider, and a small internal battle about whether or not to leave my Igniter Jacket on (I shed it), and I was out the door, crampons communing with the ice in a way that makes me smile to hear. The crunching is like a secret language that the crampons speak to the ice in, and though I don’t always understand it, it is something familiar and comfortable for me, a feeling of moving and being stable at the same time.

This morning ended my first rotation to Camp 2, and I am finally feeling that the climbing is starting now. My preparations for this trip started so long ago, when Camp 2 was only a small glimmer in the future, and a memory from last season. Now it is fully upon us, and this season is forming its own voice each day. I am here this year with a different eye and a different attitude than what I had last year. I enjoy thinking back to my trip and all of the joys and learning that it provided me…but this year is shaping up to be quite different.

About two weeks ago, on the first few days of our trek in, I twisted my ankle. Frustrated, I tried to remember that this expedition will last for months, and certainly there is time in there to heal. As the weeks have snuck up on us, I have been reminded that things don’t heal so fast at 17,500 ft. My first morning walk out into the Icefall I turned back, the pain in my ankle causing me to wonder if I was doing more harm than what was needed at this early point in the trip. A few days rest were followed by another failed attempt to get to Camp 1, and a whole new round of frustration. I came down to Basecamp and went to the Himalayan Rescue Association Clinic for a professional opinion. I know I am stubborn, but as far as I can tell, there is no need to hurt myself to climb this mountain. The kind and professional doctors at the clinic did an exam, while I held my breath, and they hypothesized about the injuries…sprain, bone chip in my foot, and most surprisingly, a possible crack in my fibula. Fortunately, none of those injuries warrants a complete stop in activity. Little can be done up here, and as long as the pain is tolerable, I received the go-ahead to keep climbing. The boots that I am using are actually providing good support and, interestingly, the climbing downhill is the least painful and most stable.

With this news, and a new humbled attitude, I finally made my way to Camp 1, a little slower than I would have liked, but without further harm to the ankle. Once I was in the tent at Camp 1, I took a deep breath and a grateful glance at the mountain surrounding me. A small smile captured my mind, as I looked at the ramen packages littering the tent. It is easy to forget about the ankle as I start to melt snow for my first of many packages of dehydrated, salted noodles. The tent is so hot in the midday, even at 19,800 ft., that I have to sit in the snow to keep cool. I laugh a little to myself as I think of what climbing means to me, and how silly this must look to anyone who hasn’t been here. My day at camp is made up of eating noodles, sitting in the snow, and reading candy bar wrappers to see which ones are gluten-free (so maybe I can share with Dave Hahn, who is gluten-intolerant). I go to bed at 6 p.m. and then wake up twelve hours later to get to Camp 2. Peter, Ed and Jake are already at Camp 2, a few days ahead of me due to my change in plans. We spend a day there together, before they head down to Basecamp. I need one more day to acclimatize before rejoining them. My day spent alone at Camp 2 was a lot like the day at Camp 1, making piles of food that I have read the wrappers for and ones that still need to be investigated. The wind picked up in the afternoon, forcing the hot daytime temperatures to merge into a cold evening. I close my eyes in the tent, and wait for the alarm at 5 a.m.

On my way down to Basecamp this morning, I passed by Dave, Seth and Erica, poking their heads out at Camp 1. The morning light is still well below them, but they are getting ready to go for a little walk. I poke my head into the tent and see the ramen packages, this time smiling because I don’t have to eat them today. I continue my way to Basecamp, mostly in the shade of the mountains around me. The last 30 minutes, the sun wins the battle, and the temperature suddenly becomes unbearably warm. I stop to put on some sunscreen and take off a layer, happy to have only a few minutes left until I reach Basecamp and glad to have finished my first rotation.

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