Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Gearing up for the Camp 2 move. I took some time with Kumar and Lam to check electrical equipment including a base-type radio communication station. All is in good order now, we will see how it goes over the next while. Cold and altitude are always tough on that equipment let alone the moving from camp to camp always has takes some toll. Our Sherpa team is hard at work at Camp 2 and a couple will stay the night to get it ready for Dave and crew to move up soon.
Where is the mocha? Photos from my Internet location out in the middle of the glacier. It's not Starbucks but the view can't be beat. A bit of a hassle to get there but compared to what we had as cell service in the past, this is great. We still use the satellite communication for many things, but the price is a lot more. Back in 1990 the sat phone was a good size suite case. The price per minute was 20 to 30 dollars. At least some things have gotten cheaper. The cell towers in Gorak Shep have been pretty reliable as of late and it is so nice to be able to stay in touch with all of you on a consistent basis. With that in mind, fret not if we miss a dispatch here and there, just blame it on tough circumstances that prevail now and again.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
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
On The Map
RMI invested with a local solar outfitter a few years back, and as you can see by the picture we are charged up! At the start of this season we used a generator to jump start the batteries, but since then its been all sun. On cloudy days we have to be a bit careful on how much power we use from the bank of six good-sized car-type batteries but usually plenty of juice. Without it, tough to send out this dispatch and even the best generators are too loud.
The other photo is of one of our star players here at Base Camp, Raju, who is at the watering hole of choice for now. The staff makes lots of trips to this spot daily with five-gallon plastic jugs to keep us full of that most important beverage. As the glacier moves throughout the season, so will we and the watering hole. With all of the human impact over the years we will boil all of the drinking water. Not yet there with the solar so we do use kerosene for cooking here at Base Camp. We have a most wonderful on-demand gas-powered shower tent that we try and not overuse, which you can imagine on a warm day is so fantastic it is hard to convey. A bit different nowadays since my first trip to Everest in 1990. It was 72 days between showers. Hey, we did what we could, but that first shower was a good one!
Dave Hahn is at Camp 1 and a link to his audio dispatch is below.
That's all for today from RMI's Everest Expedition.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Dave Hahn checks in from Camp 1
Be following this blog Dave. Me Knee’s doing better than the other one now. My heart a bit better as well, at a big conference with lots of loving friends. And with you on your hill. Be safe & warm Bro. See you when you get home.
Posted by: Carl Gilmore on 4/26/2012 at 2:52 am
Current report from RMI's Everest team:
Windy and cool with the jet stream right over the region today. Wind usually means not much snow and that is the case today.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn and crew went on a hike toward Camp 2 and are now back at Camp 1 for another night in their great First Ascent tents. Sherpa team is planning to carry more gear up to Camp 2 tomorrow. We are just stock piling Camp 2 for now, leaving gear in duffel bags and not putting tents up since it will still be about a week before the team stays overnight. Without a staff at Camp 2 to keep track of tents, there is no sense in subjecting them to tough weather conditions. The whole team is in great shape and the game plan is right on schedule. It is just a matter of time and next thing you know it, it will be summit push time. Big mountains take a while but they are sure worth it.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in from Camp 1.
On The Map
Yo Mark -
Kim and John reporting in from the deck of the Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor! It’s been spectacular here the last couple of days - but we miss hanging out with you; well, maybe except for those two days in Gorek Shep.
Looks like you’ve settled in for the long haul - but hopefully you’re finding time for some golf!
Be safe, we’ll be following the team the next few weeks. Namaste.
J&K
Posted by: John Gilman on 4/23/2012 at 9:43 pm
Conrad and Dave H. you guys rock. if i had never seen the video of you guys climbing the Pacific Ocean wall in Yosemite, i never would have began to climb. Climbing has changed my life and i owe it all to you guys (along with Jimmy) Keep charging on, and be safe.
Posted by: Samuel Short on 4/23/2012 at 12:29 pm
Hello from Everest Base Camp,
This is my first chance to take a breath here at Base Camp. If you can call it that. Breathing here is always a challenge. It is crazy to think that with all the hard work Jeff Martin put in here at base camp prior to my arrival, it was still non-stop this whole last week. However, the first big reward came today when RMI Guide Dave Hahn and company called down from Camp 1 reporting that all is well. We have the best of the best when it comes to a team of climbers. And the support we give them to make this climb a bit easier is very much a group effort from Kathmandu to the USA.
We had a wild thunder storm this afternoon with a trace of snow but the clouds have cleared and it is pretty clear now. The RMI team left Everest Base Camp at 5 a.m. this morning and made it to Camp 1 in under four hours. That is a very respectable time for the climb of almost three thousand feet. It looks like all the training paid off.
We had a nice dinner in the cook tent with the Sherpa team and I am looking forward to my favorite hot water bottle and a good night's rest.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
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
On The Map
I am a union structural ironworker from Detroit MI and admire you all as a team going for the Summit and living life on the edge. Good Luck and be Safe!
Posted by: Art Kazyak on 4/28/2012 at 5:50 pm
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot
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.
We had some high winds during the night. At dawn the winds deteriorated and we barely had any wind today. Great morning of training with self- and team- ice axe arrest and cramponing. With our crampons on, we roped up and went to the nearby glacier to train. Our tentative plan is to do crevasse rescue training tomorrow. The forecast is for more high winds coming in tomorrow. The winds are supposed to decrease tomorrow night, which looks like the best summit bid window. We’ll have an exploratory team go up later today or tomorrow to check out route conditions.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
We had a beautiful hike down to Lukla today. Lots of greenery and local folk working away in the gardens that abound down here in the 10,000' region. The airport was shut down early this morning due to clouds but as we approached there were a few flights that went in the afternoon. John and Kim are set for the second flight tomorrow weather permitting. The commute from our lodging for the night to the entrance of the airport is about thirty feet, no excuse for missing the flight.
Kim here. . . wow, this has been quite an experience. It was an amazing adventure that I won't forget anytime soon. There were some hard days, some disappointing days, and some really wonderful days. Overall, it was definitely a worthwhile experience. Thanks to all for the comments and good wishes. I'd like to spend my last blog opportunity answering the questions posted yesterday and March 31st from Mrs. Hartman's and Mrs. Jerome's classrooms:
Q: How high are you? A: We were at different altitudes each day. Today we are back in Lukla where we started which is about 9,900ft. The highest we got was about 19,000ft. That was on Island Peak. Q: Did you summit? A: We did not make it to the summit. I am disappointed about that since I was the one who could not make it. The air was very cold and each time I tried to breathe deep, it hurt my lungs. So, I couldn't get enough air to have the energy I needed to keep going. The rest of the team decided to turn around with me. Q: How high is Island Peak? A: Island Peak is 20,300ft, so we still had a long way to go. Q: Have you used your ice ax and climbing harness? A: We did not use our ice axes or crampons on Island Peak because we didn't get high enough, but we did use them during our training session at Everest Base Camp. I'll try to include a photo from that for today. We did have our climbing harnesses on. Q: Which is higher, Island Peak or Everest Base Camp? A: Island Peak is higher than Everest Base Camp. Island Peak is about 20,300ft, Everest Base Camp is 17,575ft. Q: How are you feeling? A: I was feeling pretty sick up high. It is common for people to not feel good when they get that high because of the lack of air pressure and limited oxygen. I am feeling much better now that we are down low again. Q:How many tea houses have you been in? A: Too many to count. We stopped at one or two each day for lunch and afternoon tea. Then we stayed at one each night. Q: What was your favorite dish to eat? A: It depended on the day. Up high, the only thing that sounded good to eat was popcorn. So, I have been eating a lot of that. Down lower, we all like the chicken chilly (spicy chicken. . .spelled differently on every menu). We also liked to eat daal bhat with pappad and veggie curry. Tell Ranish that I like the curry fine, but I prefer it to be a little more spicy than they make it up here. I also forgot to mention the dumplings that are popular here called mo-mos. We had a lot of veggie mo-mos. Q: Are you staying warm? A: I was SO cold many days up there. It was the coldest I have ever been. . . especially while on Island Peak and at Everest Base Camp. I am warmer now that we are lower. Q: Are you having fun or do you wish you were home? A: Both. I have had lots of fun, but when I was cold and sick, I was wishing I was someplace else. I am still very glad that I went to Everest Base Camp, though. It was an amazing place. Q: Are yaks carrying your bags? A: No. Porters are carrying our bags. Those men are really strong. I am impressed by their strength and speed. Q: What is the name of the peak behind you in the photo from today (4/9/12)? A: We all looked at the photo and we think that was the side of Ama Dablam. We have seen so many peaks, it is hard to tell for sure.
Hopefully we will fly out to Kathmandu tomorrow and then to India for a few days after that. Again, thanks to all for your good wishes and your support. We have enjoyed reading your comments the few times we have had internet service.
John here: It's been a while since I made an update. Too long to try to recap the last few days. Like Kim, this has been an experience of a lifetime for me. The Nepalese people are so genuinely warm and welcoming and the scenery is unmatched by anything I have ever experienced. Kim mentioned that we didn't summit Island Peak. While that is a disappointment for all of us, Kim and I did reach a new high. Along the way I learned a lot about myself, my abilities and what's really important. There will be other peaks in our future and we'll both be better prepared to face them.
We hiked out from Namche Bazar today. It was bittersweet. While it meant this part of our journey was coming to an end, it also meant we had hot showers and clean clothes to look forward to. We also have all the wonderful experiences and memories that we worked so hard over the last few weeks to create. Thanks to Tuck we've also met tons of folks along the way, all who added to the texture of the experience.
Thank you to all of you who followed our journey, we look forward to sharing our experiences and pictures with you when we get back. Pop some corn - we have LOTS of pictures.
Namaste.
On The Map
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Winter reached Camp Muir this afternoon. They started from Paradise at 9:45 this morning and pulled into Camp Muir at 4:45. The weather was fantastic! It was like a summer day for much of the hike. The snowfield was in great shape. As they gained some elevation, some high clouds came in and they entered into a cloud cap. Presently it is fairly nice and a little windy but they are enjoying Camp Muir at just over 10,000'. The team looks forward to doing a bunch of training tomorrow.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Previous Page
Next Page
We’ll have those fresh squeezed margies waiting for you on your return!!
xo, Jean and Lily
Posted by: Jean Richards on 4/25/2012 at 4:43 pm
View All Comments