Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Hey, it's Billy again checking in for Solveig and the rest of the crew. We're enjoying a great rest day here at 11,200 feet. We're enjoying some sun, a little stand up comedy in the cook tent. Everybody's enjoying a good laugh. We had a great breakfast of smoked salmon and cream cheese on toasted bagels. We plan on spending the rest of the afternoon drying out gear, organizing and just recovering from three days of hard work, single carrying into 11,000'. So, you know, we hope to prep for our carry up around Windy Corner tomorrow morning and getting all the loads packed up and everything ready to go. So,we'll check in with you guys again tomorrow evening and let you know how that works, but all is well, everyone's in great spirits. And we're having a great time. Cheers.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Billy checking in from a rest day at 11,200'
On The Map
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Hi this is Seth checking in for Ed, Kevin and Mark. We’ve all returned from Denali safe and sound. We ended our trip without going to the summit which was a disappointment but was the best call for everyone. We had a great time but the unseasonably cold and windy conditions were not condusive to an enjoyable climb for us. For me climbing is all about the experience and the people you share it with and this trip was one of the most enjoyable that I have had. While we did not top out we did return safely. That is the best reward of all.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Ran into this team a few times between base camp and Kahiltna Pass while I was there last week. Got sick and had to descend in a bit of bad weather, so I totally know what it was like up there. Good work all. You had a pretty tight camp.
Posted by: Charles Miske on 5/17/2011 at 1:16 pm
Way to go to all who made it as far as you did. Kevin-we look forward to hearing about the experience & glad you are safe.
Posted by: Jim Hards on 5/16/2011 at 3:44 pm
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The summit bid is getting close. This is how I know:
1. Dave, Linden and Tuck (aka Mark Tucker who is called everything but 'Mark') are constantly huddled around the latest weather report, which seem to come out every 2 to 3 hours. The weather forecast is murky (which is better than it being bad). What Dave, Linden and Tuck seem to know is that no big storm is on the horizon, but the jet stream seems to be on the move. The question is "when" the jet stream is going to move, and then how fast its going to move. We do not want any of our team high on the mountain when the jet stream is over us. We know its going to be cold up there, but what we want to work hard to avoid is high winds. Here is the understatement of the year: the level of difficulty in predicting the weather at 29,000 feet is quite high.
2. Lots of other climbing teams are comparing notes on when to start their bid. It seems that other teams have different forecasts and information, but the conclusions seem to be the same: even the people making the forecasts don't have a high degree of confidence in them, and that the forecasts are uncertain.
3. Our entire climbing team of 7 people seem to be fully rested and well (not sick). This means that they have been down long enough to have their full strength and are ready to start climbing when it is determined that its time to go. I keep bugging Sara to "eat more" and "drink more" to build up her strength but she 1) knows what to do, and 2) is tired of listening to me. Everyone on the team has lost their baby fat, some even a touch of their adult fat, on this trip, but we have to keep trying to eat as much as possible to keep our strength.
4. Our Sherpa team has done a phenomenal job of strategically positioning gear on the mountain. We have tents positioned at Camps 1, 2, 3 and 4 (although the Camp 2 tents are the only ones 'up' - the rest are in bags - due to the ever present threats of high winds), and our oxygen bottles and gear are at Camps 3 and 4. We have other gear (food, safety equipment, etc.) at different camps throughout the mountain. It really has been a herculean task to get things positioned.
5. Today we are taking showers. We always take showers close to the day of departure.
6. Sara is trying to get a massive amount of history homework done. Sara always tries to get a lot of work done prior to a week long climb. It is like cramming before a test I guess. She is massively reading (and highlighting) a text book on the Byzantine Empire (Sara occasionally reads something to our group about the era at dinner, and we all pretend that we know what she is talking about).
7. Our entire climbing team is charging all their cell phones an Ipods/Itouches. We always make sure we are a fully charged team as we start off. The Sherpa's focus is on charging their cell phones, which work at the higher camps for some reason, (the non-Sherpa's cell phone coverage doesn't work above base camp). Westerners have to use a service called Ncell, but locals are allowed to use a different cell phone provider that has better coverage up high. Its one of the mysteries of Everest in 2011.
8. Sara, Dave and Linden have all picked out food to eat at Camp 4 (at the South Col). While the team only hopes to stay one night at Camp 4 (at 26,000 feet), they are bringing enough food for up to 3 days (just in case). This food consists of a lot of freeze dried dinners (Mountain House Lasagna), candy bars, cup-o-soups, cheese sticks, etc. The group hopes to climb to Camp 4 one day and then leave for the summit in the middle of that same night, but if a storm pops up (or even high winds), they may stay at Camp 4 for longer.
9. I have picked out a "get fired up" movie for Sara to watch tonight: The Fighter. The movie (starring Mark Walhberg) is based upon a true story, and has several messages, one of which is what incredible sacrifice and determination it takes to be a champion.
10. The Calendar. It is May 16th. I know we are getting close for a try at the summit because we are getting close to the Monsoon showing up. And when the monsoons start, the mountain is closed for the season.
11. All of Everest BC is abuzz with groups getting ready for their summit bids, monitoring their teams on the mountain, or just leaving. Several camps are already gone, having accomplished (or not accomplished) whatever they set out to do.
12. The physicians here are incredibly busy. The HRA (The Himalayan Rescue Association) doctors are a group of physicians whose costs are covered by the various climbing groups to treat clients, guides, porters and Sherpas, They do an incredible job. Many patients are treated face to face, but other times the HRA docs are called upon to help treat climbers who are high on the mountain. They are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are currently working (as I write this) at an incredible pace under tremendous pressure.
13. We are almost out of Coca Colas. When we started this trip Sara and I ordered 24 twelve ounce Coca Colas (for about $40) to have at Base Camp. We have been enjoying them, but self rationing them, since we arrived at base camp on April 6th. We are down to one Coca Cola. I think we are going to split it.
14. Our camp is melting. We live on the Khumbu glacier and our camp is noticeably melting every day. Our tent sites, which were originally flat, are now not, but we are living with it because, hey, the glacier may melt them flat again. Pools of water form in our camp daily and then freeze at night. The base to our Stupa is rapidly melting. We may have to do some construction work in the days ahead.
15. Avalanches are now so common we don't pay much attention to them. When we originally got to Basecamp we would rush out of our tents to see an avalanche coming off one of the many surrounding mountains. Avalanches are now so common (due to the warmer weather) that we no longer rush to view them, or even pay much attention to them, unless they are in the Khumbu Ice fall. Needless to say, the ice fall is an extremely scary place.
So, in summary, this is how I know that our summit bid is getting close: food picking, charging, showers, homework, doctors busy, dwindling Coca Colas, etc..
I am both nervous and excited for Sara. I know how hard she has trained and worked for an attempt at the summit, but I also know how much luck is involved in actually summitting. I know she is very determined and "wants it" very badly, but I also how easily things could change to prevent a summit bid. Three years ago Sara and I tried to summit Mt. Elbrus and bad weather stopped our entire group. Then last year Sara and I went back to Elbrus and had a perfect weather day and made it to the top in about 6 hours of easy walking. Mountain climbing is a fickle business, and it can be
extremely rewarding, and also extremely disappointing. I know that Sara is strong enough to climb this mountain, but one never knows if things will work out.
So, that's it from Base Camp for today.
Bill M.
Sara, Bill! No matter what ends up happening, you two are top of the world from my perspective. The decisions you are making and have made are awesome. Im so impressed. Love, Anita
Posted by: Anita on 5/17/2011 at 9:18 am
Dave Hahn, do you know BILL? Thanks for writing Bill, and thanks for the clinic mention. Give our docs a hug for me? HOpe Sara, Dave, Lindon and Sherps get up quickly and down safely. xox
Posted by: Dr Lulu on 5/17/2011 at 7:52 am
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Hey this is the RMI seminar checking in from Kahiltna Glacier. Today we moved our camp closer to the base of Mt. Francis we are hoping to make a summit attempt of Mt. Francis later this week. We spent the afternoon fortifying our camp as a small storm is upon us. We also spent the afternoon reviewing and learning more about anchors. Tomorrow will be a good day of training and hopefully this weather will move on. We'll check in later.
RMI Guide Jason Thompson checks in from the Kahiltna Glacier
Hi McKin!
Ivie, Hunter, Ray and I are cheering you on!!! We love you.
Posted by: Julie on 5/17/2011 at 12:38 pm
Hey Jitendar,
Hope the storm has passed and wasnt too bad.Post some pictures.Cant wait to see you guys dominating the mountain!!
Love,Mamta.
Posted by: Mamta on 5/16/2011 at 7:12 pm
We're resting at Camp 4 today, with beautiful weather. The forecast is for pretty high winds the next few days, so we'll likely be here through the beginning of the week. Hopefully the winds abate (or the forecast doesn't verify!), and we can move up high soon.
We enjoyed a late breakfast with lots of bacon and coffee this morning, and now we're lounging around, reading and whatnot. Our spirits are high, and we're hopeful that we can move up high soon.
Thanks for the posts on the blog, it's always good to hear from friends back home.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Just wishing you a good night’s rest and letting you know your family is thinking of you and sending all our love!!! I love you….Megan
Posted by: Megan on 5/15/2011 at 10:04 pm
SEND IT, RAPPSTAR!!! Btw bacon and coffee at 14,000 feet? Sounds like pretty much the best Sunday ever! Get after it, take pics, and stay safe my friend!
Posted by: Claire on 5/15/2011 at 9:16 pm
Hey gang, this is Billy checking in for our McKinley expedition on our fourth day on the on the mountain. We moved up from Camp 2 to at 9,600' up to our Camp 3 at 11,200'. The team moved incredibly well. We were only 2 and a half hours from camp to camp, single carry, so no back carry in the future for us. We spent a lot of time this afternoon, digging out camp and building walls and building a pretty elaborate cook tent. It's been a very low snow year up here in Alaska. So with barely a meter of snow on the glacier definitely made for some creative cook tent construction. But our walk up was really nice. It kind of alternated hot and cold. We arrived in camp with perfect, sunny weather and we're sitting pretty at this point. Tomorrow's plan calls for a rest day. So, wish us luck. It's gonna be a trying day laying around the tent tomorrow. That's about all for now, and checking out from Billy, Solveig and the rest of the crew. Have a good one.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
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Today marks our fifth full day back at Base Camp since coming down from our third rotation on the mountain. The days have managed to slip by surprisingly quickly, filled with big meals, visits from friends, time spent reading, playing cards, throwing horseshoes, and most of all - resting. Tuck organized the 2011 Everest Base Camp Horseshoes Tournament a few days ago and filled our small camp with dozens of people from various teams bent on vying for the coveted crown. Besides a few errant throws - we lost a cooking pot to a high flying shoe and somehow managed to tangle a horseshoe in the prayer flags strung overhead - it was a really enjoyable afternoon.
Yesterday Dave, Sara, and I spent the morning exploring the lower reaches of the Khumbu Glacier surrounding Base Camp, making our way through the tongues of rock moraine and among the fins of vertical ice that jut up from the glacier. But the overarching focus of these days has been on resting, and it has been paying off. Dave, Sara, and I are all feeling the gains from our leisurely days down here. The solid nights of sleep have calmed any minor altitude coughs and strength is seeping back into the legs. Our Sherpa team descended a few days ago as well and the whole team is now down at Base Camp, enjoying the rest and preparing for the final push.
Every morning over the past few days we pull up the latest forecast and discuss the options for our summit bid. This season's weather has been unsettled to say the least and that trend has continued into the summit season. Several teams have made summit attempts over the past few days and the occasional eruption of cheering and clanging pots and oxygen bottles can be heard coming from camps as they celebrate the radio call from their climbers standing on the summit. But the summit season so far has been far from smooth and dozens of climbers have faced real challenges up there, battling high winds and cold temperatures in their attempts. While the temperatures and the snowfall are factors, our big concern is the wind. The jet stream is still playing around this part of the Himalayas, occasionally drawing close to Everest and then receding again, and causing nothing but confusion for the forecast models. The 60+mph winds reported yesterday are a sure indication the jets proximity. And so we are sitting down here, reading over the forecast every morning, hoping that these small snippets of good weather that lay scattered over the upcoming days materialize into a substantial window for us to feel confident to head up on our summit bid.
Thus begins the waiting game, a trial in its own right. To sit in Base Camp after so many weeks of hard work, feeling ready and prepared for the summit bid, but stalling over the unstable weather conditions, is a huge mental challenge. On occasion a helicopter lands in Base Camp, picking up climbers returning from the summit - both those who made it successfully and those who did not but battled the cold and wind nonetheless - and whisks them back to Kathmandu in dozens of minutes. It's easy to let the mind wander to all of the luxuries and comforts that await the passengers when they disembark, but not a very helpful exercise. Nevertheless, the focus around camp remains, the days of rest are paying off, and our excitement is building for the upcoming climb. A great number of unknowns lie ahead of us, but we are feeling ready. Tomorrow we will wake up, print out the forecast, sit down in the morning sun to look over what the forecast models predict for wind speeds, temperatures, and precipitation amounts. Hopefully that window we know is coming begins to materialize.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Linden, there is a crew of us that you took up Rainier last summer that has been following your blog. We all wish we were with you now. Glad to hear that you are having fun and resting for the summit.
Posted by: Smith Cooley on 5/16/2011 at 4:31 pm
Bill, that’s a cool picture of you getting ready to throw the horseshoe. Watch out for the prayer flags and cooking pots. Thanks, Linden, for the description of the waiting game and life in Base Camp. So glad it’s all paying off. We’re praying for a good weather window for the team and a safe journey. Much love.
Posted by: Mom on 5/15/2011 at 11:47 am
Hi this is the Alaskan Mountaineering Seminar checking in for the day. This morning after we got an early start and breakfast we headed up the South East Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. After three hours of challenging technical climbing we were rewarded with a chance to stand on top of Radio Control Tower under blue skies and perfect condition. After our time on the summit we came back to our base camp and spent some time working on building snow anchors. The weather has turned to a cloudy outlook with a little bit of snow. Everyone is tucked in for the night resting for our training day tomorrow. Take care and send your thoughts to keep us warm on the Kahiltna.
RMI Guide Eric Frank checks in after the team's climb of Radio Tower Peak.
Dad, hope you are having a really awesome time. We are doing great here. Hope your knee is holding up well.
Love you - Raos in Denver.
Posted by: RAO FAMILY on 5/15/2011 at 7:47 pm
We had a great sunny day today and we took advantage of it by carrying a cache of gear to approximately 16,700' on the West Buttress proper, just below a prominent rock called Washburn's Thumb.
In order to get there we climbed up the head wall on the north side of camp and ascended approximately 800' of steep, 50 degree ice with the help of fixed ropes and mechanical ascenders. The views were phenomenal. And everyone did very well with their first experience on the fixed ropes.
We were out for eight hours today (ascending, descending, digging a hole for our cache, and relaxing up high on the ridge), and everyone is a little tuckered out from the long day and high altitude. That's to be expected, though. We'll take at least a full rest day to recover. Now we're in position to wait for a good weather window to move to high camp and go for the summit. It looks like the next few days will be pretty windy up high, so we'll be in a holding pattern until the weather improves. In the meantime we will be resting, eating, and mentally preparing for the strenuous climbing ahead of us.
Also, I spoke with RMI Guide Billy Nugent via radio tonight. Apparently they are having technical difficulties and are unable to send email dispatches (their sat phone still works for communication though). They are camped at 9600' and doing well. They plan to move to to Camp 3 (11,200') tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Kenny, God speed and wish you well to the summitt. take care.
Your brother brian, jeannie, matt, and tasha
Posted by: brian young on 5/16/2011 at 2:06 pm
Hi Jeff! Glad to hear things are going well and you are feeling great. Stay focused and I can’t wait to see you. I miss and love you lots! Good news the Bulls beat the heat tonight 103-82, you would have loved it!
-Erica
Posted by: Erica on 5/15/2011 at 7:31 pm
Hey, this is the Alaska Seminar checking in from the Kahiltna Base Camp. Today we went out on the Kahiltna Glacier and did a nice glacier tour for a few hours. Went around the beautiful Mt. Francis and also did some knot training, sled rigging and lots of fun stuff here. Beautiful weather on the Kahiltna and tomorrow looks to be the same. Wish us luck with good weather.
RMI Guide Jason Thompson
I hope you’re enjoying the Seminar menu and not running low on charcoal!
Posted by: Joe on 5/15/2011 at 9:54 am
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Hi Drew Thinking of you and following your progress. Enjoy beautiful Alaska. Stay safe. Love D lo
Posted by: D lo on 5/17/2011 at 10:29 am
Sounds like a great time so far! Enjoying the updates so much. Stay safe and patient. I love you- Janie
Posted by: Janie on 5/17/2011 at 5:55 am
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