Entries from Expedition Dispatches
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
This morning we packed up our gear and left Quito, heading south along the "Avenue of the Volcanoes". After driving through the small pueblo of Chaupi, we followed a dirt road that took us towards the goal of our second acclimatization hike: the climbing hut (refugio) on the mountains known as the Ilinizas. The hike was very enjoyable, and the weather was comfortable for hiking. Clouds and some wind came in up towards the top of our hike, accompanied by some frozen precipitation, which made the hut a welcome sight. We rested in the hut for about 45 minutes, enjoying hot tea, before heading back to the trailhead.
We are spending the night at the relaxing hacienda Chilcabamba, on the flanks on Cotopaxi. Tomorrow we will head up to the climbing hut on Cotopaxi, and prepare for the climb.
Today we went for our first acclimatization hike to Rucu Pichincha, one of the volcanoes that frame in Quito. We took a Gondola from 10,000' to 13,000', and then hiked to around 15,200'. The weather was very nice for hiking: a bit breezy and cloudy in the morning, and then sunny and warm in the afternoon. We had views of the impressive glaciated volcanoes Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Antisana on our descent. Everyone did very well with our first venture up into that type of altitude - and it was an altitude record for many on the trip- hopefully there will be a lot more of those to come!
Last night we dined at a very nice restaurant that served typical Ecuadorian cuisine. Everyone sampled different local dishes, including cuy (guinea pig)- an Ecuadorian delicacy.
Tomorrow we are off for another acclimatization hike to the climbing hut on the Ilinizas, and we'll spend the night at a hacienda before heading on towards Cotopaxi.
I will check in tomorrow.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Our team has all safely arrived in Quito (the capital city), and is presently getting accustomed to the new environment and the high altitude here. Today we went on a city tour of the historical parts of Old Town Quito, where we saw much of the colonial center of town. We learned a good bit of interesting Ecuadorian history from our very knowledgeable and enthusiastic local guide, Jorge. After various stops at historic points of interest we traveled to the hill in the south of Quito known as El Panecillo, where beautiful weather afforded us expansive views down on the city of Quito, as well as views of the mountains we will attempt to climb: Cotopaxi to the south and Cayambe to the north. Next we headed south to the equator, where we were able to stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere! We also visited a very interesting ethnographic museum at this site and we learned about the very diverse cultures of Ecuador. The day ended with a delicious dinner in the relaxing atmosphere of the popular Magic Bean restaurant.
Tomorrow we will take our first of two acclimatization hikes. We will take a gondola ride from Quito to 13,500' and begin a hike up the Volcano Rucu Pichincha. The hike will take us up over 15,000' and (weather permitting) will allow for views of the Avenue of Volcanoes. Everyone is doing well here in country, and we're looking forward to getting some exercise on our hike tomorrow. I will check in tomorrow to update you with the events of the day.
Team members Casey, Seth, Michael and Scott have returned to Basecamp after a night at Camp 2. Dave and Leif spent the night at Camp 4 after the summit climb, they are now at Camp 2 (ABC).
Dave and Leif arrived at Basecamp today and reunited with the team. Now that everyone is here we will begin to pack up and then start their trek to Lukla. The Sherpa team has been breaking down the higher camps and will be carrying things down to basecamp today. We will be taking down the Comms tent today and getting ready to depart for Kathmandu. Thanks for following our expedition. Until next time...
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
South Col & Camp 2
May 25, 2010 - 1:47 a.m. PST / 2:30 p.m. UTC 26,500 ft./21,000 ft Mark Tucker at Basecamp: It continues to be a nice day and the team is doing well. Upon reaching the Sol Col (26,500') three team members have decided to call it a day. They will spend the afternoon resting and rehydrating before making an early departure tomorrow morning. The rest of the team has decided to continue their descent to sleep in the thick air of Camp Two at 21,000'. We expect to see everyone at Basecamp tomorrow.South Col
May 24, 2010 - 11:15 p.m. PST / May 25, 2010 12:00 p.m. UTC 26,500 ft.
Mark Tucker at Basecamp: Everybody is at the South Col with all fingers and toes. At these kinds of altitudes, it is just about impossible to keep hydrated. Breathing pure, non-humidified oxygen, along with a limited supply of fluids in your pack, let alone finding time to consume it...you get the picture. It's all about recovery. First thing you want to do is collapse in the nearest tent, but you need to take care of yourself, the further behind you get the tougher to catch up. We have two support Sherpa at the Col, so all members are greeted with a cup of juice upon arrival. These first couple of hours will be critical if our guys will make the push down to C2 or spend another night at the Col. We have plenty of oxygen at the Col to support another night, but the lower the better. By 2:00 pm they will decide to stay or go. We will let ya know...
Descent
May 24, 2010 - 8:15 p.m. PST / 9:00 a.m. UTC 29,035 ft. Mark Tucker at Basecamp: Weather still okay as the team makes good progress on the descent. Still a couple days of hard work ahead for the climbers, and huge days for the Sherpa team to break down the camps. Not till our last load comes out of the icefall, will this team waiver from the techniques and attitude that has brought us great success on this expedition. It's been a lot a fun sharing our story with all of you. I will continue to keep you updated as news comes in. Thanks for all the support back home. All the best, Rainier Mountaineering Everest Team 2010Party on TOP!
May 24, 2010 - 6:55 p.m. PST / 7:40 a.m. UTC 29,035 ft. Mark Tucker at Basecamp: Congratulations to the RMI Team! Dave, Leif, Seth, Casey, Michael, Scott, Tendi, Tshering Dorjee, Dawa Jamba, Da Gyldjen, Nima Tenji, Pasang Temba. On top of the world. All are doing well. A few quick pictures, a look around, then they'll start heading down!First of RMI Team Arrives at Summit!
May 24, 2010 - 6:08 p.m. PST / 6:53 a.m. UTC 29,035 ft. Mark Tucker at Basecamp: Seth Waterfall is on the summit of Mount Everest. He has the summit all to himself. It is a bit chilly but he has plenty of oxygen and is feeling good! The rest of the team is at the Hilary step continuing up.South Summit!
May 24, 2010 - 5:38 p.m. PST / 6:23 a.m. UTC 28,700+ ft. Mark Tucker at Basecamp: Just spoke with Dave via radio he and all others are on the South Summit changing O2 bottles. Some high level clouds keeping it cool so Seth had to get on the move or risk getting too cold, he is now on the Hilary step! Dave reports everyone in good shape.Almost to South Summit
May 24, 2010 - 4:05 p.m. PST / 5:20 a.m. UTC 26,000 ft. Mark Tucker at Basecamp: Just received a radio call from Seth reporting he is approximately 10 minutes below South Summit. Dave and crew are just a bit behind. Little wind, some high clouds in and out, but overall great conditions.At the Balcony
May 24, 2010 - 2:11 p.m. PST / 2:56 a.m. UTC 26,000 ft. Mark Tucker at Basecamp: All teams are at the Balcony changing oxygen bottles. The weather report remains calm winds and clear skies. The next check-in should be in approximately 2 - 3 hours, the South Summit, where I should be able to speak with the team directly.Going For It!
May 24, 2010 - 9:30 a.m. PST / 10:15 p.m. UTC 26,000 ft. We have not been purposely holding out till the bitter end, I promise. You all deserve the final summit push. So lets bring it to you today and tonight. We sure hope that the old adage," good things come to those who wait", comes true. Tough call last night holding back the summit push, always a tricky situation, but it's looking very promising tonight. Snowed pretty much all day, but now......... not a cloud in the sky, and what a moon! Dave reports a little windy at the Col right now. I can't guarantee the team will summit, but there is a group of men at the South Col tonight that have done just about all that is possible to have a shot at the top. I can guarantee.... this RMI group will give Mount Everest the respect she deserves, and will not push harder than seems reasonable. It's all relative when you subject yourself to some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. With the support we have from our incredible Sherpa staff, and the wealth of experience our guides bring to this expedition. No worries mate. I may even get a few winks in between the dispatches I plan to send throughout the night.
Narrative of the summit bid
Dave Hahn and Leif Whittaker at South Col
Currently, the team is resting at the South Col waiting for the weather to calm so they can launch their final summit push. The original plan was to leave on the evening of the 23rd and summit on the morning of the 24th although weather moved in dropping several inches of snow which fell thru out the night. Because of the weather and limited visibility, the team decided to hold off on the summit push and patiently wait one more night. As of now, spirits and anticipation are high with an afternoon of clearing skies and decreasing snow. If things continue as they are, the team should have a good shot at a successful and safe climb.
On another note, I descended to Basecamp with one of our climbers on the morning of the 23rd in a decision that we felt was best for us. We are both currently down monitoring the radios with full support and wishful thinking for our teammates up high.
If things continue to go well, the team will depart the South Col tonight for an early morning summit. Wish them luck and safe travel!
1:00 p.m. PDT/ 1:45 a.m. Nepal Time
Hi, this is Michael Brown calling from the South Col of Mount Everest. It's a very blustery snowy night and we've made a decision to wait another day so we'll be here 24 hours more. Been monitoring the weather and it looks like we might have a little bit more wind tomorrow; but, possibly less snow because at the moment it's snowing and there's clouds all the way over the summit. Chances are we would be climbing all the way up in the snow and back down again in the snow so not really a very pleasant day for climbing. Give it 24 hours and hopefully we have a better result tomorrow. Thanks for standing by and we'll stay in touch, we'll keep calling and letting you know what's happening. Take care.
12:25 p.m. PDT/ 1:10 a.m. Nepal Time
Our group has continued to evaluate the weather and has now decided to postpone their summit attempt until tomorrow. Spirits remain high and everyone is hoping that the weather looks better tomorrow.
10:15 a.m. PDT/ 11:00 p.m. Nepal Time
We just heard from our team at Camp Four. They have been watching the weather and have decided to hold tight for a little while and hope for clearer skies. We will let you know when they depart Camp Four.
6:10 a.m.PDT/ 6:55 p.m. Nepal Time
A quick update from Mark Tucker at Basecamp says that the summit team is currently at Camp 4. Everyone is doing well. They have had dinner and hot drinks and are heading for their tents for some sleep before they begin their summit attempt.
We wish them good luck!
Michael Brown at South Col
Michael on the choice to stay
Via radio to Basecamp
All is well here on Mount Everest. We have one summit team that is at Camp Three today and another team remaining at Camp Two for an extra rest day. The weather continues to improve and our plan is for everyone to move up one camp tomorrow.
There were many more climbers on the summit today and several teams are in place to make their summit bid tomorrow.
Everyone is doing well and we are excited to be continuing our move uphill tomorrow.
Keep us in your thoughts, wish us well.
Leif Whittaker from Camp 3
Via radio from Camp 2
Hey this is Seth checking-in from Advanced Basecamp (ABC) on Mt Everest with our summit folks.
The whole team is here just settling in for dinner. Everyone is doing great. (Cheers in background)
Tomorrow we plan on tackling the first part of the Lhotse face and spending the night at Camp 3. The weather forecast has been in and out but the last one shows some improvement. So we will plan to leave tomorrow morning in the dark, after one night at Camp 3 we will move up to the South Col and then finally the summit.
On a final note we want to wish our Basecamp Manager, Mark Tucker, a Happy Birthday! (Cheers in the background). Happy Birthday Tuck!
That is it from Advanced Basecamp.
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