Entries from Expedition Dispatches
We've strung together a number of important milestones over these past few days. The Puja ceremony was a symbolic starting point to the climbing portion of the expedition. It seemed to go off without a hitch as we sat in warm sunshine and calm air for the morning... staring up into the Khumbu Icefall as we listened to the chanting and drums of the monks. We were lucky enough to have the docs from "Everest ER", the HRA clinic, as guests at the Puja and even a few of our good friends from the "Icefall Doctors" team. The Icefall Docs were taking a well-deserved day off from fixing the route up to Camp I. Ang Nima, who has been building climbing routes on Mount Everest since the 1970's, told me they were waiting for a new shipment of rope from down-valley anyway, so relaxing at our puja was the perfect way to pass a morning, getting a little more blessing from the gods for the dangerous and essential job they perform.
We were blessed at the end of the Puja to see Mark Tucker marching into camp. Tuck is our Base Camp Manager and is well-known as the de-facto mayor of the little community that springs to life about this time each year. Tuck and I started guiding together on Mount Rainier in 1986 and have been together on many expeditions to weird parts of the world, so on a personal level I was quite happy to see my friend arrive on the scene. Tuck got to work quickly, hunkering down with Jeff Martin to coordinate logistics and inventory lists in advance of Jeff's departure. He also began immediately to scope out venues on the rough glacial moraine for golf, baseball and horseshoes... all the normal mountain-climbing related diversions. Bill was plenty happy to have another worthy games and contests opponent around... so he could get busy walloping Tuck at everything.
The day after the Puja, we took the opportunity to go for a little practice session on ladders and fixed rope climbing not so far from Base Camp. Lam Babu and his crew quickly established a little jungle gym of obstacles for us to practice on and Bill, Sara and I took full advantage. Despite the fact that the weather was swinging every ten minutes between blazing sun and freezing snow-showers, we did a number of laps across canyons and up sidewalls to get the hang of steel crampons scratching on aluminum ladder rungs.
Yesterday was quite a significant day for our overall team as Camp I and Camp II were established. The Icefall Docs had managed to complete the route to CI while we were practicing on our jungle gym and Lam Babu, Tshering, Dawa and Kami meant to be there in force for yesterday's "opening" of the Icefall route. If at all possible, I wanted to join our climbing Sherpas so as to survey the condition of the Icefall route and in order to have some positive input on the siting of Camp I. We woke at 4:15 AM, choked down some rice porridge and coffee (I went for the coffee, the Sherpas preferred tea) and we got walking out of camp by headlight at 5 AM. There were only a handful of Sherpas from other teams out on this morning, walking in a few inches of new overnight snow. Most of these other climbers were on a sort of homesteading land-grab... shooting up with light packs to claim favored spots at Camp I and II. This was only partly a concern of ours, since our team is relatively small and finding suitable campsites won't really be that big a deal, but none-the-less having our pick of sites is still a good thing. In contrast to the others on the route, each of our team had a decent sized load of climbing and rescue gear bound for caching at CI. Tshering, Dawa and Kami set a more aggressive pace for the day while Lam Babu stayed back with the lightly acclimated and elderly team leader (me). There were the usual number of places where I had to hold my breath and swallow my fear in order to balance along some ridiculous bridge under some preposterously leaning tower or wall of heavy and hard ice... but sure enough, the Ice Docs had found a way to the top. I came to realize why they'd needed more rope since I could see that a good section of their ladders and rope already had avalanche debris burying it in the mid-section of the route to CI. Lam Babu and I made it up into the Western Cwm and to Camp I in a little under four hours. By this point, Tshering and Dawa had determined that it was worth their effort to rope to one-another and proceed on up to Camp II (ABC). Kami, Lam Babu and I contented ourselves with marking out the perfect site at CI... off the main herd-path, out of major avalanche debris fields, and free of crevasse hazard. We secured our cached gear and got busy descending. I always find the Khumbu Icefall to be tricky and difficult, but this time I think it was a little more-so since the route was so new that it hadn't been tracked in and trouble-shot just yet. The numerous little walls that needed negotiating just had scratch marks, whereas in a week of heavy traffic, they'll develop nice bucket steps and handholds. The troubleshooting that I expect will occur results from a few hundred sets of errant feet finding all of the hollow spots along the edges (and occasionally in the middle) of the track. Yesterday, I was the troubleshooter and naturally I stuck my big size 14.5 boots a few places that I instantly regretted. Kami and Lam Babu looked back at my shrieks and groans a few times to see if I was still upright and viable. Even so, we bounced down and out of the Ice by about noon and I met Bill, Sara and Tuck on a training hike, enjoying the fine morning sunshine. By the time we were back at camp for lunch it was cloudy and snowing again. Tshering and Dawa raised our flag at ABC... 21,300 ft and I'm quite proud of that effort and of their safe descent afterward. I'm also excited that we got our Camp I gear in place at 19,900 ft. We enjoyed one last lunch with Jeff Martin before he headed down valley to get back to work managing things on far-off Mount Rainier.
Things are humming along at Mount Everest. Today we are listening to the sounds of about a dozen Pujas taking place around the area as most of the big climbing teams are now on scene. We've been visited by a number of friends coming by to check up on us and between social calls we are taking the morning off from climbing... time for some washing up and basking in the temporary sunshine before the daily snows.
Best,
Dave Hahn
We all slept hard last night, enjoying the thick air of Namche after many nights up high and appreciating the comforts of our teahouse after the long day yesterday. The morning broke as another clear day and we left Namche enjoying the the warm morning sun on the trail. The first few hours brought us back down the Namche Hill, far easier and quicker on the descent than at the beginning of the trip. The trail, calm at first, gradually filled with porters, yaks, donkeys, and groups of trekkers and we were all amazed at the activity on the trail - a far cry from the more remote stretches of the upper Khumbu.
Spring continued to bloom lower in the valley, the red and pink rhododendron dotting the hillsides and flowering cherry trees shading the trail throughout the valley floor. It was a beautiful walk back to Lukla and we all remarked how familiar our surroundings have become after close to three weeks on the trail. We arrived in Lukla in the late afternoon and sat on the stoop of our teahouse watching the hills around us and reflecting on the trip. It has been a great adventure and we all are both sad to see it end but excited to return home and share our stories. Tomorrow the group takes a flight from Lukla to Kathmandu and I head back to Namche on the way back to Everest BC to rejoin the Everest Expedition. The weather forecast is looking good for flights and the team should be back in the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu by late morning. Thanks to everyone for your support and comments throughout the trip.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
On The Map
Looking forward to hearing from you both and the trip of a life time. Take care Call when you can Love Mom
Posted by: Cornelia Miller on 4/13/2011 at 7:20 am
What a wonderful trip! We have enjoyed reading the reports of your climb/trek/hike—thank you so much for the reports. Anxious to hear first-hand about it all! MA
Posted by: Mary Ann & Howard Latimer on 4/12/2011 at 11:19 am
Hi from Everest Basecamp.
Five days ago our expedition arrived at Basecamp. Many days before we arrived, our team of Sherpas were up here preparing our campsite, setting up
tents, and putting up the Puja altar. Once the Puja altar was constructed, the next order of business was to pick the day on which the Puja ceremony
would be performed. The actual day the Puja is performed on is just as important as the Puja, and April 9th was the day that was selected for our team.
The actual Puja ceremony takes about two hours. Two Buddhist monks sit in front of the altar, and chant and sing religious poems and songs, while the
rest of the team gathers around listening. We place our climbing gear and food around the altar so that it can be blessed by the Buddhist monks, and
since we are on a glacier, mats were also laid out so that everyone could sit comfortably. Tea and coffee were served to everyone throughout the ceremony.
Towards the end of the Puja, Buddhist prayer flags are draped from the top of the Puja altar to every corner of our camp (which is quite large.) An
American flag was raised from the top along with a RMI flag, and a Taos, New Mexico flag (which is the home of Dave Hahn). My dad even put a Baltustrol golf club patch on the altar, which is probably the first time that has ever been displayed at Everest Basecamp.
The end of the ceremony was marked when tsampa is thrown into the air and spread on everyone's faces and hair for good luck. Although I still can see
some of the tsampa on my clothing, we hope this means we will have a lot of luck when we are higher up on the mountain. Food and drinks were passed around to all, and then it became a party where Sherpas, porters, and even the medical doctors from the clinic next door began to show up. Cans of Everest beer, coke, and sprite were shared and snickers bars, mars bars, cakes, and pastries were served. There were about 30+ birds flying around trying to eat some of the delicious food.
The Puja ceremony really meant a lot to our Sherpas. It is performed every time an expedition attempts to climb a large mountain in the Himalaya, and
the beautiful Puja alter remains standing throughout the whole expedition.
As I sit here on the morning of April 11th in our communications tent looking out onto Nuptse, two of our climbing Sherpas and Dave have just
reached Camp One. Two more of our Sherpa Team have also reached Camp 2 this morning.
In the days that follow, we will continue to focus on our acclimatization and training to make sure we are ready to go up to Camp 1.
Sara McGahan
On The Map
Enjoy Tibet while you guys are still there! It’s a beautiful place and I wish I had enjoyed everything while I was still there. Hope everything’s going well!
Posted by: JonathanL on 4/14/2011 at 6:04 am
Great Job Bill McGahan and Sara Rose McGahan (as Adam and Owen now refer to you guys :))! What an awesome adventure!
Posted by: izzy on 4/12/2011 at 12:34 pm
The Everest Team checked in from Base Camp inside their dining tent. It had been snowing lightly but they were warm inside the tent and looking forward to dinner together.
They spent the day training on the ladders around Base Camp as they get ready to ascend through the Khumbu Icefall.
Dave Hahn sent several pictures of the team training as well as of their Puja Ceremony that took place on Saturday, April 9th. The team is doing well and they will check in tomorrow with a written dispatch.
Bill and Sara,
What an awesome trip and pictures and what an accomplishment. Glad you are having so much fun. Saw Lisa, Morgan and Katie in Conn. last weekend. Lots of fun. Be careful, safe and good luck.
Ed, Marian and the girls.
Posted by: Ed Mule' on 4/10/2011 at 2:52 pm
Sending you lots of positive energy for a great adventure. Love being able to follow you on Facebook. Remembering my trip to Basecamp and wishing I were able to be there now.
Best wishes. ~JEN~
Posted by: Jen Petrik on 4/10/2011 at 12:39 pm
After several nights in tents high in the mountains here sleeping in the teahouse in Chukung last night was warm and comfortable. The morning broke mostly clear, although a large cloud cap hung over Lhotse and Island Peak. Packing up from Chukung, we headed back down the valley, retracing our steps through Dingboche, Shomare, Pangboche, Deboche, Tengboche, etc. Leaving the high mountains of the Himalaya is like watching the world being reborn around you: yesterday we were on the summit of Island Peak in a world of ice, rock, and snow; we returned to Chukung where small shrubs and grasses survive and a few hardy crows venture; today as we walked small bushes sprang up, then a few sparse trees, and then forests, then flowering rhododendron. The smell of the air changes too, the dirt, trees, and yaks all adding to the aromas of the lower elevations. As we descended the valley today it was as if life sprang up around us with every step and the little things that went on unnoticed suddenly attracted attention: the bark of a dog, a warm breeze, flower petals.
Despite all being immersed in the scenes around us, it was still a long day on the trail, taking the better part of the day for us to return to Namche. We arrived tired from the trail, but marvelling at the arrival of spring in the days since we've been gone. It feels like ages ago since we first arrived here, with snow blanketing the village and the thin air burning our lungs. Now the fields surrounding town are turning green and the stairways feel far less daunting. It is great to be back in Namche after so much time up high and we all enjoyed the hot showers and great food.
Tomorrow we return to Lukla, descending further down the valley. We are looking forward to the final leg of the trek and will check in tomorrow evening from Lukla.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
I am glad you are heading down safe and sound. A shower never felt so good, huh? When you get to Lukla, I will start praying for a safe and uneventful flight to Timbucktu, I mean Katmandu! I’m so funny! Looking so forward to the circle of your loving arms! I love you!
Posted by: Deb McLaughlin on 4/10/2011 at 3:19 pm
The trip down must have been long but look what you saw when you got down with the plants ets. Good going but am sure you were tired. Much love Mom
Posted by: Cornelia Miller on 4/10/2011 at 11:46 am
Hey RMI, this is Linden Mallory calling with the Island Peak team after a successful summit of Island Peak this morning. We reached the summit about 9:30 Nepali time this morning, and just had perfect weather. Today, April 9th, was chosen as an auspicious day for our Everest expedition. As today was the Puja Ceremony, sort of the opening blessing ceremony of the expedition and sure enough it worked pretty well for us as well. We had probably the best weather we’ve seen in the past week up here in the Khumbu for our summit day. Woke up this morning about 2 a.m. and it was actually snowing. We had a couple inches of snow on the tents, but the stars were out and it was clear with some clouds blowing up from below from the lower valley so we set out on our climb and broke free of the clouds within about 30 or 40 minutes. It was chilly but pretty consistent throughout the trip but just beautiful skies. By the time morning broke, not a cloud in the sky and thankfully no winds so we powered to the top, getting on to the summit of Island Peak again about 9:30 and it’s about the size of a pool table so it’s a pretty small, little summit. We stood up there and snapped some photos and descended back down, packed up high camp and just arrived into basecamp, which is our final trip into the valley. So we’re all pretty excited to be dropping the packs and turning into bed. It’s been a healthy day. Everybody is doing well and put in a good effort today. We’ll check in tomorrow, headed back to Namche is the plan. We’ll try to get some photos off to everybody as well. That’s it. Hope everyone is well and we’ll talk to you guys soon. Take care.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Linden Mallory checking in after summit day
On The Map
Congratulations to Tim and all! What a finish to an incredible adventure - a blue sky climb in the middle of the Himalaya! Safe travels on the trek out. Looking forward to pics and stories….
Posted by: Tom Gausman on 4/10/2011 at 8:33 am
Thanks all for your comments!!! We rolled back into Namche after about 15 miles, a 10 hr day & a hot shower! Dan, remember the hike off of Mt Adams that one year? Multiply that by 3 or 4 & you’e got it! Deb—CAN’T WAIT to see you too. BTW, I won our NCAA B-Ball pool—aced out Linden & crew to take the pot of $70 Nepali Rupee ($US 1.07)—first pool I’ve one in awhile & I get a buck—must be karma.
RMI has put together an epic program here. If any of you have the itch, I highly recommend them.
Take care all & we’ll soon see you stateside!
Posted by: Tim McLaughlin on 4/10/2011 at 8:09 am
Hello from Mount Everest Base Camp. We've been up at 17,500 ft for two nights already and it is beginning to feel like home. We had high hopes for continuous communication possibilities this year, since we were hearing so much about the 3G cell service at Base Camp... but the reality is that we are still mostly on a dirt road version of the information super-highway. We didn't have much access to cell or web services when we trekked from Pheriche to Lobuche in new snow under overcast skies. Things were cold in Lobuche, but not unpleasant as we passed the evening hours playing games in the dining room of the Eco Hotel. We stretched our legs some with a hike along the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier and Bill and Sara got good at identifying the dozen or so Himalayan giants piercing the horizon around us. In the afternoon of our Lobuche rest day, we were excited to visit with Linden Mallory and his team of trekkers and climbers. They'd already spent a few nights at Everest Base Camp and were excitedly bound for Island Peak. Bill and Sara have climbed several times in the past with Linden and were naturally happy to see him again. When he completes his Island Peak climb and trek he'll make his way back up to Everest Base to join our team at about the point when we are getting into the Khumbu Icefall.
Two days ago, myself, Lam Babu,and Bill and Sara marched out of 16,000 ft Lobuche and took just four easy hours to reach Base Camp at 17,500 ft. It was wonderful then to meet our Sherpa team and to reunite with Jeff Martin, who'd sprinted ahead to help get the camp set up. Camp is indeed set up and we were amazed at the hard work the Sherpa staff had accomplished in chopping out level tent-sites and rolling boulders around to carve out a camp on this rough section of glacier. Now we've made the transition from tea-houses to tents... but it hasn't been that tough a transition. We are eating quite well now since Kumar, our chef of the past several RMI Everest expeditions, is back in the driver's seat and cranking out excellent meals. These first few days are purposely light on activity so that our bodies can catch up to the altitude, but we don't seem to be having a lot of trouble that way. It is nice now for each of us to be in our own tents and to be able to sort our climbing gear and clothing without moving to someplace new each day. New tents are popping up all around us as other teams get close to Base Camp. As expected, we were one of the first climbing teams to make it in for the season. We've already gotten to chat with the doctors of the "Everest ER" the clinic set up by the HRA about two camps away from us. Later today we'll walk a little with our ice axes in hand, just for some light exercise, and tomorrow we are looking forward to our Puja ceremony... asking the blessing of the gods before we put ourselves at risk on this giant mountain.
The cell service may not be robust at Base Camp (it seems to be mostly a 9 to 5 kind of thing, due to a reliance on solar power, we suspect) but the glaciers are still functioning pretty efficiently up here. We are getting used to the sound of big ice avalanches on the steep faces around camp. Snow conditions seem much the way I've come to expect them in the past few years... it looks like it has been quite dry again in these high mountains. The Khumbu Glacier in the vicinity of Base Camp has just been melting steadily throughout the year, without much surface replenishment... although it is relatively cold now, there is already some water flowing in the streams. The word is that the Icefall Doctors have already pushed the climbing route close to the Camp I area, which is good news... we can't tell too much about the Icefall from looking up at it... it looks just as mean and ridiculous as ever, but it is nice to know that a path has been found through it once again.
Best Regards,
Dave Hahn
Bill & Sara & Dave, et al,
Great work to make it to Base Camp healthy. Love that great acclimatization schedule. Enjoy Puja today, and good luck in the Icefall. Kudos to the Icefall Doctors! Praying for safe passages through it for y’all.
Posted by: Mac Bridges on 4/9/2011 at 4:38 am
Yeah, I was the guy whose knees couldnt take any more, thanks again, Good luck on your climb.
Posted by: George Orange on 4/8/2011 at 9:30 pm
Hello from Everest Basecamp,
We arrived here at Base Camp on Wednesday (April 6th) at lunchtime to a camp that had been fully constructed on top of a glacial moraine. The staff of 10 Sherpas and porters had been working weeks to carve flat sites for sleeping tents, a dining tent, a communication tent, a storage tent, a cooking tent, two bathroom tents, and a shower tent for our group (we got to shower yesterday!). It was a ton of work, but the camp is awesome, and it is located in the best spot in all of Everest Base Camp. We have so many comforts of home, including solar lights on the walkways between tents (very cool), 40+ movies, solar chargers for every kind of gadget, a propane heater for the dining tent, etc. Each of us has our own sleeping tent, which provides much comfort and quiet (especially for Sara!).
Everest Base Camp sits on a glacier that is surrounded by the tallest mountains in the world. In a word, the place is incredible. Within a mile of where we are camped is Tibet (China), whose border is at the peak of a series of mountains to the north of us. In every direction is a massive peak, glacier packed, that is picturesque in beauty. I highly recommend a trek to Everest Base Camp to everyone. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is also very clean. The camp has had a large clean up effort in recent years (and it shows), and all expeditions are now required to carry every last piece of garbage out with them.
Dave Hahn (and RMI) put together a schedule that got our group from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp in 10 days. This could have been done much faster (as fast as 5 or 6 days), but our goal for this expedition is not Base Camp. Our strategy (thus far) has been to go slow so that we remain healthy, and without the symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Since we arrived a couple of days ago, we have been resting, slowly acclimatizing our bodies to this altitude without headaches, coughs, queasiness, or other symptoms of AMS. So far, we all feel strong. What we wanted to avoid was having to descend to a lower altitude to deal with these issues. Going forward, we will be "climbing high and sleeping low" as well as working on our mountaineering skills. First and foremost will be working on the skills needed to climb the Khumbu Icefall, and we will go slowly so that we are fully acclimatized, and our skills are such that we can move rapidly through the icefall. I feel that we are in great hands.
Climbing with Dave Hahn is like playing basketball with Michael Jordan. As we walked up the valley Dave would be recognized by dozens and dozens of people. He patiently posed for countless photographs, and spent time with almost everyone who walked up to him. Some folks just shouted out "You Da Man!" to Dave as he walked by. One Sherpa guiding a climber down from Base Camp was shouting and fist pumping at Dave as he walked by (very funny). Yet, despite all this, Dave remains so very humble and takes so much time to patiently explain things to Sara and me. We have lots and lots of questions about gear and our climb, and he always breaks everything down into simple steps that are well thought out. The guy is incredible, and given that it is his 20th expedition to Everest and all of his many accomplishments and rescues, he is a legend (we have, however, instituted a $1 fine for Dave for everyone he knows - so far its up to $56).
Before coming over here to Nepal last year I really didn't give much thought to what a Sherpa does. I always just assumed that they were people who carried huge loads up the mountain. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Sherpa are a group of people that come from the mountainous region of Tibet, and because of this, are incredible high altitude athletes. But they also take great pride in their training. Our climbing Sherpa are trained in all sorts of high altitude skills, including medical care. Porters, on the other hand, don't go up the mountain, they carry many loads up to base camp and perform other duties in the camp. All of our climbing Sherpa on this trip have reached the summit of Everest, all multiple times. Truly amazing athletes and people, and never without smiles on their faces.
While Kathmandu is approximately 75% Hindu and 25% Buddhist, the high mountain region of Nepal is almost entirely Buddhist (a good portion of the porters come from other areas of Nepal, and are not Buddhist, but virtually all the Sherpa are Buddhist). Religion is extremely important to the people here, and every town and important location has Stupas, prayer flags, or carvings in stones that represent the importance of their religion in everything they do. No Sherpa will go on to any high mountain (including Everest) until a Puja ceremony is performed. Our Puja ceremony is slated to take place tomorrow, and our Sherpa have spent many hours building a site for this ceremony out of stones in our camp. Sara M. will report on this ceremony in our next update.
Historically, communication from Everest Base Camp has been though satellite phones. This year it was announced that 3G service would be available at Base Camp. But, this is not really the case, and our communication is not quite up to standards that we are used to. Because the cellular tower is solar powered, cell phone service works at Base Camp from the hours of about 9 am to 4 pm Nepal time, not the best time to call home to the United States. We have found that checking and sending emails still is problematic, and the most reliable way is still though (the very expensive) satellite phone.
So, that's it from Everest Base Camp. We spend our rest days trying to nap, playing cards, doing puzzles, and playing Yahtzee and Apples to Apples. Sara and I have a fighting chance against Dave and Jeff Martin in Yahtzee and Apples to Apples, but Dave is rumored to be a world class Scrabble and Chess player, so we are pretending that we don't like those games for now (the RMI game box is stocked with about a dozen games, so I think we can avoid Scrabble and Chess for at least a few weeks). Last night Sara introduced Dave to all sorts of music that he had never heard before, such as Miley Cyrus, the Jonus Brothers, and even Linkin Park and B.O.B. It was quite a learning experience for Dave and Jeff.
In the next few days Mark Tucker and Linden Mallory will be arriving at Base Camp, and we will be losing Jeff who will head home. We are excited to see Linden and Mark, but we will be sad to see Jeff leave.
Thank you again for following our blog.
Bill M.
I am following along and thinking about you guys every day! I love the map as well as the blogs! Know that many, many prayers are sent up on your behalf every day. What an amazing journey!!!
Posted by: Jan on 4/11/2011 at 10:40 am
Dear Bill and Sara, Can you please be a little more specific about exactly what the heck you all are eating up there? We would like details please. Any candy? All climbing food that you add water too? Do you have headaches? Sunburn? Are you drinking enough water? Have FUN! Love, archiegarylillisophieella
Posted by: Archie and all on 4/10/2011 at 12:15 pm
Hey RMI this is Linden Mallory calling from Island Peak. We are up here at High Camp, it’s another fairly nice evening out, certainly on the chilly side but we didn’t get any of that afternoon precip that we’ve seen the past couple of days. This has definitely been some of the better weather we have seen in the past few days. It’s cold. Cold, cold temps right now about to jump in the tent and get warm.
We spent the morning wrapping up our training down at Base Camp and then moved up here to High Camp got in about mid day. We spent the afternoon sorting our gear and preparing.
I ran up to check out the route and get things started with Kulan Tusing, one of our Sherpa, so everything is looking good up there.
We just wrapped up an excellent dinner and off to bed. We are looking at an early morning start somewhere around 2 to 3 o’clock in the morning. With these cold temperatures we might delay our start a little bit but definitely get an alpine start. A couple hours through the rocks up onto the glacier and then move our way up the snow and ice to hopefully get to the summit of Island Peak. We will check in tomorrow and let you know how things go.
The team is doing well we are definitely excited to have the climb here and everybody is in good spirits and we send our best to everyone back home.
We’ll check in tomorrow. Take care.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory checks in from High Camp on Island Peak
On The Map
Saw the picture and description of Island Peak. What a climb and scene you must have. Keep up the good work and we are all anxious to hear and see more. Love Mom
Posted by: Cornelia Miller on 4/8/2011 at 3:07 pm
Wow! Gorgeous views! A tad warmer here, but the views are magnificent! Apple trees getting ready to pop their blossoms out, green hills and white Cascade Mountain range. The grass is starting to look a bit shaggy and ready for a haircut! Dreamt about you last night, Tim. I woke myself up reaching for you from my dreamy state and you wearn’t there. So glad for these blogs from Linden. Keeps us going down here at home. Can’t wait until Saturday. Starting to let myself think about you too much. Gotta stay busy. I love you, and I am so proud of you living out the dreams and letting them come true. You’re my hero! Deb <3
Posted by: Deb McLaughlin on 4/8/2011 at 11:45 am
This is Linden checking in from the Basecamp of Island Peak. We are camped out at the base and had a nice walk in this morning with clear skies. Rolled into Basecamp about mid-afternoon and got settled right in as the weather blew in. Huffed and puffed for a couple of hours and now it’s clearing up. We actually have some clouds lower down in the valley that are snowing and the wind is bringing the snow up. It’s snowing right now but there are stars above us. Optimistic that it will clear out by morning. The team is doing well, definitely excited to be transitioning into the climb portion of the trek. Tomorrow we move to high camp and keeping our fingers crossed that the weather is going to hold so we can make a push for the summit the following day. We will check in tomorrow and let you know how everything goes. Take care.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
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hi dave and all…as i read your words i can just imagine the sights, the sounds, and the size of your boots..hahaha…thanks for bringing everest to me…i dream of seeing the full moon from there…hope you enjoy it…i’ll be looking at it tonite from my home in taos…best…nancy…
Posted by: nancy janosko on 4/16/2011 at 4:03 pm
Fantastic updates and pictures! Thinking of you and sending as much positive energy as i can from 1,200 ft above sea level….
Posted by: Martin on 4/13/2011 at 5:22 am
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