RMI Guide Dave Hahn and the Mt. Everest team have decided to remain at Camp 4 and postpone their summit attempt until tomorrow night Nepali time. The winds remained strong and they are hoping for better weather tomorrow.
We’ll keep you posted.
Best of luck to the Everest Climbers!
Hey, this is Dave Hahn calling down from High Camp (Camp 4) on Mt. Everest. We are just about at 8,000 meters. I hope you can hear me the winds are beating the stuffing out of our tent fabric right now. We got up here late morning today, we moved up pretty well from Camp 3, in about 4 ½ hours. Very crowded conditions on the Lhotse Face but the team was doing well and we cruised on up here.
It was a beautiful day but as soon as we got into the South Col the wind was blowing. Our forecast has changed a little bit, it’s not looking like quite the great window of opportunity that we thought it would be. There are a number of teams going for the summit tonight. In fact, many of them are starting and it’s not even 8 pm yet. We may not be starting if the wind is still blowing. We are thinking we can wait it out and maybe get some better weather tomorrow. But we are ready to go if this wind drops and the crowded conditions aren’t too bad.
Four team members, four Sherpa up here on the South Col and it’s exciting as always. We don’t know what’s going to happen but we are going to play our cards right.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calls from Camp 4 on Mt. Everest.
Hey all,
One more rest day here at 14,000'. The weather isn't bad, actually really warm for May, but it wasn't perfect this morning so we decided to take one more day of rest.
We took the opportunity of a break in the clouds after breakfast to head out to the Edge of the World for some spectacular photos. Just outside of 14 camp, the Edge of the World is where Genet Basin falls away 5,000' to the NE fork of the Kahiltna. The views are spectacular, and we were able to see our first camp at the base of Ski Hill, as well as the climber's track heading up the glacier from Base Camp.
It was great to have a chance to stretch our legs, and with our impending summit attempt, the stoke meter is a solid 8 today. Everyone is getting amped up to head high, but with that comes a little bit of nerves for everyone knowing how much effort is just around the corner.
Wishing everybody well, over and out from 14,000'
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and the gang
Hi Mai sounds like all is well way up there. Town is good and going up to the lake with Bob this weekend for some sailing should be fun. I know you are ready for the summit so have fun and please be safe. I miss you tons I will keep my finger crossed that the weather is perfect and that all will be good. Love you xoxo Mom
Posted by: Ginny on 5/25/2012 at 4:00 pm
Can’t help applauding you and your team again, Rob. Your pluck and spirits do our hearts good.
What a day!
A team meeting over breakfast followed by our park service orientation was just the beginning. The real work started at the hanger of our flight service, K2 Aviation. It was here that the tedium of going thru our gear, both personal and group stuff will pay off hugely when we get to the mountain and are stuck with the equipment we've chosen. REI has yet to set up shop on the Kahiltna Glacier.
As we wind down the day a great meal sits in our bellies and we look forward to a final night luxuriating in a real bed where a hot shower and toilet lie but a few carpeted paces away. Tomorrow will be different!
With luck we'll be flying onto the glacier at 9:00am to start our trip... One that we have all been working so hard and dreaming about for so long. And we start it as a group of individuals already well on our way to being a team of climbers and, more importantly, friends.
I know that we're all excited to get under way. I know too that I'm excited to climb with this very impressive group.
Well, all for now from the cozy little town of Talkeetna.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Well, we've made our move on up to camp at 14k on a scorching hot day with our second trip around (not-so) Windy Corner. We rolled in around 4:15 pm where Mike Walter and his crew were kind enough to leave us a great looking camp to move into. This left us with significantly less work building walls and digging platforms, lucky us! Thanks Mike! Clouds have moved in this evening and it has started to snow a bit but we are already fed, settled in, and for the most part crashed out. It was a tough day especially with the heat but the gang persevered.
'til tomorrow,
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Woke up today to splitter (blue) skies and warm temps! The original forecast was for a snowstorm to hit the range sometime today but it didn't appear that way to us this morning. The incorrect forecast was great news for us and we were able to push a load of supplies up around Windy Corner this afternoon. The crew made it back down to camp at 11,000' in time to soak up a bunch of afternoon sun. Needless to say our tans are coming along nicely with all of this good weather. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we plan on picking up camp and heading up to 14,000'.
The team is climbing great and in great spirits! Wish us luck on a big day tomorrow...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Hey SENIOR! Haha good luck on the mountain must be freezing up there while its a horrible 100 degrees back in Tucson :b. Well I drove my bros to pinetop without crashing I think Im ready for my drivers test! Anyway God bless you SENIOR everyone misses you down almost 14,000 feet! From the JUNIOR
Posted by: Junior on 5/25/2012 at 7:31 pm
I love you so much, mom. I was crying about it five minutes ago. Maybe Im on a sugar high from mission carnival. Sherman
Hello from Everest Base Camp,
I spoke with Dave and Melissa at Camp 3 and WOW did they sound great!
The climbing team left Camp 2 early this morning under perfect conditions. As they periodically checked in it sounded like they were truly enjoying the climb and taking pictures when possible. As you can imagine, under harsh weather there isn't time to enjoy the mountain and the views.
Our super Sherpa team started a bit earlier and set up tents at Camp 3 then returned back to Camp 2 to spend the night. The equipment that had been brought up there weeks ago was all intact and the team was able to pull into a well provisioned home for the night. Last I heard Melissa was kicking Dave's you know what in the stove boil off competition for dinner, Go Melissa Go!
As this climb is quickly coming to it's conclusion, and a day like today that can be so pivotal in the future success I get so excited with this good luck. Not that these tough individuals wouldn't meet the challenge of wind, cold and snow. I just like the way it is shaping up.
The weather forecast is still looking good with winds decreasing over the next few days. You have to love that!
The Sherpa team will get out of Camp 2 early tomorrow morning and the climbing team will try and have a seamless hand off of some gear to them from Camp 3, check out time should be around 6:00 am. Then the whole team should climb together up to high camp the South Col, getting there midday, that should allow enough time for rest and preparation for early departure toward the summit that night.
RMI Guide & Everest Base Camp Manager Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in from Camp 3 on Mt. Everest.
We spent today resting at the 14,000' camp on Mt. McKinley, getting stronger for our impending move to high camp (17,000'). The weather today was pretty mild for this time of year, with light snow showers throughout the day. The weather forecast looks pretty good, with similar weather on tap for the rest of the week. Everyone is doing well, and we'll likely take one more rest day here at 14,000' before moving up to high camp.
We'll keep you posted.
Cheers,
RMI Guide Mike Walter
May 22:
Resting here at 11,300' on Mt. McKinley... Not much to report other than worsening weather through the day today and that while hanging in the posh (cook tent) the team was able to solve most of the world's problems. We broached the taboo subjects of politics, religion, economics, ancient societies/civilizations, space exploration, extraterrestrial copulation, ancient ruins, plate tectonics, coral atoll nations and the rising sea level, doomsday cults, classic car restoration, moral bankruptcy, and escalating health care costs just to name a few. Currently it's snowing moderately but fortunately without wind. A good day to rest after all. Hopefully we get a small break in the weather tomorrow so we can push a load of food and fuel up around Windy Corner which will put us in position to move up to 14k camp.
Ciao,
RMI Guides Billy Nugent, Geoff Schellens and Gilbert ChaseMay 21:
After an uneventful night we awoke to more mostly sunny weather with some high cirrus clouds. The plan was to sleep in a little and enjoy the first morning of the expedition where we didn't have the chore of breaking camp. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast of smoked salmon on toasted bagels with cream cheese and then geared up for our walk down to the cache at 9,600'. After less than four hours we had retrieved all of our groceries and returned to camp at 11k. After eating dinner and hanging out, the glacier in camp suddenly settled sending a large shock-wave through the ground, needless to say scaring the crap out of everyone. I've never really felt a glacier do that before, pretty wild. Tomorrow calls for a rest day which might be good timing with the weather as things seem to be slightly deteriorating. There are some lenticular clouds forming on the peaks across the Kahiltna which may be indicative of some moisture on he way.
Will check in tomorrow from our rest day...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent and the gang.
May 20:
Hi everyone.
Today was another great day of unbelievable weather for our push up to the 11,000' camp. We left behind a cache at our previous camp at 9,600' of mostly food and fuel (alongside some miscellaneous personal items) and thus enjoyed a significantly lighter move than the loads from the previous two days. After a little bit of digging and improving of an abandoned camp we moved in and enjoyed a great tortellini dinner.
Hoping for a smooth first night at a new elevation,
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Paul, missing my mountain man!! I’m very Proud of you baby.
The temperature at the happiest place on earth will hit 100 degrees for the holiday weekend.
143
Sherri
Posted by: Sherri on 5/24/2012 at 6:58 am
Hi John C and gang ,everything seems to be going to plan for you.Mart and gang arrived ok.Be good and be safe,talk soon.
Our team enjoyed a rest day at Camp 2 (ABC) today. Their plan is to head for Camp 3 tomorrow.
This really is the start of the Mt. Everest summit push in my eyes. How the next two days go, can have real impact on the summit day.
It is so hard to try and maintain strength at these higher camps that you better hope the internal battery is charged, you will be drawing off of your reserves for sure. The team is focusing on eating and hydrating, keeping their bodies strong and ready. Four of our climbing Sherpa left Base Camp today and joined the climbers at ABC. Everyone is doing well and looking forward to the next few days.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn is one of the best mountain guides in the business. With many expeditions under his belt, he knows how to climb this mountain. The weather forecast still looks promising. Good luck to the team!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in from ABC on a rest day.
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Be Safe, as if you need to be told. Best of Luck for a bright sunny Summit.
Posted by: Bob and Michelle from Taos on 5/24/2012 at 8:39 pm
Best of luck to you a Dave!
Posted by: Mike Iem on 5/24/2012 at 7:34 pm
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