RMI Expeditions Blog
Dave Hahn with the RMI Everest Expedition. We are without internet this evening, due to forces beyond our control. We are doing fine. It was another waiting day. There was still all of that snow on the ground from the bigger storm and the threat of more falling, but in the end we didn't get that much more today. It was pretty cloudy. Our team went for a climb to the face of the the steep part in the icefall, so we went about an hour to an hour and a half breaking trail to the start of the technical sections in the icefall. We made a good morning of it, and taking it easy this afternoon mostly at camp as we wait and see. Nobody wants to push up through the icefall right now with that possibility for more snow coming. We may have to do a similar program tomorrow- hiking, exercise, training, and then will hope to hit the icefall the following day. At least Sherpas and guides going up to preview it, but that that doesn't seem worthwhile at the moment, but another day or two, we'll see. Everybody is doing well. We'll let you know what happens. Thanks.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in from Everest Base Camp.
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Categories: Guide News
Today I carried more gear and food to Annapurna Camp 1 as more bad weather approached. While climbing today I noticed icefall avalanche activity was quite frequent. So far Annapurna has been relatively quiet, hopefully this isn't a sign of permanent change. As I arrived at Camp 1 around noon it was snowing steadily with low visibility. My plan had been to go all the way up to Camp 2, but the weather was so uncertain at Camp 1 that I decided to drop the equipment at Camp 1 and head back down. Currently I'm at Base Camp sitting out this spell of bad weather.
Tentbound... again
I had considered going directly to Camp 2 today to attempt a possible summit push on the 15th. But the 15th (possibly a decent day at 8,000 meters) is sandwiched between loading events (significant snowfall). The unstable weather looks to persist until the 18th.
General Mtn news: Camp 3 was hit by an avalanche a few days ago, two teams had cached oxygen bottles and other items there a while back. All these items were swept away. The nine-day weather forecast does not look promising. Heavy snowfalls, then some clearing but with high winds. I'm hoping the forecast will change to something more promising in the next few days.
RMI Guide Alex Barber
I thought you lost communications for a while. I was getting ready to contact RMI’s main office for a rescue request. :)
You did pick one of the more challenging mountains to pursue hence ‘snow days.’ Keep trying I want to see pictures—but be careful.
Posted by: Mary on 4/15/2015 at 8:27 am
Thanks for the updates, Random Fan TJ Hiker
Posted by: TJ on 4/14/2015 at 10:03 pm
The snow began falling about the time we got into our sleeping bags last night. It didn't quit. When we poked heads out for a look-see around 3:30 AM, it was still piling up pretty good, and so there wasn't any consideration given for going ahead with the icefall plan for the day. Back to bed and wait and see, was the plan. It had snowed about a foot by breakfast. The gang assembled and we spent the day biding our time. We didn't have great conditions for walking with powder snow over uneven rock and ice. The clouds and flurries hung in all day. We could hear and occasionally see puja ceremonies going on at the camps around us. All-in-all it was a quiet day of waiting. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
PMR, like the beard, true mountain man look!!
Ken
Posted by: Ken Nelson on 4/13/2015 at 10:30 pm
Larry,
An oven, was that really an oven in JJ’s picture? Amazing…
Glad your getting some good food and company up there. Love you!
Posted by: Debbie Worden on 4/13/2015 at 8:58 pm
It was shower day for the climbing team. This was our designated "day off" so that all could get a good night's sleep without any nervousness about what might be demanded of another training/climbing day. It seemed to do the trick... we all showed up late for the pre-breakfast coffee and tea session. There was a pretty good procession of old friends and fellow guides coming to say hello and exchange radio frequencies today. Climbing teams are now pouring in, the Puja flags are going up everywhere and brightly colored tents are blossoming in every direction.
We'll make our first push through the icefall tomorrow... Sherpas and guides, at least. Our goal will be to check out the route and to establish Camp 1 at close to 20,000 ft.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Inspired by your courage and praying for all Sherpas and climbers - from Maryland, USA.
Posted by: Carol Clancey on 4/18/2015 at 11:53 am
Peter we miss you and love you and hope you are doing well! I love the email updates and look forward to them! Wishing you and the rest of the team the best of luck on the ice fall. Love you!
Posted by: Chelsea Hall on 4/13/2015 at 2:16 pm
It was time for a big day of hiking. We've been ramping up the activity level, day by day as acclimatization has kicked in. The goal today was to hike back down valley to get busy on Kalapathar, an 18,300 ft "summit" with big views of Everest and pretty much everything else in our valley. In classic terms, it isn't really a summit, just a convenient bump on a ridge which then gets quite technical on its way to the summit of Pumori, a vertical mile overhead. But Kalapathar is accessible and popular. And for us, it would involve some good distance and vertical gain and loss... Otherwise known as training. We went off the main trail soon after leaving Basecamp to avoid the heavy traffic (trekkers, yaks, climbers, porters) and snuck along a quiet and slightly more rugged back path which goes through the abandoned basecamp for Pumori. We clomped through a few snowfields before rejoining the popular route on Kalapathar that comes up from Gorak Shep. And then it was just an easy plod upward to the mass of prayer flags at the top. It is a real treat to be up top without clouds obscuring the surrounding great peaks and today we took advantage of the opportunity, snapping a few hundred digital images in every direction. Eventually, the wind and cold caused us to beat a hasty retreat back down to Gorak Shep and then we started up the normal track to basecamp. As expected, the trail was quite busy, but we were still able to make good time... experiencing the cheap thrill of walking at normal (acclimatized) speed past a hundred panting and gasping (unacclimatized) trekkers.
It was fine to relax away what remained of the afternoon in camp after five and a half good hours of walking and scrambling.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek
We are back safe and sound in Kathmandu.
Everyone is enjoying the comforts here at the Yak & Yeti Hotel, a long hot shower, good food, and the warm temperatures.
It's been one amazing adventure with a great team and it will be sad to say goodbye, but we are all looking forward to getting back home to our loved ones.
Thanks for following.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
One of the finer days we've seen on the trip, weatherwise. Clear skies and calm as anything in the morning, which made us forget the cold. We were out in the glacier again, at our jungle gym of ladders and fixed lines and ice walls. The team practiced safety clips and rappel procedures and did lap after lap, without packs, with packs, with ice axes, without them... All under the watchful eyes of myself, JJ Justman, and Chhering Dorgee Sherpa.
At this point, still, the only climbers to have been through the icefall have been the icefall doctors responsible for building the route. That will change within a few days... Of course we are all quite curious as to what surprises the "new" route through the glacier holds.
In the afternoon on this fine day, our Basecamp Manager, Mark Tucker, took a foursome out for the first day of a planned four-day golf tournament in the mellow section of glacier close to camp. Tuck showed his party around the Khumbu Country Club, scoring a hole-in-one in the process (his partners now each owe him 100 rupees). Newcomer Robbie came away with the low score for the round however, with a nine under par performance.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Look out, Mark Tucker… Robbie might be donning your green jacket on Sunday! Play [and climb] safe, everyone.
Posted by: Everett Moran on 4/11/2015 at 2:24 pm
Must have been Larry’s first golfing adventure in a long time. Kathy and I are praying for you Larry. Go 4 it!!!
Walt
Posted by: Walt Unti on 4/11/2015 at 10:49 am
It's been a few days since I've posted an update. Mostly - ok entirely - because I've been ill. The most likely culprit, in my mind, for this bout of illness was the suspiciously under cooked mutton I had a few nights ago. Today, though, I'm feeling better and my focus is returning to Annapurna.
Mountain news: While I've been tent-ridden not too much has happened. Camp 1 was hit by a massive wind gust produced by a large avalanche originating from high up the mountain near Camp 3. It ripped a few tents from their guy lines and the group that was there when it happened lost some gear. All my on-mountain gear is cached at C2, though, so this hasn't affected me. Progress has been made toward Camp 3 by one team, but nobody has yet reached it. Deep snow on the approach to the crosshairs couloir is the main issue. The team using bottled oxygen are planning their first summit attempt for the 15th or 16th.
My plan is to climb directly to Camp 2 on the 12th and Camp 3 on the 13th. The section between Camp 2 and 3 is the most technically difficult and dangerous area. But time spent above 20,000' is a most important aspect of acclimatization for a no O's attempt. Until then I'm working on kicking this illness and recuperating my strength for this next push up the mountain.
RMI Guide Alex Barber
It was time to put on mountaineering boots, crampons, harnesses and helmets. We went out into the Khumbu Glacier and tromped around with ice axes in our hands, exploring... But also brushing up on our climbing moves, our balance and our endurance. The glacier at the level of Base Camp can be a maze of ice walls and pinnacles and -for now- frozen stream courses. We danced carefully across ponds of frozen meltwater and found our way to the start of the climbing route into the serious part of the Khumbu Icefall. The afternoon found us playing in a jungle gym of ladders, fixed ropes, rappel stations and ice walls. Our Sherpa team had built this great obstacle course for practice and together we tackled each skill station and played/worked out in the glacier for hours. It was great to come in a little weary from a day out in the sun and satisfying to finally feel like we'd edged into the climbing world from the hiking world.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Look forward to seeing your amazing pictures of the mountain!
Posted by: Mary on 4/10/2015 at 4:04 am
HW: Kids played in the jungle gym at home too, but yours does sound just a tad bit more advanced ;-). Thanks to Dave for these wonderful updates. -FX
Posted by: FX on 4/9/2015 at 10:52 am
Hello again
It was a nice warm day here on our final hike to Lukla. We started early to beat the traffic and made good time, yet taking time to enjoy this peaceful and majestic place.
There were still dozens of loads headed for Base Camp as always, because much of the needed supplies arrive via plane or from a few days away by mules. We even saw someone carrying a kitchen sink! Which I'm sure is for one of the new tea houses being built that line the trail to Base Camp.
With a little luck we hope to be back in Kathmandu tomorrow morning.
Keep your fingers crossed for us.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
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Patience is a virtue….
Posted by: Ken Nelson on 4/15/2015 at 6:01 am
Nice to hear your voice live from Everest Base Camp. Bet some of the men are going through a mini Internet withdrawal. I won’t mention any names….haha. Glad you are all making the most of the conditions. Sending good thoughts for sunny days ahead. I know there is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes. Love you all madly, Bonny
Posted by: Bonny Rogers on 4/14/2015 at 3:00 pm
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