After making great progress on their descent, RMI Guides Dave Hahn & Melissa Arnot and team are safely at Camp 2! It was a long day but sleep will be so nice with the thick air of 21,000'.
I will continue to send updates as the team makes their way back to Everest Basecamp.
RMI Guide and Everest Basecamp Manager Mark Tucker
Hooray!! # 14!!! We’re so glad for you Dave and look forward to that celebratory MARGUERITA upon return. Its hot , dry, and beautiful in Taos; but we’ve followed you once again on the RMI Blogs and cannot quite believe the number of climbers you have to contend with!! But then you usually wait it out until almost the end of your permit, and are thus successful—we’re so proud of you!!!
Posted by: Jean Richards, Lily Woll on 5/29/2012 at 7:08 pm
Congratulations Dave, Melissa and Team. Dave, please do not ever act your age. You are an inspiration to all of us.
Posted by: John Wayne Rogers on 5/27/2012 at 5:59 am
On Saturday, May 26th at 9:31 a.m. Nepali time the RMI 2012 Mt. Everest Expedition reached the summit!
RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Melissa Arnot led the team of climbers to the summit of Mt. Everest at 29,035'. This marks the 14th summit for Dave Hahn and the 4th for Melissa Arnot.
Congratulations to the team!!!
RMI Guide Dave Hahn contacted Everest Base Camp from the South Summit. The team is doing well and the weather is great. They are enjoying watching the sunrise and have gotten some great photos.
The team is taking a break at the South Summit which will allow climbers descending from the summit to get past. The weather is great, the team is strong, they have plenty of oxygen and a good pace so far.
RMI Guide and Everest Base Camp Manager Mark Tucker
May 26th, 4:30 a.m. Nepali time:
Our Sirdar Sherpa, Lam Babu, is at the South Col and relaying messages during the climb.
Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot and the team are at the Balcony! The climbing team is changing oxygen bottles, having a snack and a drink. Next stop the South Summit!
Here at Everest Basecamp, the top of Pumori is just starting to catch some light. No wind. It's a beautiful morning!
RMI Guide and Everest Basecamp Manager Mark Tucker
It is 4:30 in the afternoon on the 25th of May, at South Col, Everest High Camp. We didn’t go for it last night, there a few too many people, I don’t know how many exactly, but on the order of 90 – 100 and there was a wind last night, so we didn’t pull the trigger last night.
We are going to go for it tonight. We’ve got the forecast in our favor, the winds are supposed to drop down. There are other people going for it tonight but manageable numbers and we feel pretty good about it. It’s a sunny day up here at 26,000’ and we are hanging out, making plans taking care of our selves, getting ready because tonight we want to start up for the roof of the world.
I’ll try to give you a call when we get up and are brewing up in the dark tonight and the cold. But all is well, we are going ahead with things.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calls from 26,000 on Mt. Everest.
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.
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.
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.
This is Dave Hahn calling down from Camp 2 on Mt. Everest. Finally! We are out of Basecamp and on our summit bid. We had a great morning coming up. The climbing route is actually in pretty good condition. The ice fall is scary as ever but the Ice Fall Doctors have been doing a good job and we got through in pretty quick time. It was a beautiful morning nice and clear and calm.
The mountain is quieting down a little bit. There were a lot of Sherpas carrying loads down today for expeditions that were finished. So the mountain is quieting down and we think that is a hopeful sign for us. The forecast is coming together and there are still a few teams still around that are on the same time frame as us. We have been comparing notes.
Things are going pretty well. Our Sherpa team is going to come up tomorrow to ABC. We are going to rest tomorrow and get ready for the Lhotse Face and moving to Camp 3 the following day. We are pretty optimistic. We are all feeling really good right now and we are going to keep you informed.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Just heard the news of crowding in the death zone and subsequent loss of life this past weekend. So glad to read the blog and to be assured all is well with you both. Have fun and be safe. Can’t wait to read about your successful return.
Cheers,
Jo
Posted by: Josephine Johnson on 5/22/2012 at 8:06 am
Hooray!! # 14!!! We’re so glad for you Dave and look forward to that celebratory MARGUERITA upon return. Its hot , dry, and beautiful in Taos; but we’ve followed you once again on the RMI Blogs and cannot quite believe the number of climbers you have to contend with!! But then you usually wait it out until almost the end of your permit, and are thus successful—we’re so proud of you!!!
Posted by: Jean Richards, Lily Woll on 5/29/2012 at 7:08 pm
Congratulations Dave, Melissa and Team. Dave, please do not ever act your age. You are an inspiration to all of us.
Posted by: John Wayne Rogers on 5/27/2012 at 5:59 am
View All Comments