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Entries By linden mallory


Everest Base Camp Trek: Long and Rainy Walk Back to Lukla

A forest fire burning lower in the valley gave the skies a light haze this morning over Namche and we could catch glimpses of the smoke rising from the valley sides further down as we left our teahouse. It was warm as we walked out of Namche and descended the hill to the valley floor but by the time we reached the bottom, clouds crept up the valley to block out the sun. As we crossed the suspension bridge above the river the first few droplets of rain began to fall. Soon the rain was falling in force and thunder echoed in the mountains above, and the smoke from the fire began to dissipate. We walked through the villages below Namche, crossing back and forth across the river on suspension bridges, while the rain came and went. Before long thunder was rolling through with hardly a pause between claps and we sought refuge in the nearest shelter we could find, piling into a tiny shack on the side of the trail already full of porters also seeking refuge. Sitting crammed in the one room building, we sipped some tea heated up on a fire nearby as the thunder and lightning passed over us and faded away higher up the valley. Once all we could hear was a light rain pattering on the roof we set out on the trail again, picking our way down the trail as we skirted the small streams and puddles forming in our path. We made steady progress back down the valley, finally pausing in the village of Phakding for lunch. The rain kept coming down and we sat around the stove in the teahouse doing our best to dry out as we ate lunch. When we set out and the rain was letting up; with every step we made closer to Lukla the clouds seemed to rise equally as well. Soon we could see the fresh snow covering the base of the peaks above and all of the fields around shone a brilliant green with the arrival of spring in the lower Khumbu Valley. The cherry trees, rhododendron, and piries janponica trees were all in full bloom - pink, red, and white flowers dotted the trees bordering the fields and we kept pausing to take it all in. By late afternoon we climbed the final rocky steps of the trail and walked into Lukla. We found our teahouse and shed our packs and damp gear, finally reaching the end of the trail. We are happy to be warm and dry again after the many hours of walking in the rain today and if the weather cooperates and the clouds continue to lift we hope to catch an early morning flight back to Kathmandu tomorrow. It is a bit strange not to have more trail to cover tomorrow but we are excited to get back to Kathmandu and keeping our fingers crossed for clear skies so we can fly out! RMI Guide Linden Mallory

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Everest Base Camp Trek: Linden Recounts Summit Day

The days since our last dispatch were packed full of activity as we headed out to climb Island Peak. After saying goodbye to the trekking group, we walked up the Imja Khola Valley to the village of Chukung, a small collection of teahouses sitting between Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Island Peak. Our teahouse is run by a Sherpani woman and her two daughters and they welcomed us warmly, feeding us a hearty dal bhat (Nepali rice and lentils) which we unanimously agreed is the best to be found in the Khumbu. Before going to sleep we pared down our gear in anticipation of the climb, taking with us just the gear we needed for the climb. In the morning we left Chukung and made the final walk to the base of Island Peak. A sharp wind blew as we walked, making the morning feel much colder than it was, and we made our way through the dusty and rocky terrain bundled up to stay warm. We reached Base Camp by midday and settled into our tents there, enjoying the warmth of the sun through the tent walls. The wind died off by mid afternoon and we spent a comfortable evening in the tents at Base Camp. The following morning broke clear but again with a cold wind blowing through camp. We packed up our gear and headed up to High Camp. The trail climbs steeply out of camp, making tight switchbacks up the hillside. The thin alpine grasses covering the ground soon gave away to rocks and boulders as we left the last sparse vegetation behind. High Camp is tucked into the rocks on the mountain side just below 18,000' and the walking between tents required full attention, especially at those altitudes. We spent the rest of the afternoon resting and preparing for the climb. In the early evening the clouds descended over the mountain and left a thin layer of snow covering everything and we went to bed concerned that more snow could abort our summit attempt. Thankfully the night sky full of stars greeted us when we woke up just before 2am, the climb was on! We forced down a quick breakfast, no easy task at that hour or that elevation, and set off. The first few hours of climbing took us up a series of steep rocky gullies and occasional ledges. The normally tricky walking was magnified by the layer of freshly fallen snow but we made good progress, reaching the toe of the glacier just after sunrise. We strapped on our crampons and climbed up and across the glacier to the base of the headwall below Island Peak's summit. Clipping into the fixed lines there, we climbed our way up the headwall, crossing the bergshcrund and working our way up the steep icy face. The headwall was a mix of smooth ice and ledges several feet apart and it was difficult climbing, especially with no place to pause and catch our breaths. Nevertheless, the team climbed steadily and before long we stood on the ridge leading up the summit. The final hundred feet of climbing took us up a narrow snow ridge, with thousands of feet of exposure on each side, until we reached the top, a small flat area no bigger than the size of a pool table. The views from the summit were incredible, the ridge between Lhotse and Nuptse rising directly behind us, Makalu visible in the distance, Ama Dablam off to the side, and the entire upper portion of the Khumbu Valley running out below us. After a brief moment to celebrate, we turned our attention to the descent, carefully picking our way down the ridge to the top of the headwall. As we clipped into the ropes to rappel down the headwall the snow once again began to fall and the temperatures dropped, making the rope changes at the end of each rappel section difficult with cold hands. We slowly made our way down the series of five rappels to the foot of the headwall, and then recrossed the glacier back to the rocks. The final portion of the descent was very challenging with the added snow and tired legs but everyone traveled remarkably well, crossing the slick rock slabs and descending the rock steps with sure feet. We returned back to High Camp in the late afternoon and after a delicious dinner, collapsed into a deep night's sleep. This morning we descended from High Camp back to Chukung where we paused for a lunch of Sherpa Stew (thick vegetable soup) and then continued down the valley to Pangboche, at 12,700'. The change of scenery from the rocks and snow on Island Peak to the fields and juniper trees here in Pangboche is remarkable, we have spent many days up high and being back down at these (relatively) low altitudes feels great. And the warm fire burning here in the teahouse is a true treat. The team climbed incredibly well on Island Peak, doing a great job of navigating the terrain and challenging conditions. We are all feeling good and happy to be heading downhill. We descend to Namche tomorrow and will check in from there. RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Great report and wonderful pictures. Those are some mighty happy, pretty and tired looking faces!

Posted by: Thurston on 4/2/2012 at 8:28 am

Congrats ALL! I’m sitting here in Cannon Beach, OR watching the Pacific crash into the beach, enjoying my 2nd cup of coffee Linden (I know you have your pot!) & just got caught up on the blog.
I still literally dream (and its been almost a year now) about my summit experience with Linden, Kala Sherpa & team on ImJa Tse—thank goodness for the Sherpa who smoked that cigarette at 20k’ as we were resting in the saddle at the top of the wall—it revived me (don’t smoke, but it was kinda like smelling salts for me & cleared the cobwebs).
Nice touch in staying at High Camp one nite after Summit Day too, as that walk all the way back to ChuKung was tough last year—I vaguely remember stumbling in by the stove & almost falling asleep sitting in my plastic chair.
Enough of me—you all will forever remember this experience & it will be something you continually look back on as a source of inspiration & strength—I PROMSE!
It is truly an amazing Big Blue Ball we all get to live on & experience.
Enjoy the walk out “Into Thick Air!”
BTW—Training going well for Denali Linden—hopefully I’ll be ready. :)
Tim

Posted by: Tim McLaughlin on 4/2/2012 at 7:40 am


Everest Base Camp Trek: Linden and Team Summit Island Peak!

Hey RMI. This is Linden Mallory calling from Island Peak High Camp. We touched the top today. We had a pretty phenomenal climb. Everybody made it, 100% success! The morning started out clear. We had beautiful stars as we were climbing. Nice morning sun. And then right as we started down, we had more snow. Keeps snowing pretty consistently since early this afternoon. The afternoon made the descent a little tricky with all that new snow on top of the rock, but the team did well. We handled it without too many problems and now we are looking forward to heading downhill tomorrow. We will be down lower in the valley tomorrow and will try and send out some photos and a written account. So that's the news. We're all really happy about the climb and happy to be down. And looking forward to getting out of here. Take care. RMI Guide Linden Mallory


Linden Mallory and the Island Peak team summit!

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You ladies are truly amazing (you too, Linden)!  We are so proud to say that we are pals of such mountain climbing rock stars. Now come on home safely.  We can’t wait to hear the tales of adventure in person.

Posted by: Hugh on 4/1/2012 at 6:26 am

You ladies totally rock. It was so exciting to read the news from Linden.  What a great accomplishment for all of you and perhaps most especially Linden!  Can’t wait to see you and hear tales of this great adventure. Safe travels home.

Posted by: Mac on 4/1/2012 at 4:53 am


Everest Base Camp Trek: Linden & Team Going for Island Peak Summit in the Morning

Hey RMI, this is Linden Mallory calling from Island Peak High Camp. Just over 17,600' or so. We moved up here this morning and got settled in. Our weather this morning is a little breezy but not clouds. This afternoon some clouds rolled in. A little bit of new snow but it appears to be letting up. We are just about to have dinner and headed off to bed. Planning on going for the summit tomorrow. It appears that the new snow should not be much of an issue. We are looking forward to it. Everyone's feeling great. The altitude is treating us well. We're just keeping our fingers crossed and keeping warm and dry. We'll check in tomorrow and let you know how the climb goes. Take care. RMI Guide Linden Mallory


Linden Mallory checks in from Island Peak High Camp.

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Linden…at it again?!!  Good luck…R

Posted by: Richard Parker on 4/2/2012 at 10:56 am

Hey Laura Wright.  I am so inspired by you and all of the ladies with you.  It is such a thrill to follow your travels on this blog and see how you are living large.  Come home soon for some badminton at the river.  ha ha I can’t wait to hear all of your stories and pray for a safe return for you all.  Love, Ann

Posted by: Ann Parsons on 3/31/2012 at 7:31 am


Everest Base Camp Trek: Arrive at Island Peak Base Camp

Hey RMI, this is Linden Mallory calling from Island Peak Base Camp. We left Chukung and walked up to the head of Imja Khola Valley right at the base of Island Peak here. Surrounded by Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, it's a pretty incredible place. Got in midday. We had a little bit of wind and a very, very trace amounts of new snow that came in late afternoon but they are clearing up right now as I call. And we are doing well. Bit chilly up here but otherwise everything is stellar. We move up to high camp tomorrow in midday in preparations of our summit bid tomorrow night. So we will check in from high camp. Hope everyone is doing well and we'll talk to you soon. Thanks. RMI Guide Linden Mallory


Linden calls in from Island Peak Base Camp.

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Very impressive.  I’ve been telling everyone at Princeton about your progress, and they all think that you are so cool.  Elise and I were hanging out last, and we decided that we must have the toughest, most adventurous moms in the world.  Good luck with the summit tonight.

Ireland was great.  We trained with coaches from the professional team in Galway, and everyone improved as players. We went 1-1 in our games.  We won against a team of men who were about your age.  Their fly half was, in his prime, the fly half for the Irish national team.  But he was no match for the young Americans.  The young Irish, on the other hand, did just fine against us.  It was a close match, but their skills were much better than ours.

It was fun to go back to some of the same sights that we went to eight years ago now.  We went to the Cliffs of Moher, and the burren. I built up enough courage to sit on the edge of the cliffs with my legs hanging over.  It’s nothing compared to the heights that you’re reaching, but it was my own little Everest experience in Ireland. And I read my Lenten Confessional every day.

I love you, Mom.  I’m proud of you.  I wish I could be there.

Posted by: Philip on 3/30/2012 at 10:35 am

a little bit chilly?  I bet it is FREEZING.

Good luck team

Posted by: john on 3/30/2012 at 5:02 am


Everest Base Camp Trek: Up To Island Peak or Down to Namche…

Hey RMI, this is Linden Mallory calling from Chukung in the Imja Khola Valley, it’s a side valley off of the main Khumbu Valley. In the last days before Island Peak, part of the group headed off back down to Namche today and four of us are headed up towards Island Peak. We’ll be heading into Base Camp tomorrow to begin the climb. Everybody is doing well; the weather has been nice so far and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way. We’ll check in with you again at Base Camp. Take care.


RMI Guide Linden Mallory checks in from Chukung.

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We are anxious to hear how things are going.  So you summit Saturday, which means Friday night Nepal, which means Friday day EST.  I’m confused and I’m at sea level.

Keep the Sat phone updates coming Linden

Posted by: john barsanti on 3/29/2012 at 9:14 am

Thanks for the update. We are going through withdrawal without our daily blog feeds from Linden and Dana Marie. Take care and keep looking upward.

Posted by: Thurston on 3/29/2012 at 8:25 am


Everest Base Camp Trek: Team Departs Everest Base Camp

The weather moved into Everest Base Camp yesterday afternoon, the clouds settling in around the peaks and snow beginning to fall. It continued to snow on and off again all evening and into the night. The weather did have a welcome side effect thought: the clouds above and snow on the tents made temperatures a bit warmer and it never got too cold last night. When we woke up this morning everything was blanketed in a couple of inches of fresh snow. We packed all of our gear up, said goodbye to the Sherpa team at Base Camp, and headed back down the valley. The new snow on the trail actually made the walking on the glacier easier, filling in between all of the loose rocks and smoothing out the trail. After a cold morning in the shadows packing up, we quickly warmed up not long after Base Camp when the sun finally found us and we made good progress. We followed the trail back to Gorak Shep and onwards to Lobuche, where we stopped for lunch. Finally, we descended from the glaciers, rocks, and new snow above back down into the valley of Pheriche, reaching our tea-house here by late afternoon. It was a long day on the trail, with many miles to cover across difficult terrain at high altitudes, and the tea-house was a welcome sight when we finally reached it. The team was amazing today, toughing out the difficult sections of the trail and enduring the long final hours of walking to get here. We are all tired from the walk, and the many days up high, but happy to be here and heading downwards. We had a blast reading all of the comments on the Blog and want to thank everyone for their thoughts. Tomorrow, part of the group continues descending to Namche as they make their way home while the Island Peak team heads up the neighboring Imja Khola Valley to Chukung, near the base of Island Peak, to begin our climb. We will check in tomorrow from Chukung. The connection up there is sporadic so we will likely be checking in via satellite phone for the next few days. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

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Corell and team, I just googled Island Peak…...WOW!! Go slow, be steady and dont look down! Im praying for a safe and successful climb. You are amazing and a lot braver than me! Ill be glad when you get home.XXOO,Nancy

Posted by: nancy on 3/28/2012 at 2:31 pm

So relieved to hear that all were well at Base and that you are headed back to Namche and Lucy, Corell and DM are on to Island. Please take care of yourselves and know that we are all thinking of you and praying for you. Truly amazing. Kathryn

Posted by: Kathryn LeBey on 3/28/2012 at 5:34 am


Everest Base Camp Trek:  Experiencing Everest Base Camp

The temperatures at Everest Base Camp were a big concern among the group for the days, weeks, and even months leading into the trip. Knowing that, before dinner last night we pulled out a special surprise for the group: A First Ascent Down Suit for each member of the trip to use while at Base Camp. Needless to say, they were a big hit. We sat around the dining tent toasty warm, discussing the best ways to go about the daily tasks in our new Base Camp attire - from sleeping to brushing our teeth to using the toilet tent. It was a crystal clear night here last night, every star in the sky shining brightly in the blackness above. Around us the mountain was alive with activity: the glacier creaked and cracked, rocks occasionally came crashing down distant slopes, and chunks of glacier from far off collapsed sending low rumbles through the valley. Despite it all we were comfortable in our tents, cozy warm in our sleeping bags and down suits and the night passed smoothly. The sun finally roused us this morning and we sat down for a delicious breakfast. Not a cloud was to be found in the sky and we enjoyed the time to sit around and talk, with nowhere in particular to be. Around mid morning I headed out into the lower stretches of the Khumbu Glacier with the three climbers heading to Island Peak and we set up a small ropes course on the ice features of the glacier. We focused on how to climb with crampons on firm glacial ice, the best techniques for overcoming steep obstacles, and then jumped onto fixed ropes and familiarized ourselves with ascending a fixed line, how to use an ascender on the rope, and how to rappel. The climbing team was soon zipping around the ropes course, clambering up and rappelling back down the large ice fin upon which we were practicing. Once we felt comfortable with using the equipment and moving across the terrain, and sufficiently winded from the 17,000' elevation, we headed back to camp to meet up with the rest of the team. We've spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in camp, resting from the days of hiking it took to get up here, and preparing for the hike out tomorrow. The team is doing very well, sending our best to everyone at home, and eager to share more stories from the adventures we've had thus far. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

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Great report. Down suits sound like a BIG hit. Good luck on trip down and congrats again .
All is well here on the home front. Hugh received his bray surprise at work and loved it. Taking him out 2nite. Very old man.

Posted by: John on 3/27/2012 at 9:21 am


Everest Base Camp Trek: Arriving at Everest Base Camp!

The sun took awhile to reach us this morning, the shoulder of Nuptse standing 9,000' above blocked the sun rays and cast long shadows that gradually crept backwards as the sun rose. By the time we stepped out of the tea-house after 8:00 am the sun hit us and almost instantly began to chase away the nighttime chill. We left Gorak Shep in good spirits, eager to complete the final few hours of walking to Everest Base Camp. The trail becomes notably less defined this far up the valley. In addition to seeing less traffic, the path is ever changing as the loose moraine settles and shifts with the passing glacier and the pull from gravity. Despite Everest Base Camp being a relatively short distance from Gorak Shep as the crow flies, no more than two miles, the trail itself is much longer as it twists and turns over the rough landscape, descending through boulder fields and climbing back up loose scree gullies. We picked our way along it, stepping from rock to rock and occasionally catching glimpses of the tent tops of Base Camp off in the distance. About two thirds of the way to Base Camp the trail finally drops off of the side moraine bordering the glacier and crosses onto its surface. This low down on the glacier the surface is covered in rock that was pulled down from the mountain side further up and large features of ice, pushed up by the pressure of the glacier above, are interspersed with giant pools of frozen water that sit on the glacier surface from when the ice melts in the warm afternoon sun. The walking, while relatively flat, is tricky as every rock lies atop a sheet of ice below and the footing is continually shifting underfoot. Nevertheless, the group navigated the trail well and by midday we crested the final rocky rise and walked into RMI's Everest Base Camp. Our Sherpa team has been busy working up here for the past two weeks, hacking away the shifting ice and rolling the rocks aside to create large platforms on the glacier's surface for our tents to sit on. With the creative eye of a designer, they set up a very comfortable camp here. Our dining tent looks right out at Everest, the lower stretches of the Khumbu Icefall filling the view out the door from inside. A series of large stone steps leads from the Dining Tent to the sleeping tents sitting in a semi circle on a small rise above. Just in front of them stands our Communications Tent, with direct sight to the mountain above for the best radio reception and good exposure to the sun as it tracks across the sky for the solar panels that power all of the equipment. The Kitchen and Storage Tents are just below, with a large stone path leading between them and the Dining Tent above. The Sherpa team greeted us enthusiastically when we arrived, showing us around before we settled down for lunch. Kumar, the Expedition Cook, pulled together an incredible meal complemented with fresh baked rolls and steamed veggies. The change of pace from the typical tea-house food is refreshing and the food was excellent. After lunch we settled into camp, unpacking our gear in our tents and relaxing in the warm afternoon sun. We are all very happy to be here, pleased that we don't have to turn around and walk back to the tea-house this evening and enjoying the life around Base Camp. Everyone continues to adjust well to the altitude and hiked well today. We are spending tomorrow here in Base Camp, enjoying this place for a bit and covering some climbing training in preparation for those of us that are headed to Island Peak next. We want to thank everyone for the great comments on the Blog, we read them aloud over dinner last night and enjoyed hearing the snippets from home. RMI Guide Linden Mallory


RMI Guide Linden Mallory checks in from Everest Base Camp.

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Congrats to the whole team - what an accomplishment.  Hopefully the good weather and fortune will continue for the trek back and for the girls climbing Island Peak. 

Mike

Posted by: Mike Hogan on 3/27/2012 at 3:48 am

You did it!!!! And look at all of these wonderful and encouraging comments! You ladies sure are impressive. So proud of you, Mom. Happy yu made it safely to base camp and enjoyed a yummy meal. Stay safe! Xoxo

Posted by: Courtney on 3/26/2012 at 6:03 pm


Everest Base Camp Trek: Linden and Team Arrive at Everest Base Camp

Hey RMI, this is Linden Mallory calling from the Everest Base Camp Trek. I am calling from Everest Base Camp. We weren't able to push out photos and a written dispatch today so I'm calling from the SAT phone instead. Just to let you all know that we are all doing well and made it to Base Camp and everyone is so happy to be here. Keep your eye out for the dispatch tomorrow. We'll do our best to get it out if conditions allow. Besides that the weather's gorgeous and we are looking for to spending some time up here. Take care. RMI Guide Linden Mallory


Linden Mallory and team arrive at Everest Base Camp.

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Wow!!!  What an accomplishment!  I am proud just to know all of you.  It’s great to see all the hard work and planning pay off.

Posted by: Carter Sr. on 3/26/2012 at 7:33 am

Way to go girls!! Following your trip through the blogs has been amazing. Just got back from a walk in the pollen soaked air - tried to imagine I was breathing the clear air you all are, no matter how thin, and seeing your gorgeous views.  Enjoy every moment, you all are truly blessed.  We are all cheering for you back home!

Posted by: Michelle on 3/26/2012 at 5:52 am

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