Gearing up for the Camp 2 move. I took some time with Kumar and Lam to check electrical equipment including a base-type radio communication station. All is in good order now, we will see how it goes over the next while. Cold and altitude are always tough on that equipment let alone the moving from camp to camp always has takes some toll. Our Sherpa team is hard at work at Camp 2 and a couple will stay the night to get it ready for Dave and crew to move up soon.
Where is the mocha? Photos from my Internet location out in the middle of the glacier. It's not Starbucks but the view can't be beat. A bit of a hassle to get there but compared to what we had as cell service in the past, this is great. We still use the satellite communication for many things, but the price is a lot more. Back in 1990 the sat phone was a good size suite case. The price per minute was 20 to 30 dollars. At least some things have gotten cheaper. The cell towers in Gorak Shep have been pretty reliable as of late and it is so nice to be able to stay in touch with all of you on a consistent basis. With that in mind, fret not if we miss a dispatch here and there, just blame it on tough circumstances that prevail now and again.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Taking advantage of the clear weather this morning we took a day hike above Namche. The steep steps right out of the door of the tea-house quickly got hearts pumping and we climbed out of the cold morning shadow in Namche into the morning sun above. The trail we followed ascends steeply up the hillside, making dozens of short switchbacks as it gains the flat plateau above. By the time we arrived the top, at over 12,000', we were breathing hard, feeling the effects of the new elevation. Thankfully, the trail flattened out and walked across the gentle plateau through clusters of juniper trees and fields of grass cropped short by grazing yaks.
We reached the edge of the broad bench of Namche and were greeted to incredible views of the mountains higher up the valley. Hardly a cloud hung in the sky and we could clearly see Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Taboche, and Cholatse - all famous peaks of the region. Above them all stood Everest, it's recognizable triangular summit hanging in the sky above. The winds in the upper mountains were blowing strongly this morning and the peaks had plumes of blown snow trailing off their summits and ridges. We gazed out at the mountains for a bit and then continued walking to the Everest View Hotel where we found a seat on the back patio and treated ourselves to a cup of tea while enjoying the views.
Afterward, we continued on to the village of Khumjung, a large village near Namche and where the Sir Edmund Hillary School is located - serving kids all over the region. The school was quiet since they are in the midst of their final exams but a few young boys were outside playing in the school grounds. We passed through the school and made our way back along a stone lined trail to the edge of the bench above Namche and dropped back down into town, completing a large loop.
We spent the afternoon back in Namche, taking advantage of the down time to grab a hot shower, track down an espresso at the local bakery, and peruse the many small shops on Namche.
Tomorrow we leave Namche and head further up the valley to the village of Deboche.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
I am with you guys every step of the way. I love the details. I did Annapurna BC last year and plan to do EBC & Island Peak in 2013. TREK-ON!
Posted by: Dan on 3/19/2012 at 10:50 am
You all look so comfortable in the Khumbu - I say face east and take a left at base camp and head up the mountain!! Linden- your write-ups make me feel as if I am there with you all, sans the altitude. Girls- keep well and have FUN! Renee- right behind you so trek on. Richmond is warm and all the trees are blooming- pollen city soon. LOVE to you all plus Linden and Jeff.
Our first Kautz seminar called in from the top of Mt. Rainier this morning! RMI guide Joe Hoch reported a sunny day despite the cold, windy weather surrounding them.
The team is on their descent to camp tonight and will return to Basecamp tomorrow afternoon.
Darned if I'm not standing on the top of Africa! Here on Uhuru Peak with the team. Everybody's looking good. A little beat up but not so bad; no issues. We're taking a few shots. It was a cold and windy one. Man, freezing, all layers on. But these guys know how to climb, they demonstrated it. They all did it with great style and impeccable technique. We're looking forward to a safe descent and back to that high camp sooner than later. All is well, we'll check in again later.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
An easy day for the climbing team at Basecamp... Those without coughs went on big hikes, those with coughs went on lesser walks. By contrast, our Sherpa team went for a much more significant and ambitious journey. Tshering, Gylgen and Kaji carried loads from ABC all the way to the South Col, establishing high camp at close to 26,000 ft. They then returned to ABC, and now, in late afternoon, along with Lam Babu and Yubaraj, they are descending to Basecamp. That is what we call a big day in the Himalaya.
Unfortunately, there is a somber feeling once again around the mountain. Another tragic fall occurred yesterday, killing a climber on the Lhotse Face. It isn't our place to divulge details and I don't wish to try to sensationalize Everest climbing by exploiting such sadness, but I'll mention the incident in order to give proper credit to those who worked hard to make a bad situation better. Lam Babu was one of those who rushed up to the scene to render aid and who helped with the difficult job of retrieving the victim's body which they then transported to ABC. Today, a helicopter pilot finished the job with another daring high altitude retrieval from 21,300 ft... making what was once phenomenal seem sadly routine, but in the process saving many climbers from the very difficult and dangerous task of carrying the victim down through the Khumbu Icefall.
Tonight, our entire team will be together and safe in Basecamp.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Hello from Shira Camp,
Today the team moved from Machame Camp to Shira Camp for our second night on the mountain. The morning started out with clear blue skies as we continued the climb up and out of the giant heather zone. Within a few hours, most of the climbing for the day was done and we started a long traverse. At the end of the traverse the trail cuts through several sections of lava rock and we finally crested out on the Shira Plateau. This is at almost 12,500 feet, an altitude record for most of the group. We descended a couple hundred feet and walked right into camp. The clouds rolled in shortly after lunch and have been with us since. We are all hanging out in our tents now, resting a bit and working on our appetites for a big dinner.
Tomorrow will be the biggest day of the climb so far and we will be adding another 2,500 feet to those altitude records.
The group remains strong and are all up for the challenge tomorrow.
RMI Guide Jeff Martin & Team Simba Sita
Hello,
This is the Shishapanga team with a new update. Camp 2 (22,965') has been established and the team is starting today to do some rotations and the weather forecast for the next few days is good.
We will try to push it a little further to Camp 3 (24,278') with some carries and get acclimatized.
Everybody is doing pretty well and we are excited and in very good spirits. The team is working well together and despite the hardness of Himalayan climbing we are having a really good time.
So that is it for now and we’ll be calling soon with a new update. Take care and hello to everyone.
RMI Guide Elias De Andres Martos
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos checks in from Camp 2 on Shishapangma.
Os seguimos desde esta web, mucho ánimo y cuidado con hacerse “pupita”.
Esperamos poder veros pronto sanos y salvos.
Un abrazo muy fuerte para Elías y Bridget desde España.
Posted by: Miguel Ángel y Silvia on 10/12/2011 at 3:17 pm
Hey there Elias, Bridgette and crew! The Ice is forming slowly here in Summit County and the high peaks are blanketed in snow. Carrie and I send our best to you all for a successful and fun summit bid. We are so psyched for you all and this grand adventure. Climb hard, climb safe and we can’t wait to hear stories around the fire back here in Colorado!
RMI Guides Lindsay Mann and Pete Van Deventer recently met up in Frisco, Colorado, for the AIARE Level I Avalanche Instructor Training Course. AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) is the main course provider for avalanche courses and training in the United States. For three days Lindsay and Pete along with 16 other future instructors discussed current avalanche knowledge, curriculum material, and teaching techniques. Classroom time was balanced by field sessions, ski touring the very accessible terrain around Vail Pass. While the snowpack so far this year is relatively uninteresting from an avalanche perspective, the opportunity to trade ideas with 16 other peers and watch each other in the field was a great experience for both Lindsay and Pete. Many thanks to First Ascent and RMI for providing a Guide Grant to aid Lindsay and Pete in moving into an avalanche education instructor role. Look for Pete and Lindsay ski touring around the Aspen, Colorado, area when they are not guiding trips on Rainier, Alaska, and beyond for RMI.
Welcome back to another fine edition of the Denali blog! Today we awoke to somewhat stormy conditions so we hit the snooze and waited an hour for the weather to improve. Once the sky was looking happy we snarfed breakfast and took off towards the 13k cache garden. The first obstacle was the intimidating hill directly out of 11,000' Camp known as Motorcycle Hill, which was no problem as the team zoomed up it. We then turned the corner and surmounted the famous Squirrel Hill (less long and steep but with more exposure). Next we galloped across the long but flat feature known as the Polo Field! We took our last break at the edge of the infamous Windy Corner, which happened to be windless today! Finally after another hour of walking we were at the cache garden. Luck would have it that we found an empty cache hole! We tossed our excess supplies in it, covered it up and turned down hill. In the blink of an eye we were back at 11,000' Camp relaxing till dinner time. Tomorrow should the good weather continue to hold we’ll move to 14,000' camp!
The Mongolia team has made the jump from Olgii in Western Mongolia back to the capital, Ulaanbataar. We are enjoying the cosmopolitan feel of the city and a final cultural event today - visiting a 13th century recreation of Chinggus (Ghengis) Khan's kingdom and palace. Tomorrow morning we all catch flight home to our love ones.
Thanks for following along!!
RMI Guide Eric Frank
I am with you guys every step of the way. I love the details. I did Annapurna BC last year and plan to do EBC & Island Peak in 2013. TREK-ON!
Posted by: Dan on 3/19/2012 at 10:50 am
You all look so comfortable in the Khumbu - I say face east and take a left at base camp and head up the mountain!! Linden- your write-ups make me feel as if I am there with you all, sans the altitude. Girls- keep well and have FUN! Renee- right behind you so trek on. Richmond is warm and all the trees are blooming- pollen city soon. LOVE to you all plus Linden and Jeff.
Posted by: Elsie on 3/19/2012 at 5:56 am
View All Comments