Bags are packed and the Everest team is ready! We have been busy with last minute sewing and labeling of food and gear for each camp. Checked re-checked. All systems are go. Weather has been a bit tough right now, but the forecast is good for the planned summit day. A couple of showers to help with soon to be shared tents. All good.
Sad to report the Khumbu Country Club golf course is now closed for the season. The fairways are a bit to hollow and wet. We still have our horseshoe pit in great shape, and guess who had a double ringer to end the game today?
Up early tomorrow, let the summit bid begin!
RMI Guide and Everest Basecamp Manager Mark Tucker
Hi everyone we are on top of the Barranco Wall. The team is good aside from a few stomach issues. We'll get a nice long rest this afternoon at Karanga Valley. Wish us luck.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Tom, Bob and Eddie - you know that Jim Citrano is referring to your mother’s genetics! But it is also a tribute to your determination and training. Hopefullly, you and your colleagues all make it to the top. Everyone below is rooting for all of you.
Dad
Posted by: Thomas Leonard on 8/6/2012 at 7:29 am
I love checking in on what you are doing with this blog! Amazing!! Quite inspirational! I hope you are enjoying every second of it…and I hope your stomach isn’t one of the issues. Keep on kicking ass Tamara!!!
XO
ALICIA
Today was a good day.
Folks keep commenting on how this place keeps getting more stunning. With the new snow we have had recently, the contrast of the Alaskan Range with its freshly painted steep spines, flutes that glow in the alpine light and bright blue glacial ice glistening in the sun. I have to agree.
We have been waking up around seven each morning to some very chilly temperatures. Today camp was busy since some stable weather moved in and people took advantage of being out in it. We spent our entire day putting our skills to use. Everyone set up 6:1 crevasse rescue system simulating an actual crevasse fall of their climbing partner. We took a turn catching a fall, being lowered into the crevasse, and being the climber responsible for running the show. Everyone did very well and we were impressed.
After that we still had plenty of time left so we fixed some lines - ropes - and rappelled down into the crevasse where we transitioned into icicle climbing mode. I think a couple folks might have just acquired a new but expensive sport.
Now we are all chilling, making some pretty amazing quesadillas - the group contributions has allowed for some creative visions.
We'll see what we get into tomorrow.
Good night from the land of the six hour sunset.
RMI Guide Jason Thompson
Just a question, is this the group with an Aussie by the name of Nick Coleman? Was hoping to keep tabs on his progress. Thank you
Posted by: Larry Bullock on 5/10/2012 at 7:40 am
Hi guys!! Being down in the crevasse sounds amazing!! I’m sad to miss that bit… I’m excited to get up there and join Brandi and Gilbert. I can’t wait to hear about the Kahiltna. Sheena just did a video report about McKinley for the class; not much personality came through until she talked about the farting that goes on at altitude. I’m sure there’s none of THAT going on. xooxoxoxoxo see you soon in gorgeous Alaska!! elizabitch. ps. great updates, Jason. Thanks!
Via radio to Basecamp
All is well here on Mount Everest. We have one summit team that is at Camp Three today and another team remaining at Camp Two for an extra rest day. The weather continues to improve and our plan is for everyone to move up one camp tomorrow.
There were many more climbers on the summit today and several teams are in place to make their summit bid tomorrow.
Everyone is doing well and we are excited to be continuing our move uphill tomorrow.
Keep us in your thoughts, wish us well.
Glacier peak. Aptly named for the features we climb, our team set out today for the long journey up. For some of us, it will be 5 of 5 for the Washington volcanoes if we are successful! But alas, it won't come without it's challenges. Off the start, we had a hint of wildfire smoke here and there as we lugged our heavy packs down the trail. It started off cool and calm as we admired the shady grove of old growth trees and picked salmon berries to keep ourselves satiated along the way. But then, we hit the switchbacks. With sweat dripping down our faces, we trudged along in and out of the sun and coolness of the trees. Now, we are set up at camp at White Pass for the evening fending off the swarms of mosquitos with our head nets as we prepare to make dinner, some of us trying to hide in our tents.
Hello everyone and welcome to the first blog post from the best trip RMI offers, the Ruth Glacier Seminar!
Yesterday the team flew into Anchorage accompanied by beautiful skies and amazing views of five different mountain ranges! After gathering up at the airport we hopped in the shuttle and drove to Talkeetna, got some food and called it an early night since we were all travel weary.
Today was spent organizing and double checking all our gear so that the next nine days in the Great Gorge would go as smoothly as possible. What didn't go smoothly was the weather, we were informed midday that there was a persistent cloud layer down low on the Ruth Glacier. Our chance of flying in was unlikely and as late afternoon turned to evening, we sadly had to postpone our flying in. We are hoping to wake up tomorrow with better weather and fly on to the glacier early in the morning!
After a long summit day, we slept soundly last night. When we poked our heads out of the hut this morning we found a clear day on the mountain above, but plumes of snow were being whipped across the summit - another windy day. Instead of looking uphill, we turned our attention to packing up and returning to the village of Cheget.
We loaded all of our duffels back onto the series of chairlifts, tram cars, and vans to reach Cheget and by early afternoon we were showered, dressed in clean clothes, and sitting down for lunch at a small cafe in Cheget. We enjoyed a great lunch and have been spending the afternoon relaxing in Cheget, wandering through the stalls of local goods, sitting at the cafes and sharing stories of the climb, and taking the opportunity to send emails back home. Tomorrow we head back to the airport in Mineralnye Vody to fly to the north of Russia to the city of St. Petersburg, sitting along the edges of the Gulf of Finland. We will spend two nights in St. Petersburg, visiting one of Russia's most beautiful cities, before heading home. We will check in tomorrow from St. Petersburg.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
The word "team" is what we are; the confidence and style this team has possessed has been outstanding. Team Jones/Frank/Randolph is excited to be in base camp on the Southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier.
We woke up a number of times through last night to gusty winds and white-out conditions at 11k camp. The guides choice was to wait the weather out. Denali was again giving our group another challenge. The team solved this one with some rest and a long pancake breakfast.
An afternoon clearing provided motivation for an evening walk, our final walk that provided everything from blowing snow to pristine clear skies. The sunset reeled us in toward the north face of Mt. Hunter lit in the soft evening light completing our final push to Kahiltna Basecamp at 7,800 ft.
While conditions look prime at base camp and it looks like we will fly out tomorrow, we don't want to count our chickens before they hatch. You never know what Denali, or as we have called her "De-Gnarly," has in store for us.
Laying here in our sleeping bags in the thick, moist air, it's tough to imagine that we were at 20,320 feet just the day before yesterday.
The crew is ready to celebrate our safe and successful summit with the loved ones that allowed us to be in Alaska for this journey. Thank you family and friends for the support. This journey to the top of North America and back has been a long and never to be forgotten experience. We look forward to recalling our time spent in the mountains with a dinner out wearing sandals and shorts along with being back on turf with trees, rivers, and just plain dirt in Talkeetna.
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
Congratulations JB and team for the strong and safe summit of Denali! Your friends here at AMC are anxious to here the details and wish you good weather for the flight off.
Posted by: Rick on 6/19/2012 at 12:42 pm
That was a fast descent.Thank you Tyler, Eric and Logan for bringing everybody back down Denali in good spirit and shape!
À bientôt Nicolas!
Mark Tucker here. Calling from Base Camp, Mt. Everest. Well, here we go again. Is a blog a blog if you never end up sending it? It's a bit chilly up here and this puts a new twist on the word "computer freeze up." Boy, I tell you, I was going to put Linden's blog to shame with the one I just wrote. Well, it's going to have to come later because computers and electronics at this altitude and temperatures sometimes are a bit of a challenge. We're going to call this one in. We're going to descend back down to Pheriche tomorrow where we'll have, in the past, good connectivity so we'll be sure to update you guys on that. Had a great day; another beautiful day up here. Got a lot done- bunch of training, worked on our gear, got ourselves in great shape for the challenge ahead of Island Peak. The team is looking sharp. The mechanics, the technical aspects that we were working on the glacier right out in front of us looked very well. We had a little snow come in towards the end of the day but we were able to get a nice hot shower midway through, so that was a nice treat. And then our famous Kumar cook treated us to some fresh cake tonight. We are doing real well. Looking forward to the next section, heading downhill and then back up to Island Peak. And we'll be sure and do what we can to update you guys as best as possible in the near future.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Ama Dablam loomed right above us when we stepped out of the teahouse this morning, yesterday's afternoon clouds dissipating to reveal the mountains surrounding Pangboche. With the sun cresting over the ridges above and warming us up, we hit the trail bound for Namche Bazaar. Heading downhill we made great time down the trail, passing the dozens of rows of mani stones and chortens lining the trail below Pangboche. We paused outside of the monastery in Tengboche, sitting at the bakery for a bit, before continuing on down to Dudh Kosi raging below at the base of the ridge.
The trail was busy with travelers today as loads of gear for upcoming Everest Expeditions made their way up the valley and at times we felt a bit like fish swimming upstream as trains of yaks pushed their way up the trail. The change in scenery from the mountains above is marked: birds, blooming flowers, tall swaying trees surrounded us as we hiked down the trail, a far cry from the glaciers and rocks of just a few days ago.
By mid-afternoon we rounded the last turn on the trail and dropped back into Namche. With the height of trekking season quickly approaching Namche is buzzing with activity and it feels like we've stepped back into a bustling metropolis: small shops open up onto every available street space, people walking back and forth, dogs and yaks alike wandering amid it all. We didn't even break stride going through town, walking directly into our teahouse here, dropping our bags, and headed in for an eagerly anticipated hot shower. The little luxuries we enjoy routinely at home take on a whole new meaning after many days in the mountains.
We are very happy top be here and enjoying the scene in Namche. We covered a lot of ground in the past few days as we retrace our steps down the trail that took us the better part of two weeks to go up and the team is doing well, strongly climbing the many ups and downs of the trail. Tomorrow morning we continue heading down the valley, bound for Lukla where the trail ends and we catch our flight back to Kathmandu.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Know you are glad to be back in Namche and have a bathroom that is ATTACHED to your room- and free tp! Hope you all are well and keep up the caution- only a few more days until “normal” food. We all miss you and can’t wait to hear about the climb. Love the photos.
Dan!! This is it buddy. Time to dig in and get going. Good luck on your bid for the summit! Hugs xo
Posted by: Lauralea on 5/18/2013 at 8:33 am
Godspeed as you reach for the stars. See you all in September at Mountain Fest in Ashford. Beer & burgers!
Posted by: Rick on 5/18/2013 at 8:22 am
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