Old photos & Diaries

Northern Ireland Everest Expedition 2003
Dave and Richard got some frostbite

This gallery is not for the squeamish. Dave and Richard left camp 3 just after midnight on
the 22nd of May in real winds and light snow. A little before the second step Richard noticed Dave's face
had some white patches on it, and Dave turned around because of that and problems with his oxygen mask.
Richard turned back after climbing the second step. Kari Kobler and his clients
also turned back in the tough conditions. Quite a few other climbers continued to the summit
and most, if not all returned with some frostbite, mostly more serious than Dave and Richard's.

This gallery has become very popular and I (Jamie McGuinness) feel compelled to mention that I was not the expedition leader; I worked only as a climbing sherpa (yep!). On expeditions lead by myself we have not had a single case of frostbite.

These photos may NOT be used for any websites or publications at all (because one of the climbers is now dead).

There is considerable debate about the best treatment.
I have favour treatment with ibuprofen when the digit is thawing out.

Dave at Camp 2 a day after Richard and his summit attempt.
His fingers cleared up by the time he left Kathmandu but his big toe
is still in doubt a month after this picture was taken.

Richard and Dave were back down to ABC a couple of days after their summit attempt.
Naturally Temba made a cake (any excuse!).
We had dinner before getting the fingers treated by Dr Julian (a BIG thanks to him!)
Dave's fingers are at the very right edge of the picture.

There are various different treatment regimes, depending on whether you consult Russian doctors or western doctors.
Here they have soaked the affected bits in body-temperature water for around 40 minutes then Banjo is applying protective dressings.
Dave liked the Royal Navy doctor's recommendation that he drink alcohol 3 times a day.

Dave's left and right feet once down at ABC another couple of days later (25 May). The second toe on the left foot recovered completely.

Here is what happened to the other two:

28 August: sadly, I'm still in England - I had to have surgery to remove about two thirds of my left big toe, and about a fifth of the second toe on my right foot. I put off having the operation until after my best mates' wedding, by which time the big toe was on the way to amputating itself, so I had surgery on the 28th July.

Everything went OK, but in order to keep as much of the big toe as possible, the surgeon just took off the dead tissue, leaving an open wound, and this takes longer to heal than if he'd removed more, and then sewn a flap of skin across. The smaller toe is well on the way to recovery, but it's going to be a while before the big toe is in good enough shape for me to travel - at the moment, it needs dressing every two days, due to the fluid oozing out of it.

Looking on the bright side, when it has healed I won't have any problems walking, but at the moment I don't want to roll any weight onto that toe. Fortunately, cycling is OK, and the weather here is still excellent, so I'm gradually building my fitness up on the bike...

Richard stayed in Kathmandu waiting for Banjo to summit, and then came to meet us at the border.
His fingers are well on the road to recovery here, two weeks afterwards.

jdesign -- all rights reserved -- frozen in time July 2013