Summit? Yes and no

Mike from Seattle summits

Julian and Jamie decide not to go for it

18 May - North Col

IPod shuffles rule

Moe and Dawa arrive at North Col: Moe stayed 3 nights

19 May - Julian and Jamie up to 7700m

About to set off from North Col for our 7700m camp

Hedging our bets we decided to make yet another foray to 7700m; perhaps for acclimatization, but also a possible summit attempt if conditions turned perfect. Our paid weather forecast said there was no window; the free Explorers Web forecast said there was, and combined with some last minute info from the KE Leaders team, conditions were so hard to read that being in position seemed sensible.

Just as we were leaving the North Col Julian received a call from Clara in Sudan - the marvels of sat phones.

Julian (Scott behind) at the end of the snow slope at 7600?m; note the partially destroyed tents behind

20 May - Julian and Jamie down from 7700m

We woke to messy weather and a tough decision - do we continue up or head down? We know that it was likely that climbers might summit tomorrow - but in difficult conditions. In the end we decided to wait for a better window.

 The weather moving in on the morning, 20 May. It was obvious it was going to snow, and that there were several weather systems meeting.

21 May - the first summits!

Mike, Rosa (Spanish), and the sherpas Da'Nima, Da'Yula, Lhakpa, and Dawa summitted around 10:30am Nepali time, along with approx another 9 climbers and sherpas.

Everest from North Col as Mike from Seattle and others summitted, 10:34 (Nepal time)

Close-up as they were summitting

Dawa Chiri from Rolwaling - rope-fixing legend. He left 8300m at midnight and helped fix rope to above the Second Step (at 5:30am) and was back at North Col at 10am
 - AND FINISHED THE DAY AT BASE CAMP !!!

Michael called at 16:20 saying they (Da'Nima and Lhakpa) made their 8300m camp, and are OK, tired but in good condition. (And Rosa plus da'Yula and Dawa are at the 7900m camp.)

21 May - at ABC

Paul, Moe, Jamie, Duncan (?!) and Julian are at ABC writing the summit action. Sukhi is on a day trip from North Col to 7500m, and will stay at North Col tonight.