Da'Nuru, Tibetan >

How is it that Mark was left to spend the night at BC when leaving, and yet Da'Nuru made it to Zhangmu? He is humble but knows the right people, and of course works hard.

(Purba) Serke Sherpa, Nepal >

Photo by Mark Hose.

Serke has worked previously with Dawa Gyalgen, including Jannu in 2002 and got his lucky break for Everest with Jamie in the Spring of 2006.

He speaks good English and is as helpful as can be. Corinne noted that he first tidily prepares all the ingredients before cooking. His yak steaks were the absolute best and he blew away Iñaki with his special Spanish omelete. All his food was clean and easy to eat. It was only when others of our team were invited to other camps for dinner that everyone realized he really is a very good expedition cook.

He also carried loads to Camp 1 and from Camp 1, much appreciated.

< Dorje (Gyalgen), Tibetan

His eighth expedition with Jamie.

Uncomplicated and easy-going, will tackle any job.

Walter Stockinger, Austria

"Once your reputation is gone, life is good!"

"One boot Walter", who had one Millet Everest boot in his check-in luggage, one with him. Naturally his luggage didn't turn up until base camp. There have been several other boot incidences but he still has both.

"A yak called Walter" also made him famous, although in fact he doesn't snore.

He is about to start with Boston Consulting after killing many lab rats working as a cell biologist in the USA, and Austria.

He has previously summitted Aconcagua and Elbrus.

Highpoint: Camp 1. Walter was fast on the trail and felt good at ABC, but higher than that he could not eat or sleep properly; a real shame but at least he was realistic.

Hans Hurvig, Denmark

The owner of a devilish Sudoku book.

Being an ex-Microsoftie, Hans has had to take many snide comments but managed to explain in detail to Walter the cunningness of public key cryptography and other security protocols. They were almost banned from the dining tent!

Hans now lives back in Copenhagen, designs microchips for a living, and is co-founding an internet company called Trunk Images specializing in life-style photography.

He has previously climbed in Alaska, Bolivia, Ecuador, and summitted Ama Dablam in 2001 with Jagged Globe. He snowboards, kite surfs, juggles, and plays a couple of instruments. This is his first 8000m mountain.

High point: above Camp 3.

Clive Jones, New Zealand

"Rather Pretty", as the sign says, but more than pretty he is the referee who issues the yellow cards for inappropriate dinner talk.

Clive was the first Kiwi to climb Cho Oyu back in 1994 on a Mal Duff Expedition special, crossing the Nangpa La illegally. The 1996 Everest Expedition from Nepal did not go as well; a sobering experience. In 1999 he summitted Gasherbrum II with Jagged Globe. He returned to Everest with Henry Todd in 2004 and summitted 15 May, coincidentally on the same expedition as Bob Jen.

Aconcagua, Alpa Maya, Aoraki (Mt Cook) in winter and Mt Aspiring have all fallen to his crampons too.

He lives in Palmerston North (nobody is perfect!) and is General Manager of a tertiary institution.

High point: 7700m, deciding with Jamie that the route above did not look safe.

Dawa Gyalgen Sherpa, Nepal >

Dawa has summitted Everest multiple times, the same with Shishapangma and Cho Oyu and many other mountains. Originally one of Mountain travel's top cooks, he is now an independent climbing sirdar who normally works with Jamie, something like six expeditions and a similar number of treks together.

< Namgyal Sherpa, Nepal

A down-to-earth star who has climbed Everest multiple times, but more importantly played a main role in a number of successful high altitude rescues. The most impressive was after summitting Everest and getting back to Camp 3 (8300m) he returned to the Second Step to assist Sele in Spring 2006.

Jamie McGuinness, New Zealand

15 big peak expeditions, no deaths, injuries or accidents under his watch; two cases of frostbite on Everest 2006, one the climber's fault, the other Jamie's responsibility.

Corinne Keller, Swiss >

Our conscience, who feels guilty for Walter's lab rats, the bulls of Pamplona and patiently puts up with men in general, and Iñaki in particular.

She has trekked with us previously, climbed in the Alps, skis, rock-climbs and has travelled to no less than 60 countries. She is a lawyer who burned her black suits a while ago and is moving to Spain.

Together with Inaki she has a wonderful set of portrait shots of Tibetans, taken while kidding around with them.

Bob Jen, USA >

Whips around New York's Park Avenue in a pickup truck, he is a former competitive distance runner with inadequate supplies of body fat.

Big peak climbing started on a lark in 1990's with Kilimanjaro. Other expeditions followed: Aconcagua, Alpamayo, Khan Tengri and Denali. He summitted Cho Oyu in 2001 and Ama Dablam in 2002 and then Everest 16 May, 2004.

Notice the workaholic gap of 2005.

His wife (also a distance runner phenom but with 5-star inclinations) has a rocket ship bound for the moon ready for Inaki, because he has taken Bob away so much. Jamie can expect first class seating after persuading Bob that an expensive visit to B&H to replace Bob's film camera with a high-end digital one is priority numero uno. So much for that planned trip this winter with the wife to Virgin Gorda!

< Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, Navarra, Spain

He is a modern-day nomad/adventurer who has never been spotted in a suit - other than a down suit.

Teller of terrifyingly funny jokes (Jimmy the Rooster), and more serious reality mountaineering tales.

He runs (but has never been gored) with the bulls in his hometown of Pamplona every July but for the rest of the year often found in a tent somewhere in Nepal, Tibet or Pakistan.

Mountaineer 'wannabe' with 11 or so of the 14x 8000m peaks under his crampons, including Lhotse and Broad Peak twice and Cho Oyu three times. He has guided many expeditions, including Ama Dablam and Cho Oyu with Bob Jen.

Mark Hose, South Africa

See his 8000m blog. The fashion police officer pulled up Walter a few times.

He is an IT consultant based in the city (London).

He reached Camp 1 after many load carries but decided the load pyramid might be a bit big on this big mountain; think Rum Doodle...

Why did this nice, strong guy leave? I guess his wife has more appeal than us! We did try though.