Philippe summits!

With Namgyal and Ngima Chhiri on 24 May, 2007

23 May - morning at Camp 2, 7650m

We had all slept surprisingly well on low flow oxygen.

Morning - this was decision time, it was very windy here and higher up strong winds were predicted too. We talked with Duncan, watching his progress as he climbed to the summit, and he said that conditions were marginal. This was a real blow to us as it meant that Kirsti should not climb, and soon Kevin said that he was out as well. For Gavin the decision was particularly difficult as he had been fast on the trail and was capable of summiting in the conditions today - but what would tomorrow be like? The forecast was for very slightly stronger winds. In the end concern for his kids and wife, and also a small part to the team, perhaps, meant that he turned around. All of us except Philippe would turn around.

Philippe had been the fastest on the trail, and just as importantly had been organized and focused, always first on the trail and understood that in the marginal conditions there was little room for error (as we all did). Probably once out of the tent and into the wind neither he nor the sherpas would be able to change mittens, and perhaps only be able to snack once or twice on the way up. If anything didn't work, such as goggles and oxygen mask combination, it would be difficult to stop on the way. None of this deterred Philippe. So up he went to the 8210m Camp 3 with two strong sherpas, Namgyal and Ngima Chhiri, and Jamie waited at our 7650m camp in reserve.

The rest of the team and sherpas headed back to ABC.

We had been watching the weather forecasts for more than a week, when planning our summit push. The forecast has been good for the 21st thru the 24th, but had changed sometimes substantially day by day. The reason was a power tussle between the jet stream in the north and developing monsoon

23 May - evening Camp 3, 8210m

This is where Philippe, Namgyal and Ngima Chhiri actually stayed. Sleep is not quite the word.

24 May - Summit

They set off around 11:30pm on the 23rd, climbing into the 24th. Leaving camp, and climbing to the top of the Exit Cracks the snow was around calf to knee deep, and any trail broken was instantly filled in with fresh snow. (The night before, this stopped Katie from Duncan's team). Once on the ridge proper at times the wind blew hard, at other times the wind was not so strong, but it did not allow for any rest - you would just get cold. The sun hit them on the Third Step.

They reached the summit at 5:45am (Nepal time), spending 45 minutes on top, and returned to C3, getting back before 9am! So a quick trip down. They left C3 around 9am, after a drink, but the lack of refueling on the way started to take its toll and when they passed me (Jamie) at C2 7650m, all were very tired. I gave juice, then packed up and followed them. Myself and Philippe stayed at North Col while Namgyal and Ngima Chhiri descended to ABC.

25 May back to ABC

Philippe and I started slowly, and descended to ABC.

Namgyal on the summit! - by Ngima Chhiri

Nima on the summit, note the camera angle by the horizon - by Namgyal

Nima and Philippe (pregnant with gear being kept warm inside) - Namgyal

26 May - to Base Camp

Philippe and, later, Jamie descended to Base Camp, taking around 4.5 hours for the walk down.

27 May - Philippe to Zhangmu

Philippe left this morning for Zhangmu with some of the DCXP summitters, and will arrive in Kathmandu on the 28th of May. 

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