Summits!

Our 2010 Project Himalaya Everest Expedition 8848m dispatches

We head up for our summit push

"The wildest dreams of Kew are the facts of Katmandu" - Rudyard Kipling

19 May - ABC planning

A plan was hatched...

Previously when looking at the 23rd as a summit day, it seemed like most other groups were also aiming for that day so Eric's idea was to leave super-early and summit at midnight to beat the crowds, fine if you can handle the cold. The views were not the issue, and summiting Everest is more about proving how big your balls are than the actual beauty, for most people anyway.

The other idea was to summit from Camp 2, which Dr Julian did in 2005, and where Duncan's lungs filled with green goo, and he had to turn back...

20 May - to North Col

Eric and Barry left in the morning and I climbed in the afternoon, leaving around 2pm. There were some hell winds with dramatic clouds racing over North Col and the mountain. As I ascended I saw two tornado-like funnels snaking horizontally (not vertically) just above Camp 2 making nasty crackling noises as they raced over. My immediate thoughts were for the Romero team up there (holding their three person tent with five/six? of them in there, I found later), if those evil white (snow-filled) twisters had hit them I am not sure they would have survived.

Fernando still doesn't feel 100%, coughing almost uncontrollably sometimes and seems to have an injury to his breathing muscles, never a good sign, and cracking ribs from coughing is an additional worry. With reluctance he stayed back.

21 May - to Camp 2

I much prefer to have a rest day at North Col, it gives the body a further chance to acclimatize, and somehow most people feel better after a rest heading up to Camp 2. However Eric and Barry pushed on up to C2 as the 23rd was looking the best summit day that was safely achievable. Apparently it was a tough day.

Sometimes three is a crowd and so with minor misgivings kept to myself, I waved off Eric, Barry, Kaji and Nima and stayed at North Col. Camp 2 is a bit of a bizarre camp built along a rocky ridge with tents hanging over all sorts to edges, many also shredded in the wind, and really only suit narrow tents. We had a Mountain Hardwear Ev3 for the members and a North Face Mountain 25 for the sherpas, both slightly precariously perched. Two tents of two climbers worked; I would have been the spare wheel, not much use with such competent sherpas.

My secondary aim in summiting was to take my big camera up and get lots of good shots of the route high on the mountain and, if possible, some stunning summit panoramas - midnight is not the best time for that. If it had been better for me to go with Eric and Barry, I would have gone but as I said, I had complete faith in Kaji and Nima. Also If Fernando did want to come up, I would be with him. So a number of factors came into play.

Camp 2, 7700m, after snow, Changtse appearing the background - Jamie

22 May - to Camp 3

And this is another tough day, one after the other. As like yesterday, Nima and Kaji set out about the same time but go on ahead to prepare the camp. At least today's climb is on oxygen.

I waited at North Col, the weather forecasts still predicting high cloud. Duncan's team arrived at North Col and invited me along on their summit push but I kept my options open.

Sadly after consulting with the Chessell Adventures doctor, the delightful Dr Torrey, Fernando decided to head down to base camp, his climbing chances over.

23 May - Camp 3 to summit!

Eric, Barry, Nima G and Kaji left around 19:45 on the 22nd for their midnight summit plan, Barry calling on the radio to ask if I had heard from Eric as there was now the twinkle of tens of headlamps heading his way. Barry with Nima was definitely first in the conga line, Eric must have been near the front too, going by the plan.

Congratulations! The summit! I received a call from Kaji to say that Eric as on the summit around 04:27am (Nepali Time) and it was light and beautiful. Apparently Barry and Nima Gurman had summitted earlier and must have headed down. (I am no fan of this absolutely minimal radio contact, but I guess it is US marine-style) Eric's time of 8:45 to the summit was longer than expected, but still quite a reasonable time, and with the bonus of fantastic views.

I will post summit pictures only once back in Kathmandu.

I climbed to Camp 2, arriving to find Eric and Kaji sitting outside the tents. Soon Barry and Nima appeared, and then they headed down. Strangely Eric had his sleeping bag, mattress and some extra clothing there, I found in the tent later, but didn't take it down as I am guessing he hoped to make ABC, rather than North Col. In the event they stayed at North Col where his sleeping bag would have come in handy.

On the south side Scott Woolums and his Mountain Trip team summited, all seven climbers (five clients, two guides) and eleven sherpas, so 100% success, which is rare. Well done, team. We are providing their logistics and sherpas, so if you were wondering where Dawa Gelje, Sarki, Pasang Gombu, Tarke and the rest of the sherpas - you now know!

24 May - Everest Base Camp

Eric is desperate to get to Base Camp today, and Barry doesn't mind heading down either but it is a big walk when tired from North Col to EBC in one day. Obviously they are planning no rest for the wicked! If they succeed that means that Eric, Barry and Fernando will all be on the same place. It is snowing though, will that affect the Landcruiser for tomorrow?

I am guessing it was a bit of a desperate trek down?

I was still at Camp 2 hoping that the forecast would improve so that I could summit on the 26th, and get good photos, plus be perhaps the only person up there, although the one Peruvian was also planning an oxygenless ascent that day too.

The South Africans, Sean's Adventure Dynamics team summited today in crowded, whiteout conditions. Congratulations team!

25 May - to Kathmandu

The Landcruiser made it, despite the nasty road from Tingri, and left around 5:30 so that when I called from C2 at just before 6am, Eric, Barry and Fernando were already gone. They made another marathon day and reached Kathmandu - which must seem like a paradise compared with base camp. Kathmandu wasn't called that at the beginning of the expedition!

Although the road from BC to Tingri is still a classic 4 wheel drive track, the blacktop now goes all the way to Zhangmu with only a small hiccup still being worked on (where the truck blocked the road), and is now a much quicker trip than it ever used to be.

On the mountain the Chessell Adventure team summited - congratulations! - in strong winds, and Duncan who seems to have the same diarrhoea problem, had five rather uncomfortable stops on the way.

For me, it was obvious that the 26th would also be close to a whiteout so reluctantly I returned to ABC. En route at North Col I hung around, meeting Chris Warner and Katie Sarah from Duncan's team who cruised in looking in remarkably good condition.

Current Everest forecast by Mountain Meteo Services - thanks!