Paul Pottinger’s Adventures from the Top of the World
Category Archives: Ascent
Happy Birthday
Everest 2016 • April 30
The route through yesterday’s collapse was repaired circa 9 AM…. We really made the right choice by turning around! Today’s plan was identical to yesterday’s: Walk out of camp at 2:30 AM, head up the icefall, and make it to Camp 1 a short time after the sun hits the glacier. Based on how good … Continue reading Happy Birthday
Spinning on Ice
Everest 2016 • April 29
Our day began as planned. Because my cough was triggered by deep breathing, I decided to walk extra-slowly today, in hopes of keeping my lungs under control. Thus, I chose to leave an hour earlier than standard departure (2:30 AM instead of 3:30 AM). This may not sound like a big difference, but we are … Continue reading Spinning on Ice
Leisure Time
Everest 2016 • April 28
4-24-16 through 4-28-16 After our rotation to Camps 1 and 2, we planned to take four full rest days to get back on our feet. I really needed this time off…coming down was tough for me, not only because I felt exhausted but also because my cough increased substantially. First night back at EBC was … Continue reading Leisure Time
Down to EBC
Everest 2016 • April 23
It was a successful rotation, but I was still very eager to return to the luxuries of EBC. Showers. Single tents. Thicker atmosphere. Warmer temperatures. All we had to do was walk from Camp 2…. Blustery, cold, and windy at the start of the day. This makes everything tougher. We also had to separate our … Continue reading Down to EBC
A New High
Everest 2016 • April 22
I slept fine, though I was constantly aware of a distant roaring sound. A jet engine… but, odd, we have never seen an aircraft contrail once on this whole expedition. Sure enough, that low roar you hear is the sound of the jet stream slamming into the summit of everest, just over one horizontal mile … Continue reading A New High
