I slept poorly that night, thinking about the next morning’s move to C1. How would conditions be on the glacier? Would we find the crevasses impassable? Would the weather hold and allow us to fly to EBC? It was bitterly cold when we woke up. Hasty last minute packing, a very quick breakfast, and we … Continue reading Helivac
The day after the quake was filled with uncertainty. Information from EBC and C1 came our way via radio, and we listened intently. It was still impossible to grasp what had happened below, but clearly things were bad. Injured climbers in EBC who had survived the night needed helivac to Pheriche or Kathmandu, and lots … Continue reading Aftershock
I was awakened in the middle of the night by the thunder of a huge avalanche. These are common on Everest, happening every night, but this one sounded bigger than usual. Although it was bitterly cold, and I was still half asleep, I decided to open the rear tent flap and take a look. To … Continue reading The Quake
Our planned day of rest dawned clear and cold. Well, “active rest,” as we call it up here. After breakfast at a reasonable hour, we roped up and took an acclimatization hike halfway to Camp 2. C2 sits at the far end of the cwm, perhaps 1.5 miles horizontally, and about 1,800 feet higher. From C1 … Continue reading Testing the Route
News was good: Camp 1 was built and ready for us. Or, if not totally built, at least built enough for us to get up there. Because weather was favorable, we were eager to make the next step and get the rotation done. The plan: Climb to C1 and stay two nights, then move to … Continue reading Climb to Camp 1
