Stories Category: Expeditions

Enjoying Camp 2 6PM

Our team of Lakpa, Margaret, Warren, Chris and Peter reached Camp 2 in good time today. Everyone is feeling strong and healthy, and they are now enjoying the comforts of Camp 2 on the Western cwn plateau. They will spend tomorrow night also at Camp 2 to further facilitate their acclimatisation.

The Climbing for a Cause trekkers are spending their 2nd night at base camp this evening. Today they had a tour of some of the ice fall and visited our friends at the Himalayan Rescue Association tent. It will be a quiet camp again when they begin their trek back to Lukla tomorrow

Posted photos on facebook 1PM

We’ve posted a few photos around base camp on facebook.

Take a peek at what it’s like to live and work at Himalayan Ascent’s base camp this season.
http://www.facebook.com/HimalayanAscent

Back at base camp 10PM

A successful first rotation. Everyone is back at base camp after spending 2 nights at Camp 1 and hiking up to Camp 2 (6600m). The next 2 days will be a rest to recoup, before beginning round 2. Base camp is getting busier with more friends and teams arriving on a daily basis. The doctors and staff from the Himalayan Rescue Association joined us for dinner this evening. Climbing is only half the expedition experience…gas bagging and socialising is the other.

Carol is heading back to Lukla after successfully climbing Island peak. She already has the 7 summits under her belt, but she’s not done with climbing and is adding a few more Himalayan peaks.

The Climbing For a Cause trek is sleeping at Dingboche tonight. In a few days they’ll be at EBC itself to spend 2 nights at BC with the climbing team.

First frolic in icefall 8PM

The day was just too good to sit around yesterday so we geared up and practiced walking on ladders wearing crampons.

Traversing through the Khumbu icefall is one of the crux of climbing Everest. We must climb up through the broken glacier, pass between giant intimidating seracs and cross over very large crevasses (sometimes several ladders tied together). The threat of falling seracs means we need to climb quickly and safely, and often very early in the morning to avoid melt.

Today Margaret and Warren with Sumit tested their new ladder crossing skills by climbing halfway through the icefall. Both climbers felt good by the experience, so we rounded back to base camp for lunch. Tomorrow we’ll have a proper rest before our first rotation climb to Camp 1, which sits at the top of the icefall.

Day of spiritual reflection 11PM

Our puja or buddhist ceremony was held today under blue skies. We couldn’t have asked for a more stunning day. The local lama chanted prayers for 4 hrs, he blessed our equipment presented at the alter, and we finished by throwing tsampa into the air as an offering to the spirits who watch over this land. This ceremony requests protection and success. It’s an essential ritual we follow on all major expeditions.

Due to the unfortunate accident yesterday where a Sherpa (part of the route setting team) fell to his death into a crevasse, today’s ceremony was subdued. Our guides were particularly touched by the ceremony. In a few hours they will begin their climb straight to Camp 2 (6600m) to begin setting up advanced base camp. They have been acclimatizing at base camp for the last few weeks, and they are keen to begin climbing. Lakpa is also stretching his legs in the ice fall up to Camp 1 with the Canadian Lhotse group tomorrow.

Rolling into Everest base camp 10AM

The last few days from Pangboche to Dingbouche to Lobuche have been utterly beautiful. Today we have clear blue skies and serene mountains surrounding us as we trek the last few kilometres from Gorak Shep to our new home at Everest base camp. We’re excited to say the least….to reunite with friends at camp, settle into our tents and our home away from home, and importantly, to begin our final mental and physical preparations before tackling the first hurdle, the Khumbu ice fall. For now, we’re keen to eat some of Rabin’s tasty cooking and have a much anticipated wash at camp. Ah the joys of base camp.

Contacting base camp 4PM

+977 980 840 3862. That’s the number you ring to contact us here at base camp. We’ve set up a regular mobile/cell SIM (ie it’s not an expensive satellite line) into a handset antenna for improved reception during bad weather days. Give us a call for a chat! Your regular rates to an international mobile will apply.

Blessed at Pangboche 7AM

We began yesterday by visiting the construction site of the Khumbu Climbing School. Once complete, the school will house aspiring guides training with local and international climbing guides. Lakpa has often volunteered his time as head guide during the winter training sessions.

Then we hiked a leisurely 2 hr stroll transversing the valley to Lama Gheshi’s house. Pangboche is the highest permanent settlement in the Khumbu, the last established village before reaching Everest base camp. The lamas residing in the monastery here are some of the most respected in the area. Hence, we came to Lama Gheshi to receive blessings for our expedition. He conducted a special ceremony for us, which included reading some prayers to provide us safe passage and success, and then he honoured us each with a kata (white scarf) and an evil warding necklace. For our climbers and guides (who also make a point to visit a lama before beginning an expedition), this is an important ritual.

Buddhist locals believe that the mountains are inhabited and controlled by mountain spirits. Sherpas are able to live in harmony amongst the biggest mountains in the world by paying respect to the mountain spirits. We follow an unwritten climbing code to climb according to local customs.

Chris Burke’s blog updates 1.15PM

If you would like to get another perspective about our adventure on Everest and Lhotse, also follow Chris Burke’s blog: www.chrisjensenburke.com/arriving-in-namche/

In this edition, Chris describes some of the other activities we got up to with the Australian Himalayan Foundation at a school below Lukla.

Day hike to Gong Go (4150m) 1PM

This morning we had a beautiful walk up to Khunda village and ridge Gong Go (4150m), a 700m climb in 2.5 hr above Namche. The views were brilliant, Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse, amongst other Himalayan giants.

We are celebrating our first acclimatisation morning exercise with another round of Illy coffee, pizza and fish and chips at Cafe 8848m. Yum yum! The rest of the afternoon we’re taking it easy and lazy. Tomorrow it’s a walk to Phortse.