Return to Everest 2009

April 27 - Today was another good one for the IMG team. The weather cooperated and the wind died down, allowing five sherpas to carry to the Col. Four more went to C3, where they set up more tents. Climbing to Camp 3 today were Kamen, Petya, Karel, and Dawes, who are now all spending the night there with their personal sherpas. Hamill and his crew, along with John and Chris, took an acclimatization climb to the base of the Lhotse Face today. Vernovage and his Lhotse team ascended to C2, along with the Singapore team. Shea moved up to C1. Scott, Ed, and Rejean descended to BC. [More at IMG]

NASA Trek Team Icefall

Day 38/April 28, 2009 (Tuesday)
NASA Trek Team Lands at EBC!

As Louis Armstrong once sang: “What a wonderful world!” I am so fortunate to have such great family and friends… A group of 31 ascended to the heights of Everest Base Camp this morning, full of energy and good health, bearing gifts and letters from home. Espresso chocolate truffles are worth much more than gold up here, and beautiful photos of my kids, Luke and Jenna, brought me right back home! Such visits, just like the NASA Trek Team of last year, must be what it feels like when a visiting Space Shuttle arrives at the International Space Station.

April 26 - IMG climbers Ed, Scott, and Rejean descended from C3 to C2 after a windy night on the Lhotse Face. The team at C2, Kamen, Petya, Dawes, Karel who hoped to go to C3 today were forced to hold at C2 due to the wind. If tomorrow is better, they will take another shot at going to C3. Several other teams lost tents at C2 today, but our camp stayed in place! Moving up to C2 from C1 was Mike, Louis, and Paul. Greg and his Lhotse team stayed put at C1 today. The Singapore women moved to C1 from BC. [More at IMG]

Closeup image of Everest Base Camp as seen from above Lobuche. Small yellow, red, and blue objects are individual tents.

25 April

I had hoped to file a report this morning - my last until Everest Base Camp. I set the Internet BGAN satphone up as I have dozens of times before. But as I did I got a sinking feeling that the terrain to the south/south west would block my access to the satellite I need to hit. That became obviously clear within a few seconds - zero signal. So I packed things up and headed inside to find Tashi for our "little hike" this morning.

Looking back at Aba Dablam and her sisters as we head toward Lobuche - and Everest

24 April

Another early start. This has now become routine. Since there really is not much to do here after dark, going to bed at 8 pm is an obvious choice.

On my way back to my room last night, I stopped to give my Sherpa guide Tashi some satellite spotting lessons. The only way I could explain why a satellite could be in sunlight while it was dark on Earth was to cite the nearby mountains. They often remain in strong sunshine quite some time after it is dark on the ground. Conversely the peaks often burst into flame well in advance of sunlight hitting the ground.

View Camp III to Summit

Days 32-37/April 22-27, 2009 (Wednesday-Monday)
“Home” safe at EBC after epic 2nd rotation
Exhausted but clean-shaven and showered, I can now transcribe my journal notes from my pre-summit bid rotation up to Camp III, 24,500 feet. As I wearily trudged down the final portions of the Khumbu Icefall this morning, I reveled in the thought that the next time I’d pass this way, I’d be on the way to the summit of Mount Everest.