All roads lead to the summit - team leader Alex Abramov showing the way to the top of Everest. 7Summits/7Summits-club teams are all back down in BC, getting ready for a definite summit bid. Russians Vladimir Lande and Igor Pljushkin are already at the North Col. Image courtesy of 7Summits-club (click to enlarge).
Martyna fell on the way to C2 and hit her forehead. But after a short moment of shock, she decided to go on. Image of Martyna in C2's tent, pressing a steel mug against her bruised forehead, courtesy of Polish Falvit expedition (click to enlarge).
Before leaving BC on their definitive summit bid, Mallorca climbers congratulated Korean Park Young-Seok and Serap Jangbu, who completed a North-South Everest traverse last week. Image of (from left to right) Oli, Tolo Calafat, Sherap Jangbu, Pasang Tshiring, Tolo Quetglas, and Nima Sherpa, courtesy of Mallorca a Dalt de Tot expedition (click to enlarge).
Palestinian Ali, in the middle, and Israelis Micha and Dudu, pose in Everest's BC with joined flags. The team is currently on the way to the summit. Live image over Contact 4.0 courtesy of Everest Peace Project (click to enlarge).
“Andrew grabbed his towel and headed up the moraine to the glacial moraine. Wasting no time he stripped off, prepared himself mentally and elegantly launched himself into the tourquoise depths." Image of Andrew taking a high altitude plung, courtesy of Everestmax (click to enlarge).
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Everest wrap-up: North side summits - massive push from the south - weather unclear
Posted: May 15, 2006 09:48 am EDT
(MountEverest.net) The summit bug has bitten just about everyone on the mountain. Fever has spread and virtually all expeditions (or at least a large part of them) are heading up on both sides - including the big guided teams.
On the North side, Himex has launched full force: 4 climbers and 8 Sherpas summited yesterday. A second team might report with further good news today - and they are not alone on the higher slopes. Four members of the Turkish expedition have also summited, namely Elif, now the first Turkish woman to reach the highest point on Earth. Check previous MountEverest.net stories on the latest summits.
Weather on Everest's Tibetan side was reportedly good this morning - but reports on the south side are not so confident. Mark Squirrel reported today on being stopped by heavy snow falling in C2. There are many other climbers also there. To make matter more challenging, the route above the South Col has not yet been fixed. Sherpas hopes to have it ready in two or three days - weather permitting.
Everest West
British Army West ridge team: Climbers sticking to plans – weather not
“Despite predictions of a weather window, snow has started to fall. At the moment the showers are light and aren't causing any problems,” reported the team. “The Diagonal Ditch Team is moving into position and the summit bid remains on schedule.”
Previous plans pointed to a summit attempt tomorrow.
Everest North
Disabled Mark Inglis (Himex): Summit Today?
Four members and 8 Sherpas from Himex’s first team summited yesterday (check previous story). Team 2, of which Mark is a member, hoped to head for the summit today. Stay tuned for updates.
Sky-ski Vikings Olsson and Grandheim; Summit tomorrow
If plans haven’t changed, Tomas and Tormod should be in C2 today, planning to attempt the summit tomorrow.
Turkish: On the summit by now?
The expedition reports to ExWeb that four members reached the summit today (May 15) and Elif has become the first Turkish woman to climb Mount Everest. She reached the summit first, followed by Serkan, Soner and later Haldun.
Burcak, another female member of the team, wasn't feeling well and had to return back from around 8400-8500 m. Serhan and Bora, who were climbing without supplementary oxygen and therefore following others from behind, accompanied her down to Camp 3.
Everest Peace Project: Summit push now
Everest Peace Project team left ABC yesterday on their summit bid. “The summit team consists of: Ali Bushnaq, David (Dudu) Yifrah, Micha Yaniv, Selebelo Selamolela, Tonya Riggs, Jamie McGuinness and Brad Clement. Gautam Patil is leaving today and Lance Trumbull is staying back as advanced base camp manager.”
According to plans, members are resting in C1 today. “On May 16th, they will go to Camp two at 7600 meters (25,000 feet); on May 17th they will be at Camp three at 8300 meters (27,000 feet). May 18th will hopefully be our summit day (depending on the weather).”
Adventure Peaks: Forecasts and plans
“With the exception of Paul who has returned to ABC, all team members arrived at the North Col yesterday,” reported AP’s home team.
Today they were heading for C2. The team’s weather forecasts predict stable weather. Average winds at summit level should be 20 to 30 knots (10 to 15 m/s), with gusts up to 20 to 40 knots (10 to 20 m/s). They will be blowing at 280 to 310 degrees.
Castilla-La Mancha expedition: 2 team push
The team has divided in two groups. Team one, comprised by Oscar Cardo, Juanjo Buendia, Raúl Checa, and Jorge García as support, hoped to leave ABC through the weekend. Team 2, consisting of Miguel Angel Jiménez, Pedro Antonio Fuentes, with Manuel Noves and Francisco Duran as support, would have followed later. Summit bid is planned for tomorrow or Wednesday.
7Summits/7Summits-club: Everybody down and ready
All of 7Summits/7Summits-club's teams are back down in BC, getting ready for a definitive summit bid. Only Russians Vladimir Lande and Igor Pljushkin are at the North Col, in order to give the summit a try if weather conditions hold.
Project-Himalaya/DCXP: A new summit fever burst
“Lots of teams are rallying for attempts in what seems to be another short window starting right now,” reported team leader Scott. “We are not quite in position to try, although 2 members in our team have gone up to ABC to be in a better position for an attempt, in case the forecasts continue to look good.”
Everestmax: Splash!
“Many readers will no doubt think by now that we spend our time watching DVD's, fantasizing about home comforts and sleeping – not so: We have a strict exercise regime designed to put us in tip top condition for the summit,” reported the team.
“Andrew for instance, grabbed his towel and headed up the moraine chased by 5 friends / carers – the lake was deep blue and looked very cold, located as it is in a frozen glacial moraine. Wasting no time he stripped, prepared himself mentally and elegantly launched himself into the tourquoise depths. We all headed back fearing the worst only to see him emerge from the frozen deep, appearing like a lean and hungry dolphin. Applause and a few tears greeted this only for Dom to shout, “ Can you do it again? – I didn't quite get it on camera!”
“Andrew of course did – I doubt if we will see anything as heroic or selfless on this trip!”
“Oh, about Everest ! Well our friends at ABC have set off for the North Col today as part of their summit bid. The weather nonsense is ongoing with every expedition having it's own theory about when the treasured weather windows will occur…”
Everest South
BaseCampMD: Summit fever raising
“The wind has picked up and EBC had quite a blow for the past 24 hours,” reported the clinic's staff yesterday. “As I write it is now slowing down and we hope rumored forecasts of good weather for the next few days prove true. Many teams are looking at this “weather window” as their opportunity to go for the Summit of Everest and Lhotse.”
Mark Squirrel: Snowing today
“Today is an unexpected rest day due to snowfall,” reported Mark today from C2. “We must wait here at Camp Two while the Sherpas go ahead and check the fixed lines and break track through the snow.”
Polish Falvit: Martyna knocked down – but up again
The Polish team, including Martyna, left base camp last Friday,” Artur Hajzer told ExplorersWeb. “On Sunday they reached C2.”
“Members are nervous due to bad weather, snow on the South
Col and lack of fixed ropes above the Col. Anyway they plan to go on with their summit push, hoping to reach the top on Wednesday or Thursday.”
“Martyna fell on the way to C2 and hit her forehead. But after a short moment of shock, she decided to go on.”
Mallorca: Park safely down – we're hopefully up
“Yesterday morning the team left BC on their summit bid. They hope to be at the South Col by Wednesday, from where they will attempt to reach the top.”
Before leaving though, the team congratulated Korean Park Young-Seok and Serap Jangbu, who completed a North-South Everest traverse.
IMG: First summit team in C2
“The latest news is that Dave, Dan, and Brenda are down in BC, and the first summit team of Justin, Walter, Karl, Markus, Sophia, and J.F. made it up to C2 in good shape,” IMG’s home team reported last Saturday.
The climbers in C2 planned to rest there yesterday - today they would be going up.
Mike Turner (IMG): Up today?
Mike couldn’t follow other IMG’s team members due to stomach pains; however, he hopes to be back up by now.
“Based on the weather reports that we have received, we believe that we have a weather window for a summit opportunity on May 16-19,” he said. “The jet stream is forecasted to be North East of us, blowing less than 50 mph with a light snow. My new plans are to leave either Sunday or Monday (yesterday or today) with a summit bid potential of either Thursday or Friday.”
Paul and Fiona: Weather unclear
Paul and Fiona were in BC yesterday, not sure of their immediate plans since the wind seems to be blowing fairly hard.
Alpine Ascents: Summit push starting today
“Tomorrow (today) we will be waking up early to head up the mountain and begin our push to the summit,” the team reported on Sunday.
Adventure Consultants: Push started yesterday
“On Sunday morning our team got up early and then went away, climbing through to Camp 1, the beginning of our the summit bid,” reported AC team. “Over the next few days they will climb through each Camp and be in position to have a summit attempt from Camp 4 on either the 18th or 19th, all going well with the weather.”
"About 20 Sherpas have gone to the South col today and they will fix ropes above the balcony tomorrow in preparation for the teams who should start to summit in 2-3 days," the team added in a later report today.
Koo Shee Chiow: Push in a week’s time
“Most teams are now preparing to make the summit attempt; many are waiting at C2,” reported the Singaporean climber, hoping to reach Everest’s summits without supplementary O2.
“Now, I look forward to 3-4 days of rest & good food. I think I must have lost 5-6kg so far. Vincent on the other hand is well rested and ready to go to the summit. Our summit attempt may take place in about a week's time.”
Mountain Link: Back in BC
“We are back at Base camp after spending 5 days in Kathmandu,” the team reported yesterday. “We should be heading up the icefall on Tuesday for our summit bid. If all goes well, we should be summiting by May 19.”
Links to teams on Everest North:
Russian Climb | UK Army 's West ridge expedition | Ecuadorians w/o Limits (Spanish) | Tomas Olsson's Blog | Swedish Everest NFace Sky-ski team | Swedish Everest NFace Sky-ski team - English dispatches | Everestmax | Joby Ogwyn's updates | Brazilians Vitor and Rodrigo w/o O2 (Portuguese) | Pepe Andrés Blanco (Spanish) | Mark Inglis' Legs on Everest | News on Andalucia Everest (Spanish)| Carlos Garranzo's UPCT expedition (Spanish)| Bill Driggs & Anne Parmenter's Aspen Aerogels team | Northern Ireland-England | Terres de l’Ebre (Catalan) | Comarques Gironines | Adventure Peaks| Scott on Everest| Everest Peace Project| DCXP | Project Himalaya | S. Woolums' Adventures Int’l | Abramov’s 7 Summits Club | Harry Kikstra’s 7 Summits | Thomas Weber’s SightOnEverest | Noel Hannah | World Wide Vikings | Lorenzo Gariano’s blog| Turkish Everest expedition | News on Bahrainis - The Gulf Times | Dr. Ken Stalter’s Climb for Child Leukemia | Malaysian Treverest website | Spanish Castilla-La Mancha expedition
Links to teams on Everest South:
Polish-Russian Traverse (Polish) | Martyna Wojciechowska (Polish) | Khoo Swee Chiow | Malaysia/Singapore EverestFriendship | Paul and Fiona Adler | South Africans | Schools around the world | John Turner | Will Cross | India’s BSF | Romeo Garduce’s GMA 7 expedition blog | National Philippines FPMEE team | News on the Philippine National team in Studio23 TV | Mallorca a Dalt de Tot | Alpine Ascents | Jagged Globe | Dr. Botha | Mark Squirrel | Adventure Consultants | IMG | Mountain Link| Kari Kobler's team updates(German)| BaseCampMD
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