Mt Everest 2005: Australian Rex Pemberton trying to be the youngest Australian to stand atop Mt Everest: Update

Monday 2 May 2005: Today is a special update, I have personally managed to lug my laptop up two camp 2. Caroline (my sister) arrived at base camp yesterday which was exciting, she brought with her a USB chip so I was able to back up some of my photos and most importantly my book. I am sure that right now my "toughbook" is the highest computer in the world. So this morning, I came up from Base camp. I am now at camp 2. I will spend a rest day tomorrow here then push as high as I can on the Lhoste face the next day. The goal is to touch the yellow band (a band of rock that sits about 7500m) If I can do that I will be more than ready to try for the summit. I chose to put one more rotation in because, the jet stream looked like it was moving back towards Everest and our Sherpa support had been delayed by two days. So my strategy consists of doing a 4 day rotation, two days up, rest day on the 3rd then on the 4th day go as high as I can get (I will set a turn around time for 12.00pm). On the 5th day I will go back to base camp for 5 days of rest either down the valley or at BC. After those five days I will position myself for a 15th of May summit, weather depending of course.

Sadly we had another team member go home yesterday, Larry. Larry was the expedition joker, he kept everyone laughing but was having trouble with the sheer size of the hill. He was a non-guided climber and very much a respected member of our team. We will miss him but as I said before climbing Mt Everest is not for everyone. One plus side of having two members pull out of the expedition is the fact that we now have another eight oxygen bottles. So rumour has it we may be able to start climbing on oxygen from camp 2, on our summit bid! If this is the case it will greatly conserve our energy for the push from camp 3 to camp 4 and the camp 4 to the summit and back.

I definitely know this is going to be the last rotation now. Partly because I have been through the icefall so many times. I have certainly had my fair share of the suicide popcorn bowl! It is only a matter of time. I did smash my own and team record again getting from base to the top of the icefall in 2 hrs and 40 minutes! That's sherpa time! I am now also feeling good and can sleep at camp 2 which is a good sign. I am ready now, and will be super ready after this rotation. I have never been in the same mindset, it's weird because it is so positive yet, I know the enormity of the task that lies ahead.

Those 2 or 3 days where we are pushing for the summit above camps 2 and 3 will be the hardest of my life, no doubt. But I strongly believe I can do this and it feels right. Like somehow I am connecting with the mountain, I am not battling her; while it is a constant test, and constantly hard, overall I feel ready and prepared to rise to her summit for a short period. May the weather be on our side.

I will write from camp 3 on the 4th. (You may need to excuse the grammar and spelling; I can hardly breathe at 3 let alone type!) It will be a surreal experience! Cheers Rexy.

Update: Hi Everyone, I am now resting but have decided to go on one last rotation to make triple sure my body is ready to rise to Mt Everest's height of 8848m for a short period of time. Here is the latest from Base Camp.

Next Update >>>

Saturday 30th April 2005

Ok I want to thank the girls from CCI pope for their good luck message. As well as Nina, thanks so much you guys. It really makes my day to read such cool messages and they are going to take me to the top of the world.

This morning it is snowing in Base Camp, so I have decided to get all my oxygen gear sorted out for the summit bid. Fitting the regulator (oxygen mask) to your face and making sure your goggles can fit around it without fogging up is of great importance. Both choices of regulators did not fit properly around my face, but I managed to modify my Addidas "Yodi" goggles by sticking a bit of foam to the inside edge enabling my goggle to mesh perfectly with one of the British oxygen masks. They are top of the line goggles, with lenses called the "space lens". They were originally designed by NASA and they are the same lenses used by astronaughts. Well I guess I am a bit like a space man! It certainly feels like it with my down suit, goggles and oxygen mask.

I now nearly feel ready for the summit. I am still a tiny bit apprehensive and was see-sawing as to wither to go and complete yet another rotation. This morning the answer was given to me on a platter. The Sherpa's have been hauling gear to the South Col (camp 4) and due to bad weather they have been delayed for 2 days and are coming back down to base camp. This gives me a window of opportunity, to complete a fourth rotation. This will ensure my body is as ready as it will ever be to try for the summit. On this expedition I do not want to have any maybes, I want everything running perfectly, smoothly like a well oiled machine.

So far I have done everything right in preparation for the summit bid. I think one more rotation will make me both physically and mentally ready for what lies ahead. This morning I told Mark Tucker (our leader), he said it is a good idea, and also gave me a great compliment. He said that I was really using my head, everything I am doing has been good and that if I keep it up he reckons, Rex is going to be standing on the top. I was very pleased with this compliment. It reassured me I was on the right track!

So on Monday I am off, up through the icefall again to camp two. I will then take a rest day there. The next day I will set a turn around time and go as high as I can up the Lhotse face (weather and jet stream depending). I will then descend back to camp 2 and rest that night before descending to base camp the next day. Four days in total. When I reach base I will rest for a day then head down the valley to Pheriche (4200m) for 2 or 3 days. I'll come back up and go for the summit with the first window or summit wave this season. This strategy potentially gives me two attempts. If we don't make it up first go, we may be able to get another shot at the summit in late May.

We all have our life journeys and I strongly believe we learn things from everything we do. I am living my life journey now and while sometimes I question it, I know what I am doing is right for me. I am a dream chaser, and always will be doing crazy far out things. Whether that be in my climbing life or my career. I don't want to follow, I want to lead. In my mind there are no limits to what we can do and love in life. Life is a gift, we should all use it.

Rexy from Everest

Update Rex Pemberton is going to Everest Spring 2005! Stay tuned for more!

Previous Update:

Altitech2: Digital Altimeter, Barometer, Compass and Thermometer. Time/Date/Alarms. Chronograph with 24 hour working range. Timer with stop, repeat and up function. Rotating Bezel. Leveling bubble. Carabiner latch. E.L. 3 second backlight. Water resistant. 4" x 2-1/4" x 3/4" 2 oz. Requires 1 CR2032 battery. See more here.

  Altitude pre-
   acclimatization

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Black Diamond

   Botas

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   CaVa Climbing Shoes
   Clearance

   Clif Bar

   Cloudveil

   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Garmin

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps
   Helmets

   HighGear
   Ice Axes

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kelty

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Lowepro

   Motorola

   Mountain Hardwear

   Mountainsmith

   MSR

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Patagonia

   Pelican

   Petzl

   PowerBar

   Princeton Tec

   Prescription Glacier

   Glasses

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Thermarest

   Trango

   Tool Logic

   Trekking Poles
   Yaktrax
   and more here