Mt. Everest 2005: Alpine Ascents Everest 2005: Summit

Update: May 30 – Summit 9:00 am

Hello again,

Here’s the latest from Everest. At 8:00 am. I heard from the summit team with the news that the climbers and the Sherpas were all together, and that they were half way between the balcony and the South Summit. The weather was still very good with very little wind. Everyone was feeling good and moving strongly. Apparently they started out a little slowly last night because Chewang went ahead to help set the fixed lines up to the balcony. In the meantime Thapkee was with Vern and David but carrying five bottles of oxygen. Now that they are all together again Thapkee and Chewang can share the oxygen carrying duties and it sounds like they are making a bit faster progress. These guys are amazing.

In the meantime, the second climbing team left Camp 2 at about 6:00 this morning heading for Camp 3. I’ve heard them a couple times on the radio this morning breathing hard but doing well. Tony has been fighting a tooth abcess problem but seems to be doing ok.

At base camp Kent, Cathleen, and Mostafa are packing up and will be heading down the valley today. We wish them well on their journey home.

That’s all for now, Ellie
 

Update: May 30 Summit Night 5:20am
    
May 30, 5:20 am:

We finally got a radio report from Chewang, who is assisting Vern and David, and is also helping put in fixed lines. He was calling from the balcony, where he had run out of fixed line rope to install, and was waiting there for Vern and Dave. He says the conditions up there are really good – cold but very low wind. Everyone is waiting for the sun to hit soon to warm things up. He can see a whole line of people making their way up the mountain, but everything seems to be going well.

Meanwhile, Dave Morton, Jose Luis, Lakpa, Esther, Danielle, and Tony are at Camp 2 having breakfast and preparing to move up the mountain to Camp 3 today. Willi has been up a good part of the night helping monitor the radios, so he will stay at Camp 2 supporting all the teams.

Ellie from Base Camp

Update: May 30 Summit Night 4:00am
    
Hello from Everest Base Camp,

It's plenty cold here in base camp right now so I imagine it's really cold up on the mountain. As expected, we haven't heard anything from the climbers since they left the South Col last night. In previous years the teams have been somewhere near the balcony or a little above at this time of the morning, so we hope that's the case with these climbers as well. Here in basecamp we see lights and hear noises from other camps who are also up all night tracking their cimbers. Otherwise it's pretty quiet.

Ellie

Update: May 29 - Off to the summit 11:15 pm
    
Hello in cyberland,

At last we’re on our way! This is Base Camp Manager Ellie Henke reporting from Everest base camp, where we’ve just heard that Vern Tejas and David Liano have started on their way to the top. Today they moved up from camp 3 at 7,200 meters (23,600 feet) to Camp 4 at the South Col at 7,960 meters (26,100 feet). When they arrived they got some rest and decided they felt pretty good. After weeks of wind the weather was improving, and a few hours ago they reported that this evening was almost dead calm. So the decision was made to go for it. So far this season no one has reached the summit of Everest from the southern Nepal side, so suddenly we find ourselves on the cutting edge.

So the final leg of the climb begins for Vern and Dave as they leave the South Col at 11:15 this evening. I will be sending in periodic reports, but I am not expecting to have too many communications with them. They are under strict orders not to risk frostbite by taking their mittens off during the night to do radio calls. So no news will be good news.

Meanwhile, the base camp staff is huddled around a propane heater in the communications tent. Gopal, our liaison officer Bed, Kumar, Lakpa, Gelbu, and myself will be trading off throughout the night to monitor the radio and track the progress of the climbers.

So stay tuned for further news from our first Everest summit attempt.

Ellie

Dispatches

Vern Tejas, Willi Prittie, Dave Morton, Jose Luis Peralvo, and Lakpa Rita Sherpa will lead the Alpine Ascent team on Everest this Spring. They will attempt the standard South East ridge route.

GUIDE STAFF (BIOS)
Lakpa Rita Sherpa Senior Guide & Sirdar	Vern Tejas Senior Guide	Willi Prittie Senior Guide
Dave Morton Senior Guide	Jose Luis Peralvo Senior Guide	Ellie Henke Base Camp Manager
CLIMBERS
Nigel Clark	Esther Colwill	Ron Farb
Kevin Grant	Cathy Groninger	Kent Groninger
Mostafa Mahmoud	Jeanne Stawiecki	Dianette Strange-Wells
Tony Van Marken	David Liano	Danielle Fisher

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