Home
   Today's News
   8000 Meters Facts
  
Banners Ads
   Bookstore
   Classified Ads
   Climb for Peace
  
Contact

   Downloads
   E-mail (Free)
  
Educational
  
Expeditions
  
Facts
  
Games
  
Gear
  
History
  
Interviews

   Mailing List
   Media

   Medical
  
News (current)
   News Archives
   Sat Phones
   Search
   Seven Summits
   Snowboard
   Speakers
   Students
   Readers Guide
   Risks

   Trip Reports
   Visitor Agreement

   Volunteer/help

 

    
  

 

  




  Mt. Everest 2005: The Singapore Premier Taxi Everest Expedition: At the bottom of the Geneva Spur



Robert Goh (left) and Edwin at the bottom of the Geneva Spur

Update: Edwin and Robert spend a harrowing night sleeping at Camp 3 (7,300m) without oxygen. The winds were raging at 70 knots (120kph), threatening to flatten the tents, and making a racket flapping the tent fabric so loudly that they could not even hear the walkie transmissions.

Bleary eyed this morning, and tired from not having slept a wink, the two guys and their Sirdar Kami set off at 6.30am for Camp 4 (8,000m). It was a torturous struggle.

The westerly winds came straight at the climbers, causing wind burns. The winds also picked up sharp snow crystals which pelted their faces with tiny painful cuts.

“The winds were whipping our faces,” said Edwin. “Although I wore a balaclava which covered my whole face except my eyes, and I had goggles on, I still suffered wind burns on my left cheek. The winds felt like I was being slapped in the face constantly.”

Said Robert: “It was an exhausting climb because every step took us higher into thinner air. What seemed like a short traverse to the yellow band, but took us almost four hours. Our slow pace was due to lack of sleep as well as the increasingly thin air. It was the first time this season we were at that altitude.”

He added: “We were feeling OK and strong. We could go up higher, but we were just slow.”

At the bottom of the Geneva Spur, at 7,600m, the men turned back because they needed to return to Camp 2. “We didn’t want to spend another night sleeping at Camp 3 which would do our bodies more damage,” explained Robert.

“After this final acclimatisation cycle, we are doing well compared to those climbing with oxygen,” he said. “Kami said that with this speed, we would reach the summit – slow but constant.

“We are optimistic, but we know it will be a mighty hard push for us both because of the long hours needed to get to and back from the summit. It is expected to be a 24-hour slog.”

Dispatches

 

 

 

 

Built to handle a myriad of different climbing pursuits, the Ultralight Universal is our best selling crampon. This crampon lives for trekking, glacier travel, or steep couloirs and snowfields. Totally adjustable Zytel straps make this crampon durable and easy to use. Fits everything from moon boots to flip-flops, our lightest crampon available. Weight: 590g Points: 10. See more here.

 






 

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Atomic

   Black Diamond

   Botas

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   CaVa Climbing Shoes

   Chaco

   Clearance

   Clif Bar

   Cloudveil

   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
  
Eureka Tents

   Exofficio

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Garmin

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
  
Headlamps

   Hestra
  
Helmets

   HighGear

   HornyToad
  
Ice Axes

   Julbo

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kelty

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Life is Good

   Lowa

   Lowe Alpine

   Lowepro

   Millet

   Motorola

   Mountain Hardwear

   Mountainsmith

   MSR

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Patagonia

   Pelican

   Petzl

   PowerBar

   Princeton Tec

   Prescription Glacier

   Glasses

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Salomon

   Scarpa

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
  
Sleeping Bags

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Teva

   Thermarest

   Trango

   Tool Logic

   Trekking Poles
  
Yaktrax
  
and more here

 



Send email to     •   Copyright© 1998-2005 EverestNews.com
All rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Visitor Agreement, Legal Notes: Read it