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The
IG0 8000 Advantage for Everest 2001
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Did
IMG have inside information when their Sherpas and two
of their unguided climbers reached the Summit first this
year on Everest? That was the question some asked...
Since
we have several stories to write and this one is
getting old. We are going to give you the short answer
!
Yes!
As
reported on EverestNews.com, during the Everest 2001
season, several expeditions including some of the IGO
8000 expeditions initially were trying out some free
weather reports and weather reports from other sources
rather than what the expeditions have used the last few years on
Everest. You see the Bracknell reports that have been
used for the last 5 years on Everest by the IGO 8000
expeditions are very expensive. Few expeditions want
to pay SEVERAL thousand of dollars for weather
reports. Henry Todd, the veteran expedition leader was
not on the mountain this year to buy and resell the
reports.
But
after problems with the other reports, one Expedition leader stated to
EverestNews.com, "After trying the free weather
service, the IGO 8000 members, 4 expeditions in all, 2
on each side decide to pay for the tried and tested
Bracknell forecasting as in the past 5 years. One
other experienced team had asked to be involved in the
usual cost sharing basis."
They
had spent the bucks once again, with Henry Todd once again as
the broker. Others were not so kind, called the other
weather sources, jokes and just horribly inaccurate,
and other not PG 13 rated comments.
These
expensive Bracknell
weather reports, according to two of the expeditions,
called the Summit window of the IMG climbers
perfectly. So while others were at BC or ABC
complaining about bad weather forecasts, the IMG climbers were
moving up. Other IGO 8000 members decided to wait,
based on the fact the Bracknell
reports were predicting the weather to hold.
When
we see the IGO climbers going up and others staying
we asked. The answer was, "Of course Bracknell
called this weather, that's why all our people are up
the hills, it should last at least till Friday, but
don't report that in case it all goes wrong. There
will be a big rush now and that is not the safest way,
sensible ones will plan to summit Wednesday/Thursday
but we'll see."
Wednesday/Thursday
was May23/24. Perfect weather (On Everest)
Another
comment, "What
I feel will happen now is that there will be a rush
which will open the route up high, there could be
problems with numbers, then as the conditions improve
other teams will follow in easier conditions, as the
trail will harden and not be filled in with new snow.
But we'll see."
Himalayan
Experience and the second IMG Summit team,
and the Himalayan Guides Lhotse
Expedition (all IGO 8000 members) would
wait until May 23/24th.
Of
course, as things turned out, if the weather would have
turned bad we might very well have two less climbers
coming home. But because the climbers had great
weather at 8000 meters up high on Everest, they are
coming home.
Of
course, even the best weather reports are never always
right.
This is an extremely high risk sport where people DIE
every year, not because they are stupid but because
people die climbing.
One
Expedition leader stated, "One, It should be
mentioned that those leaders involved in the Bracknell
forecasts are all IGO8000 members with 30 to 40
Everest expeditions behind them, so it's also possible
that they may know a thing or two."
It
does appear the IGO members and their climbers got what
they paid for and more on Everest in 2001.
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