Revised Summit Plan

Weather is weather and completely unpredictable at this point. After having been informed by the various weather services that the previous weather window was "short lived and dangerous" we abandoned our summit plans and have been waiting. Well, the window was good, and we missed the first one, but we are going for the second one with gusto and commitment.

The goal will be to summit on the 22nd of May. Based on current forecasts it should be a stable weather window starting on the 21st and continuing until the 24th. It gives us plenty of time to get up to high camp in semi-decent weather and have the opportunity to get to the summit on a clear day.

So the question that you may have is what have we been doing in the meantime. Well, not much. We went up to Camp 2 on the 16th which was the start of our previous window and slept a night to keep our acclimitization in order, had a horrible, sleepless night and returned to ABC for breakfast. We have taken showers, shaved (some of us), and done laundry. Life in ABC has not been exciting. Although in the last 24 hours we have arranged a helilcopter for a portion of the team who want to fly back to Kathmandu rather then trekking the 5 days out. There is some logic to this decision. I have decided to trek out because I want to enjoy the fun of seeing green and smelling something other then rock and snow.

So to sum up our plan.We will leave ABC on May 20th and go directly to Camp 2. We will try and arrive early in the day so that we can have plenty of time to rest and hydrate. Then on the 21st we will head up the Makalu La and go to our Camp 4. Again leaving early and trying to arrive in Camp 4 with time to spare for hydration and eating. Then we will leave on the morning of the 22nd at about 1 am to arrive on the summit by 10 am. Then we will return from the summit, break camp 4 and descend to Camp 2 by 5pm on the 22nd.

Climb Hard, Climb High, Come Home

Chris Klinke, ABC Makalu

May 15th Update

Robbie K writing the blog for the 15th from ABC. The news isn't too good for an accent up Makalu until later in the month, hopefully around the 23rd of May... The French and the Germans left two days ago for their summit bid and we were to leave today The winds have been ripping for the last week from C1 all the way to the summit. When I say ripping, I mean our flesh would be frozen in seconds without remorse if accidentally left exposed. (Upwards of 100km winds with -28 deg C temps.) We have been diligently watching and getting weather updates from France, Germany, and Switzerland. We utilize as many meteorological resources as possible so that our guessing is minimized and a more calculated decision can be ascertained as to when we should make our way up the hill. The information that we had been originally given gave us a window for the 16th and 17th to make our summit push and we were to leave today. We decided to stay in ABC for the last two days because there were going to be 23 people ahead of us. We wanted some room to play and we wanted to make a speedier accent (3 days). In addition we want to spend as lil time above C2 as possible. But the window is too small and the winds have been nuking since last week. So... the French and the Germans are now heading down because of the deteriorating weather... Right now, outside our fabric walls, we are having a mix of snow and rain. So, we are in a hold patern and we are going to see how the winds and weather fair over the next couple of days. So that is all that we have going on right now. We are relaxing and getting "plumped" up for our attempt. It looks as though we are going be in ABC for a few more days so we will keep you all posted. Again, thanks for all of the comments... And please keep them coming...

Summit Bound

This morning we awoke to the very familiar winds of the past week, but noticeably less intense. Conditions have been unstable this past week, causing our three consultant weather forecasters in Europe to really scratch their heads about how much improvement there might actually be during the May 16-17th period.

It looks like the jetstream will split North/South around Everest and Makalu as it approaches from the NW. Our weather sages think this will mean a decrease in winds from 60-110 km/hr to 20-30 km/hr from the Makalu La(7400m) to the summit(8467m), with temps warming from from -35 C to around -20 C near the summit the 16th and 17th. We will definitely appreciate the warmth and comfort of the Talus Cold Avenger masks and the Point 6 socks!

So today, the six French climbers of our group, four team sherpas, and Chhiring Dorje left for the summit push, targetting a May 16th summit. Right behind them out of BC was a party of 13 Germans with the same game plan. The four of us haqve decided to hold back our summit departure till the day after tomorrow, May 15th. Our reasons for doing this are that we want to summit on the 17th, avoid crowding(including icefall and rockfall risk) in the technical areas of the route, and since we are not using botttled oxygen, to minimize our high altitude exposure time, skipping the camp at Makalu La with a push from Camp 2 to a final staging camp at 7600m.

The waiting is hard-reading books, watching videos, and going on hikes around BC are a reminder that high mountains are not "conquered", but rather snuck up on, and that planning,preparation, and commitment are keys to a successful summit of an 8000m peak. The reality of the experience is that it's just not possible to get to the top of a peak like Makalu without climbing in at least some bad weather. Communication and trust amongst teammates, continual reassessment of risks and benefits, and conservation of energy, are all really important at this stage.

"dolendi modus timendi non item...
to suffering there is an end, to fear, none..."

Eric Meyer, M.D.

Preparation, Pain and Patience

Brad Johnson writing from ABC.
We are resting in ABC, for our third day, since our last foray up the mountain to camp II and to Makalu La at 7,475m (24,500ft.) Those 3 days on the mountain were to be our last days of preparation before a summit attempt. Of course we have been preparing for the summit in many ways. Back home training and organizing, then the 9-day trek in to Advance Base Camp (ABC), all fall under the title of Preparation. A few days rest at ABC to acclimatize and then up the mountain to camp I and camp II. It all sounds so easy in our dispatches, Even a climber who knows a little about Makalu would say we are "only" climbing the "normal"or easy route up the mountain. Not something as daunting as the West Ridge. However Makalu is not a mountain that has and easy route to the summit. Yes from ABC to camp II it is non-technical glacier climbing, but each new altitude brought long, uncomfortable nights in the tent, headaches, nausea, cold temperatures and the longing for the sun to return to warm ourselves. The sun also meant we could get out and start moving or climbing again. This movement always got the blood flowing, bringing more oxygen to the brian and the releif of our headaches.

Returning to ABC for a rest, shower, good meals always helped our bodies get ready for another trip up the mountain. Usually the 2nd and 3rd nights on the mountain were not so painful as our bodies were now used to our previous highpoints.Thinkiing we would be ready to go higher we would strike off again for Makalu La, only to feel like we had lead in our legs. Our minds are asking what is wrong with our body, why is it not responding like we think it should. Maybe we had not rested enough in ABC?? and so a few return to camp II to rest and hydrate to try again the next day.

With 3 other expeditions here climbing the same route to the summit, it is usually the first group to arrive that takes on the work of finding the way up the glacier to camps I and II. In addition above camp II, where the climbing really begins, it is their decision to find the best way to climb to Makalu La.

Having been here twice before, both times our expedition was the first group on the mountain and both times we chose to climb the 2,500ft snow couloir from camp II to Makalu La. It was straightforward climbing, allowing the climber to develop a rythim of kicking each step up in the snow. This year the German group arrived first and when they began setting the route to Makalu La, instead of climbing up the couloir, they chose to climb up steep rock bands, mixed with hard ice. Why you ask? Because, that is the way people climbed it last year and the anchors and some rope were still there. Because it seemed less work to fix the route to go this way using what had been left behind.
This year when I saw that the route to Makalu La was through 2,000ft of rock bands, I felt depressed knowing how painful, tiring, and time consuming the climbing would be.

Our expedition of 6 French and 4 Americans, began our first climb to Makalu La on 2 different days. The French team, all of the Sherpas, as well as Erik Meyer, went on the first day, with 3 of the French carrying a tent and sleeping bags to the La, where they spent a cold, windless night. Erik and the Sherpas reached the La for a short visit and then descended to camp II. The other 3 French did not quite succeed in reaching the La because the climbing was too tiring and time consuming and returned to camp II to spend the night.
The following day Robbie, Chirs and Brad climbed to Makalu La, meeting the 3 French who were headed down to ABC for a rest. This day was ecceptionally calm and sunny with great views of Everest and Lhotse and countless other mountains. We reached the La between 1:pm and 2:pm, and took photos of the upper reaches of the mountain. From Makalu La to the summit is now cake walk either. There is still 3,000ft of climbing up glaciated terrain. The final 700ft. Of climbing involves steep rock and ice climbing and a narrow final ridge of snow and rock to reach a summit that can only accommodate 2 or 3 people ata time. We three stood and tried to memorize the route that we will have to climb by headlamp on our summit bid and then we made a hasty retreat to camp II, where we drank and ate. With just enough daylight left in the day we decided to descned all the way to ABC, arriving just in time for dinner, ending a very long, 12-hour day. We all felt the pain of such a push from 22,000ft to 24,500ft and back down to ABC at 18,800ft. It was good to be "home" again and off the snow, where we ate and slept to our hearts content.

We have now had 3, windy rest days in ABC. The top of the mountain is being raked by the jet stream, with winds of 70-mph or more at times and the forecast shows stronger winds to come for a few more days. Patience is now the key to our success. It is obviouse we have all lost weight. Our lips and noses are blistered and chapped. We have more than the "farmers" tan. If we took our clothes off I think we would resemble a turtle without its shell on, a brown head with white meat beneath. We have been in the mountains almost a month now, there is already talk of eating big saladas, hot pizzas, fresh pastries, getting a massage, going to the beach and wondering how much it would cost to hire a big helicopter to fly us out once we have reached the summit and returned with all our digits. Are we putting the cart before the horse too soon? Patience is the key now to wait for the weather to be in our favor.

To pass the time we have been reading and watching DVD's, we even had a coctail party yesterday afternoon and invited a few members of the other groups here to partake.
All the wine and whiskey meant for a summit celebration party ended up being consumed. I guess the party is over and it is time to focus once again.

As is usual, there is a variety of nationalities here in hopes of reaching the summit of Makalu. English, French, American, German, Italian,Turkish, Isreali, Dutch, Swedish and an Austrailian who is back for his second time after turning back 50m from the summit when he realized he had frozen his nose and his toes.

We are as prepared as we will ever be for our first summit attemp. It is going to be painfull climbing to 27,767ft, with or without oxygen and when the weather forecast shows us when the winds will dye down we will let you know when we will make our summit attempt. Until then we hope your day is as sunnny as ours but with less wind.
Have a great day,
Brad Johnson