Summit Push is on

The waiting is over, the utterances have ceased, we are getting ready to head up for our summit bid tonight. The team will leave BC at about 2:30 am to head up to C2 to avoid the heat in the Western CWM. Last trip through the CWM had temperatures of around 95F. It simply melts a person. We will arrive in C2 and rest that day and the following, then move to C3 on the 20th of May. Assuming everyone in the team is doing well we leave C3 for C4 on the 21st and make our attempt on Everest on 22nd of May. Again, assumptions come into play. The four major factors we will be looking at are Weather (No significant change in the forecast),  Member's physical condition, and Sherpa physical condition, and the number of teams heading to the summit. If all those variables are in alignment we will depart C4 on the 21st at approx 9:30 pm and start heading up to the summit. If not we might hold at C2 or even C4. 

Chris Klinke

Everest Base Camp

Waiting Update

The terms and utterances continue to be the same. It is definitely getting a little boring in Base Camp. We have been watching movies every night, making cookies(No bake), and perfecting our latte' making skills. I know the summit window will be sometime between May 19 and May 25 but beyond that nothing concrete as we wait for the weather patterns to stabilize. 

Chris Klinke

Everest BC

For my Sister

The Waiting Game

Hi All,

It is May 9th and we have started that dreaded game called waiting. We have done our acclimatization, by sleeping at Camp 3. We have the sherpas working to carry loads to the South Col. Yesterday we had 9 loads carried to 8000m in preparation for our summit window. The rope fixing is progressing although at this time I cannot say how far up the mountain they have gotten in fixing lines to the summit. 

What we are really waiting for is the prime window of opportunity in which we can head to the summit safely. I have not often thought I would use the terms 'tropical depression in the Bay of Bengal is causing me concern,' but I have used that terminology several times in the last few days. Another term that has become overused in my vocabulary is "jet stream". What is the jet stream doing today? Where is the jet stream going to be in a week? How is the jet stream impacting the depression in the Bay of Bengal? These are all utterances I have indeed uttered in the past few days. 

Sadly, there is no clear answer yet on a summit day. There are summit plans, summit logistics, but no summit day at the moment. In the meantime I continue to utter inane phrases that have no real meaning outside of Everest Base Camp. What we do have is people who are being patient, hoping that the day comes soon that we can utter the phrase, "We are on the Summit", immediately followed by,  "We are safe in Base Camp and heading to Thailand."

That is a phrase I hope comes sooner rather then later. 

Chris Klinke

Everest Base Camp