Stories Category: Trekking

Waiting at Camp 2 4PM

We’re still at Camp 2, although the plan was to be at Camp 3 today. The lines are still being fixed so we are patiently waiting, like all the others who are accumulating here for the Sherpa line fixing team to complete the job.

The task this year has been delayed by unexpected crevasses, so the team is negotiating this. One of the members was struck by ice and now the winds have picked up so they’ve called it a day. Hopefully it will be completed tomorrow. We will head up as soon as the work is done, set up camp and sleep the night.

Oxygen training 6PM

The team had an oxygen training session today. They learnt how to fit masks properly to their faces, practiced breathing through them, learnt about dealing with blockages, adjusting the regulator and troubleshooting.

Our team will start to use supplemental oxygen around Camp 3, here the oxygen in the air is ~40% what you breathe at sea level. By the summit, it drops to only 33%. The extra oxygen makes a big difference to improve mental alertness, warmth and speed.

Round 2 underway 12PM

Lakpa left this morning with Margaret, Warren, Chris and Peter to climb to Camp 1. They are sleeping there tonight and will move to Camp 2 tomorrow for the night. They will be back in base camp on Saturday after completing their second rotation.

Sumit is returning to base camp with the trekkers from Climbing for a Cause led by Sharon and Allan Cohrs. Sharon and Allan summited Everest in 2011 (as the first Australian couple and as the first breast cancer survivor in Sharon), so this is very familiar grounds to them.

1st rotation to Camp 7PM

Our teams have officially started their rotations. Margaret and Warren with Ang Kaji and Dendi are currently resting up at Camp 1 (6100m). They set off early this morning around 3am and reached the top of the icefall at 10am. Meanwhile, Chris and the Canadians with Lakpa and Cherring left a day ahead to Camp 1. Today they climbed across the Western Cwn for lunch at Camp 2, and returned back to Camp 1 for the night. Both teams will be back at base camp on Monday after climbing up to Camp 2.

Himalayan Ascent are the first guided team to sleep at Camp 1, and tomorrow at Camp 2. With few climbers yet to start rotations on this route, we are enjoying having the mountains to ourselves. It will certainly get busier during our next rotation.

Irish Peter arrived the other day into EBC. He went up to Pumori high camp today for his acclimatisation walk.

Sharon and Allan Cohrs of Climbing for a Cause with a team of EBC trekkers are currently spending their 2nd night at Namche. In a week, they will reach EBC to cheer on our Everest/Lhotse teams. You can follow their journey here: http://www.climbingforacause.com.au/blog

Pumori high camp 8AM

As we continue to make our preparations for the real climb, we broke out into separate teams yesterday. Margaret, Warren and Chris joined by Carol and Sumit hiked the route behind base camp to Pumori high camp (a stunning 7000m mountain that also stands along the Nepal-Tibet border). It was a slow 2 hr acclimatisation hike to 5500m. Over the next few weeks, the climbers will continue to increase their altitude gain slowly to adapt to the reduced oxygen. If they are to hike that trail again next week, it will take less time and it will feel less difficult as they become more acclimatised. Lakpa accompanied the Canadian team through the icefall to Camp 1, and then returned to base camp. Whilst our guides set off early just after 12am to Camp 1 and then Camp 2 to set up the higher camps. Today is a complete rest day for everyone. We have lots of fun planned for tomorrow.

To Phortse via Mong La (3975m) 4PM

After bidding farewell to the bustle and hustle of Namche bazaar, we hit the well trodden trail again towards Everest base camp. Though a familiar trail to us all, it is always enjoyable and was more so today with clear views of Everest and Lhotse off in the horizon.

We hiked up to Mong La (3950m), a popular lunch stop for trekkers enroute to the Gokyo lakes, breaked there for food, and then hiked down and up to Phortse. We’re here for the night and may get in some climbing tomorrow.

Special greetings to our readers from Clancy Catholic College. Margaret St. Hill shouts a big hello. She’s loving the trekking, inspiring views of Everest and is feeling good.

Another year of new challenges in the Himalayas

Here at Himalayan Ascent, we are gearing up for another exciting Spring season. The boys are busy shopping, packing….and repacking as we squeeze equipment and food into sacks for flights heading east.

This season Lakpa is leading an expedition on Kanchenjunga (8586m), the 3rd highest mountain in the world, which is located between the borders of Nepal and India in the east. Not many people attempt this mountain so Lakpa and his team will enjoy some solitude on the expedition. In contrast, Sumit will be back in the thick of Everest and Lhotse fever starting in early April to manage operations. Allan Cohrs (Everest One) will lead the climb on Lhotse, Dendi Sherpa will lead the Everest climb and Sharon Cohrs (Everest One) will lead an Everest base camp trekking group.

It’s going to be an awesome season, we can’t wait to get started.

First summit of the season on Annapurna!

News just in that Lakpa and team have summited on Annapurna ! We will update more once the team is back at base camp.

We are also making steady progress on Everest, all the teams are out on the mountain at the moment on their third rotation. Some are currently sleeping at C2 and others are at C1. The plan is to touch C3 and to spend 5 nights acclimatising on the mountain. Sumit has just also arrived at base camp to support the final stage of the expedition.

Diane’s Khumbu adventures 9AM

Read Pt 1 of Diane Westaway’s adventures in the Khumbu (Ama Dablam/Lobuche) with us.

http://coastrek.cmail2.com/t/ViewEmail/r/69948C028DB1B394/B632E7BB1F05095EC35B3650D253B2D9

1st summit on Parchermo 4PM

Chris Burke made the first summit of Parchermo (6273m) for Himalaya Ascent with Jangbu and Pasang on November 18th! Chris is already heading towards Ama Dablam base camp now for her next adventure on our favourite mountain with Lakpa.

Climbing partner Susan is heading back to Lukla. Susan has had an enormous adventure herself starting with Mera peak, then joining Sumit’s ‘Very Best of Everest’ to summit Lobuche East and the circuit of the entire Everest region, before finally connecting with Chris for Parchermo. Pat and team are also heading back to Lukla after successfully completing their Ama Dablam expedition.

Stuart and Russell with AnKaji are about to complete their Manaslu circuit trek. Today they’ll reach their highest point at Larke la pass (5213m).