We will begin our long journey to Everest with a series of flights from
North America to Kathmandu, Nepal. Once in Kathmandu, we will journey overland to the exotic Tibetan border town of Zhangmu.
From Zhangmu we will proceed up the outrageous Friendship Highway winding our way along incredibly steep gorges and eventually up and onto the Tibetan plateau via the town of Nyalam.
Onward from Nyalam we cross the spectacular 5200m Thang La (pass) and enter the village of Tingri. Once in Tingri the feeling that we have we truly entered Tibet sinks in, with hanging carcasses of goats, sheep and yak adorning every other house in the street, with some of the toughest people on earth living their lives before our very eyes. Tingri is a thrilling place to be. We also gain our first view of Everest from here! The following day we continue our drive to Everest Base Camp (5,200m), passing the legendary Rongbuk Monastery en route.
(
photo courtesy of www.EverestPeaceProject.org
)
The Tibetan Base Camp on Everest is located on a barren outwash of the Rongbuk Glacier system.
Base Camp to Advanced Base Camp (ABC)
The 20km trek to ABC from Base Camp will take two days on the initial journey. Once acclimatized this trip will be possible in one day. The trek makes its way along the moraine strewn Rongbuk Glacier before turning onto the clandestine East Rongbuk Glacier (the route first discovered by Canadian EO Wheeler in 1921). Advanced Base Camp is located on the east bank of the East Rongbuk Glacier, not far from our first major destination on Everest itself, the North Col.
ABC Camp 1: The North Col
From ABC the route continues up the relatively flat East Rongbuk Glacier for about 2km and up its glacial headwall to the North Col (7000m). The headwall is moderately steep and can often have a short vertical ice step to negotiate.
Camp 1(7000m) & Camp 2(7800m)
Apparently the wind is a major factor along this part of the route. From the North Col the route ascends moderate snow slopes and then enters mixed ground of rock and snow. Camp 2 is usually located between the altitudes of 7500-7900m. There is a lack of good camping spots in this area of the mountain and although climbers try to set up camp on flat ground, most end up camped inside uncomfortably down-sloping tents. The wind constantly howls and cargo nets must be used to secure tents. This is said to be one of the least comfortable mountain camps anywhere. We hope to minimize our time here.
Camp 2(7800m) & Camp 3(8300m)
From Camp 2, the route continues through mixed snow and rock terrain, scrambling its way over small steps and zigzagging its way across ledges. It is a complicated route and enters into extreme altitude at this point. The route becomes less windy during this portion, as a wind shadow is created when climbers merge into the North Face of Everest.
Camp 3(8300m) & Summit (8848m)
This is the day we will have been dreaming about. It is said to be one of the great days in mountaineering and includes the very famous 3 steps. The route ascends the Yellow Band above Camp 3 and gains the North East Ridge. The view opens out over Nepal at this point. The first step is then encountered, comprising 4th class scrambling. A steep and exposed traverse is then made toward the crux second step. The second step is a vertical 30m cliff in the ridge that is overcome by a variety of climbing techniques including climbing a ladder fixed by the Chinese in 1975!
Once the second step has been climbed the route is not finished by any stretch. A long and arduous slope is then slogged up and a much shorter third step is climbed. More awkward traversing is encountered, with big drops to either side. This climbing is meant to be sensational, especially knowing how close one is getting to the summit!
A final gully is climbed and then a relatively short stretch of moderate ridge to the summit
that we have all dreamed
about. All that is left to do at that point is try to get the camera to work and get down safely...a task that will be difficult and our most important one!
South Side
Traverse Descent
A successful
ascent of the
challenging
North Face is
only half the
task of the
rarely executed
Everest
Traverse. While
considerably
quicker, the
decent is
historically the
more dangerous
section of a
climb as
fatigue,
altitude,
weather and
oxygen play
increasingly
larger roles in
how quickly a
climber may
move.
A quality
Everest
Freestyle
Expedition
Sherpa
'receiving team',
with
sufficiently
supplied escape
route, will be
the key to a
successful
traverse. Though
new territory
for the climbers
that day,
descending the
South East Ridge
is a walk down
history lane, as
after a
relatively mild
snow decent the
first challenge
will be a rappel
of the famous
Hillary Step, 12
m of vertical
ice and rock which brings
the summit team
onto a
balancing act
between the
2,400 m drop to
the South or
3,050 m void of
the Kangshung
Face to the
North.
Pushing onwards,
the climbers
will be looking
forward to the
hot tea and
oxygen, waiting
with the smiling Sherpas, at 'The
Balcony' (8,400 m). This
will mark a
major goal
accomplished...as
it unites the
north and south
side members of
the Everest
Freestyle
Expedition. From
here things will
become slowly
more moderate
and manageable.
Camp 4 at 7,920 m
will be a
welcome site and
a safe landing
to an
extraordinarily
long summit day.
It will be
shared will
other hopeful
climbers on
their way up.
From Camp 4 to
Camp 3 two
serious
obstacles exist
in the Yellow
Band and the
Geneva Spur,
both of which
can present
difficulties
depending on
snow and weather
conditions. A
series of well
supplied camps
will continue to
lead the
exhausted
climbers into
Nepal. The ledge
of ice at Camp 3
(7,470
m)
will be less
than
comfortable, so
the summiteers
might descend
the entire
Lhotse face and
Khumbu Icefall
in order enjoy
the relative
safety of the
south side
Everest Base
Camp (EBC) at
5,335m.
Once the summit
team reaches EBC,
the ABC support
team (in Tibet)
hope to regain
more advanced
communications
with the summit
climbers.
At this point,
the exhausted
summiteers will
be looking
forward to some
creature
comforts at Mr.
Tashi's Magic
Castle in Gorak
Shep (5183m)!
