It’s been a while now since we have been able to blog, the higher we go the less communications there is, and also more expensive £3 to charge batteries etc… but we have just come down from Island Peak to Periche at a lowly 4200m, and it’s a relative oasis here compared to the last few days.
We left Pangboche about 6 days ago (I think!) with an early morning warm up before getting to Pangboche to be blessed again by a Lama. When we arrived there was a big group of 14 Chilean climbers being blessed so we waited for a while (Hussein in the picture) before going in.
Even if you are not religious it was still a special occasion to go through the ceremony with this lama who was so friendly and humane, and wishing us his best for our climb of Mt Everest.
Continuing on a few more hours we reached Dingboche at 4300m, and a good place to acclimatize for 2 nights. The next day we make an acclimatization hike to 5000m.
The next two days are very similar as we are heading higher on the way to our first real challenge Island Peak which is just less than 6200m. We move again to Chukhung at 4700m and two more nights, with an acclimatization hike to 5535m. It’s also the highest point that Hussein has been to, so from now on it will be a new personal high for him. We get to the top for a fabulous view of Ama Dablam which looks like its smoking on fire. A few minutes later the clouds roll in and we take a few pictures in total white out.
Next morning, we go to Island Peak base camp at 5100m. Chukhung was the last place with village or tea houses, so we are set up in tents and also a fairly luxurious dining tent, which we take advantage of to have a few extra zzzs.
We are supposed to leave at 2am the same night to climb Island Peak (6189m), but it snows all night and at the arranged time we are told to go back to sleep and wait another day for better weather.
The next day a Portuguese girl comes down after a 17 hour epic in snow, thunder and lighting. We are glad of having waited out the storm!
After relaxing most of the day we get ready again, and are hopeful with the weather clearing. We are woken up at 1am with breakfast in bed re: sleeping bag and tent, and set off in minus 15 c temperatures.
After a long steep trail to almost 6000m, and 4 hours of climbing, we reach the glacier and rope up for the final slog to the summit headwall. This is often the turnaround point for tired climbers who are faced with a 60 degree ice wall about 200m high reaching to the summit ridge.
Because of the bad weather yesterday there are far more people than usual and it takes 2 hours to get up to the ridge. This constant traffic jam is something I'm not looking forward to on Everest where it’s going to be much colder and higher and the risk of hanging around more dangerous.
I finally make it to the knife edge summit ridge with Lotse (8500m) looming in the background. Two years ago when I climbed here the peak was fairly flat and room to walk around on. This year it had totally changed with a tiny peak, room for barely 5 people to stand hunched together on.
The climb down is exhausting with more jams on the fixed ropes back to the glacier and I sit down in the snow and eat 2 Cliff bars and a Mars bar to re-energize. At about 2pm I get down to the snow line, and shortly after, one of the Peak Promotion cooks walks out of the mist carrying a tea-pot and biscuits. It’s amazing with all the gear and modern clothing being carried by climbers that this young guy looks like he's out for a picnic with nothing but a light jacket and a tea pot in hand!
Back at the tents everyone is exhausted with no appetite, and fall asleep almost instantly. This morning waking up, we are well rested and eager to eat again.
Writing this in Periche at 4200m in a well heated modern looking hotel, we are reluctant to leave tomorrow for more punishment from the harsh environment of Everest!
Kathmandu Time