The Expedition So Far

The trek to base camp provided a welcome rest from a very hectic winter season in Chamonix. The team took a total of 9 days to do the walk from Lukla to Everest Base camp, during this time we were rewarded with some great weather and tremendous views of the surrounding mountains of the Khumbu Valley. The trek was not without incident, while at Lobuche I ended up coordinating a heli rescue for a sick trekker. The trekker (Bryan) seemed to have classic symptoms of High Altitude Pulmonory Odema, a life-threatening problem that we see often at higher altitudes. The group that Bryan was with didn’t seem too concerned by his condition so I took the bull by the horns. Our doctor Rick did a great job of looking after Bryan (in fact Rick thinks he was having a heart attack which made the rescue all the more important) while I managed to get a heli pick up arranged despite the weather conditions that weren’t great for flying. After a very worrying 3 hrs we finally got Bryan on board a chopper and he was whisked back to Kathmandu. By all accounts Bryan has made a full recovery. Arriving at BC on the14th April, we spent time sorting our bags and equipment that had been transported to BC on the backs of many Yaks. Everything arrived safe and sound apart from a single jar of Olives, which managed to explode over some of my thermals!!! The very next day was the Puja. This very special religious ceremony blesses the expedition, granting us safe passage on the mountain. The Lama walks for 2 days to get to base camp so he can conduct the 2 hour ceremony. During the Puja the Lama chants from ancient scripture in a low, long almost monotone voice. It’s hard not to feel the power that this old frail man has as he turns the pages of his old book without pausing for breath. Finally, on his command, the Sherpa team lift the wooden pole onto the Puja alter and tie prayer flags to secure it in place. It’s always a moving experience but ultimately its light hearted with a feast of cake, biscuits and fruit after….and possibly a little Chang (the local rice beer). Since the Puja I have been hard at work getting the team ready for the mountain. First this was simply finding a couple of missing bags with some equipment, but the last couple of days have seen the team working steadily in the monstrous Khumbu icefall that sits menacingly above base camp barring access to the upper reaches of the mountain. The icefall has many hidden dangers, from huge crevasses to falling blocks of ice and climbers have to be on a high state of alert if they are to safely move through this giant river of ice. The biggest crevasses that we can’t climb around have ladders placed across so that the team can move safely over these huge cracks in the ice, some of which are as big as St Paul’s cathedral in London. The icefall like, all glaciers, is slowly moving down hill. As it does this it talks to us. One can hear the ice creaking and groaning as it moves, in the darkness of dawn this is a very spooky sound if one isn’t used to it. For me I find it strangely soothing and feel safe as if the icefall is talking only to me. I know it’s silly as the danger of the icefall collapsing is there for all of us The Khumbu icefall bars the way to the amazing Western Cwm. This is the huge hidden valley that is formed by the three mountains of Everest, Lhotse and Nupste. These towering giants represent some of the highest peaks in the world and I always feel very humble when I walk underneath them. For me the Western Cwm represents something special and I can’t wait until I get to walk through this serene valley again People often ask if I get bored on the mountain, (its my 7th straight year here and I’m hoping to summit for the 8th time!!). The answer is simply…No….Everest is a magical place, I have spent over a year of my life here at BC and it feels like a second home. The mountain and the icefall are always different, presenting new challenges every year, ones that I relish solving before setting my sights on the lofty heights of the summit once again! KC