It's on!

So, things are finally starting to look 'interesting' on the hill. A small window of opportunity appeared on the weather forecasts a couple of days ago, a 36 hour window to be precise. There are actually two types of weather information that we assess to find a decent summit window: the general precipitation (i.e snow and temperature) and, more importantly, the position of the jet stream. The summit of Everest lies fully in the planet's jet stream, winds so strong (118+mph), that climbers would literally be blown off the mountain. Everest is generally climbed at this time of year (and occasionally in the Autumn) for the simple reason that, as the monsoon season starts, the jet stream is pushed Northwards over Tibet for a small period of time. This provides a real opportunity for climbers to attempt to reach the summit before the roaring jet stream returns (often noted by the long stream of ice crystals extending from the top of the mountain). So, the small window was spotted and I realised that if we were to have a real opportunity of making the most of it, we would need to move fast and get in position (there appears to be another longer window in about a week's time). The team climbed really well yesterday through the ice fall, past Camp 1 and up to Camp 2, where we have rested for a day. Tomorrow (Saturday) we will undertake the daunting task of scaling the 1200 metre Lhotse Face to reach Camp 3. After a rest at Camp 3 tomorrow, my intention is then to take the team up to Camp 4 and into the Death Zone on Sunday. Lying at over 8,000 metres high, at the edge of the Earth's atmosphere, this camp is the staging area for a summit attempt. We only spend a few hours here as it is not particularly hospitable and our bodies start to deteriorate rapidly. We stop here simply to allow some time for the team to rest, rehydrate and try and get some food inside them, while I prepare the equipment and check oxygen bottles. Then, at about 2100, I will ready the team and we will leave for the summit in the dark. Climbing to the summit should take approximately 8-12 hours. I will of course be checking real time information on the way up such as the forecasts, the actual weather conditions, the underfoot conditions and, importantly, the fitness of the team. If all of these components come together in our favour, we may just have some good news on the 17th. Keep everything crossed for us! Be safe out there. KC