Namaste from Base Camp

We have all just come off the mountain yesterday (May 14) and are now resting for a few days before the final summit push. It is hard to believe we're finally getting ready for the last stage of this climb - after 6 weeks in base camp, or above, this last couple of weeks are sure to go by quickly!

Everyone is fine and healthy, we've just had a great 6 nights up in Camp 2, at 6,400 meters. Everyone had at least one day up onto the Lhotse Face to "touch" Camp 3, with a couple of team members spending one night in Camp 3 at 7,100 meters. The final acclimatization process has gone well, we managed to stay strong and healthy up high (many thanks to K.B and John, our cooks in Camp 2 who have done an amazing job of serving up an excellent variety of meals each day!).

Our carries through the Khumbu Icefall (see picture of Erik, Wayne, Sebastien, Darrel and John half way through the Khumbu Icefall with Pumo Ri and Base Camp behind) have all been uneventful, though now it is excruciatingly hot in there as soon as the sun comes up, so we try to restrict our travel to between 3 am and 9 am - any other time and it is like a desert at high noon!
The weather has cooperated throughout, though today it is deteriorating for the first time - good timing for us as the next few days are to be spent low and resting as we recuperate and focus on the final task coming up. If the weather cooperates, we will head out of Base Camp on May 19th up to Camp 1; then Camp 2 on the 20th; Camp 3 on the 21st; Camp 4 in the South Col on May 22nd; and, finally, our summit push on May 23rd. This would have us back in Base Camp on May 25th, though if the weather is not favorable to a summit window at that time we still have many extra days in order to wait for the best weather.

At this point, all the fixed ropes to the South Col (Camp 4) have just been established by a select team of Climbing Sherpas drawn from many of the climbing teams, including Then Dorje Sherpa from our team. Our team of climbing Sherpas have also just completed setting up our final supplies in Camp 4 as well (tents, oxygen and food), so we are ready to go as soon as the weather is good and we are rested. Our Climbing Sherpa team members are all coming down today to rest as well, they have been working very hard for the past week on the upper mountain.

There has been some unfortunate news as well though, almost inevitable after this much time on the mountain.

After spending a couple of days at Camp 2 with us, Nima Thundu Sherpa descended to Base Camp with signs of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). In Base Camp his symptoms had worsened and Base Camp doctors determined he might be suffering from a ruptured (or nearly-ruptured) appendix. He could not walk from the pain and was very sick. The weather and lateness of day prohibited a helicopter evacuation, so a team was quickly pulled together and Nima was carried by stretcher approx. 15 kms down to Pheriche where there is a medical clinic, and to an elevation that a helicopter could land. He was flown to Kathmandu on the morning of May 13 and is recovering fine. The evacuation involved 20 people from many different teams and took over 10 hours during the middle of the night. Many, many thanks to all the people who put the time and effort into ensuring that Nima could get out alive - without the support and commitment from everyone in Base Camp these sort of rescues would not be possible.

The other piece of sad news has been that the father of 2 of our Climbing Sherpa teammates (our Climbing Sirdar, Lhakpa Chhiri (Sonam) Sherpa and his brother Chhenden Sherpa), unexpectedly passed away on May 12th. He lived with his family in the Khumbu village of Pangboche, about 1 day walk below Base Camp. Our condolences to Sonam and Chhenden and their family for this loss.

So, while our reason for being here is to climb Everest, we are always reminded that the mountain is secondary to the people that we are here with.

Everyone is looking forward to this last stage of the climb, keep hoping for good weather and warm conditions. With luck we'll be down on the 25th and heading home soon after!

Best regards from Everest,
Brian Jones
Canada West Everest 2008 Expedition Leader