Here’s the latest update since the one from Ghyaru and Ngawal a week or so ago. We acclimatized at successfully higher camps at Yak Kharka (3975m) and Chulu East BC ( 4880m) before making the final stop at high camp(5361m). On the 22nd, we left for the summit at 4am, with the grand hauling by my Tamang buddies Furba and former 1st Singapore Everest Sirdar MB. We had such good weather leading up to the push, it was inevitable to have it turn for the worse this week. A snow shower on the afternoon and night translated into 6-12 inches up high. Under that was unforgiving hard grey ice- a combination of the worst kind for my disabled leg. After several man-sized crevasses we called ‘man- eaters’, we went to the far right of the summit ridge. It was a disappointing view of our 4 km traverse ridge – plastered in fresh snow. It would not be possible to do our planned traverse safely in those conditions. We made the summit finally at 215pm. It was too small for more than two climbers to be on it at the same time! After which,a long and tiring series of abseils and pitched belays over the crevasses sections took us back. Many thanks to Caffe Bene, Turbomed Orthotics, GNC and my wife, Maureen. More later
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