We are now in Namche allowing our bodies to heal and recover from our week up at camps 1,2 and 3 on Everest. A surreal thickness of air and greenery engulfs four of our Everest team that hiked 15 miles down from Basecamp and hitched a ride on a helicopter the remaining distance to Namche Bazaar. I reflect on the preceeding events as if they are far removed. We just heard that the same storm which hit us here last night wrecked havoc on base camp and we are still gathering information about the extent of the damage to our camp and friends.
In the early morning hour of 3 am, Saturday, April 28, 8 Everest and four Camp 3 climbers departed to thread our way through the notorious Khumbu icefall. In darkness we attached ascenders to rope, crampons to boots and packs to cold backs. My head was filled with images of danger, falling seracs,tumbling ice blocks and bottomless crevasses.
The reality was fortunately much less dramatic. They say the Icefall route is one of the safest in years. Yes, we did ladder crossings, crevasse crossings and the like. I remember the first time I placed my steel crampons on the aluminum rung of a ladder spanning a bottomless crack. There were two sections of ladder and I gripped the rope tighter than a tourniquet. Dawa steadied me like an anchor.
It took 6 hours to ascend through what Conrad Anker called the “Ballroom of Death”. The sun rose to illuminate giant ice walls that signifihe the top of our Khumbu experience. Camp 1 was still hours away. My breathing was labored beyond comprehension and the sun was beating me into the snow. Our team was similarly puffing through this section. By now it was blazing hot and I doubted my ability to reach that speck of yellow far above.
Eight hours was my final time to camp 1. We rested there for two nights in the sweltering Western cwm. The morning Dawa and I blazed out our first hazard was a huge icewall with multiple ladders lashed together. Then there was a 3 ladder crossing over a yawning crevasse. And to think I had relegated that scene to the icefall prematurely. The cwm is an oven on a cloudy day. This morning saw a few passing vapors.
Very far in the distance, I spotted tents across a minimally rising expanse. Dawa assured me it was HOURS away, and I believed him. My Sherpa brother doesn’t lie. It is at this point my body temps rise to unbearable. I’ve not been this hot ever. Four hours it took to coax me into camp 2 at 21000 feet.
That night was incredibly cold, single digits freezing. My toes numbed and the darkness was a battle to warm digits. My tentmate, Richard suffered as well. It snowed most afternoons at 2 on until dark. We had 10 people at camp 2 and the Sherpa did well to cook meals at this altitude. One of our team remained at camp 1 on oxygen.
We rested before attempting to reach camp 3. A couple in our group, including ny new tentmate, tried to ascend to camp 3. Three turned around due to extreme cold and exhaustion. The two who reached 24,000 feet took 10 hours and looked like refried hell when they came dragging back. It was a harbinger of the following day.
Again, it was freezing cold that afternoon, night and morning as we booted up for our biggest day. 8 am saw four climbers with numb toes depart for camp 3. Two hours was when we hit the bergschrund which signified the beginning of the fixed ropes on the Lhotse face. Imagine 45 degree slopes with ropes hanging from ice screws to which we attach an ascending device, safety biner and start “jugging” skyward.
Pitch after pitch of coordinated jug and kicking into blue ice was unrelenting for hours upon hours. Add to this the misery of the afternoon snow storm. I had stripped down to underclothes and ditched my shell jacket. This did little for the freezing wind and snow now sticky on my sweaty garment. The precipitous ground afforded little opportunity to modify wardrobe. Dawa Sherpa led over ice lip and ice lip. No margin for error existed here. We were three hours on the Lhotse face.
As the wind increased we gained what I hoped was the final wall into camp 3. However, Dawa wished to push on another hundred feet into our tent compound he had so carefully helped chip out days before. I flung myself into a shelter from this storm, but only long enough to don mittens as my hands immediately went to numb. Reclothed, we began our descent into or out of bad weather, it mattered not. We had barely enough time to beat the retreating sun. Here is NeilsN video of our team at camp 3. https://youtu.be/N9CtlMk2urk
I lost count of the number of rappels back down the Lhotse face we racked. I’m guessing near six or 7 full rappels and five arm raps. The ice was firm and polished, unforgiving lest anyone miss a rig. Dawa ensured that didn’t occur on his watch. With great relief and little sun we reached the bergschrund and cold booted down the glacier.
10 hours was our day on the Lhotse face. Every light on my dashboard was blinking when we rolled back in to camp 2. Soup was waiting for
me and I could barely stomach any of it. I drank what little water I could and passed out for the night. We left for Basecamp the following morning. That was another 5 hours including time back through the ice fall.
We spent Seven days above 20 thousand feet and completed our acclimatization for Everest. I had likely lost 15 pounds and it showed. Our team was bedraggled, malnourished and exhausted.
Michael, Neil, Tom and myself grabbed our packs after a daysd rest and walked 15 miles down to Pheriche. The following morning we hitched a ride on a helicopter to Namche where we currently remain. I can’t post pictures due to the unstable internet. I have a bit of stomach bug, along wit Neil but have time to sort this out here in lower elevation.
We are safe, rested and recovering and hope to return to ebc in a few days. Thanks for following.
John
Kelly Bailey
Speechless! So thankful you’re safe!
Freddy
Sounds fun;-). Take care!
Jeff G.
Good job, John. Enjoy the downtime!
Boz
Rest, get fed, get well, and then summit!!! Praying for you.
KWells
Even with your beautifully eloquent writing, it is hard for me to imagine such an adventure. We are cheering you on from Missouri!
Kelly and Kevin Wells
Myers
That appears to be a bit more difficult than Hangover. God Speed John Quillen.
Myers
John.
Are you thinking clearly?
JOHN!
ARE YOU THINKING CLEARLY?!?
You’ve looked better.
Chuck Adams
Nice update. What an adventure! Give it hell and be safe!
“Getting to the top is optional, getting back down is mandatory”
Ed Viesturs
Chuck
The Muir Faction
Craig H
I cant help but hang on every word you say. I check your blog everyday. I have been looking at the map and trying to imagine where you are on it. Best wishes my friend. Fuel up and God speed to the Summit.
Mark C.
So good to read this account and thankful to know you are safe. What a story thus far, wishing for you to refresh your physical and mental health while taking a rest. Stay strong my friend!
Bugsy
glad your recovering and getting strong. have a great summit!
Donna Davis
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. The struggle is real! Keep on keepin on, John. Godspeed!
The Edge
Wow, I am tired just reading this…. Way to go Highlander. I just couldn’t imagine the mental energy it took to make all this happen. Stay safe my friend. keep those digits moving.
John Davis
How amazing! Get rested and strong. You’re right where you want be. Go!
Chris Buffkin
Amazing stories John! Stay strong!
Angela Liston
I tend to worry when you don’t post and then I worry when you do post and I read it. But that’s just my job – the worry I mean. Sounds like you are well equipped for this trip, physically and emotionally. Just keep doing what you’re doing and all will be well. I admire your strength of will. Eat, sleep and climb. Bravo!
Tom G.
Excellent write-up; best description I’ve read, so far, of any of the Everest blogs.
Thank you for the time and effort to put your experience into words.
Heather L.
Wow!! You are going to do this! Go Doc!
Dan Walters
When you get back from this fabulous trip, I’ll put you on a ‘one off’ special diet to put back all that muscle your burning off right now. I hope to see GoPro video footage of you dancing across those aluminum ladders. Keep up the outstanding work and from now on ALL PICTURES OF YOU MUST CONTAIN MITTENS!!”
John, Neil, and I wish we were over there with you, but Lee said it wasn’t enough of a challenge for him to spend 40 days in Nepal Keep up the good work and remember Neil and I both are more than willing to make a house call (tent call) for you any time. Ciao