Trekking and 3 Peaks Wrap Up, Everest Teams Move Higher
3 Peaks Climb and EBC+Gokyo Trek Wrapping Up
CTSS's 3 Peaks Expedition had a successful climb of Island peak with 100% on the summit!
They have descended down the valley and are now resting comfortably back in Kathmandu. Congratulations to the team on an fantastically successful expedition climbing Lobuche, Pokalde, and Island Peak.
All our EBC and Gokyo Trekking teams are now back in Kathmandu as well. Arriving yesterday they wrapped up the trek with a well-earned celebration dinner. Strong work to our 2022 Trekking Team and congratulations on a great expedition!
We wish our 3 peaks and EBC Trekkers safe and smooth travels as they start heading back to their home countries over the next few days. It has been our pleasure to explore and climb throughout the Khumbu valley with this spectacular group of people.
Everest Climbers
Back on Everest the first wave of climbers have moved up and settled into C2 (~21,400ft, 6,550m)for the night after spending 2 nights at C1 (~19,500ft, 5,945m). The second wave of climbers have all made is safely through the icefall and are spending their first night at C1.
CTSS Camp 2 climber John climbed up to C2 yesterday and is now back in basecamp to celebrate reaching his goal. Our Camp 2 and Camp 3 climbs are a fantastic way to prepare for future summit attempts by learning the ins and outs of Himalayan climbing, basecamp life, and climbing the lower section of the route in advance. John will soon be heading back down the valley towards Kathmandu and home - Nice work!
A few of our private climbers and our Camp 3 expedition will head to C1 on the 27th as our third and final wave of the first rotation.
Meanwhile, Speed ascent climber Clayton has made his way up the valley and successfully summited Lobuche East with his guide Passang in a blistering pace of 3 hours - extraordinarily strong work. They will join the rest of the team in EBC tomorrow.
Cheers,
CTSS Team
First Rotation to C1, Island Peak and Namche
Tons happening in Nepal the last few days! The weather has been good with a bit of wind up high but generally stable and clear.
Everest Team
The first wave of CTSS climbers have climbed through the Khumbu Icefall to Camp 1 today including our Western Guided Team and Private Expedition climbers. The rest of our teams will head to Camp 1 to join them tomorrow. The plan is to spend a couple of nights at Camp 1 (~19,500ft, 5944m) with the potential of climbing up to C2 for a lunch before returning to C1. The climbers will descend back to Basecamp in a few days to "sleep low" and give their bodies time to build back up for the next rotation.
At basecamp the team continues to enjoy amazing food prepared by our in-house chef including French Toast and peaches for breakfast, fresh brownies at tea time and home made Shepards Pie for lunch. Eating well is key to staying healthy at high altitude and I'd say they're doing pretty well!
3 Peaks
The CTSS 3 Peaks team trekked from Pokalde to Island peak Basecamp over the last two days. Today they're heading out of Basecamp for their final summit of our spring 2022 3 Peaks expedition, Island Peak. Best of luck to the climbing team!
Trekkers and Lobuche Climbers
Our EBC/Gokyo trekking team and Lobuche climbers have completed their descent to Namche after visiting Gokyo. They'll be flying back to Kathmandu soon to wrap up an amazing expedition.
Cheers,
CTSS Team
Training Days and Lattes at Everest
Training Days and Lattes
The teams have been keeping busy up at EBC - between their intensive training skills in the lower part of the Khumbu icefall, preparing for their first rotation and then the all important ritual of refuelling with Chef Jensens' epic cooking! (Last night was a gourmet butter chicken followed by a espresso chocolate marquis with toasted toffee almonds for desert!!)
Meanwhile barista Chena Lama's hot on his heels and has been busily churning out his now famous "Mocha Madness" - the highest mocha on the planet, but arguably the best too - in the Big House Cafe!
It's not all mochas and chocolate pudding, we promise there's some hard work being done too.
Our Western Guided Team aim to head out on their first rotation 23rd of April up to Camp 1 with our Private climbers close on their heels and departing camp to join them on the 24th or 25th.
Our 3 Peaks team called in this morning from the summit of Pokalde, everyone moving strongly and in great style. Well done team. They are now descending to Base Camp and we'll look forward to hearing their updates before they head over to their 3rd and final objective - Island Peak.
Our Lobuche Climbers/Gokyo trekkers did the hard yards yesterday from JongLa over Cho La Pass to Gokyo Lake. They had some nice weather in the morning but it quickly socked in and gave them reason to feel a bit grumpy in cold temperatures and steady snow. They were happy to get cosy and warm in the teahouse! Tomorrow they begin their descent toward Namche.
It's beautiful weather today up at Base Camp and the climbers are out there busily earning their dinner and soaking up the sun.
Cheers
CTSS Team
Puja & Pokalde
A very auspicious day for us here at Everest base camp with our “Puja” (blessing ceremony) taking place.
A Puja is a Tibetan Buddhist ritual, the purpose of which is to ask the mountain deity for safe passage and of course to celebrate.
Regardless of your religious affiliation, being part of and witnessing a Puja is a wonderful cultural moment and a precious opportunity to be fully present in our common goal and humbled by the mountains that stand before us. It is also a great opportunity for our full team to come together and bond before heading higher.
We concluded with a traditional Sherpa dance, locking arms and forming a semi circle in front of the Puja alter. We ‘Mikaru’ (or ‘foreigner’ which roughly translates to ‘white eyes’) tried to emulate the Sherpa as best we could!
The culmination of the ceremony is raising the Puja pole in the centre of the alter and stringing prayer flags over our camp, building a zone of protection for the team. When the flags blow in the wind it is thought by the Sherpa that they send out prayers. This has become a common part of any Everest and Lhotse expedition and the Sherpa, who draw no distinction between their daily lives and their Tibetan Buddhism, appreciate and welcome us in this ritual.
With the Puja complete we are now ready to begin our climbing on Everest/Lhotse in earnest.
Tthe teams spent the rest of the day acclimatizing, training in the lower Khumbu icefall and have become preparing and packing for our second high altitude rotation (our first was our Lobuche climb, and this one will be our first on Everest)
Meanwhile, our 3 Peaks Climbers bid EBC farewell as they now split off and head off to tackle their next objective Pokalde and our trekkers are heading off to Gokyo, first stop JongLha.
Cheers
CTSS Team
Waving goodbye to Lobuche
Our last wave of climbers summited Lobuche this morning and are all safely back to Lobuche Base Camp. Our pre-aclimated Speed Ascent climbers who flew into Pheriche will make their ascent tomorrow morning and then we will pack down our Lobuche Base Camps and High Camps for the season. Congratulations to everyone for such a fantastic, safe, successful and strong effort on Lobuche.
Meanwhile up at Everest Base Camp, our Western Guided Team Climbers took a rest day today and did some light training as they look toward starting their first rotation in coming days.
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Our Private Guided Climbers enjoyed their first full day settling into their new home. Their warm welcome to camp started with Chef Jensen preparing a hearty, delicious breakfast of French Toast and braised peaches with a salted caramel sauce followed by cappuccinos (care of barista Cena Lama) and fresh, warm brownies in the Big House. A pretty good start and a good energy load this morning!
Over the next few days the teams will prepare for their rotations to begin and we will wave farewell to our trekkers as they head over to Gokyo and back down valley.
Our 3 Peaks team will also split off to climb Pokalde and Island Peak.
Everything moving smoothly up high in the Himalaya.
CTSS Team
More Summits & Home Sweet Home at EBC
News just in from Expedition Leader Mike Hamill from our teams in the Khumbu.
Congratulations to our climbers who set off on their summit bid of Lobuche this morning with everyone on top. Girish, Laurie, Jane & Gabby! Nice work! Meanwhile Jessica and Kami continued on their planned private schedule kicking goals with their training. The whole team back together now and have just pulled back into Lobuche Base Camp where they'll enjoy a well deserved rest tonight before heading into Everest Base Camp tomorrow.
Our third wave (Everest/Lhotse/3 Peaks & Lobuche climbers) have now moved up from Lobuche Base Camp tonight and have settled into High Camp. Tomorrow they will do some more training drills and a short acclimatization climb above High Camp before preparing for their summit bid the following day.
Our Western Guided Team are rolling into Everest Base Camp now - home away from home for the next six weeks! They'll unpack and start getting settled. Baristas are on Cappucino duty in the Big House Dome while Chef Jensen gets dinner rolling.
All is well with the CTSS teams in the Himalaya!
Summits on Lobuche,
Plenty of action from our teams in Nepal today.
Congratulations to our Western Guided Team headed up by Casey Grom who summited Lobuche today and are currently descending safely back to Lobuche Base Camp before they hike into Everest Base Camp tomorrow.
Well done;
Ms Lara Daniel
Mr Sean Cope
Mr Inder Takhar
Ms Stephanie Miller
Our Private Teams are positioning themselves and preparing now for their Lobuche summit bid, they'll have an alpine start tonight with hopes of summiting early morning tomorrow Nepal local time.
Our first Everest Base Camp trek team (Matt & Madeline B, Peter & Zofia H & Christine H) have trekked into Base Camp today.
Finally our third wave, including our Everest/ Lhotse climbers, 3 Peaks and Lobuche Climbers have done their training clinic at Lobuche Base Camp to freshen up their technical skills and carried up to Lobuche High Camp on an acclimatisation climb. They are currently at Lobuche Base Camp and are on schedule to move up to High Camp tomorrow and ready themselves for their summit bid in coming days.
All is well on the ground in Nepal and everyone is having a great time. With the teams out of wifi range, we are including some historic photos to give you an idea of where they are.
Cheers
CTSS Team
CTSS Teams Closing in on Lobuche
All three waves of the 2022 CTSS Everest Expedition are high in the Khumbu valley by now, let's check in!
Our Western Guided Team moved into Lobuche high camp today putting them in place for a solid summit bid. Tomorrow's plan is for a rest and acclimatization day before waking early the next morning and starting out for the summit.
The Private Guided Teams as well as a number of our Trekkers moved into Lobuche Basecamp yesterday and are spending today resting, acclimatizing and getting the first rounds of rope training in. Over the next few days they too will work their way up to Lobuche High Camp and on to a summit bid.
Our big 3rd wave team including our EBC Trekkers, 3 peaks team, Sherpa guided climbers, Lhotse team and Everest C2/C3 climbers hiked from Tengboche to Pheriche yesterday and took a solid rest day in Pheriche today. To assist in acclimatization today's main event was a light day hike above Pheriche with views of Ama Dablam, the south face of Cho Oyu and many other dramatic peaks. Tomorrow the team will move up to Lobuche Basecamp and, for the first time since Kathmandu, all 3 teams will be in more or less the same place.
The human body is incredibly adaptable, but it does take time to adjust. Our teams are following an itinerary honed over years of experience to balance the rest each person's body needs with the inevitable drive to hike further, ascend higher and see whats around the next corner.
In the end, the rest days are often some of your best memories. Time to ponder over breathtaking mountains, card games, and good conversation are all part of taking a climb prudently slow and really living into the expedition.
Cheers,
CTSS Team
... Lobuche BC, Pheriche, and Tengboche...
CTSS Teams are making great progress trekking up the Khumbu Valley.
Western Guided Teams have moved from Periche into Lobuche Basecamp (LBC). They'll spend the next few days moving to Lobuche High Camp, acclimatizing and finally making their summit bid on Lobuche before descending back to LBC and continuing their trek into Everest Basecamp (EBC). Wifi availability is very limited in LBC and above, so we look forward to getting photos from the team after their climb.
CTSS Private Teams as well as some of our trekkers moved up to Pheriche yesterday. Today the plan is to hike up to a nearby viewpoint at 4800 meters for an acclimatization hike. Soon they'll be moving up to Lobuche Basecamp as well.
Our big 3rd wave team Including our EBC Trekkers, 3 Peaks team, Sherpa guided climbers, Lhotse team, and Everest C2/C3 climbers is acclimatizing in Tengboche with a visit to the famous Tengboche Monastery.
Everyone is doing well and, aside from a few light altitude headaches, the team is in fine shape to keep working upwards towards Everest Basecamp. Weather has cooperated and they're taking in some of the most dramatic landscapes anywhere in the world.
All is well in the Khumbu Valley!
Cheers,
CTSS Team
... CTSS Everest Teams in Khumbu Valley
All of our 2022 Everest teams are working their way up the beautiful Khumbu Valley.
Wester Guided Team Hiked to Pheriche after up 2 days in Tengboche enjoying amazing views of Everest and much of the Khumbu Valley. Along the way the team stopped in Pangboche for a Puja ceremony. The team is now resting in Pheriche before continuing on tomorrow.
CTSS Private Teams Moved up to Tengboche yesterday where they also received a Puja ceremony. They'll rest a day in Tengboche before heading to Pheriche
Our big 3rd wave Team Including our EBC Trekkers, 3 Peaks team, Sherpa guided climbers, Lhotse team, and Everest C2/C3 climbers made it to Namche yesterday, moving quickly and as a strong team. Today they'll rest in Namche before moving on tomorrow.
Cheers,
CTSS Team
