...Everyone in the Khumbu (well, almost!) ...
Another stunning day in the Khumbu today with most of our climbers taking an acclimatization day (where we 'climb high and sleep low'. This season you will hear us talk about acclimatization/rotations alot so I've detailed the process a bit below but first, let's catch up with where are our teams are, and what are they up to...
Our Western Guided Team enjoyed an acclimatization day today, hiking high above Tengboche and then returning to Rivendell in Debouche for hot showers and some fixed line practice. Everyone strong and feeling great.
Our Private Guided Team also spent an acclimatization day hiking up to the Everest View Hotel above Namche, taking in some epic views.
And finally, our Personal Sherpa & IFMGA Sherpa Team flew into Lukla safely this morning after a 4:30am wakeup call! They trekked to Phakding today and will move to Namche tomorrow.
A few more Speed Ascent climbers to join us later in the month, but for now, it's great to be out of town and into the Khumbu! Every mile bringing us closer to Everest.
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Ins and Outs of Acclimatisation
The purpose of 'climbing high and sleeping low' (and once we get to Everest herself, all the ‘up and down’ ‘up and down’ climbing rotations) is to give the body a chance to acclimatize and this is a fascinating process. I’m about to go all biology geek on you so beware (but also a quick disclaimer, I’m not a physician so if this process is a little generalised, forgive me) …
The higher our climbers go the less dense the atmosphere, simply meaning the oxygen molecules in the air are further apart which is why we say ‘thin air’. At sea level, the atmospheric pressure is about 1.04kg per square cm. That’s a nice heavy level of pressure that helps give the oxygen an extra push to pass through the selectively permeable lung membranes and into the blood. However, the higher you go, the lower that pressure becomes and therefore the less likely it is that the oxygen molecules actually pierce through the lung membranes and get themselves into the haemoglobin of the red blood cells where they get transported to the rest of the body.
Think of atmospheric pressure as a giant ‘press’ pushing down on the oxygen molecule and ‘stamping’ it into its seat inside the red blood cell. At higher altitude, that extra assistance isn’t there. On top of that, the oxygen molecules are also further apart so you are less likely to come across as many of them in each breath as you would at sea level. So how does the body make up for it?
At first, there are superficial changes, the body increases breathing rate (to increase the chance of taking in the same level of oxygen but from much sparser air) and your heart rate and blood pressure also increase dramatically (even at rest) to help move more blood (hopefully oxygenated) around your system. The theory is the more you breathe & the more blood your heart pumps, the more chance an oxygen molecule gets to where it’s got to go. Following?
BUT (and here’s where it gets very cool) over time your body realizes it needs to make some more significant adaptations if it’s going to live at altitude successfully so it makes some longer-term adaptations to its efficiency. It increases the number of red blood cells as well as increases your capillaries and even your lung capacity and size. All of this change is to ‘up’ the probability of coming in contact with those precious (but flighty) little oxygen molecules. Understandably, these longer-term changes take time, (it’s tough work for the body) hence why Everest is a patience game and why is takes 10 days to trek the roughly 60kms into Base Camp. By increasing our high point a little more each time, the climbers/trekkers put manageable stress on their bodies, bringing them up to a new threshold and then by taking time to rest, they give their bodies a chance to play catch up and adapt to this new normal.
When our climbers get seriously high on Everest, they’ll go on oxygen which puts more oxygen molecules into their lungs on each breath, (but it still can’t increase the atmospheric pressure of it getting stamped through and into the red blood cells) so climbing Everest is a remarkable feat indeed, not just from a mental strength perspective but also from a physiological one. To put it in perspective, if I were to take you off your chair right now and whisk you away from to the summit of Everest you would pass out within a few minutes and die shortly after. The best example I can think of for how it might feel for our climbers is going to the gym and doing a high-intensity cardio workout whilst breathing through a straw. Tough right?
To snap us out of our impromptu science lesson, here are some sensational pics from the teams today
...Everest Base Camp Trek Continues...
Another busy day for our 3x CTSS Teams.
Our Western Guided Team had a strong day reporting an easy move from Namche to just beyond Tengboche, to a spot called Debouche. Tonight they'll be in a lovely new building with great rooms at Rivendell teahouse. The highlight of the day was stopping at the Tengboche Monastery for a blessing for our team’s safe passage on Everest. Following this, each member of the team will be presented with a Kata scarf and a Sungdi – a piece of red cord that has been prayed over by the monks for a period of time and is then tied around the climber’s neck as protection with a special knot. It is not advised to remove the cord until it falls off on its own, at which point you are meant to keep it in a high place.
Tomorrow they will rest and acclimatize with a hike above Tengboche.
Our Private Guided Team moved up from Phakding to Namche today, tackling the infamous Namche Hill which is a little unrelenting and serves to remind you, you've arrived in the Himalaya!! They'll take an acclimatisation day tomorrow to rest and also do a hike above Namche.
& finally Our Personal Sherpa & IFMGA Sherpa Team Climbers had their team briefing today in Kathmandu, final gear checks, and tomorrow morning they'll be up at 5am for their flight into Lukla.
The scenery is stunning, the Khumbu is quiet being devoid of almost all tourism and the teams report feeling strong and moving well.
Cheers
CTSS Team
...Into the Valley...
...Into the Valley...
A busy, bustling few days as the various teams under the CTSS banner make their way up into the Khumbu valley.
So it doesn't get too confusing as we report on the various movements of our team, it might be good to take a moment to share with you the team organization.
With the customised nature of our Everest program, (allowing our climbers to select a program 'Ala Carte' that best suits their style, experience level, and budget) we split our wider team into smaller sub groups which move independently of each other to maximise the benefits of their program, stay nimble and intimate, whilst still drawing on the superior resources and greater infrastructure that the full team allows.
We'll refer to these teams as:
Our Western Guided Program - headed up by Guides Casey Grom and Mark Postle who are currently at Namche Bazaar having a well earned rest/acclimatization day
Our Private Guided Climbers - our 1:1 climbers with their individual guides, be it private Western Guides or highly qualified IFMGA (internationally certified) Sherpa guides: Currently at Phakding having flown into Lukla this morning
Our Personal Sherpa climbers & our IFMGA Sherpa Team Climbers (which is headed up by Guide Big Tendi) and our Lhotse climbers who are arriving in Kathmandu as I type and will fly out to the Khumbu in a few days.
Finally, Our Speed Ascent Climbers - who we expect later in the month, preacclimatised and ready to tackle Everest & Lhotse.
Beyond our Everest team, we've also got some Lobuche climbers, some 3 Peaks climbers and some trekkers joining as family and friends.
Everyone doing great, they're strong, fit and stoked to be in Nepal and into the Khumbu.
Cheers
CTSS Team.
...Busy Days for Everest Team in Kathmandu...
Lots going on in Nepal!
Our first wave of climbers, the Western Guided Team had a big day of orientation. Gear checks, team meeting, and a team welcome dinner got the expedition rolling. New this year, every member of our expedition also went through a round of mandatory covid-19 testing at the Yak and Yeti hotel. Tomorrow it's on to Khumbu valley, starting the trek into Everest Basecamp.
The team is happy, excited, and ready to go!
Already our second wave of climbers including our Private Climbers and the Sherpa Guided Team are arriving in Kathmandu. Over the next few days, they'll go through their gear checks and orientation, flying to Lukla and starting the trek just a couple of days after the first wave.
Staggering teams is a key strategy to CTSS. By breaking our expedition into smaller groups each climber receives personal attention and can experience Kathmandu and the trek to Basecamp without feeling crowded. This year it's also an important part of our Covid-19 response strategy, keeping our groups small and contact with anyone outside the expedition low.
Cheers,
CTSS Team
...Everest 2021 Officially Underway...
It's go time! We’ve got guides and climbers flying into Kathmandu from all over the world, gear is making its way up the Khumbu Valley, and Everest Basecamp is taking shape. In other words, it’s Everest Season!
Over the next few days, CTSS climbers will arrive in Kathmandu, buy their last few items, and be briefed on what's next for the upcoming trek and climb. It’s always an exciting time and this year is no different.
What is different is how we operate through Covid-19. Our team will remain in their own Pod at the hotel for the duration of their stay in Kathmandu. As we leave to fly into Lukla we’ll split into smaller groups and keep together throughout the trek, avoiding other teams and minimizing contact with anyone not in our pod.
CTSS is going to great lengths to keep our team as safe and healthy as possible, after all, we’ve got a long trip and a huge goal ahead of us!
Want to stay up to date with our Everest progress? We’ll be updating our blog frequently, check-in often to follow the team!
...Adventure Continues in Ecuador...
Adventures, of course, are full of the unexpected!
Our Ecuador trip has been no exception. The team had great climbing conditions on Cotopaxi as well as Cayambe. From there it's on to Chimborazo - At least that was the plan.
This morning the team learned that the park entrance to Chimborazo had been unexpectedly closed and no climbing was being allowed at this time - a bit of a wrench in the plans!
Ecuador does happen to be one of the most spectacular countries in the world - so time for a new plan! After a quick discussion, this resilient team is now en route to the city of Baños, known as the "Adventure Capital of Ecuador".
We're bummed that Chimbo wasn't in the cards, but excited to hear what the team finds in Baños!
Cheers,
CTSS Team
...Good Weather, More Summits...
Just heard from our team in Ecuador - Success on Cayambe!!!
Good weather this morning gave our team a solid window to climb to the summit. Guide Edgar Parra reported it got a little windy and humid the last 30 minutes of the ascent, that's not too bad for big mountain weather! Cayambe is a long day - but the team hung in there and is now off the mountain and heading for some well-earned rest and relaxation at the Papallacta Spa Resort.
Congratulations on another set of summits, team!
Cheers,
CTSS Team
...Roses & Rest in Ecuador...
The team have just enjoyed a little rest between Volcanoes in Ecuador, staying another night at La Cienega and touring the rose farms, getting in some horse riding and enjoying a little cake for Ashley's birthday (amidst some rapid covid testing - everyone negative!)
Next up Cayembe's long summit day!! As we write they are likely leaving the hut now for their summit bid! More soon..
Cheers
CTSS Team
... Summits on Cotopaxi...
Got an update from Guides Aaron Mainer and Edgar Parra, success on Cotopaxi!
The team enjoyed excellent weather for their first big climb, we'll call that a win!
With Cotopaxi under their belt, the team will head to La Cienega for an afternoon of rest and a good night's sleep. Next up, Cayambe! The team will head to the hut at the base of Cayambe tomorrow, rest for a day and prepare for another big climb.
Nice work team!
Cheers
CTSS Team
...Snow School On Cotopaxi...
The team are all resting after a great day of training with a full snow school on Cotopaxi today.
It was pretty windy and they had some rain for a few hours (hopefully that means they've got all the weather out the way and they'll be blessed with blue bird days from hereon-in!)
Tomorrow they will move up to the hut on Cotopaxi ready for a summit push on their first volcano!
Lots of great photos for you today
Cheers
CTSS Team
