CTSS Team

...Progress Reports - Summits & Safe Descents... (23rd May)

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to our progress report, I'm going to continue to update this particular blog post with the movements of our teams on the mountain and their summit bids. Please check back regularly for the latest news.

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4pm - 23rd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time)

Our May 22nd Summit team are back at Base Camp after their grand adventure, safe and sound and successful. Time to celebrate.

Ed and Guide Tendi Sherpa are at the South Col resting and our Lhotse/Everest combo climbers are at Camp 3 allowing the crowds on the fixed lines to disperse a little before dropping down to Camp 2 for the night.

Our Western Guided Team are also at Camp 2 poised and awaiting their summit window.

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Noon - 23rd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time)

Congratulations to our Private Speed Ascent Climber Ed Dohring and Guide Tendi Sherpa who summited Everest today and are safely back at the South Col.

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8:30am - 23rd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time)

Good morning! Wonderful news, our Everest/Lhotse Combo climbers are currently standing on top of Lhotse having summited Everest yesterday! Congratulations to clients Mariam Ktiri & Fahad Badar who have become the first Arabs to complete the combo -  along with Guide Oswaldo Freire, Kami Sherpa & Namgyal Sherpa who join the roughly 30 odd people who have achieved the feat! They said it was windy and cold up there so they will put their energy into descending. What a huge and phenomenal effort and success - Congratulations!

Our Private Speed Ascent climber Ed and Guide Tendi Sherpa are climbing safely and doing well. We have tentative reports they have summited and are descending (However, radio communication is a little tricky today with the wind gusts so we'll keep you updated with further details as they come to hand)

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8pm - 22nd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time)

Good evening everyone, our Speed Ascent Private Team Ed and Guide Tendi are on their way, having left the South Col en route to the summit.
As a small, two-man team, they'll be able to move efficiently and nimbly and make the most of the weather which is holding well.

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1pm - 22nd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time) 

From Mike Hamill: "Incredible day here on Mt Everest! All members are now back at the South Col or within spitting distance. 100% on top today and 100% summit success for the season so far for CTSS climbers with 14/14 climbers on top today and 1/1 on the 15th. Plus we’ve had 27 Sherpa Summits so far making a grand total of 42 total Summits this season (we’re waiting for a complete list of Sherpa Summits).

I can’t begin to express how impressed I am with our team- both the climbers and Sherpa, that they’ve had the strength and persistence to climb so well. Some climbers already heading down to C2 - Great news from the upper mountain and amazing work to the entire crew!
Still more Summits to come this season"

Client Summits:

Peter Wilson - Australia
Tracey Walters - USA
Bruce Graham - USA
Bill Baringer - USA
Richard Wilson - United Kingdom
Wayne Morris - United Kingdom - (finishing the 7 Summits)
Bill Baringer - USA
Noriyuki Ishikawa - Japan
Phei Sunn Sim - Singapore
Aditi Vaidya - India
Anuja Vaidya - India
Juarez Gustavo Soares - Brazil
Mariam Ktiri - Morroco (living in Switzerland - has completed the 7 summits in one year and the Everest/Lhotse Combo)
Fahad Badar - Qatar with Private Guide Oswaldo Freire (Ecuador)  - Completed the Everest/Lhotse Combo becoming the first Qatari to climb Lhotse

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11am - 22nd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time)

Safely returning to the South Col post-Summit

Everyone in first wave is now returning safely to the South Col or are already there enjoying a well-deserved rest and time to recuperate with the possibility of dropping down to Camp 2 this afternoon.

More details to come.

Meanwhile, Private Speed Ascent Team Ed & Guide Tendi are up at the South Col readying for their summit bid tonight and the Western Guided Team are holding at Camp 2 ready to pounce on the next weather window.

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5am - 22nd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time)

Great News - The team have summited!!

Everyone in first wave is safe and are now descending, we will report the specifics when every one is safely back down to the South Col but for now you can breathe out! They've done fantastically well and will keep their heads in the game until they're back down to Camp 4

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1:20am - 22nd May 2019 (Kathmandu Time)

Private Team Fahad with Guide Ossy are now at the South Summit (28,500ft | 8,534m)  and climbing strongly with the rest of the teams coming up not far behind them.

Moving well in good conditions up there. From here, it's only a few hours up past the Hillary Step and onto the Top of the World...

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11pm - 21st May 2019 (Kathmandu time)

The lead team of climbers reached and passed The Balcony at (27,500ft | 8,382m) and are climbing strongly and reporting good climbing conditions... From here they'll head West up the ridge to the next landmark we'll report being the South Summit.

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6pm - 21st May 2019 (Kathmandu time)

Good evening everyone - Our first Summit Wave is off and departing the South Col now (including the IFMGA Sherpa team, Private IFMGA Sherpa climbers & Personal Sherpa climbers as well as Private Team Fahad and Guide Ossy & Everest/Lhotse Combo Climber Mariam) they'll climb through the night tonight, hoping to make the summit early tomorrow morning.

We'll keep you updated with their climb as they hit major landmarks and the night progresses.

Mike is hunkered down in the comms tent glued to the radio and the forecast for the night.

Also a big congratulations to Kami Rita Sherpa who has broken his own record for the second time in a week with the most Everest Summits at 24x!

Our Western Guided Team took a rest day at Camp 2 today and Speed Ascent Private Climber Ed & Tendi moved up to Camp 3

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9am - 21st May 2019 (Kathmandu time)

Everyone in Summit Wave 1 (including the IFMGA Sherpa team, Private IFMGA Sherpa climbers & Personal Sherpa climbers as well as Private Team Fahad and Guide Ossy) rested well up at Camp 4 overnight on oxygen and are feeling strong today. We are happy with that decision as the forecast is more in our favour now with winds dropping a little in what has been a tricky 'open and closed again' window due to a temperamental/jumpy jet stream.

Mariam our Everest/Lhotse combo climber is moving up to the South Col today and will head out with the rest of the team tonight on her Everest summit bid.

Our Western Guided team and Speed Ascent Private Climber Ed will either take a rest day at Camp 2 or move up the Lhotse face to Camp 3 today.

Best wishes,
Caroline

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by CTSS Team