...Cho Oyu Team Headed to the Mountain...
The Cho Oyu team is on the move. After a day touring the ancient and beautiful city of Lhasa, the cultural center of Tibet, the team is headed west toward the mountain.
Yesterday they drove past the aquamarine Yamdrok Lake en route to Shigatse, a secondary cultural centre of Tibet. Shigatse is home to the famous Tashilumpo Monastery which is a sight not to be missed.
Today they will have a shorter day driving across the high Tibetan plateau from Shigatse to Tingri. Throughout the drive they will be at heights generally around 14,000ft/4,000m crossing passes of more than 17,000ft/5,000m. Tingri sits at around 14,000ft/4,000m and from here they get their first views of the mighty Everest and the "Turquoise Goddess," Cho Oyu.
They'll take an extra day to acclimatize in Tingri and get in a day hike before heading to base camp to the south.
The team is doing well and enjoying their tour of the high Tibetan Plateau!
-CTSS Team
...Tibet Time...
The team is off! With Chinese Visas in hand, it is time to head to China and begin the approach to Cho Oyu. Our team is splitting up; the climbers are flying to Lhasa to visit the many cultural sights and traverse the vast countryside while the Sherpa team is driving with the gear overland. The two teams will meet in the small outpost town of Tingri in a few days where they will head into base camp together.
That's a lot of gear!
The climbers will tour the famous Potala Palace tomorrow among other historical sights within the city centre. The following day they will head to Shigatse where they will visit the Tashilumpo Monastery before heading on to Tingri.
The Sherpa team will be battling mother nature in the meantime. Several landslides have covered the roads en route to the border so they, with the help of an army of 40 porters, will need to transport the mass of gear for short stretches. Once they cross the border it should be fairly smooth sailing to Tingri.
It's go time!
-CTSS Team
...Cho Oyu Underway...
The CTSS Cho Oyu expedition is officially underway! The team has arrived in Kathmandu where they are organizing gear and awaiting their Chinese Visas.
In a few days they will fly to Lhasa to spend a few days taking in the culture and sights of the region such as the Potala Palace. They will then traverse the countryside through Xigatse and Tingri en route to base camp and onwards up the world’s 6th tallest mountain. We’re hoping for clear skies and good climbing conditions this season!
...CTSS Safari in Tanzania...
The Kilimanjaro team is enjoying their last few days of Safari before jumping on their flights back home. After amazing game viewing in the Tarangire Park they are moving on to the famous Ngorogoro crater. They will then spend a night on the rim of the crater where they can watch the sunset over the plains below.
They report that they have been enjoying safari and are pretty stoked on the plush accommodations they've been treated to the last few days (especially after camping on the mountain). They also mentioned that the climb coupled with safari has been a very special experience.
Everyone who ventures into the mountains is transformed by them. It is really cool to have had several first-time high altitude climbers on the program and hear how much they enjoyed the experience and have been moved by it. We hope that our new climbers on this program have been "bitten" by the climbing bug and the power of the mountains and build a lifelong love.
Here are a few last shots of Kilimanjaro and the safari.
All the best,
CTSS Team
...Kili Team on Top...
What an adventure! We are delighted to congratulate the CTSS Kili team on their summit and journey to the roof of Africa.
They all made the right calls and enjoyed good weather for their summit bid. They have descended to a lower camp and will complete the descent and get back to the comfort of their hotel tomorrow before heading out on safari! Well done crew!
& To those of you, watching on from home, we still have places available on our October 18 & August 2019 departures if you're feeling inspired.
CTSS Team
Photo by Sara Cohen
...Kili Team Readies for the Summit...
The CTSS Kilimanjaro team is settled in high camp and are ready for their summit bid tonight. The team is doing well and in high spirits. They will wake up around 11:30pm before heading out in the wee hours of the morning. Summit day is a long day so they must start early.
Photo by Sara Cohen
They will be treated to breath-taking views out over the African plains as the sun rises in the morning. It is surprisingly cold on summit day so it's important to keep the rest breaks short and eat and drink lots to keep energy levels high. They know that this is the last big effort before being rewarded with an African safari over the next few days!
We are wishing the team the best and will keep you posted as we hear from them on summit day.
All the best,
CTSS Team
Photo by Sara Cohen
Photo by Sara Cohen
...CTSS off to the Roof of Africa...
We received word from our Kilimanjaro team that they are moving well and making good progress.
They are currently at Barranco Camp just below the mighty Barranco Wall. Tomorrow they will ascend the Barranco Wall to reach their high point for the day before descending to the next nights camp.
All of our Kilimanjaro groups climb the Machame route in order to maximize acclimatization and to offer the best views of the mountain.
We will keep you posted on the teams progress as they get closer to their summit bid!
All best,
Mike Hamill
Owner, CTSS
...100% Success on Elbrus...
Despite several days of extremely erratic weather and power outages we finally got our chance to go for the top. Our summit day started off clear but a bit windy but we quickly ascended into a whiteout cloud cap sitting on the mountain. We climbed for about 5 hours with winds of 30kph - 60kph and visibility below 40 meters. Temps were arctic. However, the team came prepared and climbed wonderfully. Climbers were taking care of themselves, saying warm, eating and drinking and generally climbing like pros!
After breaking trail for the entire climb out front through the whiteout we finally reached the top of the fixed lines and crested the summit ridge where it finally started to clear intermittently and warm slightly. Another 15 minutes traversing brought us to the summit. We had the top all to ourselves for the duration while we snapped some quick pics and got the heck out of there!
We're now back safely in the valley where we're enjoying great food, hot showers and even a beer or two. Tomorrow we fly to Moscow to tour the city before heading home the following day. Amazing work and congrats to our team on their huge success!
All best,
Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner
...Elbrus an Adventure...
What's an adventure without a little spanner thrown in the works?
Our team in Russia had a small delay with a big storm that brought plenty of rain, widespread power outages and some washed out roads.
No need to worry as everyone was safely bunkered down in the hotel in town until the skies cleared to reveal excellent weather which saw them pounce on a good window and head uphill and quickly resume the schedule.
Fighting fit and enthusiastic they refreshed some of their alpine skills today (including self arresting, fixed line travel etc) and acclimatized up above Pashtuhova Rocks (at 4,550–4,700 m) Everyone feeling great.
With these freshly drained and clear skies, forecast to hold, the team will attempt their summit bid this evening.
Exciting times..
Home away from Home on the Hill...
...Elbrus Underway...
Elbrus 2018 is off to a great start. We started our trip by touring the sights of St Petersburg before flying down to the Elbrus region to start our acclimatization process. Despite some rainy weather in St Petes, we were able to get in a boat tour of the city and a bus tour of some of the most iconic sights: St Isaacs Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress, and the Church of Spilled Blood. The mosaic work inside the Church of Spilled Blood was awe-inspiring to say the least and a must see for anyone visiting the city!
Tomorrow we will head up on to Mt Elbrus to continue our acclimatization and getting in a snow school. The following day we'll hike up to Pastokov rocks before settling in early to rest for our first potential summit day. Currently, the weather looks good for a summit bid on Sunday or Monday. We'll keep you posted!
Best from Russia,
Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner