...Basecamp Bliss...
Welcoming much of the CTSS team into Base Camp today with our IFMGA Team reaching camp just a few hours ago along with private clients Mark W & Kent S.
Meanwhile, our Trekking Team have enjoyed their headstart on the camp facilities and slept well, enjoying their first hot showers in 5 days today. They hiked up lookout out point yesterday and a few ventured up Kala Pattar this morning. They are heading for a walk in the safe, lower part of the icefall this afternoon. Tomorrow they'll start their way back down the valley to Pheriche.
The Western Guided/International Team took a rest day at Lobuche Basecamp today and are coming into EBC tomorrow, they might pass our trekkers on their way up.
Fahad and Ossie are positioned at Lobuche High Camp ready to go for the summit tomorrow, before a rest day and then the journey into EBC to join the rest of the climbers the following day.
Our Lhotse climber Robert is also now making his way up the valley toward Basecamp.
In coming days, I'll share more photos of the CTSS set up, we've gone all out this year to ensure everyone is comfortable, happy and well fed. Think 3x insulated dining hall tents, multiple hot showers, double room full Western-style WC bathrooms, a geodesic dome hang out tent, a massive catering kitchen and a communications tent that rivals any boardroom.
As for our insulated, carpeted, heated, humidified & powered Everest Executive tents, I'll give you a sneak peek inside the bedroom of one and you can decide for yourself whether or not you'd want to move in... #EverestGlamping
Cheers
Caroline
Photo Marisha McDowell
Tendi in the Comms tent - Photo Marisha McDowell
...More Lobuche Summits...
Hello everyone - hope you are all well back home.
News from the Khumbu.
Our IFMGA Team including our Lobuche climbers enjoyed a rest day today at Lobuche Basecamp and they'll head up to Everest Base Camp tomorrow
Our Western Guided & International crew did an amazing job summitting Lobuche today (in an amazing time of 5hrs!) with everyone who left camp topping out and arriving back today. Congratulations all.
Speaking of summits, we also had our Cholatse Team summit Lobuche today, they'll head into Cholatse Base Camp tomorrow.
Private client Mark W and Big Tendi headed up high today and will go for the summit tomorrow. Meanwhile, Fahad and Ossie are acclimatizing, they may have another rest day or head to high camp and Kent & Fred are continuing their acclimatization schedule at Lobuche Basecamp.
Our Trekking Team moved up from Gorak Shep and have just arrived into Everest Basecamp now. They'll be thrilled to hit their goal and as the first CTSS arrivals into EBC, check out the new digs.
As you may have heard, there is tragic news from Lukla today with a Summit Air plane (with flight crew aboard returning to Ramechhap) crashing into a parked Manang helicopter during its takeoff roll this morning around 9am. Witnesses described the "moment as sudden, with the rudder looking like it locked leading to the collision" We are sending our deepest condolences and our deepest wishes to the families and loved ones of those 2 who were killed (Summit Air’s co-pilot Sujit Dhungana and Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Ram Bahadur Khadka who was stationed in Lukla for airport security) and the 5 injured (including Manang Air Pilot CB Gurung) who are currently being treated in Kathmandu Grande Hospital. None of our team were directly affected by the accident as we are much higher in the valley but obviously deeply saddened by the news and sending their wishes and prayers.
I'll keep you up to date with their progress.
Best wishes,
Caroline
Photo by Wayne Morris on the Lobuche climb
...First Lobuche Summits...
Hello everyone,
Great news from the various teams in the Himalaya.
The IFMGA Sherpa Guided Team & Our Lobuche Team summited Lobuche in great weather this morning with everyone who set off for the summit achieving their goal and returning to base camp safely.
They had nice, stable weather for climbing and by all reports a really enjoyable climb. They will take a rest day tomorrow at Lobuche Base Camp before heading up to Everest Base Camp the following day.
Meanwhile, our Western & International Guide Team led by Casey Grom, our Cholatse Team (Guided by Jeremiah Phelps) and a number of our private clients including Fahad (Guided by Ossie) and Mark W have moved up to High Camp and will head out for the summit in the early hours of tomorrow. They will return to Base Camp tomorrow afternoon, enjoy a rest day on the 15th and move to Everest Base Camp the following day.
Our Trekking Team led by Josh McDowell are ahead of them all having moved up to Gorak Shep. They'll reach their goal tomorrow, being the first of the CTSS team to arrive at Everest Base Camp where they'll spend 2 full nights.
A big Happy Birthday to Wayne Morris for tomorrow, with special well-wishes sent by his family and relayed over the satellite phone.
I'll continue to keep you updated,
Cheers
Caroline
...Lobuche High Camp...
Up they go...
The teams have done some skill refreshing down at Lobuche Basecamp and enjoyed a solid night's sleep.
Today our IFMGA Sherpa Guided Team have had an early hot lunch and they are now heading back up the hill to Lobuche High Camp this afternoon and will position themselves for their Lobuche summit climb. They'll leave in the early hours of tomorrow morning, summit on the 13th and then drop back down to Lobuche Base Camp.
Our Western & International Guide Team led by Casey Grom, is carrying to Lobuche High Camp today and will come back down to Base Camp tonight before moving up to summit on the 14th and drop back to Lobuche Base Camp.
Meanwhile our Trekking Team led by Josh McDowell are spending an extra night at Lobuche Base Camp tonight to hang with the whole crew for a bit longer (social bunch that they are) and are heading out to Gorak Shep tomorrow and onward to Basecamp from there.
Our climbers climb Lobuche in lieu of a rotation on Everest, not only to reduce a trip through the icefall, but also because it's a beautiful Himalayan peak that gives everyone the opportunity to shake out their mountain routine and skill set and continue to acclimatize.
The views aren't bad either!
Cheers,
Caroline
...Lobuche Acclimatization...
A quick bit of news from the Himalaya; All of our CTSS climbing teams are moved in and enjoying their new digs at Lobuche Base Camp.
Guide Tendi let us know that our teams arrived at Lobuche peak base camp yesterday and settled into their tents. This morning they hiked up in their teams to Lobuche Peak high camp as part of their acclimatization and now they are all safely back down in time for a well earned hot lunch and some continued skills training this afternoon.
Tomorrow they'll move up to High Camp and prepare for their climb of the peak.
Everyone is feeling strong and excited to continue to get higher.
Cheers
Caroline
...Leaving for Lobuche...
Good morning,
Thought I would sneak in a quick blog update for you all before our teams wake up in Pheriche, have breakfast and hit the trail up to Lobuche Base Camp today (which is looking amazing just quietly - photo of the CTSS set up below)
The weather was a bit cloudy and overcast for their acclimatization hike yesterday (they gained about 1,000ft vertical) but has cleared a little and hopefully stays nice for their hike today.
Today, they'll pass by the memorial chortens at the top of Thukla Pass, commemorating those that have fallen in these mountains. It is a sobering moment and one that many of the climbers and trekkers alike are deeply touched by. It reminds us that we are small in Mother Nature's mighty playground and we must move with humility, awareness and gratitude.
Many find they wish to stay in a quiet reflection, taking in the mighty mountains around them over the next few hours. It's only a short, easy trek from there to Lobuche where they'll stay for at least 2 nights before moving up again. The climbers clipping into their crampons to ascend Lobuche Peak, our trekking team onward to the Big E.
Speaking of Everest, the ultimate goal, it's been busy up there too with our incredible Sherpa team already up at Camp 2 securing camp and laying down our mountain infrastructure.
On a final note, a big Happy Birthday to Andrew Gregory (who knew they could make such elaborate cakes up there?!) Does anyone else get the sense that they're eating pretty well? Roughing it... pfffft.
Cheers
Caroline
*Featured Image: Wayne Morris
...Pheriche...
Hello everyone,
Happy reports from the Himalaya, our team were blessed with stunning weather today as they moved up to Pheriche giving them sensational views of Ama Dablam for much of the day.
Big shout out to Guide Ossie who celebrated a birthday on the trail complete with an epic cake. Happy Birthday, Ossie! (Check out the quick clip of his high altitude bday party below)
The teams will enjoy two nights here at Pheriche, with a day of acclimatization tomorrow (another beautiful hike high onto the ridgeline behind the village that boasts even more stunning views of Ama Dablam. Fingers crossed for another bluebird bird day like they enjoyed today) They will also have the opportunity to meet the volunteer doctors and check out the HRA (Himalayan Rescue Association) Pheriche clinic where they can check out the clinic and ask questions and get some good tips about mountain medicine and all things altitude related.
Following that, our teams will diverge as our climbing teams head over to Lobuche base camp to begin their first real climbing of the season, while our trekkers will go straight on up, first to Gorak Shep and then onto Everest base camp.
Is it just me or is the trek seemingly flying by as the team make awesome progress up the valley?
Cheers
Caroline
CTSS Everest Guides' Team
...Debouche...
The CTSS team has woken up in Debouche (10minutes further along than Tengboche) where they'll have breakfast about now (pancakes or an omelette anyone?) before they head back up the trail to Tengboche Monastery for a blessing by the High Lama.
The blessing will take about 30minutes to an hour with the monks chanting prayers for our team’s safety and seeking permission to climb the mountain. 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.
No photos are allowed inside the Monastery so while we won’t be able to share the special moment with you at home, I always feel like that means no one is distracted from the moment and can be fully present at the time without trying to document it.
After the blessing, the team might take an acclimatization hike up the ridge above Tengboche and inspire the production of some new red blood cells!
Meanwhile, our Cholatse climber - Luca is heading off to Periche today, acclimatizing very well and in high spirits.
Cheers
Caroline
...Namche Bazaar...
Well it seems everyone survived the Namche Hill and the team have had their first night in what can be thought of as the 'Capital City of the Khumbu' and are enjoying a full day of acclimatization today.
Namche is a thriving hub where you can get pretty much anything. Any final forgotten items can be grabbed from the convenience stores, gear stores pharmacies etc or if you're organized you can relax at a huge array of internet cafes, bakeries, juice bars, restaurants and teahouses.
To acclimatize, our Western & International Guided Team headed out to visit the nunnery at Thame while the other teams headed up to the Everest view hotel to see if they could get a glimpse of Everest before the cloud cover came in. Looks like they got lucky!
Absolutely beautiful weather and happy adventurers, what a mix.
I think I'll let the pictures of the journey thus far speak for themselves today.
Tomorrow they are off to Tengboche, with a typical mountain day of first up, then down, then up again ahead of them. (Just quietly that hill into Tengboche is almost as testing as the Namche one, especially if they decide to take the shorter but steeper old route) If they are lucky they'll enjoy fabulous views of Ama Dablam and glimpses of Everest all day.
Cheers,
Caroline
...CTSS in the Khumbu...
Hello everyone,
2 pieces of great news to kick off our Khumbu adventure;
1) All the climbing/trekking permits were approved by the Ministry of Tourism and picked up by the CTSS guide crew in Kathmandu and...
2) Each of the CTSS Everest 2019 teams has arrived safe and sound into the valley with smooth flights landing in Lukla. Believe it or not, one of the hardest parts of any Everest expedition is actually just getting everyone, (and all their gear) into the valley on schedule, given the lack of infrastructure, the fickle mountain weather etc so this is a nice, early win that bodes well for the expedition ahead.
Following lunch, they had a nice, easy 3hour trek into their first stop; Phakding. (That one is perhaps more polite when written vs when pronounced out loud... you're giving it a whirl now aren't you?) where they'll be looking forward to a nice meal (momos anyone?) and hunting in their trekking duffel for a warmer layer or two with the distinct temperature change from Kathmandu. It's not too cold but certainly chillier, especially in the evening and early mornings. They are now at 2,610m (8,563 ft) and the mountain air is fresh and clean.
Tomorrow they'll set off to Namche, and tackle the infamous Namche hill where they might start to feel that altitude gain a little and get the blood flowing through those muscles they've all been training so hard for. Good to shake out any lingering jetlag. (It can be a bit intimidating though when you are working hard at the hill, huffing and puffing and you get passed by one of the incredible porters who saunter by carrying 3x duffel bags strapped to their foreheads like it's light as a feather, with a spring in their step and never a deep breathe. Not to worry though, even the fittest in the world awe at the porter's remarkable strength and adaptation to the high mountain air)
Meanwhile, Basecamp is almost finished with its final infrastructure laid in place. I have added some photos to show you some of the build.
The team will be excited to finally be on the trail. They can now relax into the rhythm of the trek, enjoying the sights and sounds of one of the most stunning walks in the world and begin to focus on the task ahead whilst feeling a world away from the usual hustle and bustle of our busy lives and the endless duffle shuffle/gear check that has consumed their last week (or month).
To be honest, I'm quite jealous - although not of Namche hill - they can keep that!
Cheers,
Caroline
Base Camp build
