...All on track...
Hi Everyone,
Just a quick one today to report that everyone is doing well - those in Wave 1 (IFMGA team & IFMGA Private Sherpa, Private teams etc) are doing great. Those who moved straight through to Camp 2 yesterday took a full rest day today while those who stayed at Camp 1 overnight are currently making their way to Camp 2 for the evening where they will rendezvous.
Our Everest/Lhotse climber Mariam started her journey today, leaving camp early this morning and moving up through the ice fall and our second wave being our Western Guided/International team and our Speed Ascent private climber, Ed, are prepping in Base Camp ahead of their upcoming summit bid.
Windy up high today but there does look to be some good summit opportunities on the horizon. We're watching that forecast like hawks and continually planning and fine-tuning the best strategy to see our team/s on top of the world shortly.
Meanwhile, transported to another world entirely our successful Private summiteer Mark Wilkins is back in Kathmandu enjoying an oxygen overload and a well-deserved celebration and we wish him and Jennifer a safe onward journey home.
Cheers
Caroline
...It's Time...First Summit Bid Wave Heads Uphill...
Hello Everyone,
Heading out of Base Camp at the crack of dawn this morning for their summit bid climb was our IFMGA Team/s, Private Team Fahad & Guide Ossy and our Personal Sherpa climbers. They are all safely resting up (in either Camp One with a few busting all the way through to Camp Two and then they will regroup altogether tomorrow)
Exciting times ahead as they start their journey to the top of the world and take advantage of that weather window and we are wishing them the best of luck.
Our Western/International Guided Team are not far behind them, prepping today alongside Speed Ascent Private Ed Dohring and his Guide Tendi Sherpa.
Meanwhile, returning from their successful and safe summit (and wearing a big smile) is Mark Wilkins and his Guide Big Tendi. Congratulations guys and welcome back to the luxury of Base Camp - you'll eat and sleep well tonight.
We'll keep you updated on the team's progress as it happens.
Cheers
Caroline
*Feature Image; Wayne Morris
...Big House Bash...
There's plenty to celebrate at 5,300m (and any excuse is a good excuse to get together with friends) - the ropes are fixed, the summit route is now open and CTSS's Mark Wilkins along with Big Tendi and Tenji stood on top of the world yesterday. Further, it looks like there's a good summit window on the horizon so did we need any more reasons to throw a big party? Nope, so that's exactly what we did.
The 'Big House Bash' was all about bringing together the wider Everest community with good food, G&Ts and even a bit of Sherpa dancing as a way of staying connected. (I think we had about 80 or more people join us)
As PS Sim from Singapore recounted "Mike threw a great party for our crew and the community in our big CTSS dome. Climbing legends galore - from international renowned guides to superlative local sirdars, and rock star Sherpas. I’m sure the combined number of Everest summits and Adventure Grand Slam circuits (7summits and two Poles) in the tent was off the charts! Lots of laughter & connections, Sherpa singing and dancing, plus booze and food. Great morale booster for the day!"
Thanks to everyone who made the effort to come up to our Camp.
To finish, a quick update from the hill - Mark & Tendi are just above Camp 3 making their way down to Camp 2 today where they will rest and come back to Base Camp tomorrow - Might have to have another party to celebrate!
Cheers
Caroline
...First CTSS Summits...
Huge congratulations to our Private Team Mark Wilkins and Guide Big Tendi along with Tenji who have successfully summited Everest today and are currently descending.
A stellar effort - we'll keep you updated.
The rest of the team are at Base Camp awaiting the next weather/wind window to begin their summit attempts.
Also a big shout out to Kami Rita Sherpa who has broken his own record for the highest number of Everest Summits at 23!
Cheers
Caroline
...Ropes are in...
Great news from the South Side of Everest - the ropes have been fixed to the summit and as such we are deep in the planning of our summit strategy.
Everyone well rested at Base Camp and Lead Guide Casey took the opportunity to take the whole team through a great oxygen clinic in the Big House today troubleshooting any common problems and concerns and imparting little tips to get everyone totally dialled wearing and using their regulators and systems.
The lines are in, it's game on!
Cheers
Caroline
...Patience & Planning...
Hello Everyone,
A quiet day on the CTSS Everest news front today as we await the rope fixing (they fixed a little way past the South Col today and hope to fix up to the Summit tomorrow and the following day)
The waiting game is a very familiar and common experience around this time of the season, but it still doesn't make the angst of it any easier.
While Private Team Mark W + Big Tendi are positioned at Camp 3, (looking at summit bid on the 15th or 16th) the rest of the CTSS teams are at Base Camp, chilling, eating, prepping and taking hikes about Base Camp and up to Pumori to keep their muscles moving (of course this will be an exercise in mindfulness as they take the utmost care not to accidentally roll an ankle or anything ahead of their climb)
Apparently, Seven Summit hopeful Mrika from Kosovo (who is an amazingly strong 17yr old woman with a good few of the 7 peaks under her belt already) and Guide Casey are quite the barista team having perfected the high altitude cappuccino and are everyone's favourite people in the morning, whilst at night the Argentinians take the Gong, winning International Masterchef by miles with the second run of fresh pizzas much to everyone's delight.
Morale is high, tummies are well fed, high altitude coffees are frothy! Stay tuned,
Cheers
Caroline
...Preparation, Rest & Readiness...
The business of Base Camp continues, with the team now undertaking serious preparations...
The secret sauce behind a successful summit? A twice-daily tiger balm head steam!! Or so Wayne, Rich, Peter, Bill, Nori and PS believe. They're happily poaching themselves with a 'strong-a-batch-of-balm' as one can handle and feeling strong and ready for their next foray up the hill.
They're also modifying the dining tent to make a darker cinema for a big screen movie showing of Lord of the Rings and 'Casey's Cappuccinos' are keeping everyone caffeinated and happy. (Sorry Mike but apparently he makes a better brew than you!)
Today the team will all convene in the 'Big House' for their summit rotation Q&A session with Lead Guide Casey who is such a phenomenal resource and I'm sure they're all bubbling new information on summit bid layering, water and oxygen consumption, food etc - a hundred and one Everest climbing hacks!
The weather system has brought in some interesting cloud formations which provides a break from the standard stunning curelean blue expanse (and is probably welcome relief from the hot sun in the mornings which does have a tendency to start redesigning and reshaping tent platforms a bit around this time of year! - nothing a bit of muscle power doesn't fix)
Our team is happy, ready for the summit bid and hopefully relaxed ahead of the greatest adventure of their lives.
...A Quick Update from the Hill...
Hello all,
A quick one today, our Western Guided/International team did a great job tagging Camp 3 today and will spend the night at Camp Two before returning to Base Camp tomorrow having finished their 2nd rotation.
Our IFMGA team rolled back into Base Camp having finished their rotation and are now resting up, and enjoying all the joys of Kumar's cooking, ready for their summit bid. Nice work team!
Private Team Mark and Big Tendi are now awaiting a summit window and Speed Ascent climber Ed and Tendi are at Camp One moving to Camp 2 tomorrow, along with Aditi & Anuja climbing with Guide Lam Babu.
It looks like the jet will move over the mountain South between the 9th -11th of May which should see a decrease in winds, ushering in a period of good summit rope fixing weather and summit weather.
Stay tuned,
Cheers
Caroline
*Feature Image: Wayne Morris
...Rotations, Rotations, Rotations...
Hello All,
I'm sure you are all eagerly awaiting news from the hill so here's a quick progress report;
The IFMGA team along with Private Team Fahad & Ossy are at Camp 2 tonight having climbed up the Lhotse Face (they did really well and climbed strongly) to tag Camp 3. They will be coming down to Base Camp tomorrow ready to rest up, recuperate and prepare for their summit bid.
The Western Guided/International Team moved up C2 today and will likely rest tomorrow before tagging C3
Private Group: Mark and Big Tendi trekked to Pumori C1 today and Private Speed Ascent Group: Tendi and Ed will head up tomorrow for their rotation.
All ticking along well and everyone safe and happy and climbing well. Weather is stable and clear but still windy up high. Business as usual.
Cheers
Caroline
...Sunshine & Climb...
Well, the skies have cleared, the sun is out, the new snow is nicely settling and while it's still windy up high with the jet stream sticking around as predicted, it's time to get back on mission and resume our second set of rotations.
Our first wave of climbers (IFMGA Team, Personal Sherpa & some of our Privates) will finish their 2nd rotation with a shorter jaunt up the hill and will be followed (with a day in between) by our Western Guided Team and remaining Privates who will do a slightly longer rotation.
The goal is to tag Camp 3 before returning to Base Camp to fully recuperate and then the Summit bid can begin.
As always we are all eyes on the expert, human-derived forecast for this next rotation and planning the summit bid. Expedition Leader, Mike Hamill has almost 15 years experience on Everest so to say he knows the moods of this mountain well is an understatement. He's spent almost 2 years of his life on her flanks.
For us, it's not about being first, it's about being strategic, safe and well prepared so we are ready to move in a confident manner when the opportunity arises, as it invariably does...
Cheers
Caroline
*Feature Image - Wayne Morris