...The World's Highest Yoga Class...
Welcome to the world's highest yoga class! Does anyone know anyone at the Guinness Book of Records? We have a new entry for them. Tenji Sherpa took the team through some poses in the Big House today, complete with 6inch yoga matt mattresses! I wonder how Shavasana at the end went? Do you think they all just went to sleep?
Our IFMGA & Personal Sherpa Teams head back up the hill early tomorrow morning so they spent their day packing and prepping. This is their 2nd rotation which will be significantly longer with 5x nights on the mountain. The overall goal is to touch camp 3 and get familiar with the Lhotse Face.
Private Team Fahad and Guide Ossy will leave for their 2nd rotation the day after tomorrow.
Coming off the mountain were Private Team Mark W and Big Tendi who came back down to EBC today from Camp 2 for a well earned hot shower and a little R&R.
Meanwhile, Ed our Speed Ascent Climber, having summited Lobuche, also reached Base Camp today.
Our Western Guided/International Team, led by Casey & Tommi will continue to enjoy a few more days of recovery and Kumar's incredible cooking (the whole camp had fresh pomegranate and vanilla pudding for dessert and some French potato dish that I can't pronounce, let alone spell, but it sounded phenomenal!)
Speaking of food, it seems our Argentine contingent wants in on the Masterchef action, Nacho is in the kitchen making a special meal tonight. He owns a cookware company called LaFont in Argentina so knows his way around a kitchen but I wonder what he will think about the nuances of high altitude cooking? - for instance, did you know that at high altitude the preparation of food requires significant changes in time, temperature and often recipe? The lower atmospheric pressure plays havoc, gases (for instance in bread and cakes) expand more quickly and water will boil at lower temperatures and evaporate faster - the result, much longer cooking times and the risk of everything getting really dried out. No quick fix either - you can't exactly just turn up the heat as it will only exacerbate the problem, causing water to boil away faster leaving your dinner extra dry and your elimination from Himalayan Masterchef a surety. It's a fine art indeed. How Kumar makes his cakes so moist and fluffy is beyond me. Depending on the results, Nacho the Climber/Cook extraordinaire, may win himself a position as CTSS Sous Chef for next year?
It's gearing up to be a nice night ahead and we have extra cause for celebration - for the first time, all our Everest climbing teams are together in one spot. Movie night in the Big House perhaps? (We'll throw in the fresh popcorn)
Everyone doing well and while we know climbing Everest is tough, it could be argued that doing Downward Dog at 17,400ft or cooking a superb meal for the whole crew is tougher!?
Cheers
Caroline
...Bruce's First Brew...
Not a bad day up high in the Himalaya, not bad at all. Summit stories aside for a minute, let's first address the most pressing bit of news... regarding CTSS climber Bruce...
Bruce, I am told, had never had a cup of coffee in his life. Yes, that's right, never in his life had coffee passed his lips... until today at 17,600ft. His innocence lost to a frothy cup of perfectly brewed Himalayan Java beans (naturally) Who could resist with barista Mike on the tools!? (I can personally attest that he does make a strong brew! I'm a tea girl myself - Earl Grey all the way, anyway I digress) I'm told the result was wild smiles and some jitters. I wonder how many hot laps of camp he made? Any guesses? Maybe it will be the secret sauce that propels him to the summit?!
Sarcasm aside, we had a stunning day today. Speed Ascent Climber Ed stood on top of Lobuche with Tendi today and took some stunning pics (below) As Tendi said; he may have climbed the peak 26x but the view never gets old.
Speaking of views, some of the team enjoyed a chilled hike about Base Camp and up to Pumori Camp 1 today and were well rewarded with some spectacular vistas of Everest. The mighty Himalaya are certainly something to behold.
Private Team Mark and Big Tendi had a gentle foray up the Lhotse face a little way to acclimatize and get a feel, and are now back at Camp 2 for the night.
Our Western/International Guided and Personal Sherpa climbers descended are all safely resting and recuperating in the Big House, (and probably enjoying hot showers and the opportunity to do a little laundry.)
On the business end, there was a rope fixing meeting today and plenty of planning for the weeks that lie ahead. With the first rotations complete, the next step is to do a second rotation and spend 5-6 days on the mountain which will have the climbers well positioned for their summit bids.
Cheers
Caroline
...Climbing & Chill...
Hi All,
Just a quick update from me again today. Our teams are all either climbing or chilling! (or a bit of both)
IFMGA & Personal Sherpa climbers in that first wave alongside Private Group Fahad and Ossy are unwinding from their rotation at Base Camp and got the cinema in the Big House up and running for a bit of a movie night which is always fun. Today they did a nice hike up to Pumori Camp 1 to keep those muscles stretched out and the blood pumping.
Meanwhile, our Western Guided/International team are up at Camp 2 enjoying arguably the highest dining facilities in the world with a fully equipped dining tent complete with tables and chairs!
Our Private Group Mark W and Big Tendi are doing an acclimatization hike up to the base of the Lhotse Face and will spend the night at Camp 2 and our Lhotse Climber Robert is at Camp 1.
They'll all start heading back downhill tomorrow after all Kumar's cooking is calling!
*Featured Image by Wayne Morris
...The 'ins and outs' of Acclimatization...
Hello everyone,
Sometimes a short update from the hill is the best kind of update. When there's not too much to report, it means all is going smoothly, easily and well, which indeed it is.
Our first & second wave of climbers (so the IFMGA Team, Personal Sherpa climbers and Privates) are back to Base Camp and no doubt plugging into the excruciatingly slow Everest wifi (bear with them if their audio calls drop or Facetime calls are a thing of fantasy) and rolling into the Big House to chill out, after well deserved steaming hot showers and a feast.
Meanwhile, our final wave (being our Western Guided, Private Group Kent and Fred and Lhotse climber Robert) have headed up to Camp 1 to begin their first rotation. They'll follow a similar schedule with a sleep at Camp 1, an acclimatization hike up the CWM to Camp 2 (tomorrow) returning for a second night sleep at Camp 1 before moving up to Camp 2 to sleep the following day and then dropping back down to EBC.
As I'm sure many of you know, the purpose of 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 up here successfully on Mt. Everest 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. By doing rotations and increasing their high point a little more each time, the climbers 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 they get seriously high, 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?
So while they kick back in the 'Big House' and watch movies and eat Kumar's sensational food, be assured this is very much a vital part of their climb and their bodies are hard at work priming for the goal ahead.
To snap us out of our impromptu science lesson, here are some sensational pics from climber and talented photographer Wayne Morris - thanks Wayne!
Cheers
Caroline
...Positive Progress...
Hi Everyone,
A nice short, sweet one for you today. Just checked in with the team and everyone is safe, happy and well (just the way we like it) and mostly on schedule. Part of the first wave is up at Camp 2 tonight (maxing out their acclimatization on this rotation) with the rest at Camp 1 having enjoyed another "active-rest day" with acclimatization hikes up the CWM in the sun.
Absolutely stunning weather and more forecast over the next few days which is great.
There was a small collapse in the icefall (no one was caught up or hurt) but it did mean a few route repairs by the incredible Icefall Doctors and an extra ladder in place. As a result, our Western Guided/International Team has delayed their rotation departure until tomorrow morning. They'll head up before dawn tomorrow possibly even passing our first wave of climbers who will be returning to Base Camp for some well deserved hot showers and Kumar's cooking having completed their first rotation. Yum.
Cheers
Caroline
...Uphill Motion...
A lovely day today both at Basecamp and in the Western Cwm. Sunny and hot!
Two of our Private Groups, (being Mark W & Guide Big Tendi and Fahad & Guide Ossy) headed up through the icefall to Camp 1 today beginning their three-day rotation and are safely at Camp.
Our IFMGA and Personal Sherpa Climbers took an active rest day, heading up the Cwm toward C2. They will sleep back at Camp 1 tonight before moving up to Camp 2 tomorrow.
Back at Base Camp our Western Guided/International Team and Private Group Kent + Guide Fred got prepped and packed up and will depart EBC nice and early tomorrow morning well before dawn, headed for Camp 1.
All moving well on the hill. Up they go for round 1!
Cheers
Caroline
...First Wave...
It was a beautiful morning on the South side of Mt. Everest with our first wave of climbers (being the IFMGA teams and our Personal Sherpa climbers; as well as Austin our Camp 3 climber) have safely made it through the icefall.
As I write they are enjoying hot tea and an afternoon nap in the sun at Camp 1. Sounds quite nice doesn't it? Well deserved indeed.
Tomorrow, they will set off to tag Camp 2 before returning to Camp 1 to sleep. Also making moves in the wee hours of tomorrow is our second wave, made up of 2x of our Private Groups - With Fahad and Ossy setting off for C1 alongside Mark W and Big Tendi. Today they prepped and packed and had a rest day. They're feeling good about the adventure that lies ahead.
Meanwhile, our Western Guided/International team enjoyed an acclimatization hike up to Pumori Camp 1 and they'll have a packing, prep day tomorrow before heading uphill on the 24th. Robert our Lhotse climber will move in that wave as well as Private Team Kent & Fred.
All is well at EBC and beyond,
Cheers Caroline
...The Big House at EBC...
The talk around camp today is very much centred on the 'Big House' which has officially opened its doors to our team members as a place to unwind, watch movies, connect together as a team and drink endless cups of tea, coffee and hot chocolate. It's deserving of its nickname too at a whopping 10m across and 6m high! (33ft across by 20ft high for our friends who work in feet) Complete with carpeted floors, lounges, tables and chairs and a spectacular view - it's pretty plush. I think our biggest problem could be luring the climbers out of it to actually go climb? What do you think?
All jokes aside, many of you might ask, why? and it's a fair question. Part of our philosophy at CTSS is the belief that (yes once the training is done, the necessary experience gained and you are actually on the mountain) well-rested, happy, healthy climbers are the climbers best set up for success.
We're the first to admit it looks luxurious and indulgent, and it is, but if you are spending 2 months of your life somewhere (and really putting your body and mind to the test) don't you want to be comfortable?? We think so. Patience is a major part of the Everest game and everyone knows how much time is spent at EBC to acclimate and recuperate so we wanted to heavily invest in that environment and our climbers. We want to help them maximize their downtime and feel as at home as possible while they tackle the challenge of a lifetime. Hence the 'Big House' was born.
(Don't worry, there's plenty of time for roughing it above Camp 2!)
Aside from the grand opening, it was all about continued training today, working to become extremely comfortable and familiar with ladder crossings in crampons etc with and some vertical ice work thrown in for good measure. Practice helps to concrete those skills into second nature.
Tomorrow (22nd April) Our first wave being the IFMGA Team & Personal Sherpa Groups will head out the door before dawn on their first 3 night rotation. They'll climb to Camp 1 where they'll sleep (22nd April), then the following day (23rd April) tag Camp 2 and return to Camp 1 to sleep for a second night, before moving up to Camp 2 (24th April) to sleep a final night and return to Base Camp on the 25th.
Following in their footsteps will be 2x of our private groups - being Ossy & Fahad, Big Tendi & Mark who will leave a day later on the 23rd but follow the same 3-night rotation schedule.
Finally, on the 24th, our Western Guided/International Team led by Casey will make their move up the hill for their rotation.
Everyone is in great spirits, especially as Kumar has been making his famous, super-sized, apple pies for dessert - however, pie isn't on the menu tonight as we have a birthday to celebrate before everyone heads up the hill - Happy Birthday for tomorrow Peter Wilson -thank you for putting cake on the plate for all. Your family sent in special wishes to you too.
Speaking of good wishes, from all of us at CTSS - Happy Easter, we hope you and your families enjoy the holidays.
Cheers
Caroline
...Acclimatization Continues at EBC...
The teams are continuing their various training and acclimatization schedules with our IFMGA Team and Personal Sherpa Climbers heading up to Pumori Camp 1 today to get some elevation, stretch the legs and enjoy the views.
Our Western Guided/International Team are continuing their training and working on ladder crossings today.
Our Sherpa Team are stocking camp 1 & 2 so that the teams are in a great position to head up onto the hill over the next few days.
As promised, here's a photo of the 'Big House' dome, which is really the heart of camp and great hang out area for all of the CTSS climbers and crew.
As well as a team photo of the crew, and as Mike says "Representing 14 countries and all 6 inhabited continents, we are honored to share the mountain with this truly international team"
Cheers
Caroline
PS Wishing Chris Kulish a big Happy Birthday as well!
Guide meeting
*Featured Photo - Wayne Morris*
...The Business of Base Camp...
Hello everyone,
A relaxed day at Base Camp today with everyone going about the business of getting ready for the climb ahead.
The IFMGA Team and the Personal Sherpa Guided Clients did a dry run trek into the Icefall early this morning to start to get familiar with the route and type of climbing and to stretch their acclimatization just a little bit more.
The Western Guided/International Team did some training in the lower part of the icefall just near camp, getting some vertical in their crampons and practising ascending, rappelling etc with their big mitts on. Shaking out any cobwebs to make sure these skills are second nature up high.
Our Trekking Team & Lobuche Climbers flew safely out of Lukla today and are back in the luxury of the Yak + Yeti with most of them having a few more days up their sleeves before their flights home. Free to check out town (and enjoy as many hot showers as they like and I'm sure they'll no doubt find themselves having some massages and good meals in Thamel.
Meanwhile, the "Big House" geodesic dome was completed today. As one passerby said 'what are you guys doing? building the Eiffel Tower?' Can't wait to show you photos in the coming days (the wifi has been a bit patchy today so that's something we can look forward to showing you soon)
Wayne Morris got some cracking photos of the Puja yesterday and the moon over our camp last night too which I thought you would enjoy.
Cheers
Caroline
