...Arrived at The South Col...
The CTSS Everest team made incredible progress to the South Col today in excellent weather and have all safely arrived. Part of their route today passed up through the Yellow Band and above the Geneva Spur.
They will currently be eating, drinking lots of fluids and will now rest on oxygen at the South Col before beginning their climb to the summit late tonight.
To give you an idea of what it is like at Camp 4:
This is the view of their route above looking at the South summit. The first stretch out of camp is flat and feels like walking on a moonscape. The route then gains altitude quickly to the “Balcony” before turning climber’s left toward the South Summit.
Everyone is doing very well and making excellent time. We'll keep you updated on their progress as we get closer and closer. Expedition leader & CTSS owner Mike will be sleeping in the Comms tent tonight basically on top of the base station so he'll hear every radio transmission that comes through from our team.
CTSS Team
...Arrived at Camp 3...
We're very happy to report that most of the team has arrived at Camp 3 with the rest due to arrive any minute. They had another fresh and early start this morning and are moving really well. It's a strong group.
It was a little breezy and cold on the Lhotse Face, but overall we've had great weather and the forecast is still very positive over the next few days. Tonight the team will sleep on oxygen at Camp 3 before moving up to the South Col tomorrow morning.
If all goes well, (as we expect it will given how strongly everyone is climbing!) the team will arrive early afternoon at the South Col, sleep for a few hours and then leave in the late evening for their summit bid! We're getting very close now, it could be as little as 30 or so hours so stay tuned.
Likewise our Lhotse team is moving really well, having come up to Camp 2 today in perfect weather, in fact it was probably far too hot in the Western CWM! Nothing like a little climbing tan to return home with.
All well up high.
CTSS Team
Here is a few 'point of view videos' from the Lhotse Face, and looking out from and at Camp 3! (Videos by Mike Hamill)
...Everest & Lhotse Teams On The Move...
A quick update: The CTSS Everest team bumped up to Camp 2 today while our Lhotse climbers moved from EBC to Camp 1. Both groups of climbers make excellent time in perfect weather. They are tucked in to their respective camps enjoying a hot dinner and drinks.
This is the view that the Camp 2 climbers will have in a few hours as the sun sets and alpenglow takes hold of the Lhotse Face. The Everest team will move to C3 early tomorrow morning while the Lhotse crew will take their place at C2. All is good on the mountain.
CTSS Owner,
Mike Hamill
Everest and Lhotse Summit Bids Begin In Earnest
Months of preparations and years of training have all led up to this moment. The team has been acclimatizing for over a month and climbing through storms to be in position. The Sherpa team has carried hundreds of loads to stock camps. The team has consumed countless gallons of electrolyte mix and energy gels to get to this point. Now the summit bid is officially under way.
The Everest team woke up at 3am this morning and were out the door by 4am to make the journey to camp 1. They arrived safely there several hours later and are all tucked in to their tents relaxing for the day. They will push on to Advanced base camp at Camp 2 tomorrow before heading up the Lhotse face the following day. It will take them 5 days to stand on top assuming weather cooperates and there are no delays.
We're hoping for a Friday the 18th summit for the Everest climbers and a Saturday the 19th summit for Lhotse. Our Lhotse team will go through the same ritual tonight to make their way up to Camp 1, a day behind the Everest team.
We are watching the weather like hawks and currently everything is looking excellent for their summit window. We have hired the most advanced weather forecasting and models available and they have been incredibly accurate. We are seeing some winds high on the mountain today associated with some precipitation down low, which was predicted in the models. The weather is supposed to stabilize over the next few days. Sometimes to put yourself in position for the perfect summit day one needs to push inclement weather down low.
The team is feeling healthy and strong and are all mentally prepared for the arduous climbing ahead. We will keep you posted each day of the summit effort and will try to provide several real-time updates on the blog on summit day as the team ascends and descends. We're underway!
All best from Mt Everest,
Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner
...The Time Has Come...Our Summit Bid Begins
Firstly, our team would like to wish their moms (& mums!) a very Happy Mom's Day! Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for us. (As I type this I received a special shout out to Mert Hamill from Mike & to Amy Kugler from Clint, but of course to the other moms too)
The weather forecast is looking good and our CTSS team is ready for their final Everest and Lhotse summit pushes starting tomorrow morning at 4 AM! Over the next 5 days they will work their way through the Khumbu Icefall, the Westerm Cwm, up the Lhotse Face, and across the South Col to the summit.
We will keep you updated with their process. Wish them luck & Stay Tuned!
CTSS Team
...Gearing Up for the Summit Bid...
We're still playing the waiting game here at Everest base camp but have been staying busy going for day hikes to Pumori Camp 1 and Gorak Sherp for Pringles and Coke, and gearing up for the summit rotation. Some of the team ducked down to Namche and back on the heli for some thick air and cappuccinos and are now back at EBC. We've ben eating lots of great food here at base camp and Kumar continue's to surprise us: fresh doughnuts with cream and fresh, home made yoghurt with Muesli for breakfast, pulled pork sandwiches for lunch, chicken steaks for dinner, and sweet papaya and pomegranate fresh off the heli for desert.
We are watching the weather forecast closely as the Sherpa team supply our high camp. It has been windy the past few days but as I write the Sherpa are cresting the Yellow Band en route to C4. The summit route has now been fixed to the Balcony
We'll keep you posted on our movement as summit day nears.
All best from EBC,
Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner
...The Waiting Game...
With the last of our Everest acclimatization rotations under our belt, there's nothing more to do but wait for a good summit window. Our amazing Sherpa team will head up to Camp 2 in a few days to stock high camp when the winds have subsided enough to do so. Once camp is stocked, the lines are fixed to the summit, and the weather looks good, the team will head up for the summit bid.
Often the waiting game can be the hardest part of the expedition. Teams are acclimatized and ready to go and starting to think about home after being away for so long. It's important to stay focused on the task at hand. Luckily, we're well fed here at base camp and there are several good hiking options to keep the legs fresh from base camp. We still have plenty of movies to watch and there's always work to be done re-building the stone walls that melt out as temps get warmer at our glacier camp.
Although it's been windy higher on the mountain, the weather the last few days here at EBC couldn't have been better. T-shirt weather at mid-day, and cold, clear nights have been the norm. We'll be watching the weather forecasts daily to determine when to jump.
All best from the team here at base camp.
Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner
...Camp 3 Rotation complete...
Sorry for the delay with the blog, internet at Everest base camp can be hit or miss! The entire team just arrived back to Everest Base Camp after an incredibly successful Camp 3 rotation. After pushing through some marginal weather at the start of the trip they were treated to clear skies and stunning views during the latter half. Yesterday they pushed to their high point at Camp 3 in the best weather yet. The views down the Western Cwm and towards the summit of Cho Oyu are unparalleled.
I cannot give enough praise about how this team is preforming thus far. They are making exceptional time from camp to camp and everyone is staying healthy, climbing safely and feeling strong.
Now it is just a waiting game. The team will spend several rest days here at base camp recovering, taking hot showers and putting some meat back on their bones as such.
Although the skies are clear, high winds are predicted for summit altitudes for the next 5 days at least. This means that our Sherpa team can’t get to high camp to stock the camp with tents and oxygen, although a few may be able to sneak up tomorrow during a lull. Once the winds subside, a cooperative team of Sherpa will fix line to the summit and we will start looking at summit days. Until then, lots of R+R, movies, and food!
Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner
...Second Rotation.. Camp 2...
The team made their way to Camp 1 yesterday morning, beginning their final acclimatization rotation before returning to base camp to rest in anticipation of the summit. The morning was cold and windy and the night was punctuated by small rockfalls and avalanches off Lintgren and Lo La, not in danger of the route. Soon temps warmed as the crew reached C1 and the sun hit camp. Everyone made impressive time though the ice fall which bodes well for their stated goal of tagging camp 3 on this rotation.
Today the team woke with the sun and proceeded up the famed Western Cwm, over the imposing "ice wall" feature, and on to Camp two. The accommodations at camp 2 are rustic no doubt, but much more hospitable than C1. We have two full time cooks on staff at Camp 2 (imagine spending a month cooking at nearly 22,000 ft/6,500m, roughly 7,000ft/2,000m higher than the summit of Mont Blanc in Europe), a dining tent with chairs, and a tent toilet. Camp 2 acts as our Advanced base camp from which we tackle the upper mountain. On a dry year several years ago I was lucky enough to find a '75 Bonington oxygen bottle melting out in the morraine not far from this camp.
The team will likely take a rest day tomorrow before heading up the lower slopes of the Lhotse Face to C3 the following day, weather permitting. From there they descend to relax in the relative comfort of C2 for a night before heading back to base camp for more for Kumar's fine cooking and a hot shower.
All is well with the team at C2.
...Puja Time...
A very auspicious day for us here at Everest base camp with our "Puja" (blessing ceremony) taking place. Several high lama's traveled great distances to come to camp to bless our expedition before we tackle the upper mountain. A Puja is a Tibetan Buddhist ritual that is part of Sherpa life, the purpose of which is to ask the mountain deity for safe passage and of course to celebrate. For our CTSS Puja, the Sherpa chose a full moon and according to the Tibetan calendar, the day Buddha began teaching. A special day indeed.
Those of us that have participated in many Puja's were in agreement that this was the best one we've ever been fortunate enough to be part of. Many climbers form all over camp came to join us in this celebration and the lamas chanted and blessed for several hours and of course there was lots of good food and drink on offer! It was a great chance for us to socialize and celebrate with each other, Sherpa and non-Sherpa alike and solidify our bonds before heading higher.
We concluded with a traditional Sherpa dance, locking arms and forming a semi circle in front of the Puja alter. We 'Mikaru' (or 'foreigner' which roughly translates to 'white eyes') tried to emulate the Sherpa as best we could!
The culmination of the ceremony is raising the Puja pole in the center of the alter and stringing prayer flags over our camp, building a zone of protection for the team. When the flags blow in the wind it is thought by the Sherpa that they send out prayers. This has become a common part of any Everest and Lhotse expedition and the Sherpa, who draw no distinction between their daily lives and their Tibetan Buddhism, appreciate and welcome us in this ritual.
Today we are resting and packing for our second rotation. The Sherpa team carried another heavy load to Camp two and are setting up for our arrival into camp as I write. The climbers will wake up early in the morning and start their ascent to camp 1 in the dark for their second rotation. They plan to spend several nights at camp 2, from here heading up the Lhotse face to touch camp 3. This long rotation will put them in perfect position for the forthcoming summit bid.
All best from EBC,
Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner
CTSS Everest & Lhotse Team ready to climb.
