Good Day in the Mountains

Apr 30, 2016

Greg and Jangbu called from Base Camp to report lots of progress. The Hybrid team are tucked in at Camp 1 tonight, doing well after their trip up the Icefall today. The second Classic team descended today from Camp 2 and are enjoying BC life after their first rotation. Meanwhile, the first team of Classic climbers are having a good rest at BC and are scheduled to head back up to Camp 1 day after tomorrow.

Up on the Lhotse Face, IMG's Chewang Lendu and Damai Serki along with the rest of the fixing sherpas had a great day, blasting through the Yellow Band and reaching the "Lhotse Y". This leaves only about 700 meters of fixed rope to install, up and over the Geneva Spur and traversing into the South Col. Also today, we had 14 sherpas go to Camp 3 and chop out 9 tent platforms. Great work team! Now this camp will be ready for the Hybrid climbers in a few days, when they move up there for more acclimatization.

Down Valley, Jenni's team had a beautiful vist to Gokyo, and today dropped down to Machermo. Their trip will wrap up in Namche tomorrow, from where they will be catching helicopters down to Lukla for an expedited departure. Meanwhile, the Sherpa Trek Team are having fun in Namche, and took a had a nice acclimatization hike today. They go to Tengboche tomorrow.

Everything is going according to plan. We'll take it.

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Route Completed to Camp 3

Apr 29, 2016

I just spoke to Danuru Sherpa (better known as Dawa) at Camp 2. He and the other sherpa fixers changed the route at the Lhotse Face bergschrund today and were able to get around the big crack without ladders by going farther to the climber's right, down into the big crack, and then back to the left. This enabled them to get onto the Face and install the second fixed rope up to Camp 3.

The sherpa team is excited and doing great. Tomorrow their plan is to attempt to push the route from Camp 3 to the South Col. Also, we have a Camp 3 team heading up to build that camp. I asked Dawa what was for dinner tonight for the Sherpa Team at Camp 2 and he said "Dahl Bhat Power."

Thank you Dawa!

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

The Mountain Changes and We Adjust

Apr 28, 2016

Our various IMG teams are acclimatizing well. Down valley, our Sherpa Trek Team had a nice hike up the Namche Hill today and are doing well. They will take an active rest day tomorrow and enjoy the great view of Everest from up above Shyangboche.

We have the second wave of Classic climbers at Camp 2 tonight, after a nice climb for them today up the Western Cwm from Camp 1. Tomorrow they will take a short walk towards the Lhotse Face to stretch their legs and get their heart rate up (its over 21,000 feet!). Our Hybrid Team is at Base Camp getting to roll on their Camp 3 rotation.

Our first wave of Classic climbers had another great rest day at Base Camp and did their oxygen training. They will have a couple more days rest days, and more opportunity to practice dealing with their O2 masks, goggles and hats. These can be a challenge, and it is very important to get dialed in on those systems.

We had a slight setback today on the continued fixing of the Lhotse Face. When the Fixing Team arrived at the Bergschrund this morning, they found it had opened up a bit, making it too difficult to cross with loads. So, we have sent up some more ladders to make it easier to get across the crack, and they will go back tomorrow and get that fixed. The mountain changes and we adjust. That's mountaineering.

We are working our way up the mountain slowly and everything is looking good!

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

Trekkers Hit the Trail; Climbers Progress

Apr 27, 2016

We have two trek teams on the trail today. Jenni and her "Maida Mountaineers" team left Everest Base Camp yesterday, after their overnight visit with the Everest climbers and dropped down to Dzongla (4,830m; 15,850ft). Then, today they climbed up and over the famous Cho La Pass (5,420m; 17,782ft) before descending to Thagnak (4,700m; 15,400ft) in the upper Gokyo valley. This is a rugged and strenuous pass crossing but fortunately the weather was great, so they had no issues. Tomorrow, they will continue down to Gokyo Lake.

Over in the Dudh Kosi valley of the Khumbu, our Sherpa Trek Team are doing well. These guys were met in Kathmandu by Pasang for their gear checks and briefing, and enjoyed a dinner at the Bhojan Griha restaurant which is known for its authentic Nepalese food and cultural show. Today they took the early morning flight to Lukla. Waiting for them at the Lukla airport were Phu Tashi and Sonam Dorjee, who will lead their trek. Tonight they are in Phakding, and they will be moving up the valley in the coming days. We'll look forward to seeing them at Everest Base Camp!

Up on Everest, expedition leader Greg Vernovage reports that everything is going well. The Hybrid team and first Classic team are back at Base Camp after their respective rotations. Today, some of the them went out on the Glacier for some ice climbing.

Our second team of Classic climbers are doing well at Camp 1, and had a nice acclimatization hike today in the Western Cwm. Tomorrow they will be moving to Camp 2. The weather has continued to be good and the sherpas have moved more gear up to Camp 2 in preparation for the big push to Camps 3 and 4. The fixing teams have been working on installing a second (parallel) fixed line up to Camp 3, so there will be both an Up and Down rope, which will help prevent traffic jams. We have 15 IMG sherpas moving to Camp 2 tomorrow, and they will be chopping out the Camp 3 tent platforms over the next few days. So far, so good!

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Acclimatization

Apr 26, 2016

Acclimatization is always more fun when you have a great group of people. Our Teams are working together very well on their acclimatization rotations to Camp 2. Our First Classic Team returned from Camp 2 to EBC this morning with stories of their adventures. This Team had a nice rotation and were able to witness the helicopter flights with the fixing rope and gear up to Camp 1, and also the actual fixing of the route to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face.

One member made a very good observation. "It is nice to see the Sherpa Team fix; it gave me perspective of how long the route is to Camp 3." There is plenty of ice on the face this year, so the climbers will put their cramponing skills to good use on their next rotation! IMG sherpa Chewang Lendu claimed our Camp 3 campsite while he was up there, and next on the agenda is to start working on building out this camp. This will require ice axes, steel shovels, and pick axes up there to get the tent platforms constructed.

Meanwhile the various expedition teams seek to take advantage of the good weather and push the route up to the South Col. We had a meeting at Everest BC and have made a tentative plan to get the ropes up to the South Col and eventually to the summit. Knock on wood, the weather is trending in our favor, and we are hoping to see the jet stream drop to the south of the Himalayas in the coming days.

Great spirits and Happy Birthday to Richard tonight!

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

Classic Climbers Reach C1 & C2; Fixing Team Reaches C3

Apr 25, 2016

Greg and Jangbu report that the weather today was very nice, so the Sherpa fixing team took off from Camp 2 as the sun came up and had a great day fixing up to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face. They looked at all of the available options and decided that the Direct Route was the best choice at this time. Up at Camp 2 the first Classic team members are all doing well. They will spend a couple nights up there and take a hike tomorrow up to the Lhotse Face, before heading back down to Base Camp. Meanwhile, the second Classic team moved to Camp 1 and are doing well.

Back at Base Camp, Jenni and her trek group arrived today and will be spending a night with the team.

The Hybrid climbers, now back at EBC, took an "active rest day" today, with a short hike up towards Pumori Base Camp to keep their legs stretched out and their acclimatization going, followed by an oxygen clinic.

With the oxygen clinic, they tried on different oxygen masks to make sure they have a good fit and were issued those along with a regulator. Then they practiced connecting it all together with an oxygen cylinder, while wearing gloves and mittens, as well as goggles and hats. This is a super important skill for every Everest climber to master, because on the summit day, the first bottle change will be in the cold and dark at the Balcony. The guides and sherpas will be there to help, but in a pinch, every climber must be capable of dealing with their own oxygen system.

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Challenging C1 to C2 Route; Fixing the Lhotse Face

Apr 24, 2016

The route from Camp 1 to Camp 2 is a little less direct than in years past and our climbers are using the words "end run, rolling and steep steps" a bit more often when referring to areas along the route. On a few spots, there are some vertical ladders and rappel lines.

With that said, our teams are handling the objectives in great form. The Hybrid team is getting some rest back in EBC after their Camp 2 rotation, and the first group of Classic climbers moved from Camp 1 to Camp 2 in good time. The weather has been blustery for the climbers, rewarding good decisions on layering and when to move. These are good tests for our later rotations.

The Camp 3 rope-fixing sherpas met at IMG's Camp 2 so they could go over the plan for the morning. The team members are Rinji and Nima Tshiri from Adventure Consultants; Nawang and Namgya from Himex; Fura Gyalzen and Tenzing Cholar from Asian Trekking; Tamding and Nima Gyalzen from Jagged Globe; and Chewang Lendu and Damai Serki from IMG. This is one heck of a team of climbers! Their plan is to leave Camp 2 at 7:30am and head towards the Lhotse Face. They have a few different route options to look at before they decide which way to go this year.

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

Heli Gear Delivery to Camp 1

Apr 23, 2016

We have had another great day on Mount Everest. Jenni and her trek team moved up from Lobuche BC to Gorak Shep, and are doing well. The Hybrid team descended to Everest BC this morning from Camp 2. This is a milestone for them with their first Camp 2 rotation now under their belts. Up at Camp 1, Jonathan and the first group of Classic climbers had a nice acclimatization hike today in the Cwm and will be moving up to Camp 2 tomorrow. Today they had a front row seat at Camp 1 for the helicopter rodeo up there!

Phunuru and the sherpa team worked with the Simrik B3 helicopter to send 10,000 meters of fixed line and supplies up to Camp 1 today. This was all paid for by the EOA from the fixing fees charged to every climber on the mountain. All total they flew 8 loads (100kg each) from Gorak Shep to Camp 1, saving dozens of carries up the Icefall. Now, this gear will be carried to Camp 2 and we have our sights on starting to work on the Lhotse Face route and Camp 3.

Thank you for all of the support!

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

Climbing Strong in Three Weather Zones

Apr 22, 2016

Our Teams are climbing very well. The Hybrid Team up at Camp 2 had a great active rest day, taking a walk towards the Lhotse Face. They have had a good rotation on the mountain and will be returning to EBC tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, the first wave of Classic Climbers moved through the Icefall and are at Camp 1 for a couple days.

The weather continues to be relatively nice in the morning and gets cloudy with a little wind in the afternoon. With climbers at three different camps, we get a good idea of how different the weather can be. Tonight's forecast from the various teams on the mountain was: calm with snow flurries at Camp 2; windy with snow blowing sideways at Camp 1, and down at Base Camp, light snow, breezy with some gusts.

All is well on Mount Everest!

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

A Full Moon and a Puja

Apr 21, 2016

It was a good day and a gorgeous full moon night at Mt. Everest. Up on the hill, the hybrid team climbed from Camp 1 to Camp 2, where they are now ensconced. Justin reports that it took them four hours, and that they had to deal with quite a lot of crevasses along the way, in several places necessitating long end-runs to get around them. The team will spend several nights up there and take a hike up towards the Lhotse Face.

Back at Base Camp, the team celebrated another puja for the sherpas and Classic climbers who missed the first one. More is better! Jonathan Schrock, the first half of the Classic climbers and their personal sherpas have now finished their preparations and are ready to head up the Icefall to Camp 1 in the very early morning. The remaining Classic climbers who are on Team 3 are also ready to head up tomorrow for their "dry run" into the Icefall.

This afternoon Greg, Phunuru, Jangbu and a group of our sherpas ran down to the Gorak Shep store room to finish packing up 87 man loads of rope and fixing gear, in preparation for a heli flight scheduled for the 23rd up to Camp 1. The helicopter will fly from Gorak Shep for this, and we are ready!

Down valley, Jenni reports her team stopped to see the Lama Geshe in Pangboche yesterday and arrived to Dingboche just ahead of a rain shower. Today they had an acclimatization hike, and are planning to move to Lobuche BC tomorrow. So far, so good!

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Congratulations Phunuru!

Apr 20, 2016

We had a great day on the mountain today. Justin, Emily and the Hybrid team are acclimatizing up at Camp 1, and they took a short walk today up the Western Cwm towards Camp 2 to stretch their legs and check out the route to Camp 2. The Team is doing great and looking forward to moving up to Camp 2 tomorrow.

At EBC, the Classic team did some ladder training and packed food and gear for their first rotation. During the ladder training, someone asked Dawa (one of our senior sherpa guides) "What do you do if you fall off the ladder?" Dawa calmly answered, "You S@#* your pants." Laughter roared through the camp. The team is doing great and will have their Puja tomorrow and finish preparation for the following morning. Tonight we celebrated Craig's birthday, one of our Classic climbers.

We are very proud of Phunuru Sherpa for his work instructing the Icefall Doctors earlier this season. There was a nice ceremony at the SPCC camp where Phunuru was recognized as a Lead Instructor for Icefall Doctor Training. Congratulations Phunuru!

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

Hybrid Team Reaches Camp 1; Trekkers Doing Well

Apr 19, 2016

Expedition leader Greg Vernovage reports that today was a big day in the Icefall, and it all went very well. Justin, Emily, and the Hybrid climbers reached Camp 1 in good time. Their plan will be to take two nights there, before going to Camp 2.

IMG guide Jonathan Schrock along with the Classic climbers and sherpas did their "dry run" up into the Icefall and were looking strong. They will take a couple rest days now, before heading up.

Also, today, we had twenty sherpas carry (13 to C1 and 7 to C2). The climbers say that the Icefall route is in good shape (center/right center), and except for a couple bottlenecks, is pretty fast and smooth. The Icefall doctors are continuing their work on the route to improve it.

This afternoon at Base Camp the various expedition teams had a meeting during which the EOA (Expedition Outfitters Association) plan to fly fixing gear to Camp 1 was described. We have been working on this now for many weeks, and the approvals have now been formally issued by the Ministry. Justin is scouting a good heli pad at Camp 1 and within the next couple days (weather dependent), the Simrik AS350B3 helicopter will be used to shuttle 1000 kilos of fixed rope and anchors up the Icefall to Camp 1, avoiding all those Icefall carries. Then the rope and anchors will get carried up to the Lhotse Face with the goal to have the route to Camp 3 fixed as soon as possible.

Down the valley, Jenni and her trek team reached Tengboche and are doing well.

Also, Mary, one of our trekkers from Team 2 who is exiting via the Cho La-Gokyo-Renjo La route (similar to IMG's Autumn 3 Peaks 3 Passes Nepal Trek), sent some nice shots from Gokyo and her ascent of Gokyo Ri in the early morning light. This is a classic Himalayan mountain view from up there, ranging from Cho Oyu in the west to Makalu in the east. Well done!

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Final Lobuche Summits; Time to Put the Pedal Down

Apr 18, 2016

IMG guide Mike Hamill called from Lobuche Base Camp to say that the Team 3 climbers are all safely down. It was a long day today, but they had a good climb. On the descent, Tashi Tsering and his sherpa team removed our fixed ropes. A big shout out to these sherpas who have worked with our Lobuche climbers. Also to Jor Bahadur and his cook team at Lobuche BC for the good food.

After a rest, the Everest climbers will head back to EBC, and the Lobuche climbers trek down-valley to Lukla. We also have some folks going out via the longer Cho La-Gokyo-Renjo La departure route. This adds several high passes and several days of trekking to the exit route.

Speaking of trekking, down in Namche Jenni and her trek team had a nice acclimatization hike today up to the Everest View Hotel above Shyangboche. They are off to Tengboche in the morning.

At Everest Base Camp, Greg and Jangbu report that the big sherpa carry today went well with 39 men carrying to Camp 1. This camp is now ready for the Hybrid team when they push up early tomorrow morning.

Jonathan and the Classic climbers did some more training today and are preparing for their "dry run" into the Icefall tomorrow. We also have a sherpa team heading to C1 and C2 tomorrow, so it will be a busy morning.

The alarm goes off early, you are checking the weather and conditions and pounding down a little breakfast. Then, it is time to get suited up and start walking. The sherpa will be burning some juniper at the puja alter, and you walk past this. It is quite emotional to head out into the night for the trip up to Camp 1. Fear, excitement and expectation are layered on top of the raw physical challenge of the Icefall's unrelenting climbing. Time to put the pedal down!

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Getting Ready to Climb

Apr 17, 2016

Greg and Jangbu report from EBC that the various IMG teams are preparing for the climbing to come. The Hybrid climbers on Team 1 with Emily and Justin packed their food loads today for their first rotation up the hill. We like to give everyone the opportunity to select from a wide variety of foods at EBC the items which they can tolerate well at altitude, and then we will send those supplies up for them. Even the best food in the world, if you can't eat it, does no good!

Tomorrow is a rest day for the Hybrid team with their departure planned for the pre-dawn of the next morning.

The Team 2 climbers spent a good day at EBC today working on their ladder and fixed rope skills in preparation for their "dry run" up into the Icefall. Down at Lobuche Peak, Mike and Josh report the Team 3 are doing well and are tucked into the High Camp, ready for a pre-dawn departure for the summit.

We have a big sherpa carry scheduled as well for tomorrow, so that will go a long way to finishing up the Camp 1 and 2 preparations.

Finally, Jenni and Lobsang are in Namche with their trek team. Everyone is doing well and they are planning an acclimatization hike for tomorrow.

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Acclimating and First Forays into the Icefall

Apr 16, 2016

We have had a good day here on Everest. Our advance team of sherpas up at Camp 2 are making great progress erecting tents and preparing for the first rotation of our climbers and sherpas in a couple days. Today we had 22 sherpas make a carry from EBC to Camp 1 with supplies, and they all returned to EBC in good time.

Our Hybrid climbers from Team 1 had a great run into the Icefall to practice for their trip to Camp 1 in two days. They crossed some ladders and made it up to the Football Field before returning to Base Camp. Their plan is a rest day tomorrow, and then they head to Camp 1.

Our Classic climbers on Teams 2 and 3 gave each other a high five as they passed on the trail between Everest and Lobuche Base Camps. Team 2 returning to EBC did a great job with their Lobuche climb and will benefit from the challenging conditions that they experienced. They also earned a full rest day tomorrow. A few showers and some laundry are the only priorities that they will have.

Mike and Josh with the Team 3 climbers are at Lobuche Base Camp tonight and will head to high camp for our final climb of Lobuche. They had a nice trek down to Lobuche Base Camp and will enjoy a little thicker air and a great night sleep. They accomplished an excellent training day on the Khumbu Glacier and have the tools they need for their climb of Lobuche.

Down in Kathmandu IMG guide Jenni Pfafman and her trekking team (the "Maida Mountaineers") celebrated Jenni's 4th birthday (in Nepal) last night. Today, they made it to Lukla, despite bad weather which caused all of today's fixed wing flights to be cancelled. Pasang in Kathmandu was able to scramble and get them all on helicopters, and they made it to Lukla and trekked to Phakding on schedule.

The nights are cold up here which is great for the Icefall conditions. Thank you for all of the positive thoughts!

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

More Lobuche Summits; Everyone on the Move

Apr 15, 2016

Team 2 had a great climb of Lobuche Peak today! The weather was good and they had plenty of time up on the summit to kickstart their acclimatization. Back at Everest BC, Team 3 did some fixed line training in the lower Icefall while Team 1 worked out on a ropes and ladder course set up by our Sherpa Team.

The short story for tomorrow is that everyone is on the move. We have 22 Sherpa heading to Camp 1. The Hybrid climbers on Team 1 will be heading into the Icefall for their dry run. Our Classic climbers on Team 2 will be returning to EBC, and Team 3 will head down to Lobuche Peak for their acclimatization climb. Up at Camp 2, our Sherpa team is continuing their work on building that camp.

—Greg Vernovage, Expedition Leader

Camp 2 Established

Apr 14, 2016

Greg and Jangbu report from Everest BC that today started out cold but nice, then got cloudier with some snow in the afternoon. The sherpa team did their first big push up the mountain today. We had 19 sherpas carry loads to Camp 1 and return to Base Camp. Everyone did well and made good time. Then, we had 11 more sherpas continue on to Camp 2. They managed to get some tents set up this afternoon, and they are spending the night with plans to continue working on the camp tomorrow. They report it is quite cold at Camp 2 (-20°C), and they have had some fresh snow up there.

Down at Lobuche Peak, Team 2 is at high camp. They also had a bit of snow this afternoon, but the weather cleared in the evening so hopefully they will have a good day tomorrow for their climb. Teams 1 and 3 all had a good day at Base Camp today, with showers, laundry, and lots of good food on their agenda. Team 3 did some practice with their rigging and will get out on the glacier tomorrow for some more practice with the fixed ropes. Team 1 will take a couple rest days now and then get ready for a "dry run" up into the Icefall to practice crossing some ladders.

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner

Snow in the Kingdom

Apr 13, 2016

Greg Vernovage reports that Teams 1 and 3 have now reached Everest Base Camp, and the Team 2 climbers have headed down to Lobuche BC with Jonathan Schrock and a number of our sherpa guides. With a shout out going to Ed Webster's book, the team had a little snow this afternoon at Everest, and it looks like there might be a change in the weather coming. For tomorrow we have a large sherpa team heading up to Camps 1 and 2, so we'll hope it does not snow too much.

Greg worked today with some of the other teams to prepare the rope and climbing hardware for fixing the route above Camp 2. We are working on a plan to get this gear moved up the hill. So far, so good!

—Eric Simonson, IMG Partner