Everest South Col 2010

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Team in Lukla, waiting to fly29/May/10

The team has all descended from Base Camp to Lukla, are now luxuriating in 2,800 meter air, the forest and flowers around the town and awaiting a lifting of the fog so we can fly out to Kathmandu.

The journey down valley was done in a quick 3 days, vs the 14 we took heading up to acclimitize. But this time of year, on the cusp of the monsoon, morning fog clouds the valley and visibility is limited to a few 100 meters - if the sun burns it off before noon we fly, otherwise we go for a long lunch.

Behind us we have left a host of sensations from Base Camp, the varying sounds of rock, ice and snow avalanches, each with its distinctive crack, roar and rumble. The mornings in Base Camp had become cool and snowy, almost a reverse of seasons as the pre-monsoon gets underway and clouds make the days cooler and windier.

All the flights into Lukla are only under clear skies, the valley surrounded by mountains and steep runway precluding any second chances, but after the rapid walk down, our legs are happy for the rest.

Robert Mads Anderson

Summit day report from 23rd25/May/10

Summit Teams

Robert Anderson and Mingma Tsiring
Jeremy 'Bunter' Anson and Thundu
Mike Phethean and Pem
Tim Ralph and Dawa

We left the South Col at 8 pm, the wind at a low howl, the oxygen at a constant whispering stream, the crampons twisting and scraping, settling into a pace wrapped in down, encased in our shells, aiming for the Balcony 500 metres above.

A roll of permanent South Col ice cap led to the gradually increasing slope leading up the Triangular Face. Underneath, the crampons cut into the ice, the ascenders slid along the rope leading straight up the Face, from the left the wind streamed across, a roar, then dropping to nothing, then rising again. Overhead, the zillion stars we could see from Base Camp had expanded and set themselves down upon our shoulders and sprinkled the snow with light. Soon the moon came up, and headlamps were barely necessary, dim moon shadows of climbers stretching up the slope. Behind us, a long line of headlamps snaked out all the way to the South Col.

Snow led to steeper rock steps, passing anchors, a single piton driven up into a thin crack, a snow stake pounded flat into a groove, then a more reassuring bolt in the black slate. We crawled upwards, it was my fourth time up these slopes so I knew the rhythm, the distance, the endless dark, the minutes of movement, that stretched and stretched, only the painful ongoing upward movement, the hands now cold on the ascendor, the water freezing even in an inside pocket, ice clogging the mask, streams of smoky breath frosting the down suit and zippers until nothing opened, closed or worked the way it should in the world below. And the start and stop as the group moved, paused, stepped over cliff steps, wound around cliff bands. On the right the ridge curved closer and we entered the long snow slope leading up to the Balcony, a few headlamps flickering further than the stars away but where we were meant to go high above us.

Just below the Balcony, Bunter turned around, heading down, illness draining him of the energy to continue. Everest was giving us one chance and at any other point Bunter would have happily climbed on up to the top with us. Tonight there was no question, and he made the wise decision to turn back to the South Col. Descending with Thundu, assisting him in passing the myriads of people below, he was back at the South Col by 3 a.m.

We changed oxygen bottles and I dropped the extra tank I'd carried up just in case we became thirsty for more air. We twisted regulators onto reassuringly full tanks and set off up the narrow ridge of snow above, twinkling headlamps drifting off to expansive drops on either side, the beams disappearing into the void. It had been six long endless uphill hours to the Balcony, now we faced an ever rising ridge, leading up to a series of rock steps, showing black against the sky above. Far away to the right across the Kangshung Face, two headlamps sparked seemingly in space - climbers ascending the North Ridge in Tibet.

With a few delicate steps, a lunge and a pull up on the ascender we cleared the short rock step and scrambled up steep fractured black rock onto the final long slope up to the South Summit. It was nearly dawn, nearly dawn, nearly dawn, as our bodies hovered between sleep, and consciousness, crampons cutting into the snow and an endless yellow striped blue rope leading upwards. Then the horizon tinged the darkest of grey and the silhouttes of Kanchenjunga and Makalu, the third and fifth highest mountains in the world, broke the line of light. Ever so slowly the light line went from black grey, to grey to a tinge of warming orange. There was no heat, only the first register of colour that signaled the night wouldn't really go on forever.

Then the sun broke through, illuminating the earth and all the land below, very much far below us. An Everest dawn from the South Summit is singularly the best dawn ever, looking down on the whole world; Tibet shaded brown, then the high peaks catching the purple hue, the orange, then the red of the sun as we stand atop the earth and feel it turn towards the sun. To the West, Everest cast its shadow in the deep purple of the far horizon behind us.

At the South Summit we are perched atop a pinnacle of ice and the final ridge reveals itself, a sky cutting line of jagged ice and rock cliffs, towering cornices leaning out over Tibet, black rock cliffs dropping off and then disappearing into space into Nepal. We drop down into the notch below the South Summit, and scrape across the cliffs, rising and then falling in a long traverse to the base of the Hillary Step. Bridging between the rock and the ice, we move up, then step left onto tiny ledges, leading up and around the corner left, space below our feet, a few kilometres of the South West Face dropping straight to our tents at Camp 2.

We squeeze through a one legged slot at the top, clamber up some more loose rock held together with ice, put one crampon in Tibet, another in Nepal, then move back onto a long curving snow slope the snakes around a rocky promontory and then the prayer flags, the five colored wind horses waving in the snow above let us know we are finally, almost, nearly there.

The summit is a meter wide, five long, covered in prayer flags. To the North, Tibet extends, white ice encrusted mountains, then brown mountains and hills and plains. South East lies Kanchenjunga in the far distance, Makalu looms a perfect pink granite pyramid just in front of us, then the long jagged ridge leads up to Lhotse to the South.

We are far above all the world, there is no mistaking the dominance of Everest from its summit, it is not only geographically, but psycologically a dominant presence, standing atop it ones life is now divided into 'before Everest' and 'after Everest,' when the possibilities of what life offers, having looked down from the top of the world seem so much more expansive and hold so much more potential.

Tim and I take a few photos, but the sense of the summit is greater than the need to do simple earthly things and after 45 minutes we turn and head down the hill. Mike will arrive shortly, having climbed quickly up to the South Summit, adjusted crampons and cleared ice from his mask, then climbed along the summit ridge just behind us.

By early afternoon, we are all safely back at the South Col.

Robert M Anderson
Expedition Leader
with valuable high altitude editing by Bunter - thanks

Sherpa names confirmed24/May/10

Sherpas confirmed:

Here are the Sherpas who summited on the 23rd:

Mingma Tsering
Dawa Gyalje
Pem Chhiri
Thundu

So all together, we had a total of 15 climbers, leaders and Sherpas summiting over the 17 and 23 May.

Robert, Mike, Tim and Jeremy are due back in base camp within the next couple of hours.

Summit report from ther 17th08:47 GMT, 24/May/10

Summit report from 17 May:

In reality, summit day started at 6am from Camp 3. After a night sleeping on oxygen, the team set off in full down gear using oxygen as they climbed. Straight out of camp there was 30 feet of bullet hard ice, which saw the team skittering around on the face, but we soon regained our composure and headed up over easier ground on the Lhotse Face.

The next obstacle was the Yellow Band, which was steep but easily crossed, and then a long slog up to the Geneva Spur. The spur had a few steeper rock sections leading to a slabby ledge. As we had plenty of oxygen remaining for our climb up to the South Col, we opened the valves and cruised into camp at just below 8,000m

The first climber from our team tumbled into the tent at around 1pm. The remainder arrived some hours later and went straight away to start brewing tea and stuffing down snacks.

As the sun set, the wind was howling and initially Mingma thought it might be too windy for an ascent to the summit. All around we could hear similar discussions, so we settled down gloomily. At 21:30 Mingma's head reappered through the tent door, the wind had abated and we were off.

As we left the tent we were greeted by a beautiful star-filled night, there was a quarter moon and as we looked toward the South Summit, we could already see chains of head lamps high on the hill. As I looked at the stars high in the sky, some moved sideways and I realised that it was the headlamp of a climber. The task ahead of us had been brutally demonstrated. We reached the Balcony without incident and quickly changed cylinders and were off again.

Soon we were greeted by the dawn and a huge queue on the rock steps off to the South Summit. To the east the rising sun shone over moody cloud-filled glaciated valleys to the west a beautiful mauve sky over Ama Dablam and surrounding knife-edged ar�tes.

After a bit of vigorous overtaking we reached the South Summit and changed cylinders again and looked down onto the unmistakable Hillary Step and corniced traverse. For the first time, I felt sure that we were going to make it. We crossed icy slabs and ascended the step, before gaining the summit ridge. After a series of false summits, we were beginning to feel that Everest was going to make us suffer to the end. After an hour we were on the summit and we were not alone! The summit ridge is a sloping ramp of snow leading to a corniced precipice. The summit was enveloped in prayer flags, with people all jostling for photos, whilst not trying to trip on prayer flags or send themselves or others tumbling into Tibet! Now all we had to do was to get down.

Team back in Camp 223/May/10

The Jagged Globe Everest Team are all together and safely down at Camp 2. After they returned from the summit the clouds gathered and warm moist air from the monsoons down in the valley caused a good amount of snow to fall late in the afternoon and all night. Most of the morning also saw falling snow and white out conditions. This made the decent from Camp 4, over the Geneva Spur and along the Lhotse Face very slow and hazardous. Two Sherpas climbed the Lhotse Face this morning from Camp 2 to Camp 3 to rendezvous with Jeremy, who had spent the night there, and then Robert, Tim and Mike as they arrived from Camp 4 on the South Col. There was a large number of climbers descending the fixed ropes in the bleak conditions, which made for slow going.

The team are all now enjoying a hot meal, followed by a good night's sleep before their final journey through the Icefall tomorrow, morning back to Base Camp. There may be a celebratory drink or two tomorrow night.

Gavin, Base Camp Manager and Chef

More summits!22/May/10

Three of the four members of the J.G team summited early this morning. They left camp 4 at around 8pm in a summit push that involved a large amount of members from various expeditions. The going was slow and there were bottle necks at certain locations.

Tim was the first to reach the summit at 6.30am, followed by the teams guide Robert at 6.45 and then Mike at 8.30am. Jeremy turned back at 8,400mtr at a spot known as the 'Balcony' due to illness but is fine now. He has since returned to camp 3 while the others are now at camp 4, where they are all resting before their decent tomorrow morning to camp 2.

They should all be back in Base Camp by lunchtime on the 25th when we will be able to share some photos of the day.

Gavin, BC Manager and Chef

Team at South Col21/May/10

The second Jagged Globe team led by Robert Anderson, with Tim, Jeremy and Mike are now at Camp 4 on the South Col. After a tough days climbing the fixed ropes across the Lhoste Face and over the Genevre Spur they reached the camp around lunch time today.

They arrived to find some tents had been damaged by gale force winds over the last few days, but found some that were undamaged & have been eating, drinking & resting since. At the moment they are waiting for the winds to drop in anticipation for their summit push.

Gavin, Chef and BC Manager

Photos from 17 May summits:

Quick update from 1st half of the team19/May/10

Tore has sent this

"The A-team made it. We summited the worlds highest mountain on the Norwegian National Day the 17. of may together with our Sherpas.

Tore Sunde-Rasmussen 10.00
Angus Ruddle 10.40
Ruairidh Finlayson 10.50
Fionnlagh Finlayson 11.20

Tore Summited Everest for his 2nd time together with his sherpa and friend Mingma, who reached the summit for his 15th time!

The team were back in C4 the same evening. The following day we made it back to C2 in good weather, the day after, the 19th of May, we safely slogged back to BC.

Tore Sunde-Rasmussen (assistant leader)

Summit team descend, others prepare to move up17/May/10

The summit team were up early and left the South Col this morning, heading back down the Geneva Spur, across the Yellow Band and then long rappels down the Lhotse Face. They will be staying in Camp 2 tonight, then heading down to Base Camp early tomorrow morning so as to get through the Khumbu Icefall before the sun hits it.

In Base Camp, Bunter, Mike, Tim and I are preparing to head back up to Camp 2 tomorrow for our own summit bid, so having a last and easy pack, as most things are already up the hill. There will be high winds for a few days, but these are forecast to drop off after 21 May, so we will be looking for a good window after that time.

BC Manager and our fabulous Chef, Gavin will remain in BC as we head up.

Robert M Anderson

Summits!16/May/10

At 9:30 last evening, the winds dropped at the South Col, and Tore, Angus, Foo and Ruairidh left with their Sherpas, Mingma Tseri, Pema Tsiring, Dawa Tashi and Sherap.

This morning at just before 6 am they called and were just below the South Summit (8750 meters). They had light wind and the sun had just come up after a long, cold night of climbing.

It is perfectly clear today and they will have had incredible sunrise views over Makalu and Kangchenjunga to the East and Cho Oyu and Shishipangma to the West.

The summit ridge on Everest is a fitting and formidable climb to the top of the world, with at times, the left foot hanging over Nepal and the immense expanse of Everest's South West Face, and the right foot leaning out over Tibet, dropping nearly 4 vertical kilometers down the Kangshung Face.

From the South Summit they will have dipped down onto the rocky ridge leading over to the Hillary Step, clambered across this and then bridged up between the ice and the rock, before stepping left and reaching the top of the Hillary Step. From there a long snow slope curves gently up to the summit.

At 10:10 am Mingma Tsering called and he and Tore were on the summit, followed by Angus and Dawa Tashi at 10:45 am, then Ruairidh and Pema Tsering just after 11, and Foo and Sherap at 11:30.

They have said winds are still moderate with a little snow and they are all headed back down the mountain to the South Col.

The remaining members of the team are looking at the next weather window and all feeling well and healthy.

Ww will update soon as everyone is down to the South Col.

Robert M Anderson
from Everest Base Camp with radio reports from the team on high

Climbers back at the South Col16/May/10

1352 GMT Robert Anderson reports that all team members and Sherpas are down and resting at the South Col. They plan to descend to Camp 2 tomorrow, then onwards to base camp on Wednesday 19 May. The rest of the team are tentatively planning to leave Base Camp around 19 May for a 22 May summit or so. However, their plans are flexible and those dates depend on tomorrow's weather.

For now, congratulations to the summiteers from this morning, we wish them a safe descent back to Base Camp.

Stay tuned...

Tom Briggs, Jagged Globe UK

Half team heading to the South Col15/May/10

We set off from Everest Base Camp at 3:30 am for Camp 2, weaving our way through a much changed lower glacier, the ice underfoot now suffering from daily melting, turning blue on top of the white ice. Below the ladders, long tendrils of icicles dripped off the rungs and clattered into the abyss of the crevasses below as we tip-toed across them. In the maze of icy valleys, glacial rock was exposed, twisting our crampons as we formed a clattering trail of headlights weaving upward. Nor was the way obvious, with daily melting obscuring the trail, and we followed a light path of broken ice towers kicked over, the too scarce reflecting wand and occasional rope, until we hit the continuous ropes that led in a single line through to the top of the icefall.

The sun broke through as we headed into the lower slopes of the Western CWM and we were again surrounded by Everest on the left and Nuptse on the right, with the Lhotse Wall rising up to cap the end of the Khumbu Glacier. With a merciful wind, the temperatures remained comfortable and the last of us crept up to Camp II for a late lunch.

The following day we took a rest, taking a chance that the short window of good weather might hold, long experience on the mountains having taught us that patience is a virtue and weather predicting on Everest a balance of forecasts, looking at the sky and quite a lot of intuition that is only learned after many seasons on the mountain.

With half our group feeling strong and confident, the next morning Tore, Angus, Foo and Ruery set off at 7am for Camp 3, settling in there at 7,100 meters for lunch. The balance of us; myself, Bunter, Mike and Tim, having suffered with a bit of stomach complaints and liking the look of a longer second good weather window forecast for 23 May and beyond, set off down through the CWM for a quick return to Base Camp, the sanctuary of Gavin's fine food and a few further days of rest.

Jack, having taken an extended break down the valley at Pheriche, would also be coming back up to join us.

Today (Sunday 16 May), Tore, Angus, Foo and Reury set off from Camp 3 at 5:30 am and are now making there way up and across the Lhotse Face, over the Yellow Band, up the Geneva Spur and around the corner into Base Camp.

And while the weather was beautiful, sunny and clear this morning at BC, up at the South Col, a number of teams were tied down in Camp IV with high winds, so they will be waiting there for better weather this evening.

The South Col, particularly after camping on ice shelves at Camp 3, is a welcoming huge expanse with plenty of space to unrope, go for a wander and enjoy the view. It also is well known as the most miserable camping place on earth, normally swept by incessant high winds funneling between the highest and fourth highest mountains on earth. And while the wind blows there still seems to be so little air to breathe that spending much time detached from oxygen normally induces headaches, nausea and you suddenly realize how cold it really is.

Here at Base Camp, we are in contact with the team by radio as they head up for the South Col and should weather allow, keep in touch with them throughout the evening as they head for the top, with an update tomorrow morning on progress.

Robert M Anderson
Expedition Leader

Lounging at base camp, waiting for the weather10/May/10

The need to recover from the 8 days at Camp 2 or above have seen the Jagged Globe Team take some welcome down time from the mountain. The usual base camp activities have been indulged including, eating, sleeping, washing both people and clothes, eating amazing birthday cakes, DVD watching, scrabble and bouldering. Some people have opted for day trips to Gorak Shep, others have taken mini breaks to Pheriche.

On the mountain the ropes have now been fixed all the way to the summit. The team is therefore studying the weather reports for a suitable period of clement weather for their summit push. The normal change in the weather with the coming onset of the monsoon making this an unpredictable affair!

Perhaps the best sign of how the team is coping with the wait is, the large amount of leisure time leaves the team to lounge around after meals and have the most random conversations which lead to wry grins on everyone's faces.

We will up date the website as things develop.

Mike

Camp 309/May/10

Robert reports on the final part of their acclimatisation at Camp 3, and a snowy descent:

We awoke at 2am. It was snowing, the filigried tendrils flaking against the tent.

It was blowing, the nylon buffetting, bouncing and snapping. Little sleep was had at 7,100 meters.

At 7am we were up, strapping on crampons, unsheathing our harnesses. Diving out the door the wind was a blast and the snow came in swirls: above, around, blowing up and engulfing us. If all else failed and a big gust obliderated the slope, we just clipped the rope and went down and it would soon fade.

Rappel after rappel. The only way out was down, as quickly and as safely as possible. Sliding down the ropes on our figure of 8's, slipping in beside the next anchor, stabbing in the crampons, clipping in, swapping ropes, then down and down again. All in gloves, wrapped up in swaddling clothing. An exodus of the team in a constant stream.

Reaching the base of the Lhotse Face, the full blast of the snow falling from above hit us as we slid over the bergschrund: it built up around our boots, then piled in around our knees. Then hit us in the face, blinding us. Only the rope across and then down to the shiny aluminum ladder guided us, before we popped out onto the Khumbu Glacier below.

An hour later we were laughing in Camp II, the snow swirling outside, hot cups of tea and soup inside. Everest, always a good adventure.

Report on climb to Camp 304/May/10

Check out Jeremy Anson's selection of images from the climb so far.

The first night at Camp II, having now moved up from Everest Base at 5300 meters to Camp II at 6400 meters is usually a bit sleepless. Less oxygen, two men to a tent, rocky platforms, new avalanches to listen to, and overall an atmosphere of being well up the mountain and isolated above the Khumbu icefall all combine to make one a bit restless.

We breakfast at 8 when the sun touches camp, slanting over the summit ridge of Everest and stroll up through the Camp, spread along the edge of the moraine like a lazy snake hugging the South West Face. Leaving the rock covered area, we move out onto the ice of the upper CWM, traversing close below the face, hopping a few crevasses and ascend to just below the Lhotse Face. Above, the dry year and warm temperatures have created a surface of burnished blue ice that rolls and weaves up to Camp III 400 meters higher. We retreat for lunch and a lazy afternoon.

The following day we put on our full armor, crampons, harnesses, jumars and figure 8's and again ascend to the base of the Lhotse Face. This is the ideal way to acclimitize, slowly, nibbling our way a bit higher at a time, feeling better with every journey.

The bergschrund on Everest, where the Khumbu Glacier slides away from the Lhotse Face is a 20 meter collage that starts with some crevasse leaping, ladder crossing (going up and sideways at the same time), then a short vertical section where the seemingly thinner rope leads up and out of sight onto the Face above. It is more exciting than difficult, and is followed by a long steep snowy ramp leading up into the blue ice. Here our crampons alternate front pointing with side stepping, balancing upwards, a challenge far more dependent on balance and technique than strength. Four rope lengths up we move from the up ropes to the rappel rope, twisting the rope into our figure 8's and dropping quickly back down the slope, clipping and changing anchors as we go, until a final sideways slide and a rickety ladder dumps us back out on the glacier.

After two good forays up the mountain, we rest the following day and then depart at 7am for our first climb to Camp III. Above the earlier section we had already ascended, the ice rolls upward, interspersed with snow patches. But the wind, sweeping down the face creates sworls of snow, tumbling ice crystals and the occasional flying rock whistling past with the sound of a missile. As we climb higher, our breathe, the crunch of our crampons in the ice, the clink and jangle of carabiners, the feel of the jumar on the rope, becomes dominant. Camp III is always just around the corner and just over the next rise, but moving well over the ice, we are all up and in our tents by mid-afternoon.

Camp III is five tents, set back to back, lengthways across the slope. Above, the ice sweeps up into a 10 meter ice cliff to protect us from avalanches above. Below, the ice sweeps immediately away and down 400 meters to the glacier below. We install an extra safety rope to clip into to get the 5 meters over to the toilet just in case. The Sherpas have done a good job providing mostly level platforms and soon hot tea, soup and for the braver amongst us, the occasional sausauge. With our brains and key organs taking what oxygen is available, the stomach only gets what is left over which doesn't encourage much of an appetite or the ability to digest food.

Next: The descent from Camp III.

Robert Mads Anderson

Team back in BC02/May/10

The team is all happily back in Everest Base Camp this afternoon after a very exciting journey up to and stay at Camp III at 7100 meters.

We started seven days ago, leaving our tents in the icy darkness and stomping up through the now familiar reaches of the icefall. At its top, a 40 meter tower we had long ago felt should fall down, had split yet again and its second third lay collapsed like a pile of tangled over sized ice cubes along our path. Only one third to go and we'd no longer have to worry about that hunk of ice.

By 9 am we are all settled in Camp I, our 5 tents lined up, framed by a deep gully of ice behind and the ice cliffs above that we will zig-zag around and through to reach Camp II. The stoves roar away in the tent alcoves melting ice, we sip tea, soup and eat pasta and crackers, having an early dinner as at 5.30 pm the sun sets and the temperature plummets - the only enjoyable place is buried deep in the sleeping bag.

At dawn the next day we cross the glacier to under the Nuptse Wall, a cliff rising over a 1,000 meters directly above us, with its cornice ridges leaning out over the face. While the route through the glacier avoids most of the larger crevasses, the way is far from flat, with vertical ladders attached to ice cliffs, bridges spanned with double ropes and big gaps to be leaped, and crevasses that disappear below, weaving and twisting into darkness below, spanned by a ladder that bounces and sways as we make our way across them.

Camp II is a long swath of rocks swept down from Everest's SouthWest face, never level, never stable, never very warm. It is tucked up right next to towering ice cliffs, set back just far enough to avoid any tumbles into Camp. It is a noisy place; the wind roars across Everests West ridge at a huge volume, roaring like a roller coaster on its first downhill. Below the summit and across on Nuptse, ice cliffs crack and release avalanches that pour onto the glacier both up and down the CWM. Underneath, the glacier pops and cracks at it makes its slow journey down the mountain, never more felt than when lying in our sleeping bags and it shifts underneath us as we try and fall asleep.

Tomorrow - the journey up the Lhotse Face and Camping in III - with the photos from the climb.

Robert Mads Anderson

Team arrive at Camp 330/Apr/10

The Mt Everest climbing team have all arrived safe and well at Camp 3. They left Camp 2 just before 7am and the first team members had ascended the Lohste Face and were arriving at the next camp within 4.5 hours.

They have just finished a high altitude dinner, while enjoying a sunset over the Khumbu Valley in the distance where there is a layer of cloud below. The winds should be a steady 40km per hour overnight, with temperatures dropping to around -18 C, inside their tents. It's never easy to sleep at altitude but the exertion of today's strenous days climbing may help.

Gavin Melgaard, Everest Base Camp Manager

(Photos from previous year - Ed)

Saturday in Camp 329/Apr/10

The Jagged Globe Everest 2010 Team are at Camp 2, exercising that very important mountaineering skill... patience. It snowed on the Lohste Face late yesterday and so not to take any more risks with avalanches than is necessary, the team took a rest day. The weather looks good for the next couple of days, so the team will make the most of it and head up the Lohste Face to Camp 3 tomorrow morning, with a crack of dawn leaving time of 6.30am. The Lohste Face is a wall of ice, snow and rock, with a vertical climb of some six hundred meters, with Camp 3 settled at a height of 7,000m above sea level.

The Sherpas will also head up with the team to Camp 3, with some of them doing an advance carry up to Camp 4 on the South Col. Laying provisions, equipment and oxygen for when the team return for their final push for the summit. While some Sherpas are helping with putting in new fixed ropes and anchors above Camp 3. Many people have said that we have some of the most experienced and possibly best team of Sherpas, which is very reassuring.

Meanwhile at Base Camp, I relay weather profiles that are sent from the meteorologist, so as to give the climbers a glimpse into the future. Slowly the glacier is melting away from around the tents at Base Camp, so it's been a case of building rock walls to slow the sun's progress.

All the team are doing fine, they are well acclimatised and healthy. They intend on staying at Camp Three overnight before making their way back to Camp Two and then back to Base Camp.

Gavin Melgaard, Chef and Base Camp Manager

Note: Photos from 2009

Team back at C2, Lhotse Face familiarisation27/Apr/10

The team, along with Sherpas, left Base Camp in the darkness of early morning just as the moon disappeared at 3.30am, bound for Camp 1. They made good time through the icefall, now that they are familiar with it, and arrived at Camp 1 at breakfast. Just as the sun hit, ironically it's the heat of the sun that makes it most difficult to walk in. They spent a little under twenty four hours there before moving up to Camp 2, for another twenty four hour period of acclimatisation and rest.

This morning (Wednesday 28 April) they set off for a short familiarity climb up the Lohste Face and returned to Camp 2 just in time for lunch. Everyone is doing fine and feeling well acclimatised, with a couple more days scheduled for acclimatising at that altitude.

Meanwhile life at Base Camp takes a slower pace with some radio antenna maintenance, food inventory and high altitude baking taking place. With the intent of replacing lost calories when the team arrives back at Base Camp, one cake at a time.

Gavin Melgaard, Chef and Base Camp Manager

Report from journey to Camp 223/Apr/10

At 2 am tea arrives at the tent door, frost flaking off the zippers and Passang greeting us with a tentative 'good morning sir.'

Tea in bed may seem a luxury, but the night time starts to avoid the icefall crumbles and morning heat are essential. Camp is soon alive with flickering headlamps, muttered good mornings, and if we should be so inspired, a billion stars overhead ringed by reflecting ice scapes surrounding us.

At 3 am we throw rice over our shoulders and circle the stupa to the left, then stumble in our oversized high altitude boots 20 minutes to the base of the icefall and the crampon point.

Our world's a small circle of light, clanking carabiners at our waist, and our breathing, always our breathing as we head higher up the mountain. The icefall starts gently, weaving up and over the ice, back down into valleys and across frozen lakes. Half an hour in we start clipping ropes, a strand of white that weaves and twists upwards, anchored by ice screws and snow stakes. The ice blocks multiply and enlarge, short vertical sections keep our attention, and soon double lengths of ladders span immense crevasses.

The best/worst/most spectacular/mom you should see me know/ part of the icefall is the final headwall of yawning crevasses filled with shaky icy blocks, ladders going up towers before dropping straight down the other side into a caliadascope of ice. A final 3 rope section leads out and right, creeping along a thin ledge of ice, to suddenly pop out into the Western CWM.

The CWM is an immense basin, the Southwest Face of Everest rising 8,000 feet to the summit on the left. To the right, Nuptse sweeps up to its jagged ice capped ridge. And directly in front, the glacier extends far away into the distance, before abutting the Lhotse Face and the sweep of ice leading to Camp III. The CWM is not on the list of '1000 things to see before you die,' but it certainly should be - truly one of the most magical places on Earth.

Camp I is an hour above, weaving between immense crevasses, before we settle into our five tents. At night the wind buffets and pummels the tents with blasts just to remind us we are really climbing a big mountain.

At 6 am we are headed up again, a day hike to Camp II at 6,400 meters. A few now familiar ladders, a loose maze of gargantuan crevasses, then the slopes open up and it is a final hour of snow walking up to the rocky moraine of Camp II. We have a cook in residence and he dives into cooking lunch - rice, curried potatoes, lentils, a huge pot of tea. The return to Camp I is a gentle wander back down the hill in little more than an hour.

After another night in the heights, we drop again into the icefall at dawn the next morning and are back in Base Camp for an early lunch.

With three days in Base Camp, we hed a Bollywood movie special last night on the big screen with our Sherpas, a terrorist/love story/music video as only the Indian film market can do - which lulled many of us into our best sleep ever.

The team is all well and healthy, everyone has been up to Camp II, the sun shines in the morning, the snow falls in the afternoon and we are off for a quick 2 hour sprint to Gorak Shep for Yak Burgers and beer today.

Greetings from Everest Base Camp from all the team.

Robert M Anderson
Expedition Leader

Some photos22/Apr/10

Here are some photos, taken by Robert Anderson over the past few days:

Team have tagged C221/Apr/10

Robert just called in to say that the team are safely back in base camp, having slept up at Camp 1 and climbed to Camp 2 over the last 3 days. He'll update tomorrow with a full report and photos. They are going to have a few days of kicking back in Base Camp now, before heading up once more.

Tom Briggs, Jagged Globe UK

Preparing to overnight at Camp 118/Apr/10

The team has rested, packed and dined extensively for two days. Now with our packs filled with sleeping bags, pads, lots of warm clothes and a clean pair of socks, we head back into the icefall at 3 am tomorrow to go up and spend a few nights at Camp I.

We have been blessed with some great weather and spectacular avalanches around Base Camp to entertain us, and with everyone feeling well, are looking forward to our first several nites up on the hill.

Robert M Anderson

A journey into the icefall17/Apr/10

We were up at 3am and away promptly at 4am for our first foray up the icefall. With no light around and no moon, the sky was blanketed by a million stars, set against the mountains that surround us on all sides. Up on the icefall a flickering stream of tiny lights from the early morning Sherpa groups twinkled from between the ice towers far above us.

With our way illuminated by headlamps, we walked 20 minutes to the base of the ice and put on our crampons, tightened our harnesses and set off into the world of ice. The path, mere scratching of crampon points in glacial ice, weaved up, down, backwards and forwards for another 30 minutes, each of us wrapped in their own world of steamy breath, carefully placed crampon points on ice and the occasional look up at the icefall now dominating all sides of us.

Reaching the base of the ropes, we clip our carabiners in and started winding around frozen glacial pools, up short vertical sections, dropping back down the other side, leading into alleyways of ice twisted and broken into a million shapes.

As the sun rises, we cross the first of two ladders, double sections strapped together that cross crevasses disappearing into black depths below us. The 'popcorn' above leads us up into an immense area of rolling ice hillocks, before we enter a final broken canyon of ice leading to the headwalls leading up and out of the icefall. Here the towers are 50 meters high, tipping towards us from far overhead, reminding us of the importance of the puja and good karma. Streaming across the sky, a single strand of prayer flags served as a finish line.

At 8:30 am we turned and started our long descent back to camp, having reached just under 6,000 meters. With the sun hitting at 9am, we wanted to be headed down to avoid the melting and heat which quickly commence when the sun hits. By noon we were all safely back down, tucking into cold juices, pasta and soup.

Today we shower, adjust our gear, review radios and stoves and prepare to head up in a few days time to Camp I. We are continually evaluating and adjusting our climbing systems - Everest is as much about efficiency and simplicity as fitness, ropes serving more as a guide to the route than something to be hauled upon, and finesse upon the mountain side yields the quickest and safest passage.

Robert M Anderson
Expedition Leader

More details from Robert10:36 GMT, 16/Apr/10

The sun hits our tents at Everest Base Camp at 7:42 am and the temperature goes from 12 below c to 20 above in 10 minutes. with breakfast at 8, it's just enough time to roll out of the tent and down the hill to the dining tent for fresh vegetable omeletes, yogurt and oat cereal, balanced by numerous cups of milky tea, coffee or chocolate.

Today was our Puja, a Buddhist religious ceremony led by a lama who climbs up the valley. Clad in robes, beads, and wearing thick square framed glasses, he sits in front of our 5 foot tall stupa and chants from a prayer book for several hours. Along and beside him sit Sherpas and Members. Just when it gets a bit tiring, rice throwing over the shoulder commences, followed by the raising of five long streamers of prayer flags over our camp. It concludes with a cold beer, sampa cakes made from barley and a dance with Sherpas lined up shoulder to shoulder. Now we have permission to go forth and climb the mountain.

We were however allowed a day of training in the icefall, going across ladders, up near vertical ice towers and rappelling back down the other side. Yesterday we followed this with our first foray into the depths of the icefall, starting at 6 am, traversing the lower reaches of the Khumbu icefall before heading up into the more technical sections. The icefall is a convoluted mass of ice, a maze that is followed through along ropes set by the Sherpa icefall doctors several weeks ago and then maintained every day by a rotating team of 6.

An hour in, we hit our first ladder, a double length stretch across a seemingly bottomless hole. Peering down between our toes, we each carefully stepped across and continued upward. Just below halfway we enter the section called 'popcorn', only with pieces that are more person sized than the smaller variety.

At 9 am the sun hits us and the icefall heats up dangerously quickly, first because it causes the ice to shift as it melts and second because it rapidly saps our strength and leaves us in a furnace like environment. We descended rapidly back to camp by 11 am for juice, lunch and a nap.

Tomorrow we head back into the icefall, planning on going to the top of it, before returning to Basecamp for a day, then back up to stay at Camp 1

The climbing team is all well and healthy and send their best wishes to all.

Robert M Anderson
Expedition Leader

Trekkers' song10:34 GMT, 16/Apr/10

Here is a Song from the trekkers' farewell dinner, written by Janet and Eve and performed for the team.

[Sung to the tune of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat]

I close my eyes, drew back the tent door, ahaha, to see once more, foo and roory fighting

Far far away, on the edge of base camp, Bunter was doing his diary, only Everest will do!

A crash of pots, a flash of light, and Gavin popped up, with a meal delight, Craig and Claire brought their hamper, and Jack caught it all on film

May I return, to the beginning, ahaha, when Robert and Tore, thought they had a serious team

How wrong they were, for though they had promise, it was not in mountaineering, so much for vetting

A bead of sweat, a rest day march, a Kala Pathar, left Sarah parched, Tim could be heard suffering from the summit, we certainly weren't alone

May I return, to Dingboche, ahaha, where Mike and John, carried the kid down the hill

Ungrateful sod, for he was faking, too young to die, too fat to live

A wave of heat, a flash of light, Kayleighs nose, was burnt to a stripe, Rick carried two heavy rucksacks, and Sarah carried Betty

May I return, once more to Dingboche, where Brian and Mike, had a kennel for a room

Poor Angus he thought, it was a holiday, not clinic duty, any overtime will do

The sherpas call, ready lets go, the pace was that, of death march slow, we finally reached our destination, no one left behind

Back in Highbury, Prince Charles is waiting, coz he can't buy a toothbrush, til Polly gets back

But soon we must go, and leave base camp, to the real climbers, don't all cheer at once!

Puja today15/Apr/10

Just a quick update from our team on Everest. Robert reports that yesterday the team headed halfway up through the icefall. They will have their Puja ceremony today, then head up again towards Camp 1 on Saturday, before returning to base camp. A couple of people in the team have been having stomach problems, but they seem to be settling down now. They're taking it easy and easing into the climbing phase slowly.

Over the next couple of weeks, they'll be making their way up to Camp 1 (6,100m), then Camp 2 at the back of the Wester Cwm (6,500m), with the aim of spending a night at Camp 3 (7,300) on the Lhotse Face, before descending off the mountain and back down the Khumbu Valley. This would be a 'standard' acclimatisation programme, with the team resting in Pheriche or Dingboche for a week or so, in preparation for a summit push once the weather forecast is favourable.

Tom Briggs, Jagged Globe office

Dingboche, Dugla, Lobuche, Gorak Shep, Everest Base Camp11/Apr/10

We left Dingboche after lunch for a long contour along the glacial moraine, with ever changing views as we dived deeper into the Himalayas.

High on the faces above, ice cliffs towered over us, while on the trail we had to side step the occasional Yak train headed down the hill. Dugla had but one lodge and we half filled it up, but the following morning we were fresh for the 200 meter hill rising straight above us leading to the memorial stone towers of climbers who have gone up the mountain and not come down. By noon we were in Lobuche, and in the afternoon we climbed up onto the moraine for our first view of the Khumbu Glacier, an immense swath of ice sweeping down from Everest and on down the valley.

Blue ice filled pools and rocky covered ice heaved into hillocks created a dramatic landscape. We fell asleep that evening with the chime of Yak bells out our windows.

The trail to Gorak Shep led us across a granite boulder strewn valley and finally into Gorak Shep, the original Base Camp for the first successful Everest expedition of 1953. After lunch, we set out up the slopes of Kala Patar, Everest views opening up over our shoulders with every step higher. From the top at 5,550 meters, Everest rose directly in front of us, its plume sweeping off to the East but our view unemcumbered by clouds. As we took photos, we were reminded how much more memorable and magnificent this was in real life, with Pumori rising over a 1,000 meters directly behind us and Everest dominating the Eastern skyline. That night, we celebrated Sarah's birthday, with balloons, an Everest cake and a host of chocolate flavoured presents.

The walk to Base Camp took us along a gently rising trail, then down and out onto the rock strewn slopes of the Khumbu glacier. Up and down, up and down until the tents, their yellow, orange, green, backs finally drew closer and we turned off to the Jagged Globe camp, a welcoming hot lemon to great us, closely follow by chips, toasted sandwiches and eggs, washed down with milky Sherpa tea.

This morning we woke to frost on our tents and memories of avalanches rumbling down throughout the night, as the glacier popped and cracked and slid down the mountain below us. With everyone safely reaching Base Camp, we look forward to a few days exploring the lower reaches of the Khumbu Icefall, meeting a few more climbing teams, and enjoying a steady stream of great food emanating from our Chefs kitchen.

With warm greetings from the Jagged Globe team at Everest Base Camp.

Robert M Anderson, Expedition Leader

Namche Bazaar, Tangboyche, Dingboche05/Apr/10

As you turn the corner from Namche and head up the trail, we are rewarded with what must be one of the worlds' best views: Ama Dablam, an icy rock tower just in front of us, Everest and Lhotse.

At 9 am the plume is already streaming off Everest, the winter winds still wafting over its summit. We tackle the 600 metres of the Tangboyche hill and arrive just in time for the Puja ceremony, a group of monks chanting together in the main temple of the monastery. With a large piece of chocolate cake from the bakery, we are feeling truly blessed.

That night at the Ama Dablam lodge I'm woken at 2am and called out to assist with a Danish hiker who has pulmonary edema in a nearby lodge. At 3pm I bring down our Doctor, Angus, and by 8 am the trekker is out of the pressurized gamov bag and onto the chopper for a quick ride down to the lower climes of Katmandu. Our own complaints, a few headaches and stomach aches are very minor in comparison as we head up to Dingboche for a few days of acclimitazation.

Set against a steep hillside, the 4410 meter elevation provides an ideal location to spend day one climbing to over 5,.000 meters on the hillside behind us, up into the cirque below Ama Dablam the next, and straight up the valley today to the village of Chunkung. Mornings are consistently calm, sunny and clear; t-shirt hiking weather as we head out in the morning with a fleece thrown on for a decent back down for a late lunch.

With everyone feeling good, fit and well acclimitized, we head up the valley tomorrow to the small two yak village of Dubla, then onto Lobuche, Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp. We have sent our Chef Gavin ahead today to start on our welcoming banquet.

Robert Mads Anderson

In Namche31/Mar/10

Namche Bazaar, 1 April, 2010

The team arrived safely in Katmandu, still relishing a surprisingly tasty curry on the flight up from Delhi. The transferral from West to East is immediate in Katmandu, thousands of motorbikes, huge billboards, red brick, tiny lanes and then the haven of the Summit Hotel, the pool still chilly from the cool nights.

At dawn on Monday morning we are off to Lukla, skimming the ridges in a twin engine prop plane, bumping over the morning up and down drafts before a long turn left lines us up for the drop into the skinny airstrip perched in the Himalayan foothills.

Now we move from a motorized culture to a walking culture for our two week trek to Everest Base Camp. Packs on our backs and happy feet in our shoes we head up the river valley our first afternoon to Phakding, spending the night perched above the river.

Yesterday, we tackled the Namche hill, climbing steeply for several hours up to the Sherpa Capital, a horseshoe shaped village. Our lodge is perched above town on the ridge, where at dawn this morning (for the enthusiastic early risers) or shortly after for the rest of us, we gain our first view of Everest set high against the sky. The jet stream is still wafting clouds off neighboring Lhotse, but Everest itself is perfectly clear and silhouetted against the horizon.

Today we hike 350 meters higher, viewing Ama Dablam and a host of peaks surrounding us before returning for another night here in Namche.

The team is all well and healthy, feasting on thick waffles, rice porridge and steaming cups of Sherpa tea. Tomorrow we head up the hill, passing the famous Tangboyche monastery.

Greetings from everyone on Everest team 2010 to family and friends at home.

Robert Anderson, Expedition Leader.

Matt flies out to sort out the freight23/Mar/10

We sent our tonne of freight from the UK last week and yesterday, Matt Parkes flew out to Kathmandu to organise all the food and equipment, prior to the rest of the team arriving this coming weekend. In fact some of the team are already in Nepal, doing some trekking and climbing Mera Peak. We'll be posting regular despatches over the coming two months as our Everest team make their way to the summit of the world's highest mountain! Stay tuned!

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Leader - Robert Anderson

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