Trip Reports

Lhakpa Ri - 24 April to 22 May '10

Lhakpa Ri from our camp at ABC on Everest

Written by Leader Mungo Ross, May 2010

There’s one of those anecdotal stories about three people walking through the countryside when they see a lone man standing on top of a hill. The three immediately fall into speculation about what he is doing: the first thinks he is the landowner surveying his estate; the second disagrees, saying that he is a farmer scanning the horizon for today’s weather; “no, no” protests the third “he is a lost traveler seeking his bearings”. To settle the dispute the three are sufficiently motivated to approach the stranger and on making their enquiry get the simple reply “I am just standing”.

This expedition has surely been the conclusion of the old cliché – “it is the journey, not the destination”. We have followed the itinerary to the day and have done what it said on the tin (although perhaps for some, without reading the label very carefully!). Expectations of an easily attained 7,000 meter summit, a visit to the North Col of Everest, (oh, and a by-the-way insight into modern Tibet, Tibetan Bhuddism, and an extraordinary travel experience thrown in along the way).

Eleven of us assembled in Kathmandu, flew to Lhasa on schedule, then spent a week traveling overland to Everest Base Camp becoming acclimatized to the altitude and introduced to Tibet, how it has been “liberated” by China and brought into the modern world. Five nights camping at over 5000 meters provided the further acclimatization needed before moving up the famous Rongbuk glacier toward our objectives above ABC. Unfortunately along the way, Cathy developed such sufficient symptoms of AMS that she decided to go back down to B.C., so accompanied by her husband and one of our sherpas off they went and consequently all the way back to Kathmandu, so before we even got to ABC we were three down. After three nights camping at 6,300 meters, we lost three more of the group plus a cook boy – niggly medical conditions at sea level were proving too uncomfortable at this altitude, and descent was determined to be the sensible option; Kathmandu again was preferred to hanging around Base Camp.

So now we were half the original team, morning temperatures in the tents reading – 20, winds gusting through camp at 50 or 60 mph, our bodies doing their best to adapt to less than half the oxygen we are used to; the situation was forcing us all to face up to what was actually happening – not necessarily what we would like or what should be happening, or what it says in an itinerary. We were learning what mountaineering at really high altitude is about – days of inactivity, managing our energy and motivation, coping with the cold and then the intense heat, knowing our clothing and equipment and climbing techniques, so that when it comes time to go higher we can get there.

By the time the winds abated and we felt acclimatized enough to go to 7,000 meters, the decision was to try for the North Col first, since Lhakpa Ri sounded like an unlikely objective due to the unusually crevassed and icy conditions on the mountain. After our predawn start, the group quickly spread out, with the outcome that only Knut made it to the tents on the Col (with two of the sherpas), Kim turning round only ten minutes from the end of the fixed ropes, the others going back to camp having found 6,600 meters high enough. Our attempt to find a way through the crevasses to the top of Lhakpa Ri concluded with only Mike mustering the energy and motivation to give it a go, but terminated at the foot of the final slopes in a state of resigned altitude exhaustion. The walk back down the East Rongbuk valley was memorable, the drive back to Kathmandu spectacular; from Lhasa to the north side of Everest on the Freedom Highway to Kathmandu – we have just made one of the great journeys in the world.

Because Lhakpa Ri is described as “easily attainable”, and the North Col is just the staging post for climbing Everest it is easy to be deceived into thinking getting to either is easy. There is no such thing as “easy” climbing to 7000 meters – our bodies need oxygen! The objectives of ticking a 7,000 meter summit, of visiting such an historically famous place as the North Col of Everest are alluring – getting to them are something else!! So as far as the “destination” is concerned, this trip was, well, shall we say disappointing at the least; only one to the North Col and nobody on Lhakpa Ri. But what about the “journey”? - Tibet, Chinese rule, Bhuddism, the Friendship Highway, living at over 6,000 meters, learning what it is ACTUALLY like going even higher, learning to cope with the disappointment of not realizing the dream, starting out with a plan and then coming home with the memories; these are what this trip has been about. Not getting to the top, but rather getting to the bottom of what high altitude mountaineering is all about.

Well done to all the team, for digging deep, learning fast, working together, accepting the outcome; and especially the usual huge thank you to our Sherpa and cook team, drivers, and the yaks that carried our bags.

Mungo Ross, Expedition Leader « Previous report | Next report »

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