I looked up and saw a stream of headlamps, high above. It was summit day, and I was just about to begin the ascent. I had a long climb ahead of me but couldn’t believe that I was only hours away from achieveing my dream of being on the top of the world.
Days 42 to 44 – Everest Basecamp
After a few days of rest lower in the Khumbu Valley (Part II), we arrived back at Everest Basecamp on May 5th. The Nepalese Army announced that even if the Chinese don’t put the Olympic Torch on the summit, they will allow the route to be set to Camp III on May 10 and climbers can will be allowed on May 11. Above Khumbu Icefall, the required fixed ropes and ladders are set up by Sherpas from the various expeditions. Lakhpa from our team was one of the route setters.
Over the next two days Ngima and the other high-altitude Sherpas took supplies and bottles of oxygen up to Camp II. I had 3 bottles of oxygen and Ngima had 1.
My chore on one of these rest days was to fix my tent. The melting glacier caused it to sag where I slept. I had to take the tent down and re-level the ice underneath with an ice-axe before putting the tent back up. I remembered setting up my tent in Camp Berlin on Aconcagua. It was so exhausting that I almost passed out. Everest Basecamp is 600 m lower than Camp Berlin, but even 2 weeks earlier I don’t think I could have done this much work without struggling.
It was starting to warm up, even higher up on the mountain. I saw a few avalanches come down above basecamp. They were probably triggered from rockfall or cornices collapsing from the hot sun. They were small avalanches, not coming close to camp. In 2014 and 2015 deadly avalanches raged down the mountain covering the icefall and basecamp.
I met a man from Dallas, Texas in basecamp. He was disabled and not able to use his legs. He arrived by being carried in a basket on a porter’s back. It was his dream to see EBC and today he achieved that dream.
Day 45 (May 8) – EBC
We were awakened around 6 am by the sonic boom of Chinese fighter jets flying over Everest. We knew this meant the Chinese had summited!! They reached the summit from the north side of Everest (Tibet) and since we were on the south side in Nepal we never saw them. That meant we could begin the final preparations for our summit bid.
Day 46 – EBC to Camp II
Elevation gain – 1,075 m (3,527 ft); Climbing time – 6 hrs, 15 min
Yet another acclimatization trip up Khumbu Icefall, this time I would go all the way to Camp III. Ngima and I Ieft EBC around 4:30 am and made very good time, arriving in Camp I in 3 ½ hrs. From there though, it was very hot and we had to slow down our pace. I was carrying my backpack which weighed around 10 kg. I carried my own warm clothes and my – 40° sleeping bag. I made it to the bottom of Camp II in 5 hours and 15 minutes. By the time I reached my tent 100 m higher and one hour later, I was completely exhausted (6,430 m/21,096 ft).
Kalpana was very happy to see us. When Rosa and I went to Pangboche, Kalpana stayed at basecamp. To aid in her acclimatization, she hiked up to Camp II five days earlier and had been there ever since.
Day 47 – Camp II, Acclimatization hike
Elevation gain – 230 m; Climbing time – 1 ½ hrs
There is a large bergschrund at the base of Lhotse, above Camp II. Rosa and I walked up to it to get a little more acclimatization and to take a closer look at Lhotse Face. It looked so close but took 1 ½ hours to get there. On the way I could see people making their way up the icy slope of Lhotse, taking supplies to Camp III. If you look closely at the first picture below you can see people on the slope.
Day 48 – Camp II to Camp III
Elevation gain – 950 m (3,116 ft); Climbing time – 5 hrs
Camp III would be the highest that I had ever been up to that point at 7,380 m (24,212 ft). I had a bit of anxiety, hoping my body would adjust. We left camp at 6:15 am. It only took 1 hour to reach the bergschrund this time. At that point I realized that I was glad our tent was at the top of Camp II, otherwise I’d have another hour of climbing to reach this point.
Above the bergschrund is Lhotse Face. It is a very steep, tall wall of blue ice rising 1,125 m (3,690 ft). Most of Lhotse Face is at a 40-50° incline but in places it’s almost vertical. There were 720 m to gain on this ice wall to reach Camp III. On the fixed ropes I used a jumar, also called an ascender, as well as two carabiners. The jumar slides up the rope, but won’t slip backward it has teeth that grab the rope. This allows you to use it to help pull yourself up. To get up the wall, I slid the jumar up the rope and then kicked in steps in the ice with crampons. The rope is secured to the ice periodically with ice screws and the two carabiners are used to ensure you are always clipped in to the rope as you navigate around the screws. There were two rows of fixed ropes about 30-40 meters apart. One rope was supposed to be for up traffic and the other for down, but the down rope crossed over steeper terrain so most people used the up rope for both directions.
Fixed ropes are necessary for safety, but they also result in line-ups. The widely publicized pictures of Everest often show long lines of people on Lhotse Face. Luckily for us, it wasn’t as bad as on some of those pictures. It was a slow climb though. Some climbers who were very tired stopped to rest in the middle of the trail and wouldn’t move out of the way. It’s too difficult to get around them so it holds up everyone below in a cascade.
Camp III (7,380 m/ 24,212 ft) is built on icy benches on the slope of Lhotse Face. There aren’t many horizontal spots for tents so often a flat spot is dug into the ice and snow. It took 3 ½ hours to reach the second tier of tents in Camp III. Our tents were still above them on the 3rd and highest tier. Between the last two tiers I had to scale a 20 m (65 ft) high, 90° bench of ice. At this elevation, it was an exhausting hurdle.
After 5 tiring hours I reached my tent. My O₂ saturation on arrival was only 69%. I checked Lakhpa’s and it was even lower at 65%. I would do this climb once more on this expedition but Ngima did it at least 4 times. It was impressive to witness how hard he works on this mountain. It took Kalpana 10 hours to get from Camp II to Camp III. That was quite an achievement. Based on her previous experience I didn’t think she’d make it that far. It was a testament to her sheer determination.
Camp III is an interesting place. It’s hard to imagine that tents don’t slide right down Lhotse Face even though they are tightly secured to the ice. There are numerous crevasses in the area so there are marked trails and in places, fixed ropes for safety. There were no toilets at camp or privacy. You had to go in the open, over whatever crevasse a fixed rope will reach.
There was a storm overnight at Camp III. My tent shook in the high winds. In the morning the tents were covered in a layer of snow.
Day 49 – Camp III to Camp II
Elevation Loss- 950 m
I had no major issues sleeping at Camp III. I was very surprised and happy that I appeared to be acclimitizing so well. The high-altitude Sherpas were supposed to go up to South Col, but they didn’t because of strong winds. After the storm overnight, we had a beautiful sky in the morning and I had a phenomenal view of Everest’s pyramid. There were often interesting clouds that formed over its summit and today was no exception.
On the return back to Camp II, I was able to use a running rappel for much of Lhotse Face but there were 2 or 3 steep benches that had to be properly rappelled. Luckily when I was rapelling, there were no climbers trying to come up the same rope. I made the mistake of wearing only light liner mitts and left my warm gloves and over-mitts in the bottom of my backpack. It was still very windy from the storm the night before and my hands were getting very cold. I didn’t want to remove my backpack to get my warm mitts on Lhotse Face because if I dropped anything, it would drop hundreds of feet below. During one of the rappels I couldn’t feel my hands. This was dangerous as it was difficult to hold on to the rope during the rappel. At the bottom of that rappel I was able to find a safe spot behind a serac where I could warm my hands under my arm pits and get my warm gloves out of my backpack. My hands burned when they warmed up.
Day 50 – Camp II to EBC
Elevation loss – 1,075 m; Climbing time – 4 ½ hrs
As we hiked down the Western Cwm we were treated to the most amazing sunrise over Everest. The sun’s rays highlighted a jet stream that is so often over the summit. There was at least a foot of fresh snow on the Western Cwm but it didn’t slow us down much.
Descending the ladders and ropes over Khumbu Icefall was getting easier, but it was still a scary place. On the way back to EBC I met Ngima’s uncle, Apa Sherpa (nicknamed Super Sherpa). At the time he had the record for having the most Everest summits. By 2011 he had summited Everest a remarkable 21 times. He was born in Thame, home of another famous Everest summiteer, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. Apa’s record was broken in 2018 by Kamirita Sherpa who now has at least 24 summits. In 2019, at age 37, Ngima became the youngest person in the world to have summited Everest 21 times.
Our cook Lundruk made us an amazing lunch with vegetables, rice and curried chicken. I was famished. I could eat at least two times as much at EBC than I could higher elevations.
Days 51 to 53 – EBC
I had a few days in EBC to rest and eat in aniticpation of my summit push. I had lost a lot of weight so I needed to put calories in my body. We tried on our oxygen masks and tested the regulators that remained at basecamp. The masks were old and didn’t fit very well, especially when wearing goggles. Ngima’s hose was leaking so he repaired it with duct tape. It seems to be a universal repair technique. The Quebecois had new masks that they bought from an English company for $600 each. I stuck with the old, used one that didn’t fit well but was known to be reliable.
Lakhpa and Ngima had gone up to Camp II. They each carried 20 kg of supplies from Camp II to Camp IV. It only took them 9 hours to climb 1,476 m (4,843 ft) up and 2,600 m (8,530 ft) down, and were back in basecamp by 4 pm. It was incredible how fast they could climb.
There was a rumour that the monsoon was a week early in India this year. I hoped this wasn’t true because the monsoon brings bad weather to the mountains making it unsafe to climb.
The Sirdar (lead) Sherpas and guides had a meeting to try to organize all of the expeditions. They do this every year to try to prevent log jams. They decided that the route to the South Summit will be completed by May 20. Lakhpa and one more Sherpa from our team went to work on setting the route above Camp IV.
Day 54 (May 17) – EBC to Camp II
Elevation gain – 1,075 m (3,527 ft); Climbing time – 6 hrs, 15 min
Today is the beginning of the summit push. We left camp by 4:20 am and were at Camp I after 3 ½ hrs. After 6 hrs 15 minutes I arrived at our tents in Camp II. Again I was carrying my backpack weighing about 10 kg. A good weather window was forecasted until May 23. Things were looking promising.
Day 55 – Camp II
I had a rest day at Camp II. Kalpana arrived from Camp I and the one of the Quebecois arrived from EBC. We were all planning to summit on the 22nd. The reports were that 150 people were planning to summit on May 22nd.
Day 56 (May 19) – Camp II to Camp III
Elevation gain – 950 m; Climbing time – 6 hrs 15 min
Plans changed again. The route to the South Summit would be completed a day earlier and therefore my summit attempt would be May 21st. We left at 11 am for Camp III. I struggled a bit on the climb and it took 1 hour and 15 minutes longer than last time.
About halfway up Lhotse Face a huge boulder dropped from Geneva Spur. I was on the fixed rope and Kalpana was right above me so I couldn’t move. The boulder bounced around and luckily the last bouce took it away from us. It may have dislodged itself because of melting snow from the hot sun or been knocked down by Sherpas who were high above on the Geneva Spur setting up the route.
I was pretty mad because the Australian who is climbing Lhotse got his own tent at Camp III and refused to share it with anyone. This meant that I had to share a tent with three Sherpas.
My O₂ was only 70% and I had a mild headache. I experimented with my oxygen and found that even at a very low setting of 0.5 L/min my headache was almost completely gone.
In the evening monsoon clouds filled in the valley below. It was an interesting view with Cho Oyu and Pumori’s peaks proudy sticking up above the boiling clouds. The next morning a clear sky allowed me to see the entire scene.
Day 57 (May 20) – Camp III to Camp IV
Elevation gain – 526 m (1,725 ft), Climbing time – 6 hrs 50 min
I couldn’t believe that I was on my way to South Col, the location of Camp IV. It was a very long day taking 6 hours and 50 minutes. According to Ngima this time was very good. There were at least 120 people on the way up resulting in a lot of traffic jams at the technical sections.
After an hour I reached the well-known feature called Yellow Band (7,620 m/25,000 ft). As with the location of our tents at Camp II, I was happy that our Camp III tents were located on the highest tier. Yellow Band is a distinctive rocky cliff band on Lhotse Face. There was fixed rope to help climbers scale the feature. It wasn’t difficult especially since I’m used to climbing, but it was tiring. Some people sat on the rock to rest making it difficult to pass them. They were too tired to even try to move out of the way. If you look closely at the first picture below you can see the trail toward Yellow Band in the snow. The second picture shows the area from a distance for context.
Not long after crossing Yellow Band we met Rosa. She had summited Lhotse and was on her way down! I was so happy for her, but I still had a long way to go myself today. Above Yellow Band we passed Camp IV for those climbing Lhotse.
After Yellow Band I was glad to have an easier walk until I reached a large rock buttress called Geneva Spur. The route climbs a 20 m (65 ft) high rocky step on Geneva Spur. When we arrived at the base of the climb there was a long line of climbers waiting their turn. There were also a few Sherpas coming down after setting the route higher up, making the wait even longer. Since we were getting close to the Death Zone, I started to use oxygen before attempting to climb Geneva Spur.
There were so many ropes coming down the rock that it looked like streamers on a Christmas tree. Most were old ropes from previous years. I had to be careful to chose the best one. The rock has large holds for your hands and feet but at this elevation and with crampons stepping on bare rock, it was a difficult scramble. This was definitely the most challenging and technical part of the climb today.
From the top of Geneva Spur the terrain levelled out all the way to Camp IV (7,906 m/25,938 ft).
Camp IV is a wind swept, desolate place set in the col between Everest and Lhotse. The ground is littered in shredded tents and broken tent poles. At almost 8,000 meters high, it is situated at the start of the Death Zone. It’s called the Death Zone for a reason. The body can’t survive for long with such a low pressure of oxygen. I couldn’t do much at camp. I just laid in my tent and tried to rest. Even going to the toilet left me completely wasted.
Day 59 (May 21) – Summit Day
Elevation gain 848 m, Elevation loss 2,418 m; Climbing time to summit – 10 hrs
We began the climb to the summit the night before, on May 20th. It was 10 of the most difficult hours I’ve ever had. Dressed in my –40° C down suit, big warm mits, warm boots and oxygen mask I left Camp IV. There was a full moon so it was brighter than usual, but we still had to use headlamps. Not long after leaving camp we arrived at the base of the pyramid. It was dark and I could see a stream of headlamps high above. Some people left much earlier and were already close to the Balcony. It was a bit disheartening to see how high I had to climb to reach it. The first section climbs a steep, icy wall at a 30 – 50° incline. There were fixed ropes and thankfully the line-ups weren’t too bad. Slowly, one foot after the other, sliding the jumar along the ropes, I reached the Balcony at 8,383 m (27,500 ft). As its name suggests it’s a flat spot where quite a few people, including me, stopped to rest. I changed to a fresh oxygen bottle while I rested. The picture below is approaching the Balcony from above, later in the day.
From the Balcony to South Summit the climb continued up a 30° ice wall. I was in the middle of a slow line of climbers, but near the top a final steep section brought everything to a stop. The 30° incline steepens to 60°. We had to wait for at least an hour for people to try to scale over the rock bands. I was getting cold but the sun was rising so I hoped to warm up soon. The climb to South Summit (8,747 m/28,700 ft) is not how I had pictured it. It was much steeper and longer than I had imagined.
From South Summit I could see Everest’s true summit. It was still a long way away. The trail descended a little and then followed an exposed, razor-sharp ridge for 120 m (400 ft). There were steep drop offs on both sides. On the north side a huge cornice had ice axe holes in the snow. At times I could see right through the holes to the ground in Tibet, thousands of meters below. On the other side, a steep drop allowed me to see all the way down to Camp II over 2,000 m (6,561 ft) below.
Slowly we made our way up the narrow ridge until I reached the famous Hillary Step, 8,763 m (28,750 ft). The rocky spur is 15 m (40 ft) high and consists of 2 benches of rock. The route is different from year to year, depending on the amount of snow. I climbed up and around one and then up the second bench. I didn’t find it very difficult and actually, I barely remember it.
From Hillary Step there is a moderate grade snowy climb. It undulates a little so I still couldn’t see the summit and had no idea how far I had left to climb.
Finally after a 10 gruelling hours, Ngima and I reached the summit of Mt. Everest, 8,848 m (29,029 ft) at 8 am! I was on the top of the world. I spent about 30 minutes on the summit soaking it all in. What an amazing feeling, the entire world was below and I could actually see the curvature of the earth. At this elevation the sky is almost black. There were amazing views of the Himalayan Range. Giants like Makalu and Cho Oyu were beneath me.
The summit is not large. There were a few other climbers there and others were arriving. I could see a queue of people on the ridge slowly slogging their way up. I didn’t want to get caught in a long line-up on the way down, so I knew that I had to begin my descent.
On the way down I had to stop at each technical section to wait for people coming up on the ropes. There’s not enough room for two lines of rope so we had to move down when there was a gap between climbers. It can be challenging to time it properly. I remember one section specifically where I had to step on a frozen slab to avoid climbers. It felt very exposed, but thankfully my crampons kept me from slipping on the ice. Somewhere near South Summit I met Kalpana who was on her way up.
I didn’t see any bodies on my way up from Camp IV, but I did see two on my way down. One was near the Balcony and another near Camp IV. They looked so peaceful, even though I know they must have had a horrific last few minutes and hours. Most of the dead are moved away from the trail so they are not easily seen, but it is too dangerous to be bring them off the mountain.
Some people stay in Camp IV, but I only I rested there for a couple of hours. The Quebecois were at camp on their way up so I talked with them about the climb. After a couple of hours I removed my oxygen mask and was back on the trail. I went all the way to Camp II (6,430 m), arriving there by 6 pm. Ngima came with me, but he had to take down the tents in Camp III so I rapelled down Lhotse Face on my own.
Day 60 (May 22) – Camp II to EBC
Elevation loss – 1,075 m (3,527 ft); Climbing time – 4 hrs
In the morning at Camp II my O₂ saturation was a remarkable 82%. When I made my final crossing of the Khumbu Icefall it began to snow. I was very glad that I wasn’t higher up the mountain when it was snowing. I was very tired and tripped on my crampons a few times. One time my crampon got caught on a fixed rope and another time on the gator of my other leg. It could have been much worse.
My daughter, Eliza, came to Nepal to meet me after the climb. I didn’t know where she was or if I’d see her at basecamp. She left a note in my tent saying that she was going to try to climb Lobuche Peak. The weather wasn’t very good so I wondered how she was making out. She also used the same expedition company for Lobuche that I did for Everest so they will let her know I summited.
It felt so good to be back in basecamp after a successful summit. Our cook made a celebratory cake for Rosa and I, and we all had a shot of whiskey.
Kalpana also summited today, but had problems getting down and needed help from her Sherpas. She arrived in basecamp after I left. From basecamp she had to take a helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu where she spent over a month.
We were saddened in 2019 to hear that Kalpana died in an accident on her way back down the mountain after summiting Everest for a second time. That summit made her the first Indian woman to summit Everest twice, but unfortunately she died on her descent near the Balcony. Rest in Peace Kalpana.
Days 61 to 63 – EBC to Lukla
Elevation loss – 2,564 m (8,412 ft)
It felt so good to be on the way out. I lost a lot of weight and was feeling elated and exhausted at the same time. I arrived in Lobuche at noon and my daughter was excitedly waiting for me. We spent the next two days hiking down to the airport in Lukla. On the way down we visited the climbers’ memorial. It was a difficult site to visit. So many lives were lost on the mountain.
The trail was full of trekkers and also yaks heading up to basecamp to take supplies off the mountain. We stopped at my favourite bakery in Tengboche for another apple studel and cup of good coffee. I was always hungry and was eating a lot. In Namche Bazaar I bought a new pair of pants. I had lost so much weight that none of mine fit.
The valley was beautiful with so many flowers in full bloom. The Rhododendrons coloured the valley in pink.
Kathmandu
In Kathmandu I went for my free meal at Rum Doodle. The restaurant gives free meals for life to Everest summiteers. We returned to the restaurant in 2011, but when we tried to go in 2018 it had moved to another part of town.
While in Kathmandu I met with someone from the Himalayan Mountain Chronicler for my post summit interview. Ngima invited us for lunch at his home in Kathmandu. Getting to his house was another adventure. In Khatmandu buildings don’t have addresses so all we could tell the taxi driver was the name of an intersection near his apartment. Ngima met us at the intersection to take us to his house.
Finally, 72 days after I arrived in Nepal I was home. I had spent almost 50 days in a tent and lost close to 40 lbs, but it was all worth it.
For more pictures of the entire Everest expedition check out our YouTube video.
To read about my other Seven Summits click on the links for Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, Denali, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Vinson Massif.
Coming Next – Top 10 Things to do in Golden, BC in the winter
For extra pictures from Nepal click here. For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
If you like what you read, please comment or share (with credit) using the links below.
Monkey's Tale 
Amazing adventure and really great story !
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Thank you so much!
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This is, again, like reading an explorer’s journal and was totally riveting!! The photos are great and I particularly like those from Camp III (and the money shot, of course 😉 ) The Climbers’ Memorial is set against the most appropriate and reflective panorama and that must have been a special place to stop. Thanks for sharing this wonderful journey these last few weeks!!! Stay well! 🙂
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Thanks again Colin, Camp III is a wild place, it doesn’t seem possible to set up even one tent there never mind a hundred. The Climbers’ Memorial is set in the perfect place with incredible views of the valley. It’s a really tough place to visit though.
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You are very welcome!!! You have enough quality material here to compile an interesting, readable and engaging book!! “There are back again” would be an appropriate title but I think someone less energetic got that one first 😉
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Thanks! Not in the immediate plans 😊
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One day …. 🙂
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Congrats on reaching the summit of Everest! I can’t even begin to imagine how physically and mentally demanding it is to make it to the summit and then back down. I know I’ve said this before, but what an incredible experience. The boulder dropping while climbing sounds terrifying, glad it didn’t interfere with your climb or the fixed ropes. Sorry to hear about your friend Kalpana passing away. It’s a stark reminder of how unforgiving the mountain can be.
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Thank you, you’re right the climb does take a lot of mental toughness too in addition to fitness. There were a few scary events that occured, but the boulder always sticks out in my mind. I wasn’t in further contact with Kalpana, but our hearts go out to her family and friends.
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Wow, what an adventure. I was briefly obsessed with reading about Everest climbs a while back and it was interesting to come across your personal story. The number of deceased bodies in the death zone are spooky to think about and it’s wild that you were tolerating an oxygen saturation in the 60s! Glad you had a safe journey.
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Thanks, There were probably quite a few more bodies near Camp IV, but thankfully they are moved out of the way. And on the way up the mountain it is dark and you don’t see them at all. I think it would be worse if I saw them before I summited. I monitored my O2 saturation daily or a few times a day. It was scary when it was in the low 70 and frightening in the 60s. One of the big dangers is that people run out of oxygen in their cylinders and are still climbing up or down in the death zone and it goes that low. Thanks for reading!
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An adventure not for the faint of heart…or body. Thanks so much for taking us mere mortals there. Stay well. Allan
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Thanks for coming along on the climb Allan!
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Again, the photos are really amazing; I can’t imagine how you even had the dexterity to take them while climbing (or even descending). Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment!
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Thanks Lex, most of the summit day ones were taken on the way down. Partly it was too dark, but also, I didn’t have the energy! There are more that I wish I took but didn’t even think of it at the time. 🙂
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Scary vertical views from those high camps 😫 Congrats on summiting, the photos are amazing.
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Thanks Nick, it’s a shear drop on the summit ridge. It was crazy seeing our camp straight down and so far below.
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What an amazing journey! Climbing Mount Everest takes adventure to a whole new level!
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Thank you! It was an unbelieveable experience. Glad I did it, but won’t do it again:)
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Oh my goodness! I don’t even know what to say except wow and congratulations!!! What an amazing accomplishment! I can’t even imagine how you must have felt in the aftermath.
I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation as you described your summit attempt, and in awe of all the photos… such incredible scenery. Being there amidst the worlds tallest mountains must have been very humbling. I can’t believe how small all the people and tents look, or what it must have been like to look out your tent and see such enormous mountains (or avalanches… so frightening 😬).
Also I meant to ask before… what was the temperature at the different camps on the mountain? You mention from time to time that it was warming up, yet everyone is still dressed in puffy coats. I’m guessing “warm” was a relative term?
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Thanks Diana, It was very humbling to see how small we were surrounded by these giants, and then to be on top and actually look down at all of the rest. I thought the pictures from a distance gave perspective of how far away everything is, a full day’s walk yet still on the same mountain. We should have mentioned the temperatures. During the day Basecamp, Camp 1 and II could reach 20 C during the day, The sun was very intense so started melting the snow during the day and the reflection off the glacier made it quite hot during the day. it was closer to -10C at night, colder in Camp IV. On summit day it was around -20C, The day I got so cold on Lhotse it was below 0, but the wind chill made it much worse.
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Wow, that’s a huge temperature swing from day to night. The nighttime temperatures don’t surprise me but the daytime ones do… I didn’t realize it ever got so warm up so high! I can’t even imagine how intense the sun is… even here in Colorado at 2000m the sun is so hot.
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Yes and with the sun reflecting off the glacier it was quite intense. You can see our burnt noses when we’re celebrating with the cake 🙂
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Thank you for so clearly and concisely sharing this journey with us. Bravo for your perfectly crazy dream come true.
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Thank you so much, I’m glad you shared in the craziness 🙂
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Congratulations Richard! You’ve brought us right along with you on this incredible journey. I could feel my own anxiety building as you described the complexities of the climb. What an emotional roller coaster it must be—the physical and mental demands, the achievement of standing on top of the world, all that beauty, and the tragic human toll. Back down among the flowers and strudel-serving cafes it all looks so easy and benign, but I know I’ll be huffing and puffing away there when I hopefully get to trek to EBC. Thanks for an amazing read!
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It certainly had all of the emotions, the happiness of success, the fear of the obstacles, the tragedy and incredible beauty. Now when you do the EBC hike and go up to Kala Pattar and see South Col and the summmit you’ll have a better understanding of the climb.
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Absolutely! And I’m excited that I’ll be able to reward myself with strudel!
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Well don’t get too excited, it is a Nepalese ‘German’ bakery 🙂
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Hi ! Hope you are doing well. I always admire your adventures. Just amazing!
As I promised I made a post about Leuven, Belgium. Hope one day if you will decide to stop there you will have some ideas what to do there. Have a wonderful week! Angela
https://travelworldsuitcase.com/2021/02/23/great-day-trip-to-leuven-belgium/
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Thank you Angela.
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My pleasure!
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Such a remarkable journey, climbing Everest is definitely going on my bucket list, though it might be a while before I’m confident enough to try it. Your experience has definitely been inspiring, and so wonderfully attractive too
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The best advice is to have a lot of experience going in to it. Too many people rely on their guides, and then aren’t able to take care of themselves if something happens. I hope you get to go one day, it’s an amazing adventure.
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What an experience! I can imagine the stress on your body, emotions and mind to make such a journey and to see dead bodies just laying in the snow after all of that effort. That boulder experience sounds scary. I had a boulder bounce off a truck in front of me on the lead in to the bridge from Seattle to Bellevue. It hit my windshield right in front of my face. It left a spider web of cracks in it but somehow my windshield held. Then it bounced off my car and I hoped that on one else was damaged by it. I’m sorry for the loss of Kalpana. She sounded like an incredibly determined woman. I got tears in my eyes reading of your reaching the summit. What wonderful memories to look back on. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you Katelon, there were a few scary events, but that boulder is one that sticks in my memory. You can understand how scary it was. Being on the summit was a surreal moment that I’ll always cherish. Thanks for your kind words.
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no words are possible, everything is too upsetting.
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Wow, that’s amazing! Congratulations, Richard – nothing comes close to the incredible feeling of reaching the summit of Everest.. It is the ultimate goal and most coveted prize for serious, advanced climbers, and those who reach its peak of 29,029 feet can legitimately claim to have reached the top of the world. Thanks for sharing your journey. Aiva 🙂
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Thanks Aiva, the feeling of reaching the summit is almost indescribable. And the view of everything else below was incredible. Thanks for following me along on the adventure. 🙂
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Congratulations! I’m glad that you were able to summit safely. What an amazing story, thank you for sharing it with us! Have you since finished all seven summits? What’s next for you?
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Thanks Chelsea. Yes, the Seven Summits are completed. Everest wasn’t my last one, but we wanted to finish off this series with Everest. Now I’m just enjoying the mountains around Calgary.
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Yay! I know we’ve never met but I’m so proud of you!! We’ve devoured Into Thin Air – the book and audiobook – several times (and watched documentaries on climbing Everest) and it was so nice having that background when reading your story. I can’t believe the Hillary Step wasn’t a big deal. Not only does it have that reputation, my understanding was that it had gotten even worse. I’m so glad you didn’t have terrible lines there, at least on the way up. You’ve done three things that so few people on earth can say they’ve done: summited Everest, successfully completed the Seven Summits, and been to all 7 continents. Wow. Can I have your autograph?! 🙂
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Figured out what happened to this comment. It was in the spam folder and I’m so bad at checking it. I’ll tell Richard to send you a signed photo – hahahaha.
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Hahahah!
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Big Congratulatons for such an amazing feat that you managed to accomplish! Not just with Everest but with all seven summits. Was excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint! Your pictures and descriptions really puts the reader right along beside you. What a long time to spend on the mountain and all the back and forth that you have to do to acclimatize is incredible. It must be quite moving to pass a deceased body and realize that his/her dream was just like yours but with such a tragic ending. Thanks so much for taking us along with you on this adventure!
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Thanks Linda, It was a long time to be away on this climb, and a very long time in a tent! Seeing the bodies was tough, because I was sure I knew how much they wanted it too. Thanks for coming along on the adventure!
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What a wonderful description of your climb. i loved the photos too; I hadn’t appreciated how yellow the yellow band is. There are things I love to read about, without the faintest feeling that I would like to do it,. Everything above EBC is in that list. I know that I can’t do a kilometer gain a day at that height. It doesn’t stop me from enjoying reading about your climb. Congratulations, although it was more than a decade ago.
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Thank you, yes, the Yellow Band really stands out because of its colour. Thanks for reading and coming along on the climb:)
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So, a fantastic ending. It was thrill reading it.
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Omg what an epic adventure! You actually made it to the top of the world! What an achievement! A big congrats, and thanks so much for sharing this story with those of us who could only ever dream of such a trip!
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Thanks so much Anna, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Congratulations for having reached the highest point on the planet, Richard! I have been captivated by your posts on this adventure, and I often felt as if I were watching a movie — with all the intense and dramatic parts. I couldn’t help but also think about Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s trailblazing journey up there. They were truly amazing. Thanks for sharing your incredible story from the top of the world — I will only go as far as that last photo if I ever get the chance to visit Nepal again.
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Thanks Bama, the expedition that Hillary and Tenzing were on must have been incredible. They were true adventurers. Thanks to them, I was able to do this. Thanks for your kind comments as always.
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OM… what an incredible journey!! This is an extraordinary achievement, hats off to you!!! I was holding my breath while reading your article. It was like watching a movie. I am glad that you made it to the top of the world, congratulations!!!
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Thanks so much Jyothi! Glad you enjoyed the adventure!!
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I had been eagerly awaiting this blog. Stayed up late into the night reading it, soaking in the atmosphere of the climb as I devoured the narrative slowly – line by line and picture by picture! You have used the pictures to their best advantage to provide context, for example when you show pictures of a campsite, or a section of the mountain, from very different perspectives. Human beings are so small! Those slopes look impossible! One gets an even better sense of the scope of the awesome adventure. Details like the presence of the bodies on the mountain, and the conditions at Camp III drew me in further. I am curious about certain specifics of the process. Were you using a sophisticated camera for taking the pictures – with interchangeable lenses? Was it easy to take the pictures? I put away my camera even on simple hikes when climbing. Your conditions were dangerous. Also, were you continuously using extra oxygen in the Death zone? Do oxygen levels in the blood go back to normal when you are using a the extra oxygen – so that you can concentrate properly on what you are doing?
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Thank you so much! We wanted the readers to try to feel a part of the climb as much as possible so I’m glad that was accomplished. It was so fascinating that I could see a lot of it from the different points of the climb. The mountain is huge and it takes a full day to get to the next site even though it’s still on the same mountain. I didn’t use a sophistacated camera, I wanted to keep everything as light as possible. It was a Canon point and shoot. Many of the pictures on summit day are taken on the way down since it was dark and I was too tired to take them on the way up. I was always on a low setting of oxygen from Geneva Spur until I returned to Camp IV. My oxygen saturation went up almost immediately and everything becomes more clear. I couldn’t imagine doing the climb without it. Thanks for the great questions.
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Wow! What an incredible read. Your photos and descriptions are phenomenal. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
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Thanks Tia, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Your story reminds me of the books I have read about mountain climbers! I have to say that Avalanche Camp seems like it’s appropriately named!
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Yes, it’s in a precarious spot.
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So personal and breathtaking, you have documented it so well. Sorry about the loss of your friend Kalpana. I am glad you escaped the falling boulders, an epic adventure. You managed so well capturing all the moments through the climb. It’s quite an achievement you guys, your determination and stamina for sure!
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Thank you, glad you enjoyed the climb!
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Wow how exciting thanks for sharing ,the pictures were fantastic and the true dangers illustrated by the picture of a dead climber.Amazed by the numbers attempting the climb.
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Congratulations, what an amazing adventure!! What joy to make it to the top of the world, but having to steel yourself for the still perilous trip down. I had no idea that you had to go up and down those sections so many times. Your portraits of your fellow climbers and Sherpas brought them to life, and the sorrow of losing your friend very real.
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Thank you, yes to acclimitize involves many trips up to higher elevation and the recovery lower, again and again. It is monotonous but necessary. Thanks for your kind words.
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Congratulations, holy moly!! I have thoroughly enjoyed each posts of this amazing feat, having me on the edge of my seat! The views are absolutely breath-taking. I could feel your passion and determination to succeed. I’m still in awe. Thank you for sharing your story!!
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Thank you so much Donna, I’m glad it all came through in the story and the pictures. It was a once in a lifetime experience and we wanted to share it with people who would probably never experience it. Thanks so much for your comments.
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Congratulations! And that is a huge understatement. I’m so happy that you had great weather, good fortune and a successful climb. Your photos are truly spectacular. In early May 2016 I tried to reach Everest Base Camp Nepal by helicopter from Kathmandu. The day I could go, I was the only passenger, which converted a fare of about $1,000 to more than $5,000. That was way out of my price range and I didn’t have time or the physical condition to trek in and back. I did manage a short trek on the Annapurna Trail to the Australian Camp. In Fall 2018 I made it to EBC Tibet just below the Rongbuk Monastery with a minivan tour. It is about the same altitude as the base camp in Nepal but much further from the mountain. The climbers base camp is closer.
Are you offering lectures about Everest and the Seven Summits? In the early 2000s at the Metropolitan Club in Cincinnati I heard Beck Weathers talk about his experience in 1996 as part of the Rob Hall Everest expedition. Thanks for taking incredible photographs and describing your Everest experience in vivid detail. I almost feel like I was there. I’m totally jealous of your fearlessness, adventurous spirit, and determination.
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We also went to the basecamp in Tibet, but unfortunatley there was a snowstorm and we couldn’t see anything. I wanted to see the mountain from both sides, but it didn’t work out. I have given 2 presentations, but they were as a favour for personal contacts. Thanks so much for your kind comments, I’m glad you enjoyed coming on this adventure with me 🙂
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I guess EBC will remain one of the most unique parts of your life. That celebration picture is great, you look so happy.
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Yes, I’ll probably never spend 50 nights in a tent again! It was definitly the trip of a lifetime and one I’ll never forget.
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I get that 🙂
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What a fantastic achievement and experience, something so few have achieved. I lost count of the number of times I said “wow” or “oh my God” just reading this account!
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Haha, thanks! It was an amazing thing to do, I’m glad the excitement came out in the story and pictures.
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What an achievement. Congratulations.
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Thank you!
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It was a fascinating reading, so precise at every moment. The difficulties and dangers are clearly described, it is a remarkable achievement to have reached the summit, congratulations.
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Thank you so much!
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thanks for sharing this incredible experience. i am in awe. So sobering to hear about the deaths. Bit lost for words right now
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Thanks for sharing this adventure. I’ve read good books about Everest and seen depressing pictures of the queues and happy summit poses but for some reason I was really enjoying the photos you’ve taken on the way up. All those people on the journey of their life.
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Thanks so much! I’m not sure if it’s gotten a lot busier since I was there or if I had a quiet year but I’m glad I didn’t have those long line-ups that are widely publicized. Thanks for reading!!
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Wow! This is really incredible. Congratulation for this great achievement. Sorry for Kalpana and it is horrifying to see the deceased climbers body. So good to know that you made it safely.
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Thank you. We debated about including the climber’s body but it is a part of the story and shows the reality of Everest. Sorry if it bothered you. Thanks for your words on Kalpana. We didn’t stay in touch after the climb but our thoughts are with her family and friends.
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I very well understand that it is the reality of Everest and you shared the picture just to describe the truth of tough situations in the course of the climb.
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Dang! I commented several days ago when I read this but it didn’t transmit for some reason. What an excellent story and a fantastic ending to your epic journey. I know we’ve never met, but I’m so proud of you for this accomplishment! It was especially rewarding to read when I have a certain amount of background knowledge on the routes, features, obstacles, and such. I can’t believe the Hillary Step was no biggie!
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Thanks, you can be proud😊. this is Maggie responding and I was really surprised when he said he couldn’t remember Hillary Step. One of the first questions I asked him was how was Hillary Step and he said he didn’t remember!! Glad you enjoyed the story!
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Thank you for creating a thrilling account of your adventures. Very few of us are able to explore the frontiers of our planet.
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Thank you! Glad the thrill of this adventure came through in the post! Thanks for reading.
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Unbelievable! Huge congratulations to you … and what an incredible story to tell to others. I remember somewhere in your post you’ve mentioned you had “a bit of anxiety” – well, I can tell you, I had a whole lot of anxiety just reading this!
And I take my hat off to the sherpas – though they grew up in these conditions and are probably used to the thin air and incredible heights, I still think they do an amazing job.
Well done again, I’ve really enjoyed these posts … and your photo’s – just wow 😲.
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Thank you so much! The Sherpas are remarkable, yes they are used to the conditions, but they are incredibly hard working and some of the kindest people you’ll meet. Glad you enjoyed the climb 🙂
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Amazing photos from what must have been an amazing and rewarding experience. Congrats on your achievement, truly wonderful!
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Thank you so much, it was an incredible adventure. The Khumu area is so picturesque, glad that came across in the pictures.
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Congratulations! I am so happy for you! Not only did you summit, but you had amazing weather. To think that the next day brought snow. I hope the Quebecois managed to summit, but if was snowing down below, I can’t imagine it was much fun up top.
The views were incredible! To see the earth’s curvature – simply stunning.
You really powered through that. I honestly do not think I am made of stiff enough stuff to climb at those altitudes. You are an inspiration. Thanks for sharing.
Alisen
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Thanks so much! I guess we should have mentioned it but the two from Quebec did summit the day after me. There is definitely a lot of suffering on this climb, I can’t imagine doing it if you weren’t really motivated. It was a pretty amazing view from the top and on the way up and down. It was exciting to pass some of the famous features that I had read about for years. I was very lucky with the weather, both on the day that I went and on the season. Thanks so much for your kind comments!
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Oh, good to hear about our fellow Canadians! It sounds like you had a particularly good experience. There are so many horror stories coming out of Everest, that it’s nice to read about a good experience. Well done!
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Yes, I’m not sure if it was because of the Olympics that there were fewer climbers, or if it has gotten more busy in recent years. This is Maggie – you would appreciate this. In the winter leading up to the climb Richard would ski tour longer and longer days. By the end he would do French Robertson twice and then Burstall Pass, in one day! He was the fittest of his life. I had intended to train with hime, but blew out my ACL. It’s good though because I don’t think I could do that 🙂
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Oh my goodness. I can’t imagine doing French twice in one day. That’s impressive. I’ve been around 19,000′, and that was hard enough. I just don’t think I’m made for high elevation. That’s okay – I can enjoy it vicariously through Richard. Well done Richard – well done!
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