As we approach mid-March, some families around the world are shifting their minds to Everest. Soon they will make that drive to the airport to send their loved-one away for two months knowing they are going on an adventure of their life. For the climbers, this is all about the dream. For the ones left behind, they only have one dream – to hug them once again.
By now, all the gear is bought, the training is complete and all that is left is to leave nothing left unsaid. For the climbers, once they sit down in that airplane seat, the journey begins. Hopefully all the work over the last year, all the climbs over the past decade have lead to this point. They are well prepared and empowered with positive support.
Icefall
The Icefall Doctors are almost to Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side per this article in the Himalayan. This is normal and there have been requests from the large commercial operators to get the route in by 1 April to allow the upper camps to be established and reduce the crowds on the route by spreading the climbers out.
I like that the article list the Sherpas names, who will make $3,000 each for the two month season. Climbers pay $600 each to use the route. This fee is usually part of their overall expedition price.
- Ang Kami Sherpa of Chaurikharka – 66 year-old Leader
- Ang Sarki Sherpa
- Ngim Dorjee Sherpa
- Mingma Chhiri Sherpa
- Yangda Sherpa
- Mingma Temba Sherpa
- Nima Wangchu Sherpa
- Dawa Jangbu,
- Ngawang Thangten Sherpa – kitchen staff
- Mingma Dorjee Sherpa – kitchen staff
Route Evolution
The route thru the Khumbu Icefall has changed over the decades based on ice conditions and objective dangers. Of course the ice serac release in 2014 that took 16 lives was the most recent, and deadly, Icefall tragedy. That year the route followed the 1952 Swiss attempt hugging the left shoulder. While the ice was more stable (glaciers move less at their edges) it was directly underneath tons of hanging ice seracs.
The next year it moved more towards the center and last year was even closer to Nuptse. Obviously there are hanging seracs off Nuptse so it becomes a judgement call as to where to put the route. Ang Kami Sherpa, the leader of the Icefall Doctors has been fixing the route for 20 years. A couple of years ago, long time Everest climbers and observers, Pete Athens and David Brasheres provided consulting to the Doctors on route placement based on high resolution aerial photographs.
This year, 2018, the Docs have a slight benefit in that Alex Txikon’s team put the route in for their ill-fated winter attempt. It’s not known which route they selected i.e. left, center, right but most certainly it was more to the right than left.
Khumbu Icefall routes
Filed under: Adventure Travel, Alan Arnette, all eight-thousanders, Climbers, Everest, Expedition, Himalayas, mountaineering, Nepal, Routes, Tibet, Travel | Tagged: Balcony, Base Camp, Climbers, Everest, Expedition, Hillary Step, Khumbu glacier, Khumbu Icefall, Lhotse, Nepal, route, South Col, South East Ridge, South Summit, Travel | Leave a comment »
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