NEWS: It's Everest Season

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 Michael Ryan 08 May 2006
The Army Everest Expedition is poised for success on the West Ridge. Camp 4 (7587m) has been reached and stocked and the team, led by Dave Bunting, is raring to go.

AND

Rob Gauntlett and James Hooper are attempting to become the youngest Britons to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

More in the news

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/
 sandywilson 08 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Erm, is this in the right forum?
OP Michael Ryan 08 May 2006
In reply to sandywilson:

Yes.
 sandywilson 08 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
Did I blink or did this just move?
Kali 09 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

www.alders.com.au

This Australian couple are on Everest at the moment their almost daily updates make interesting reading.
 'Hilda' 09 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

There's also another team - EverestMax. They are attempting to become the first team to go from the lowest (land) point on earth, the Dead Sea (they spent three months cycling across 8 contries) to the highest point, Everest. They are also raising money for three really worthwhile charities.

You can find the full details at http://www.everestmax.com



 'Hilda' 09 May 2006
In reply to 'Hilda':

You can also catch up on all their latest news on http://www.everestmax.com/news.htm including the diffulties and benefits of climbing when you only have one leg.

 vankampen 09 May 2006
In reply to 'Hilda':
didnt some swedish person do that in 1996? or was the just from sea level? Think i remmeber him being talked about in boukreevs and kraukers (sp?) books
 'Hilda' 10 May 2006
In reply to Adam Rooke:

I don't know about that. According to this http://www.tiso.com/about/sponsorship/expeditions/everest_max/ "The team of 16 aim to be the first to complete the ascent from the shores of the Dead Sea to the summit of Everest"
 tony 10 May 2006
In reply to Adam Rooke:

You're thinking of Goran Kropp, who cycled from Stockholm to Kathmandu, walked up Everest, and then went home the way he came, all unsupported by Sherpas. Pretty good effort I reckon.
 John2 10 May 2006
In reply to tony: Tim McCartney-Snape from New Zealand climbed Everest solo after walking from the southern coast of India.

I must admit I think all this is getting a bit silly - are we going to get people digging deeper and deeper holes to climb to the summit of Everest from? Or diving to the bottom of the Marianas Trench then summiting Everest?
 Damo 10 May 2006
In reply to tony:

Tim McCartney-Snape did the first Sea2Summit in 1990, walking from the Bay of Bengal. He first soloed high on the west ridge (as high or higher than the current huge army team are) then did the normal route, without O2.

Kropp only made his own way through the icefall once, then used the regular Sherpa-made route the rest of the time. He also received food from a support crew.

D
 KeithW 10 May 2006
In reply to John2:

> Or diving to the bottom of the Marianas Trench then summiting Everest?

Who's going to be first to climb Mauna Loa? 38,000 feet, but you start at the bottom of the Pacific.
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Conan who sometimes posts on here is out there trying again after breaking his leg on summit day last time. He's asking for charity sponsorship, and there's a link to that from this news item;

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/UAN/3857/v/1/sp/
Anonymous 10 May 2006
In reply to Alison Stockwell:

Conans effort is epic considering what went on before, keep going man

As for the army, good luck guys, beats being shot at in Afganistan or Iraq
 Jon Greengrass 10 May 2006
In reply to Anonymous:

> As for the army, good luck guys, beats being shot at in Afganistan or Iraq

although statistically more dangerous,
Cy Kaicener 10 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
Here is more news from Everest including a Czech death on the Llotse face (not confirmed)
http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=1961
John[SP] 10 May 2006
Was going to mention this subject but I see its in full flow already, so I'll just post a couple of linkage for those interested:
http://www.army.mod.uk/news/everest_west_ridge.htm
http://www.armyoneverest.mod.uk/
joost 11 May 2006
In reply to John[
Several climbers reached the summit today.
Also great ski pictures from the Vikings:
http://everytrail.net/blog/everest2006/
random gary 11 May 2006
In reply to John[SP]: gutted for jude who i work with, really wanted to see her get on the summit team
Cy Kaicener 12 May 2006
In reply to Cy Kaicener:
Park Young Seok of Korea has climbed Everest from Tibet with two sharpas and is traversing over to the south to descend into Nepal without ropes and tent and probably no oxygen. http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=1973
Cy Kaicener 18 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
More sad news I am afraid. Solo British climber David Sharp has died on Everest
http://www.everestnews.com/everest2006/sharpeverest05172006.htm Did anyone know him?
 biscuit 18 May 2006
In reply to Damo:
> Kropp only made his own way through the icefall once, then used the regular Sherpa-made route the rest of the time. He also received food from a support crew.
>
> D

Yeah what a wimp and a loser

;0)
 malk 19 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: big up to Julio Mesias from Equador who summited without supplemental oxygen on wednesday
 malk 19 May 2006
also on wednesday, a new record for the oldest Everest summiteer, Takao Arayama- 70.5 yrs
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060519a2.html
 Adam Long 19 May 2006
In reply to malk:

Heard the other night that Kenton Cool topped out for the third time earlier this week - a british record?
Dru 19 May 2006
In reply to Adam L:

Has he done it with out bottled oxygen, sherpa support etc. come on Alison heargreaves really picked up the gauntlet passed down by the likes of Messner, when she climbed solo without bottled gas ten years ago.

So Mr Cool has reached the lofty hieghts of super punter, its all pretty meaniingless really.
 Tom Briggs 19 May 2006
In reply to Adam L:
> (In reply to malk)
>
> Heard the other night that Kenton Cool topped out for the third time earlier this week - a british record?

Yes.

 Tom Briggs 19 May 2006
In reply to Dru:
> (In reply to Adam L)
>
> Has he done it with out bottled oxygen, sherpa support etc.

No. He is working as a guide on Everest.

Alison Hargreaves was on the S Col route with lots of other people on the mountain. Messner went in the monsoon when it would be warmer/no other people (?) and did a new route. Different definitions of 'solo'.

Dru 19 May 2006
In reply to Tom, UKC News Editor:
> (In reply to Dru)
> [...]
>
> No. He is working as a guide on Everest.

Just another day at the office then !, how is this exceptional in climbing terms? good PR for jagged globe.

By the way Hargreaves and Messener both summited on the North side.
 GavinC 19 May 2006
In reply to Dru:

I'm sure its quite possible to argue, philosophically, that any attempt to get to the top of a rock is equally pointless (or equally otherwise). However in socio-economic terms Kenton's contribution is quite 'pointy'. He earns money, thus participate, he participates in the redistribution of his (often wealthy) clients' money, he creates jobs and is part of a large industry.

Really rather depends what the 'point' is.

Gavin

Dru 19 May 2006
In reply to GavinC:

Yes i agree he is a fine ambassador for the industry.

Plus i think the term advisor would be a little more apt in relation to physicaly guiding on Everest, there are very few climbers exluding sherpas who have the strength to do this, i know for a fact that clients will be climbing under there own steam, using fixed ropes, one on one short roping etc is just not an option at the highest altitudes, when the shit hits the fan a storm or hypoxia sets in its every man for himself up there, guide or no guide.

 tony 19 May 2006
In reply to Dru:
> (In reply to Tom, UKC News Editor)
> [...]
>
> Just another day at the office then !, how is this exceptional in climbing terms?

Did anyone say it was exceptional in climbing terms? Although by definition, it does make Mr Cool unique in the UK, which is exceptional by some criteria.
Cy Kaicener 21 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
A Palestinian and an Israeli are on the same rope in a summit push to Everest. They are part of the Everest Peace Project expedition of nine mountaineers from seven countries and five faiths - Islam,Christianity,Judaism,Hinduism and Buddhism
http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=2059
http://www.everestpeaceproject.com/
prana 21 May 2006
In reply to Cy Kaicener:
> (In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com)
> More sad news I am afraid. Solo British climber David Sharp has died on Everest
> http://www.everestnews.com/everest2006/sharpeverest05172006.htm

made even sadder by other climbers who passed him "perhaps hours from death", but didn't help
 Ridge 21 May 2006
In reply to Cy Kaicener:
> (In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com)
> A Palestinian and an Israeli are on the same rope in a summit push to Everest. They are part of the Everest Peace Project expedition of nine mountaineers from seven countries and five faiths - Islam,Christianity,Judaism,Hinduism and Buddhism

Go on Cy, what's the punchline?
Cy Kaicener 21 May 2006
 Ian Parnell 21 May 2006
In reply to Cy Kaicener: Double page feature on the Everest phenomena in todays Observer, covering many of the points raised on UKC
Removed User 22 May 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Got into the office this morning and a bloke I work with that's a good mate of Conan Herrod (he of broken leg fame and poster on here). Apparently he summited last Friday. Good effort.
 nz Cragrat 22 May 2006
In reply to John2:
> (In reply to tony) Tim McCartney-Snape from New Zealand climbed Everest solo after walking from the southern coast of India.
>
>
He is Australian.

Inglis set to lose his fingertips to frostbite

Tuesday May 23, 2006
By Derek Cheng

Mark Inglis will remember the final push for the Everest summit as the most challenging part of his triumphant ascent, but also as a fatal blow to his prospects as a concert pianist.

"The ends of a few of my fingers are an interesting colour, a bit black, and will probably drop off," Inglis told the Herald last night while en route to a medical clinic in Kathmandu, Nepal.

"But that's all right. I couldn't play the piano before, and I guess I won't be playing in the future."

On May 15, Inglis, 47, became the first double amputee to reach the 8850m Mt Everest summit in a journey that tested his endurance and skill through an ice and snow adventure in minus 40C temperatures.

He arrived in the Nepalese capital yesterday relieved, back in the arms of wife Anne and nursing his injuries.

"The journey did a bit of work on the [leg] stumps, a combination of knocking them around a bit and a bit of frostbite.

"We'll be on a plane first thing tomorrow back to New Zealand, and I'll probably spend a few days in hospital to get the stumps right. And then the frostbite to the fingers ... That's life."

So was it worth it?

"Hell yes! You know what Sir Ed said, and to 'knock the bastard off' is something I really understand now.

"It was bloody hard, harder than I expected, and for that it was well worthwhile.

"It's something I went out to do for my own benefit, disabled people's benefit, and primarily it's an achievement that I'll never have taken away from me."

Inglis said the true test was soldiering on through doubt and freezing temperatures during the final push for the summit.

"Eight hours going up and eight coming down, it was very, very hard, and it's just a measure of how well you think and how hard you go.

"And she's a touch chilly up there. I even got a bit of frostbite under my chin where there was a gap between my oxygen mask and my balaclava. It was such a cold day, minus 35 to minus 40 degrees."

Inglis said it made reaching the summit that much more rewarding, though he didn't hang around long once there.

"We touched the top and then it was a bit like, 'Shit it's cold, let's get out of here'.

"The top of the world looks pretty flat, everything else looks so low.

"It's a bit like standing on top of Mt Cook and you look around and you think, 'Those other mountains aren't all that big'. But to see the curvature of the Earth is pretty neat.

"When you're well above 8000m you just don't realise how alien a place it is.

"You cannot afford to spend any time there, especially in those temperatures, or you won't get home. And I wanted to come home."

Inglis defended the party's decision not to call off the ascent to help 34-year-old British climber David Sharp, who was sheltering under a rock but later died on the mountain.

"The trouble is, at 8500m it's extremely difficult to keep yourself alive, let alone keep anyone else alive," he told Close Up.

"On that morning, over 40 people went past this young Briton, I ... radioed and [expedition manager] Russ said, 'Mate, you can't do anything. He's been there X number of hours without oxygen, he's effectively dead'.

"So we carried on. Of those 40 people who went past, no one helped him except for people from our expedition."

Sharp's parents did not blame climbers for neglecting their son.

"Your responsibility is to save yourself - not to try and save anybody else," Sharp's mother, Linda, told the Evening Gazette newspaper in Britain.
 Ian Parnell 22 May 2006
In reply to nz Cragrat: Thanks for posting that piece. Obviously its just a news story and we don't know the real facts but am I right to understand that 40 people went past a fellow climber who was still alive on the way to their summit? I've just deleted what I was going to write in response as I don't want to think thats the lad's parents might be reading. All I can say is Ive summitted and there is no line in the snow at 8500m where morality changes.
Iain Ridgway 22 May 2006
In reply to Ian Parnell: I agree, I think it's dissapointing, he may have been effectively dead, but there's always that chance.

luke_brown 22 May 2006
Surely you would try and do something. Even if it was trying to offer confort, a hug or something...
In reply to luke_brown:
> Surely you would try and do something. Even if it was trying to offer confort, a hug or something...

I agree with this. If nothing else was possible, a hug.

Dean 22 May 2006
In reply to Ian Parnell:

Such a difficult subject that Ian. I had signed up with Russel Brice for Everest 2003 (didn't go after getting hace on Ama Dablam) but had decided that should I come across such a situation, that I would forgoe the summit to do whatever I could to help.
However, say you met someone in BC that was woefully unprepared, you (and everyone else) advised them not tot try the mountain, they ignored you, got themselves in big trouble, then you found them, half dead, sheltering under a rock. Do you give up your summit, put yourself in danger by assuming their problems? I would, but many, many people wouldn't ... (including 40 this year) .... and I don't want to judge them, because it's difficult to knwo the full circumstances.

This deserves it's own thread ..... a very complicated, but ultimately very important discussion.
 Ian Parnell 22 May 2006
In reply to Dean: I'll start a new thread
Iain Ridgway 22 May 2006
In reply to Dean: I'm suprised Mark didn't because of his past.

He was up on Cook for what? 14 days? Yet they still staged a successful rescue.

There's always hope. I don't think I could walk past someone to go up.

Leaving them to save yourself on the descent is different, as it's your life or there's, but to leave them as you want the summit is IMO not on. There's always hope while a guys still breathing, the human body is remarkably resilient.
There always is a chance, I hear a incapacitated S. African was rescued from the summit yesterday with the aid of 17 sherpas.
Stodge 24 May 2006
In reply to Cy Kaicener:

> More sad news I am afraid. Solo British climber David Sharp has died on Everest. Did anyone know him?

Yes I went to school with Dave. Sad news indeed.
Tony Bragg 24 May 2006
In reply to Stodge:

Hi, I know David quite well am a little guutted by the news. We climb cho together in 2002 (he summited, I didn't) and am disappointed at a lot of the press discriptions of him as being very inexperienced and somewhat stupid.

After Cho in 2002 David made a 2003 attempt of Everest north side with the Nth Irish national team and then tried again in 2003 with one of the commercial mobs. Both times he got to 8500 without oxygen. I was surprised to hear he was climbing with it this time as he's very much a purist. He'd previously climbed some 7000ers and done an apprentishship in the alps so he was more experienced than many of the commercial group climbers who walked past.

David definitely had stars in his eyes as far as Everest was concerned. I'm sure this led to his mistakes this trip but I'm more concerned about the 40 who went past. I think we all need to decide what makes us and what is important. If reaching any summit is more important than another life then please make sure you tell me before I find you on the end of my rope.

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