John Kazanas – Everest Climb Update
Posted by evdomada on May 13, 2010
I promised to keep you updated I post this e-mail from John …
“Well hello again and thanks to all those that keep emailing their best wishes.
As I type this we are in the town of Shrigar at 4100 meters and about 4 hours from Base Camp. What amazing last 2 weeks and the trip now is essentially 2/3 over with the last part of the summit push remaining.
Soon after my last email an avalanche on the North Cole killed a Hungarian climber who only days before had been climbing less then 50 meters in front of me and had set up his tent just a few meters away from my own on the North Col. A serac collapsed and killed this poor guy. His tent is still there, but that is the risk of climbing big mountains. We then had a few days rest at BC, and you know the drill: we headed back up to interm camp and ABC so we can then do a run up the North Cole (7000m) and then to camp 2 (7800m) for more acclimitising.
Well when we go back to ABC, the weather got very variable and it started to snow at night. We took a punt and headed up the North Col in soft snow conditions, and the rope setting Sherpa’s reset the route so we did not have to go under the serac that had collapsed. It was hard work and 5.5 hours later we were back at the North Col (7000m) for the second time. Then that evening all hell broke loose and we got 40 cm of snow and severe winds. 3 of our tents were shredded and one blew away so it was time the following morning to get the hell out of there. Descending 500m I used my abseil device just once and chose instead to do what most Sherpa’s do and wrap the ropes around my arm and simply use good and fast footwork to descent.
Then 3 days later it was time to get back to the Col for a 3rd time!! to try and get to Camp 2. Well, surprise, surprise the following day it was snowing all day and we were told that if the following day the weather was bad we would have to come down again! Instead, the following day was a great day with no wind but the soft snow meant that I got up 500m in 5 hours to 7500m where the Camp 2 tents start (ours is at 7800m) and it was hard work in the soft snow conditions and the new snow. The views were amazing and other then a few 8000m peaks we were above most other mountains in the world – amazing, stunning views all around! and the summit of Everest just 1000m+ above us.
Well, then, visibility got down to 20 meters and it was howling winds and snow in about 10 mins – that’s how quickly the wether can change. So my Sherpa Jangbu stashed our 4 oxygen cylinders behind some rocks that we were taking to Camp 2 and we descended in howling blizzard conditions back to the North Col.
Along the way I managed to get one of my legs all the way into a hidden crevasse so immediate action with my ice axe was required and I diverted to a rock ridge instead to avoid any more hidden crevasses. As everyone got down, most of the rest of the team decided to keep going to ABC but I wanted to spend another night at 7000m, so chose to stay at the col and greet the rest of our team that was coming up.
Then in the morning I descended the Col alone and as no one had gone down that day I had to keep digging out all the ropes and breaking a decent trail in up to waist deep snow. Then at ABC did a 6 hour hike to base camp and the following day together with 5 other team members we paid for 2x 4WD’s to bring us to the town of Shrigar for 4 days of great R & R before our summit bid.
So overall, have gotten as high as 7500m, and we now after our R & R have to drive back to BC, hike for 2 days and then have 4 days of climbing left for the summit bid – so there is some summit fever building you can say. We are all a bit tired and recovering from going up and down the North Col and suffering from a cough due to the dry air but that is life on Everest.
As there is no email coverage above BC, the best way to stay in touch is to visit www.summitclimbnews.com. For our expedition this link is best: http://summitclimb.com/new/default.asp?linktype=r&mtype=smenu&vid=17&nid=132 as we telephone in via satellite phone and the most exciting part of the expedition is coming up.
Its great to be staying in a hotel with hot water, hot showers, good food and a break from tent life! but on the 12th we head back to BC and the summit push part of the trip.
Hope you are well.
Until next time.
John.”
