Back In Kathmandu

Would you believe me if I told you I took a John Deere tractor to get from base camp to Kathmandu?  Well it is partially true. Makalu sits in a valley where there are no roads, similar to Everest.  One can walk for hours and not see another human....unlike Everest.  When we left base camp, we hiked a good 10-12 hours a day from village to village on a single track trail.  It was amazing to see the change in terrain.  The landscape was lush and bright green. The ice and snow was virtually gone and we were graced with waterfalls and rhododendron flowers in full bloom (pictures to follow soon).

After five days of walking out we come to a village called Num where a road has begun to be developed to support enterprise.  Unfortunately the road is a dirt road which becomes a small river when the monsoon arrives.....and the monsoon has arrived.  Our team boarded a John Deere which took 8 hours to go 60 kilometers to Tumlingtar yesterday. We took turns riding in the trailer with the expedition duffles. We were soaked to the bone from the torrential downpour. 

In some ways the ride was a great relief after trekking 10-12 hours for five days on steep terrain and slippery stones. We arrive to our destination, eat a plate of dhal baht, drink either a Touborg Beer, Coke or Milk tea and toss our sleeping bag onto a wooden bed with a one inch pad and hard pillow that we do not dare make direct contact with.  We sleep soundly and peacefully. 

When we woke up this morning we did not know if weather would permit flights to Kathmandu.....but we got lucky and got on one of four flights out.  It too was a rough ride but a dry one.  The shower felt great after 58 days without one.  A real mattress is a blessing.....and a/c a bonus.  I chose a hotel with a pool.....and cannot wait to jump in.  tomorrow I long to make a trip to Fire and Ice for pizza and ice cream. 

I look forward to giving you my full report of our summit bid and to posting photos.

-Tonya

 

Enjoying the Monsoon rain from the back of a bumpy trailer - being pulled by a not too quiet tractor

 

Headed to Kathmandu

Tonya is now off the mountain and well on her way to Kathmandu.  She is currently in the village of Sedewa - half way through a six day hike to Tumlingtar.  Once in Tumlingtar, she will catch a plane to Kathmandu. 

Back in Base Camp

Tonya is safely back in Base Camp now and will begin making her way to Kathmandu in the next day or two.  Not sure at this time if she will be taking a chopper ride back to Kathmandu or hiking out.  From the limited communications we've had, it sounds like they had a very long summit push and turned around primarily from the weather, but also experienced oxygen system malfunctions that were quite troubling.  She said their push for the top and return back to BC was the most difficult thing she has ever done.  All of that being said, everyone on the team is now safe and sound at BC and it will be great to hear the whole story from Tonya.

Quick Update

Tonya is safe and sound at Camp 2.  She is spending the night at C2 and will be descending further down the mountain in the morning.

Summit Push Update

The team has decided to turn back 300 meters short of the summit.  It is now 7:45 am Nepal time and they have been climbing for 12 hours.  I have not spoken directly to Tonya, but am hearing news from one of her climbing partners that has been sending updates on the team's behalf from his satellite phone.  It appears the weather is moving in, high winds picking up and precipitation moving in.  Moving further up into the French Coulior - the steepest part of summit day - is becoming impossible, or at the very least foolish.  Everyone is now on their descent to high camp at 25,500ft.  Updates to follow as news comes in.

Gettting Ready For Summit Push

Tonya reached Camp 4 - high camp - yesterday afternoon (local Nepal time) and will be leaving for the summit push around 8pm...(that's around 8am this morning Mountain Time in the US).  So within the next hour or so the team should be out of their tents and moving up.  All of this is, of course, weather dependent.  The latest news is that the weather is holding and all is good, but the most recent round of forecasts calls for a spike in the winds tonight into tomorrow morning.  If all goes according to plan, the climb to the top can easily take 20 plus hours of climbing.  We may not hear from the team for a while, but will post updates as often as possible.

Moving to Camp 3

Tonya and team have been climbing up the mountain, per schedule, over the last couple of days.  They reached Camp 2 yesterday under decent weather conditions.  I just received word that they are leaving for Camp 3 as I type this.  Today is expected to be a very long day, with some of the most technical climbing of the expedition.  Camp 3 - located at an elevation of 7,400 meters (just over 24,000 ft) - is at the top of the Makalu La...a major Col / pass on the mountain.  It will most likely take the team 12 hours or more to climb between C2 and C3, with steep rock climbing up to the La.  The weather seems to be holding and the short term forecast is still decent, although it appears that the threat of precipitation is advancing a little sooner than originally forecast.  From C3, the team will most likely make one more camp before the summit...updates to follow as the team reports in...

Entering the couloir below the Makalu La

 

Just below the Makalu La - steep rock, snow and ice at 24,000 ft.

 

Going Up

This expedition has turned into an endless waiting game for Tonya, largely due to fickle weather with constant high winds on the upper mountain.  Finally, however, it's looking like the team is going for the summit with a forecast of decent weather.  The plan is to leave ABC early tomorrow morning - May 18th.  In USA time zones, that is late afternoon - May 17th.  The team will make a series of 3 to 4 camps, with hopes of reaching the top early morning on the 22nd.  From there, they will get back down to ABC and BC, with plans to depart the mountain on the 24th.  It's still windy now, but if forecasts hold true, the wind should drop dramatically on the 21st, with steadily increasing temps and calm winds continuing through the 23rd.  Then, after the 24th, precipitation is supposed to pick up with return of heavy winds.  In other words, it looks like the team will be getting a classic one to three day weather window before the Monsoon moves in and closes down the climbing season.  Right now on Everest hundreds of climbers are going for the top over the next few days, while on Makalu there are only about 15-20 people on the entire mountain!  We may not hear from Tonya until she is back down from the summit attempt, and I'll update as often as possible.

The final traverse to the top, taken from Makalu's summit

 

 

AND...a short video of our good friend, Da Yula Sherpa, reaching the top of Makalu in perfect weather conditions a few years ago...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r4jcCkewsM

 

 

 

 

 

ALMOST - Moving On Up

Tonya called this morning, and there has been a slight delay in their plans to move up the mountain.  After reviewing the latest weather forecasts, it looks like it makes the most sense to hold off a couple of days.  The short term forecasts, that looked marginal to begin with, shifted to just plain bad.  Looks like the weather should begin to improve within a few days and that's when they will begin moving up.  Always a fluid situation.

Moving On Up!

Just received word from Tonya that she will be heading up the mountain on her push for the summit,  beginning tomorrow morning (local Nepal time).  She and her team are in a bit of a crunch for time as their expedition is set to depart the mountain on the 24th of May.  If they begin moving up now, they have just enough time to reach the top and return to Base Camp before their support and porter crew arrive on the 23rd to help with departure.  So, despite a less than stellar weather forecast the team is going to move up and keep going up until the mountain tells them to go down. This will be their final push.  If the weather holds, there should be some team members reaching the summit within the next few days to a week...and if the weather proves to not be favorable, they will descend having given it their best shot.

Dear Patience

Dear Patience, 

You are very difficult to pin down.  One minute you are next to me and within seconds you vanish. I spend months preparing for the climb.  We are presently 37 days into our expedition of 58 days.  Suddenly it feels like there are not enough days remaining to get it all done.   

We received news yesterday that the mountain will possess high winds and precipitation for another week thus giving us a very small window of days to climb.  It is a very uneasy feeling knowing that 46 porters are arriving on the 25th to clear our camp.  Suddenly you make us all feel as though we will run out of days. 

All at once our destiny is in the hands of the universe.  We are 80% of the way there.  Our challenge is now to simply stay healthy which is very hard at this altitude.  We are growing weary of the extremes like peeing in a potties, pooping in a hole, bathing with only wet wipes, drinking only hot drinks made from murky water, and watching our teeth turn yellow from drinking tea and coffee.   

Now we must hold on to you.  Patience, you have become our new challenge and guide.  You are now our determinant of success or failure.  If we panic and jump the gun, the weather will turn us back.  To wait for perfect conditions could mean we never leave base amp.  We will now dance the fine dance with you.   

We take take hikes, boulder/climb on the nearby penitents, we look for pretty rocks, we read, watch movies, write in our journals, call family, visit other camps, organize our gear, wash some clothes by hand, work on sudoku puzzles, sleep a lot, trim our nails, shave and try really hard to stay focused.

The Waiting Game...

Tonya is trying to remain patient as she and the team continue waiting at ABC.  Conditions on the mountain remain a bit uncooperative, with high winds and heavy snow.  Tonya was hoping to go up for a second rotation by now, but those plans have been postponed.  Besides trying all means possible to avoid going crazy at ABC, the team is analyzing weather reports from multiple sources so they can plan their next move.  Sounds like a weather window will be presenting itself around the 18th of May.  Some of the team might push for the summit at the first break in the weather, and others might choose to take another rotation up to Camp 2 and back to ABC, before making a run at the top later in May.

 

Climbers at 28,000ft on Everest's Southeast Ridge -

with Makalu in the background. (photo - Jimmy Chin)