Everest 2021 Update – Jess Wedel – 13th May
Jess Wedel was aiming to climb Everest with her mother but unfortunately her mum had to pull out last week.
Jess will continue with her challenge.
“My emotions all over the board, my mom dropping out, I am a puddle of frozen tears, a brilliant and efficient move through the icefall, a bitter difficult move through the western CWM from camp 1 to 2. I am an icicle, my brain not working.
“3 days in a snowstorm at Camp 2, 21,500 feet. Where we were awaiting an emergency evacuation for one of our team members, every day willing the clouds to roll. Willing them to let him get to safety (he did!, cue more frozen tears). “What happens is it seals it up” as we are digging out the snow from our tents. Avalanches ripping all around us. Small horrors, small triumphs.
“And then just as we are all ruminating on our poor weather conditions, “That’s the most snow I’ve seen on all my trips here”, how no rotation has gone as planned, we had the most perfect day moving to Camp 3.
“We timed the other groups right, the weather fluctuated between clouds and sun – the wind was minimal. Everyone was moving strong. And just like that, little dreams began sprouting again.
“Sitting at 23,400 feet. Looking down the western cwm and up at Mt Evie. Right in front of us. Rappelling back down thousands of feet on the Lhotse face just before more snow rolled in. It felt like the perfect end to our weeks of acclimatization. Enough hope to keep on keepin’ on.
“From here, we rest and wait for a weather window for a 6-day summit push. Jet stream winds are moving in so it could be 10 days or more before we find it. I can’t believe I’m here, I can’t believe the possibility still exists.”
