Everest Diaries – 6th May
A summary of events from the slopes of Everest on 6th May 2022.
Taken from Social Media and Team Pages.
Josh Garrison (with Madison Moutaineering)
Understanding our rotations through the high camps is something that I am just getting a full grasp of. The idea is to keep pushing ourselves higher and higher and then dropping back down to let our bodies recover. “Train high, sleep low.” Hopefully this graphic will help understand what is going on.
Rotation 1- Climbed from Basecamp to Camp 1, our first trip through the Khumbu Icefall. Spent 2 nights at Camp 1 and then climbed to Camp 2 where we also spent two nights. Descended all the way to Basecamp where we spent over a week letting our bodies recover and produce more red blood cells.
Rotation 2- This time we climbed from Basecamp straight through to Camp 2. This took over 11 hours of straight climbing through the icefall and over the glaciers from Camp 1 -2. Once arriving at Camp 2 we took one rest day and then climbed the “Lhotse Face” to Camp 3, 23,500’ (without Oxygen), “kissed it” and came back down to Camp 2 where we spent the night. Next morning dropped back down to Basecamp.
Drop Back- Today we will helicopter down to the town of Namche (elevation 11,000’) where we will spend 5 nights recovering and rebuilding our strength. They also have real beds, showers and food!
Summit Rotation- We will begin looking for a weather window once we get back to Basecamp from Namche. Then we will leave from Basecamp and climb back to Camp 2. Take a rest day and then climb to Camp 3 on Oxygen (which we will stay on). Spend the night and climb to Camp 4. Likely take a rest day and the leave for the summit of Everest on the following night with the hopes of summiting around daybreak. Descend back to camp 4. Most of the team will leave early the next morning headed back to Camp 2. A few of us are going to try and summit Lhotse that morning and then return to camp 4 before starting our decent to Camp 2.
Puja Ceremony today. This team is ready for the summit push. Our superstar Sherpas did an amazing job on the mountain. We are greatful and humble and admire their strength and positive vibes.
THANK YOU SHERPA TEAM, YOU ARE THE POWER BEHIND ALL THIS
I just completed my “long rotation” to Camp 3, 23,000ft and have safely returned to Everest Base Camp!
I climbed the entire route quickly and felt strong. My O2 saturations at 19,000-23,000ft were really strong, I believe my oxygen deprivation training at home really prepped my body well! 🛩
I was able to move swiftly through the icefall in about 5hrs and 20min. I believe I lost 1HR of time due to being stuck behind a large team in the icefall. On my summit rotation I am hoping to have no traffic and move through the icefall closer to 4hrs.
What now? Resting and relaxing at EBC waiting for a good weather window so I can run up and stand on top of the Earth!
Last day of rest today in Namche and we’re heading back to EBC. This means we’re yet one step closer in the process but not over the big hurdle yet… the weather! We need about 5 days window with <30 knots wind and not much precipitation up high.
Once that’s opened up we’ll be heading for the summit fingers crossed!
