Everest Updates – 20th May
Updates on 20th May from those aiming to climb high on Everest in 2024
Pioneer Expeditions
“Congratulations to Royal Bhutan Army Lieutenant Jigme Pelden Dorje for becoming the first Bhutanese to summit Mt. Everest! Reaching the top at 9:30 A.M. today, Jigme, with our guide Chakra Rai, has made history. His incredible journey, starting from Everest Base Camp on May 16, is a true inspiration.
“We are proud to have been part of Jigme’s climb,” said Pasang Sherpa, Chairman of Pioneer Adventure. “This achievement highlights the spirit of exploration and dedication.”
Pemba Gelje Sherpa
“EVEREST SUMMIT 8:50 am
On 20th of May, my brother Pemba Ongchu stood on summit of Everest for his 15th times summit along with 3 other team members, guides and Sherpas from ExpeditionsHighMountainTreks.
Congratulations to all and we wish all Safe decent.”
Elite Expeditions
“TOP OF THE WORLD!
At Elite Expeditions there is nothing better than helping others achieve their new possible.
People say Everest isn’t a challenge anymore – that’s just not true.
Climbing Everest takes determination, training, skills and expertise.
Huge congratulations to our Everest summiters:
1. Sarah Abdovais
2. Irina Mikhailova
3. Timothy Walker
4. Suraj Paudel
5. Kryspin Mitura
6. Marieta Georgieva
7. Richard Bailey
8. Sarah Findlay
9. Christin Vogondy
10. Kenny Sparcklin
11. Dora Argentina Vargas
12. Thomas Stanley
13. Ryan Rivard
14. Mingma Tenzi Sherpa
15. Anup Gurung
16. Mingdorchi Sherpa.
17. Ngima Dawa Sherpa
18. Nuru Gyalzen Sherpa
19. Sandesh Sherpa
20. Phuri kittar Sherpa
21. Prakash Gurung
22. Ki Temba
23. Anoj Thapa
24. Dawa Gyalzen
25. Sandeep Gurung
26. Bikash Gurung
27. Nima Sherpa
28. Pasang Dorji
29. Lakpa Wongchu Sherpa”
SummitClimb Team
“Update from the Himalayas! – Everest team has reached Camp 2 and is gearing up for Camp 3. – Lhotse team is at Camp 3, aiming for Camp 4 tomorrow. If all goes well, they’ll make a summit push!”
Ascent Himalayas Team
“Four team members, along with six Sherpas, are now at Camp 2, planning for a summit push on May 23rd. Our first attempt was thwarted by high winds, forcing us to turn back from the South Summit. It was a tough decision, but safety comes first. We are hopeful and determined for a successful climb this time!”
Extremos Team
“The Grade 6 team arrived at Camp 4 around 4:40pm, a slightly late schedule if they wish to attack the summit later today. Professional climbers usually arrive at Camp 4 between noon and 2 p.m., allowing time to try and sleep in their booths and leave for the summit attack the same day around 8 p.m. This has always been the normal climbing procedure.”
Grade 6 group has two options at the moment. If you have no spare oxygen cylinders, you can leave later to attack the summit, around midnight. This would help them climb less during the early morning as the sun will come up soon and the weather will be a bit nicer. However, that means they will reach the summit later, but still within the ideal time.
The other option is to sleep in Camp 4. If that’s true, maybe that’s why they arrived late to C4, because they should have left C3 later. So they can sleep in Camp 4 and attack the summit the next night, going up more restfully. With Santalena’s experience, if you have counted oxygen cylinders, he probably would have already solved this issue with other teams and his sherpas.”
Rhett Evans
“Here’s the latest plan. I wish I could send pictures so you could see the long lines coming out of C3 to C4.
C3 is expected to be cleared out tomorrow so we are a go. We are going to leave camp at 7 am. It should be about a 5-6 hour climb up the steep Lhoste face.
We will stay there for a bit and then leave for C4 around 2 AM for C4. This is the last camp before the Summit. It is the one in the “death zone” (above 26,000 ft.)
My stomach is acting back up, so I will need to fight through that tomorrow! I’m excited to get into the real climbing. Down suits go on tomorrow and oxygen the next day. Thanks again for all your support. It means the world.”
Furtenbach Adventures
“Our second Everest South Team arrived in Camp 4 and our third South Team is in Camp 3. Our Team on the North side is in Camp 1 on North Col (7000m). Tomorrow Camp 2.”
ClimbingTheSevenSummits Team
“Some of the summit team is moving to c4 today while others decided to stay at c3 one more night to avoid some crowds and a bit of wind this morning. The weather is perfect on the Lhotse Face right now and our team should be rolling into the South Col shortly.”
Frank Loke’s Team
“After being advised by his sherpas to use oxygen, Frank made a tough decision tonight. Since he has been exhausted and unsure in the last days whether it would be possible to get to the top without extra oxygen, he also chose to consult with his family on the way to Camp 4, the team is currently in. Frank’s oldest daughter Ada Loke had only one wish – to get her dad back home safely. Frank says that the choice was easy then and he decided to put on the oxygen mask and thus end the attempt to climb the world’s highest mountain without the help of extra oxygen. Frank says the last 24 hours have been chaos with people who have been injured and losing their lives, and defying the Sherpa’s advice has proven to be unwise. He adds that the dead Mongols were crucial to the decision, and that this has characterized him in recent days.
Frank says: – “I have enormous respect for the sherpas and the mountain! I therefore chose to listen to Tsering, Tashi and Ada in order to survive. The trip to Camp 4 took 12 hours and without the extra oxygen it would be impossible to say how long we would spend.”
Kaspar Eevalds Team
“Kaspar is currently in 4th camp and by his words he has the power!
He describes the climb to the fourth inter-camp as follows: a difficult, dangerous and very cruel climb.
Kaspar is located at a height where there is no room for error. His team alone has several who have gotten frostbite (losing their fingers). Also many have been rescued because the exhaustion is great and continuing is excluded. There is no room for error even when climbing – a wrong move can fly you down thousands of meters.
There is one climber in the 8k Expeditions team whose goal was to reach the top without extra oxygen, but put a mask on route 4.
The climb to the top is made even more difficult by the fact that there are so many climbers. Probably 200+ and also sherpas. Therefore, there are traffic jams in many places, which slows down movement and forces climbers to stay longer in the death zone.
Even though many climbers have already returned, the situation here at the base camp is anxious. Besides me, there’s another girl waiting for her mate. I know his team is strong – it gives a lot more.”
Updated throughout the day
