Blog

This is just a quick update from Gorak Shep, where I have just dropped down from Base Camp to do some emailing.

I have completely recovered and I am now back at the Himex camp waiting for the route to Nuptse to be opened. Life has been quite calm up there with all the Himex teams waiting for their second acclimatisation rotation to start, which could be in a few days.

On Saturday, 17 Sherpas started fixing the route up to Camp 3, however, an ice block came tumbling down during their work injuring one Sherpa. Following the incidents, the Sherpas retreated and will have a well-deserved rest on Sunday.

So, now it is ‘hurry up and wait’ as Russell always likes to say. First of all, the route up Everest has to be established, then comes Lhotse and last but not least Nuptse.

in the meantime, I keep myself busy writing Russell’s newsletter, finding more expeditions for Miss Hawley’s Himalayan Database or jus socialising with old friends. Last night, for example, André from the Extreme Everest research group came to visit us and it was very interesting to find out more about their findings. “This was one of the most interesting evenings I have had in a long time,” said Russell, who usually invites members or guides from other teams to our guides’ meeting, which takes place at our camp every day at 5pm.

This means I had better run to get back to base camp in time for Sunday’s guides’ meeting as the Basque climber Alex Txikon, who is trying to do a new route on Nuptse with two mates, is visiting us today.

I hope you all have a lovely spring, and I will be in touch again soon with more news!