Day #20

Location: Mt. Everest Basecamp
Altitude: 5364m
Local Time: 9:30pm / April 16
Weather: Cool (40's) windy/snow

Today was an exciting day, to say the least. As noted yesterday we did make plans to go into the Khumbu icefall to climb further up and in doing so acquire more experience in navigating crevasses, as well as gaining more altitude. We awoke at 4:30am for a 5:00am breakfast and 6:00am departure. The weather was cool, but not cold, and the sky was clear. After about a 15 minute walk we reached the edge of the icefield and donned our gear:
1. Plastic/Mountain boots which give extra protection to feet when climbing in ice/snow.
2. Crampons which affix to the boots and give stability in snow and ice.
3. Climbing harness which fits around the waste and is used to secure us to fixed lines.
4. Carabiners, which are metal devices that allow us to clip into a rope and are attached to ropes on our harness.
5. Jumars, are locking devices that allow us to feed rope through them, and use them to help pull us up very steep sections.
6. Ice axe, used to help navigate steep sections or arrest a fall.

Once everyone was geared up and checked out we proceeded to climb into the Khumbu following a trail of other climbers. As slower climbers are encountered we either wait for them to step aside or we take advantage of spots along the trail to pass. The trail through the Khumbu twists and turns, and goes up and down so much that you have no idea what lies ahead. At some points there may be 40 ft. drops which means that you may have to rappel that section, or on others where there are steep ascents you may have to use your jumar device to lock into the fixed lines and pull yourself up that section. Throughout the Khumbu are fixed lines/ropes that have been put in place by Sherpas who have navigated the icefall and determined the best route to get through safely. These fixed lines are held in place by ice screws and are quite steady. Understandably there is a lot of stop ang go, slow climbs up steep ascents, and breaks to rehydrate and reapply suntan lotion as when the sun hits the Khumbu it is hot!
After about 4 hours of climbing Mike (Kiwi) and I decided to head back to basecamp as we had established what we had set out to do. We were interested in descending rapidly as when the sun hits the Khumbu it can cause ice to shift, snow to melt, and avalanches to occur. It was during our rapid descent that we heard a loud roar to our right and looked up to see a massive avalanche of snow above us on a high ridge. Avalanches are not unusual here, in fact, I probably hear and or see at least 6-8 daily. However, this scenario was different as the huge avalanche of snow was directly over us and gaining speed in our direction. My first reaction to the avalanche was one of deja vu as I had seen this before on television when they film an avalanche coming down the side of a mountain. Of course I had never experienced this in real life so took time to appreciate the majesty, the power ... the danger! All of a sudden it donned on me, this avalanche was heading directly for Mike and I. At the time that this happened, we were standing in the middle of an exposed area similar to a football field which was laced with tiny crevasses. Without saying a word, or checking for confirmation, we both unclipped from the fixed safety lines and started sprinting across this wide space. In front of us were tiny crevasses which normally you would take caution in stepping over, however in our frantic state we were able to hurdle them with ease. As I ran I kept looking over my right shoulder to check the progress of the mountain of snow and was greatly relieved to see that a ledge between us and the avalanche took the brunt of the sliding snow and caused a large white plume of snow spray to lift into the air. We stopped for a few seconds, took a picture of the plume, clipped back in to the fixed safety lines and increased the speed of our descent. We were very lucky today as this force of nature chose a different path that did not coordinaate with ours! As we reached basecamp we heard the buzz about the avalanche that had been seen and heard by quite a few and the concerns of those at camp for climbers who might have been injured. Luckily no one was injured and I am sure that all of those prayers and well wishes that everyone sends me were helpful in averting a disaster.
I have a very healthy respect for nature and take all precautions on the mountain to eliminate any potential for danger. Mike and I today were at the right place at the right time as we got to see the powerful force of nature, yet not be injured in any way!

This evening we were treated by our new team member, Mike (England), to a viewing of the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith via a dvd type player. We all huddled in our mess tent and enjoyed the movie while the snow fell quietly outside.

Your Messages:

Carol:
Hi sweetheart. Don't be too worried by my account of today's excitement as all those days of running and working out on the stair stepper were put to good use as I was able to outrun that pile of snow rolling down the hill. It's actually quite safe here as long as you take all the precautions, minimize your time in the Khumbu, and listen to those with lots of experience.
No ski vacations for me for awhile!
Love you and miss you terribly :>)

AORN Friends:

Rose and Lilg ... thanks so much for your constant support. I am glad that I have prompted lilg to check out the stars ... and hopefully will be a lifetime habit! The skies over Colorado are excellent for star gazing!

Canadian Friends:

Danny ... thanks as always for all that you are doing! Could you send a thank you note to the Almonte Gazette and give them my blogsite.

Susan & Shano ... all is well here, despite some big snowballs. Glad to see that you are checking in.

Columbia Friends:

Belinda ... thanks for the words of encouragement. It seems that I have to muster up the strength quite often to deal with my fears!

Ken ... thanks for the well wishes. I guess I reinforced your hesitancy to enter the Khumbu with my post today!

Susan ... I would highly recommend a Nepal trek after you do Mt. Kiliminjaro. It will definitely be the highlight of your life! Look forward to getting together on my return.

Palmetto Health Friends:

Sandra ... yes, it seems that when one confronts a fear head on there can be two responses. I chose to stay and explore that fear and today when crossing the ladders I noticed a quiet confidence.

USC Friends:

Liesl ... anymore word on support for the Summit Scholarship?

All The Others:

Bill & Michelle ... fear of horses and cold weather, who would have thought! I am sure that all of us have healthy fears ... but don't think that my fear of heights and mountain climbing make too much sense!

David aka Demento ... now, if I could just avoid avalanches, crevasses, extreme cold weather, and high altitude ... then yes, summitting will be an after-thought!

WP ... slow and easy not only applies to the mountains, but to our daily lives too!

Ann & Graham ... on my return trip over the ladders I managed to take a picture and hopefully will post. It did not seem as scary!

MC ... don't think that my fear of heights is gone, but know that I have managed a segment of it that deals with ladders over crevasses. Every bit helps!

Alan ... thanks for the support, and yes, a lot of uphill is ahead!