Friday May 16. Everest Base Camp.
This will be my last day in base camp before we head up for our summit attempt. The next week will provide some of the most demanding moments of my life. I will be pushed to my limits both physically and emotionally. There will be times, many of them I predict, when I will just want to stop and go no more. My challenge will be to remember that no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may become, it is only for a short period of time. The payback for this suffering will be huge to me. The realization of a life long dream. To stand atop of Mount Everest.
This will be the ultimate test for me and there are no guarantees I will get what I have come for. In fact, statistics are against me. Somewhere in the area of 33% of people reach the summit on their first attempt. I hope to be in this small group.
In less than a week the results will be in.
Yesterday there was a meeting among the head Sherpas from most of the climbing teams here. The focus of this meeting was to organize who will fix ropes from the Col to the summit and where the gear will come from. I was not personally at this meeting, but I was told it was a bit like pulling teeth to get the manpower and the gear needed to do the job. There are around 41 teams here this year and only 12 volunteered people, oxygen, rope, and hardware to get the job done. All the teams involved are the commercial expeditions. The smaller independent teams will just go along for the free ride. I understand that these smaller teams do not have the extra manpower to lend to the task, but they could contribute gear, rope, or oxygen.
It is interesting the contrast between the South side and the North side in this respect. On the North side the rope is fixed by one team every year and every climber pays for the right to use the rope. I am told the cost to fix the rope every year is between 20K-30K ($100 per climber). This is a small price to pay per climber to ensure the rope is done, done right, and done on time.
Considering the level of organization on the South side it is surprising that this same system has not been adopted here. A group similar to the Ice Fall Doctors could take this role. This has not happened yet and every year one or two of the larger commercial expeditions get together and just do it.
There are approximately 300 climbers (non Sherpa) here this year. That equates to $30,000 if each climber were to pay $100. If this same system were followed there would be more than enough money to get the job done. I would gladly pay for this service.
2:00pm Update:
We had a meeting earlier today to review our summit plan, the gear we will carry and the logistics. All seems to be in place. The fixing of the ropes to the summit is still in flux. One moment we hear there is a Sherpa team who will do it on the 19th, the next moment we hear there is a commercial group going on the 20th and they will do it, and then we hear that there will be a bunch of smaller teams going on the 21st (us included) and they will do it. I may know more in a few days, but right now it is not clear. I do not have any concerns that it will get done, it is just a question of who and what day.
It appears that there will be between 50-100 people going for the summit on the same day as us. Who knows if this will be accurate or not.
The weather forecast is excellent for the 21st, the days before it and at least 4 days after it. It is calling for light winds, good temperatures, and the possibility of some light snow. There appears to be quite a big window of good weather which will allow people to go on different days so as to not create any one day that is really crowded.
Every day we hear of people leaving the mountain for various reasons so the number of climbers is decreasing a little.
Because of the previous climbing restrictions and some bad weather five days ago, there are many people who have not been to, and will not go to C3 before their summit push. I'm not sure how this will impact the success rate this year. Only time will tell.
This is our planned schedule:
May 17 BC - C2
May 18 C2 rest day
May 19 C2 - C3
May 20 C3 - C4
May 21 C4 - Summit - C4
May 22 C4 - C2
May 23 C2 - BC
This could change at any time, but this is the plan as of right now.

Messages:

Hi Amy, thanks for the email. I miss you a lot. The moon sand sounds pretty neat. You did a great job on your science test. I am very proud of you. See you soon.
Love, Daddy.

Chris, the food has been really good and I have not lost as much weight as expected. However, I am really starting to crave food from back home. A Canadian sirloin steak on the BBQ, home made mac n' cheese, ice cream with brownies and chocolate sauce, sushi, fish and chips, Canadian beer, non-powered milk. These are some of the first things I will seek out when I get home.
I do have the chemical hand warmers with me and they may come in handy. Likely after C3 there will not be too much pooping going on. Our bodies will consuming every thing we put in it. There will be very little waste.
Hope the ball bearing comes out well.

Karen, Phil, Nathan and Maggie, I will plan to go high and slow. For ny next adventure I'm really not sure. Finishing the 7-summits may be of interest and the North and South poles are also of interest. Or it may be a marathon, a triathlon, or an adventure race. However, the most immediate thing will be something with Susan, Amy, and Colin like a canoe trip, a trip to somewhere warm, a ski vacation or maybe back to Disney. We have been talking about New Zealand. Lots of options.

Chris, we should arrive in KTM right around the end of the month. We will be staying at the Courtyard Hotel just down the street from the Marshiandi. Where will you be staying. We'll look you up when we get into town.

Thanks WP. We are in good shape and ready to go.

Colon and Alex, thanks for the note. All is going really well. Are you back home for a visit this summer. If so, we'll need to make plans to get together and for our trip to NZ as well. Hope all is well.

Cas, thanks for following along. It is always more interesting when you know the person.

Paul, thanks for your message. I'm glad I can help bring back good memories. I feel good about the push and it is looking good for us (within the controllable). We will continue to post by voice and text as we climb up the mountain. Thanks for all your help.

QE, I too was surprised at how short a time it took for the package to arrive. I have finished personal responses to all the letters. I will try to take the flag to the top with me.

Murray & Lewis Clan, I'm glad you enjoy the detail in my postings. Angus dictates most of this too me and then runs out of time to do his own. He has so many responsibilities around here his postings have suffered a little. Angus is a man of actions not words. He will be the one leading the way to the top.

Jane, I look forward to climbing the peaks when I get home to see if it is any different from previous years.
Thanks for your best wishes.

Paula, thanks for the note. Hope to be back at FG soon. See you then.

Janicke, glad you can build my climb into your class. Maybe I could come into the class when I get back and we can do the climb together.

Pat, I will say hello to Nima Dorjee for you. Any advice for me working together with him.

QE Letters:

Dear Latisha, I am glad that you are enjoying following my climb of Mount Everest. I wish my high school teachers had done something like this. I think it makes class more interesting and I think you will get better grades because of it.
You have asked many great questions. I will do my best to answer them here:
- I decided to climb Mount Everest because of the personal challenge. I am always trying to see what I am capable of. Climbing is my passion so I have chosen to test myself on the worlds highest peak. I find that I am most motivated and do my best when I have a goal in mind. This keeps me focused. Once Mount Everest is over I will choose my next challenge to work towards. This, I believe, helps to keep my life interesting and I continue to learn and grow.
-My family is very supportive of my climbing habit and I could not do it without this support. I believe that everyone should have a hobby or a passion of some kind. Climbing is mine. It is tough on my family when I am away for so long, but I also feel that by doing these things my children are learning that they too can make their dreams come true if they try hard enough.
-The ice fall is a scary place and crossing the ladders can be intimidating. Some of the crossings are made of four 12-foot ladders tied together. These are the most daunting. What makes it easier, however, is that there are always two hand lines to hold onto to give you better balance.
- You say that you would not climb the mountain because you are afraid of heights. I too get afraid of heights some times. That is part of the challenge, to do something that you are afraid of and to do it well. I believe that this helps me in other aspects of my life. There are always things that are scary and if I can work well in scary situations I hope this will make me more successful in life.
-Yes climbing Mount Everest is expensive, but it has been a dream of mine and I worked hard to make it happen. If you want something bad enough you will figure out a way to make it happen.
Thank you for your support.
All the best, Scott.

Dear Tyler, climbing Mount Everest is a huge commitment of time and money. It is something I have always wanted to do so the decision was not really that hard for me. Yes there is danger, but I would not be here if I truly felt I was risking my life. I love life and want to experience it to its fullest. This is partly why I am climbing Mount Everest. I want to take as much out of life as I can. My father died too young and this made me realize how short life can be. I want to experience as much as I can.
You write that you would rather go somewhere warm, I think this is where I will go next as well. Sitting here at base camp I fantasize about sitting on a hot beach and swimming in the warm water.
The walk to base camp took us 9 days, but it is a great walk. The scenery is beautiful and along the walk I was able to learn a lot about the Sherpa culture. It is well worth the time and I would encourage you to do it some day.
Travel is one of the great things climbing has given me. As I have traveled around the world climbing, I have seen things and met people I never would have without climbing.
Thanks for your letter.
Al the best, Scott.

Dear Becky, I feel really good about the climb. We have a strong team and we work well together.
Because Everest can be dangerous I did a lot of research and training before I came here. I have been training for this climb for over 20 years and have challenged myself on bigger and bigger mountains each year. I have learned as much as I could and practiced a lot. I feel that in this way I have prepared well for this climb.
Everest is a beautiful, but harsh environment. I can't wait to see colours again. Up here it is all black and white. I also miss the smell of grass and trees. I look forward to getting back to Canada in June. It will be so warm and beautiful. I hope I will have a few days to soak it all in before I need to go back to work.
Thank you for your well wishes.
All the best, Scott.

Dear Kevin, I see that you are taking auto tech at school. When I was in gread 10 I bought and re-built a 1959 Chevy Apache pick-up. I never did finish it, but it was a great project and gave me a place to focus my energy. I also re-build a 1979 VW camper van and drove it to Texas. Well, almost to Texas. It blew up in Kansas City and I had to sell it, but it was fun.
I do not feel I am risking my life because I feel I am well prepared for this challenge and have a good team with me. I enjoy various risk sports and feel they make my life exciting and rich. Risk is all part of life and it can be an exciting part of life, provided that you prepare well and do it in a smart way.
There is a program called Smart Risk that a friend of mine runs. You can find it on the internet. It is a great program that helps young people make smart decisions.
As a teenager I did a lot of risky things and I was lucky to get away with them. I would do things differently now. Risk is an important part of life, but it needs to be smart risk.
It is fun to think that jets fly at the same height as Mount Everest. It is exciting to think that if I stand on the summit of Everest, I will be standing almost 9km above my home.
Thank you for your support.
All the best, Scott.