29 April: Acclimatizing At Camp II

So some funnier things have happened as we have climbed higher and higher into the rarified air. First, I have noticed that I have turned into some form of human snot machine. I'm not alone in churning out ectoplasm at a superhuman rate, it seems like almost everyone's doing it and reaching for the Chinese toilet paper we have here regularly. Last night I went through almost an entire roll of the fragile TP just to pass the night with halfway normal sinus cavities.


Then about three times I wandered out of the safe confines of the tent to pee. With all the cracking and creaking of the super-hard glacial ice here I then became the recipient of some crazy altitude dreams once back safely in my bag. While Francisco dreamt of fixing lines and actually woke Willie for assistance, I dreamt that on my night walk, I saw a Yeti. Yup, that's right. A Yeti.

So, it was quite a night here at 20,600', where resting pulses race at 110bpm. Finally, the sun hit the tent and it was time for breakfast. Tendi and Danubu made it to Camp II in under four hours and joined us in the tent, where Danubu had a consistent cough and Tendi admitted to me that his nose wouldn't stop running either (he did this great enacting where he takes both hands, points them downward, palms facing inboard and goes "nose is running!" while alternately moving one hand after another from his nose to chest). Even though the only time Sherpas stay at Camp II overnight is on a summit push, this is the altitude where they too begin to experience the effects of altitude. Later today, we saw two Sherpas on the side of the trail in need of assistance. Smiling and waving, Tendi and Danubu took off, heading back downhill to the thicker air at Base Camp.

Willie, however, had different plans for us. Moving tents, shifting platforms, changing the cook tent layout, etc. It made for a busy day and he also sent the three of us to the top of Camp II at varying points, which actually proved beneficial. From our spot, it is still a 25 minute climb to the roof of Camp II and a sign placed by the Nepal Army which reads "Notice: Dear Climbers, All of you are not allow to go forward from this point till 10 May, 2008. I thank you for your consideration.

Enroute back, I bumped into a few Nepali Army soldiers and chatted with them for about 15 minutes. Let me tell you how happy they are to be sent to Camp II. All professionals, and all prior summiteers of Everest, they are doing their jobs. They have seven team members that have been assigned to Camp II to enforce the no climbing ban. All seemed friendly enough and while they did have a Soviet-style sniper rifle, I was thrilled to note that not a single one of them possessed a Chafing Gun.

Returning to our tents, we collectively noted that while not as boring as Camp I, there sure isn't much to do here. By bedtime, my heart rate had dropped to 78, which is fantastic given that tomorrow Willie, in an effort to keep us busy, has decided to send us to Camp I and back. We can't go up, so... great. It'll be back up to 110 bpm by lunch.

28 April: Trek To Camp II

I don't know how we did it, but somehow last night we ended up with 12 hours of sleep. Twelve! I personally woke up four or five times to shift, etc. but when I'd look at my watch, it felt great. Reflecting on this with Joe and Francisco later today, the feeling was universal- holy cats, do we have a long time till sunrise.

But eventually, the sun did rise, and we began to assemble our gear for movement up the Western Cwm to Camp II, our home until May 1st. We learned that the trail has moved away from the infernal glacier waves, thankfully enough. Now there's just a long, straight upward line that hugs Nuptse to follow- which may prove tiring, but nowhere near as exhausting as the original path we followed a week ago.

Reliably, Tendi and Danubu showed up first thing in the morning, along with Crazy Camp II Cook (Indra) to help move our camp. The goal is basically to pull out Camp I from this point forward. We'll leave an emergency tent with oxygen and meds incase we get caught halfway between Camp II and Base Camp in a storm, but from now on we will walk right by Camp I enroute to Camp II. By the way, when I say "help move," I really mean move. I took a pic of the team wearing their gear and another one reflecting Tendi's pack next to mine for comparative loads. I don't consider myself a slacker by any means but when you feel completely weak up here in air 48% thinner than at sea level, it's hard to haul anything until you are acclimatized- which these guys absolutely are. I lifted Tendi's pack and had to spend the next three minutes catching my breath while he looked on and laughed.

I know I keep going on and on about Sherpas and their capabilities, but not a day goes by that I'm not thoroughly impressed with what they have genetically become preconditioned to do up here. Take Danubu as case-in-point. This guy gets the call from his cousin (Lama Jambu) to come join our team and in four days is at Everest Base Camp. Two days later, he has made regular appearances at Camp II. Sure, he has seven summits under his belt and his brother holds the world record speed ascent. But I'm pretty sure that over the years Sherpas have naturally selected out things like Edema and have some special switch that clicks on the second they pass 10,000' where they start producing millions of extra red blood cells in some mini red blood cell factory.

So after two hours, the team made its way into Camp II and meandered among its tents. As I wandered along the trail deep in a moraine that makes up the camp boundary, I happened among three amazingly friendly Indian climbers whom we have passed several times over the last few weeks. Without flinching, they smiled and pulled out a thermos and crackers, offering me and Joe a mid-trail snack. One is from Mumbai and two are from North India as we learned. We all chatted for about 10 minutes before parting ways but it was another example of how friendly people can be up here, even at 20,600'.

Indra whipped up a great lunch and dinner for us, making use of a pressure steamer in ways that I didn't even know it could be used. For us, the rest of the day was spent acclimatizing, lazing around, and basic camp improvement projects. For example, Lhakpa and I hung a solar light in the cook/ dinner tent. This somewhat simple task took 30 minutes.

I also ended up listening to song after song which seemed to ironically have tropic or beach themes. Iz, plinking away tranquilly on his ukulele in Hawaii. The Beach Boys. Even songs from "The Beach" soundtrack about an idyllic hideaway in Thailand. All while gazing down the icy and frozen Western Cwm, along with the thousands of feet we have already traveled to make it here to be base of Mt. Everest, its ultimate goal towering 8 1/2 thousand feet above.

27 April: Trek To Camp I

I honestly don't know how G-Man is so cheery at 4am but however he does it, I appreciate it. "Good morning, Dough" (there's no silent "H" here- it’s pronounced just like it's spelled).

5:10am and we were off like a shot- thanks to the mad dash yesterday the base of the Icefall seemed fairly open. I was curious to see how acclimatized and rested we were after several days "off," but what I soon learned is that some things aren't that romantic. Despite hauling ass and pressing as hard as I could, I only shaved 10 minutes off the time it takes to reach the ice block we use as a mile marker of sorts, located close to the base of the Icefall.



Gaining altitude, the increase in speed is there, although nothing dramatic. My understanding of this slow and deliberate process is that with time, repeat trips, and higher forays up the mountain it will come. Indeed, I did pass several teams who stopped, got out of the way, and waved on with a breathless wandering expression on their faces.

Up higher, I had another run-in with a Swiss group. Boy, I tell ya. What's going on with these pushy and cocky Swiss? Ya know, I have plenty of Swiss friends so this isn't an indictment of the Swiss in general. But Swiss climbers here think they own the mountain. This particular group of two were cutting and bumping other climbers, again not practicing safe procedures. Even Sherpas were looking at each other in disbelief as these two stared on haughtily with disdain at anyone who wouldn't make way for them.

Interestingly enough, at almost exactly the same time as I had my run-in with this Swiss group, Willie had yet another altercation with the loose cannon IMFGA Guide from the other day. In a pinnacle of arrogance, he told Willie that unlike him, we (as in, our team) weren't "qualified" to be here, among other things. But of course, he is. Now there's a guide I want to follow. You know, I have spent years getting myself prepared and in what I consider to be decent shape for this climb, and I know my fellow teammates have done the same. What an absolute ass. 38 teams out here, and these guys are doing their absolute best to alienate themselves from the rest, time and again. Well, for one thing they must know something the rest of us don't. But I do know that climbing books are riddled with obituaries of guys like these and can guarantee that if there's a safety line to clip into- I'm clipping.

A little while later, we did manage to get dusted to Camp I by an Italian named Marco who had just arrived at Base Camp yesterday and was enroute to Camp II. Friends and teammates of Roberto and Angelo, the Italians we had lunch with and who are attempting a summit without supplemental oxygen, Marco had only taken 2 1/2 hours to make the high ladders at 19,300'. The sun hit us, and I said "doesn't that feel good, Marco?" "Doug, I am so sorry, but I am too tired to find pleasure in the sun right now." I smiled as he continued on his way, disappearing quickly into the snow waves above the Icefall. I waited for the rest of our team and felt my body core temp jump thanks to intense UV rays, and soon thereafter even my toes came back to life from frozen blocks jammed inside climbing boots.

Five hours and fifteen minutes later, we pulled into Camp I, tent to tent. Not as quick as we had planned, but we still shaved 45 minutes off our previous time. Joe pointed out that we have been through the Icefall to varying distances nine times now.


Jumping into our bags, we all caught some Zs, which felt fantastic. Lhakpa began to root around and stumbled across a bunch of MREs (Meal Ready to Eat) and cooked up some dinner. MRE's. Yep, I can't get away from them- standard field rations for US Marines. Every month for the last several months, and once again here they are- in the Western Cwm, in Nepal. Among the team, they were a huge hit, too. Designed to be extremely high in calories, sodium and fat content, each MRE as a full meal can contain up to 5,000 calories. So I warned the guys about what Marines already know- having an MRE can shock your system and stop you up for a good two days. But given the environment and being easy to prepare, they truly hit the spot.

Olympic Torch Special! The Flag Guy

NPR: "..In Nepal, authorities forced an American mountaineer with a "Free Tibet" banner in his bags off Mount Everest. Chinese climbers carrying the Olympic torch plan to ascend their side of the world's tallest peak in the early days of May…"

Ahh, NPR. They sort of got the whole story right.. why can't the media try 100% accuracy before they go on the air with a story? As usual, our team wasn't just involved, it was knee deep in the thick of it. But, only in that the kid (we affectionately nicknamed him Reinhold Messner since he looked above and beyond shaggy and thereby could not be added in with The Fuzzies) who got nailed with the flag showed it to us (along w/ many others) at Camp I.. thereby getting himself ejected from the mountain.

The reason he was ejected from the mountain (and from Nepal) is because it wasn't just a Free Tibet flag.. he had it specially embroidered in Thamel District before flying to Lukla and used the words "Free Tibet, Fuck China". That, in a nutshell, is the reason he was not only ejected from the Everest Region, but also from the entire country. Having dozens of conversations about this over the course of our time on the mountain, our guess is that if (if) his flag had just said Free Tibet, he would have been ok and he would have been allowed to continue his climb by the Nepal Government. But, he was a complete dumb ass about it, and in a year when the Chinese microscope was so visibly pointed on the Nepal side of Everest, he ended up deported for 2 years.

On the flip side, the whole Free Tibet movement is so bloody political and a giant, massive mechanism that continues to churn propaganda. Think I'm being naive? Just go ask Willie, who watched his name get dragged through the mud on Explorerweb and Rock & Ice- even after paying for a 30 minute satellite call to be interviewed by a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Have I told you lately how much I hate the media? Manipulative bastards. Tell us how you really feel, Doug. On everestnews.com, Reinhold made a premature return to the US with Free Tibet "hero" status. In our eyes, he is no hero. At EBC, damage control abounds, the Nepal Army leads continue to discuss the future of climbing on Everest this past season with team leads on a regular basis, and even the Chinese Ambassador begins to make regular appearances at Base Camp. As a direct result of that guy & his flag, the Chinese insist that NO climbers be allowed through the Icefall during certain days, all of our equipment is searched enroute to Camp II, and everything becomes delayed. Nepal complies thanks to $180 million in soft loans and a fear that Reinhold wasn't the only cat with a flag, and they are right.

Thanks, buddy. You totally hooked up everyone.

Here is the press release I ginned up for Mountain Madness to put on their website as a response to reporters, etc. We pulled together this press release based on what we saw and experienced as it happened, and this is a compilation of the entire team and not just one individual:

“On 19 April, the Mountain Madness team was moving up through the Icefall when they came across William Brant Holland, on his first trip up and carrying a heavy load. When he saw Willie, he mentioned that he knew Willie from Aconcagua and small talk ensued.

Upon arrival at Camp I, the Mountain Madness team (westerners and Sherpas) sat down for lunch outside our tents with two famous Italian climbers. While eating, William arrived and asked Willie if he could store equipment in the back of Willie's tent vestibule, which he quickly agreed to, giving William some pointers on how to successfully execute a climb on Mt Everest (William appeared to be climbing unsupported).

While unpacking on the fringe of our group, at one point William said "Hey, check this out" and with that pulled out a black flag embroidered in Thamel with the wording "Free Tibet Fuck China". Five of us witnessed the flag, and when Willie saw it he jumped up quickly and in unison we all asked William why he brought such a flag along in the first place. His response was that he wanted to fly it from the summit. After discussing the ramifications of having such a flag and how it's presence could result in the Nepali Government shutting down climbing altogether, we explained that him openly flying one of these flags went counter to everything we had been instructed about, was directly opposite to boundaries of the permit, and that his having this flag put all of us- as in every climber and Sherpa who had paid thousands of dollars to be here at risk. The risk being that the Nepal Government could potentially shut down climbing on the Nepal side for the season.

After this conversation, he passed over the flag to one of our Sherpas who was about to head back to Base Camp, and was planning on disposing the flag in a way that would not be noticed. Unfortunately though, because William had publicly displayed the flag at Camp I, other climbers and Sherpas must have noticed it because word on the flag had made it to Base Camp before our Sherpas had. The flag was passed on to William’s team Sirdar, who then decided that it needed to be turned over to authorities.

We learned later that his entire team (William included) was fully debriefed on climbing permit rules and regulations- including Free Tibet paraphernalia- before arriving at Base Camp, and that his willingness in covertly bringing the flag with him put his entire team in direct risk of being ejected from the climb. It was this reason that compelled his Sirdar to turn over the flag to Nepal Army authorities and identify him as the flag owner.

As a potential collateral damage, Sherpas livelihood on Everest depends on work year after year. Even the Sherpas who were involved in this event were deeply upset given the precarious position that this flag put them in- the potential to lose half a season's worth of work across all teams attempting to climb, and those directly involved who could have been banned from the mountain indefinitely. These Sherpas rely on work to support their families, and while the "Free Tibet" movement is something of a romantic cause for some westerners, the potential financial damage that Williams' flag put directly in the face of these Sherpas has them taking quite strong positions on what they feel about him and his actions.”

Back to Top Ten Stories: http://landtarget.blogspot.com/2009/01/everest-top-ten-stories.html

26 April: I Miss Warm Weather

All things considered, it was another quiet and down day at Base Camp. We were originally going to go up today, but then yesterday afternoon Willie had a sit-down with the Nepali Army leadership here at Base Camp who outlined a national policy plan for the Nepal side of the mountain to be shut down from 1-10 May to overnight climbing... this to end as soon as the Chinese get to the top with the Olympic torch. Why? There was a certain climber who has made headlines lately. Despite everything in the news, despite everything written on permits, despite everything which we all assumed was common sense, this climber decided to covertly bring along his Free Tibet flag, incase you heard. Some of you also know by now that it didn't just say Free Tibet. I'll leave it at that and cover the rest at a time later down the road. But for now, word raced like wildfire around camp about the new rules, and as a result there was a mass rush for the fixed lines by teams trying to scramble for altitude before the ban hit. We are ahead of the acclimatization power curve so we decided to wait until tomorrow, avoid the mobs and then just move our schedule one day to the right.

Hawaii... man, do I miss Hawaii. Or warm weather in a place like Cabo. Warm... At dinner we sat around and as time wore on, the conversation wound itself to things we miss or crave. Francisco talked about a beer and a huge steak, which seemed universal across the team. Fortunately for me though, military deployments have made what we have here not that life altering. The cook tent pushes out some fantastic food- easily 100 times more tasty and unique than I had expected. Beer can wait, and I have been conditioned to know that soon enough, we'll be done with this trip and headed home. It will all be a distant memory within weeks and before we know it, we will be watching the news as a new summit season approaches with new faces, new challenges and new teams as they take their shot. So in many ways, I'm trying to relish this experience while I have the chance. Maybe that's why these blogs are so infernally long... :)

So what do I miss the most? Warmth. Everything here is cold, even when you think it's warm. Sure, the Lake District is starting to melt out as days grow longer and mid-day at Base Camp is deceptively warm. But then one little tiny puffy cloud pops onto the horizon and somehow manages to find the exact trajectory needed to blot out the sun for a minute to two. While you finally think you have found your perfect warm spot the temperature plummets 15 degrees and you are shivering. That's usually when some gust of wind off the Icefall comes in and leaves you shaking uncontrollably, wondering where the heck you put your down jacket. 2pm every day- every day. The clouds all come rolling in, and from there it's just cold. Hawaii's never cold. Or at least not to a non-Hawaiian. We had a Hawaiian co-worker in San Diego that used to crack me up because it would be 75 degrees and there she'd sit in gloves and a sweater. Poor Hawaii. What happens when there are three straight days of clouds? The whole state must suffer. Well, that sort of suffering is what I crave right now. A warm beach, a Mai Tai and a pair of shorts where I can actually welcome those occasional clouds, walking into an ABC store on Kalakaua to talk about how hot it is.

Oh well, one day soon enough. Here's a Sun Tsu quote that seems to factor into just about everything dealing with this trip: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger". In this case and using whatever optimism I can muster, it means that when we get higher and higher, being numb at Base Camp and Camp I will allow us to be less miserable at Camp III and Camp IV. Wahoo! I guess we'll find out soon enough as we head back up the Icefall at 4am tomorrow morning. Yawn, time for bed. Where did G-Man hide my hot water bottle?