Everest Tibet & North Col Expedition, Training Climb & Advanced Basecamp Trek News, Spring

Everest Tibet & North Col Expedition, Training Climb & Advanced Basecamp Trek News, Spring

News of our recent expedition: Everest Tibet/North Col & ABC Trek
8 April to 6 June
 
Our entire team summited!! In an amazing combination of good weather, hard work by the team members, awesome Sherpa support and excellent leadership, 100% of our team reached the top of Everest this season. Also, a special congratulation goes out to Mia Graeffe, who became the first Finnish woman to summit Everest. Congratulations to everyone!!!

Blog posts: Please click one of the links below to go directly to that blog post or just scroll down.

29 May -

Hey everyone ... Scott Patch here with an Everest Tibet dispatch for 29 May.

Late yesterday the members who stayed at ABC, for one more day of rest, made it down to BC. Our Sherpas are the only ones left at ABC as they pack up the camps and await the yaks.

With the snow we got on the 25th, 26th and 27th the yaks have not been moving up or down between BC and ABC. Tomorrow they are to resume travel to ABC. Dispite this, we have arranged transportation for our members to leave BC for Kathmandu early tomorrow. With some luck they will arrive in Kathmandu tomorrow evening (30 may). With all gear to follow, hopefully 2 June.

Today was spent packing and resting for most members .... some went down to the teahouses one last time before an early morning departure.

Thanks again for following ...... over and out!!!

Almost to the Top of Everest - Photo Mia Graeffe Mia Graeffe on Summit of Everest - First Female from Finland to summit Everest from Tibet - Photo Mia Graeffe
 
Almost to the Top of Everest - Photo Mia Graeffe. Mia Graeffe on Summit of Everest - First Female from Finland to summit Everest from Tibet - Photo Mia Graeffe.

27 May - 

Hi Everyone! This is Scott Patch with an Everest Tibet Dispatch for today the 27th of May.

Yesterday, the entire team made it down to ABC (Advanced Base Camp). We had a great, post summit, afternoon…. with the entire team sitting around the dining tent reminiscing of the summit push ... especially summit day! It was a great afternoon with good food and many cold drinks.

Today part of the team opted to stay at ABC to rest one more day before heading down to BC (Base Camp) ... with some members making the 21k journey today.  It was good day to travel to BC, with an added 20cn of snow, last night, it made for easy trekking out the East Rongbuk glacier moraine!  The added snow probably cut down the trek from ABC to BC by 1 to 2 hours!!!

The weather has been pretty snowy the last 36 hours ... temperatures are warm, but the wind can chill things off fast. Thankfully we don't have much wind with the snow!

Our summit experience is one that none of us will forget very soon .... magical, inspiring, exhausting and truly a once in a lifetime experience!! More info and pictures to come .....

Thank you so much for following our expedition. over and out!! 

Everest and Basecamp after storm dropped over 1 meter of snow at Basecamp - Photo Scott Patch Everest Basecamp after digging out tents from snowstorm - Photo Scott Patch

Everest and Basecamp after storm dropped over 1 meter of snow at Basecamp - Photo Scott Patch. Everest Basecamp after digging out tents from snowstorm - Photo Scott Patch. 

26 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 26 MAY. ENTIRE TEAM AT ABC! EVERYONE IS DOING WELL. GOT ABOUT 20 CM OF SNOW LAST NIGHT. 1/2 OF TEAM WILL GO TO BC REST ON 28

25 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 25 MAY. SUMMIT!! AL MEMBERS AND ALL SHERPA SUMMIT EVEREST! EVERY ONE IS SAFE AT LOWER CAMPS! MORE DETAILS TO COME... GOODNITE

Arni Vatnhamar on summit of  Everest. First individual from Faroe Islands to summit Mount Everest. CONGRATULATONS!! Photo - Arni Vatnhamar  

Arni Vatnhamar on summit of  Everest. First individual from Faroe Islands to summit Mount Everest. CONGRATULATONS!! Photo - Arni Vatnhamar

24 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 24 MAY. TEAM AT C3 DOING WELL FOR 8300 M! RESTING AND DRINKING. GETTING READY FOR 8 PM (NEPAL TIME) FOR SUMMIT. EXCITING!

Tents at Camp 3 on Everest - Photo Scott patch Climber descending Everest between 3rd step and 2nd step - photo Mia Graeffe

Tents at Camp 3 on Everest - Photo Scott patch. Climber descending Everest between 3rd step and 2nd step - photo Mia Graeffe.

23 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 23 MAY. EVERYONE IS AT C2! ALL ARE WELL, AS WELL AS CAN BE EXPECTED AT 7750 M! AFTER FOOD, WATER AND SOME SLEEP WE HEAD TO C3.

22 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 22 MAY. TEAM WELL AND RESTING AT C1 (7010M). TOMORROW WE CLIMB TO C2 (7600M). REST OF TODAY WE EAT, DRINK & REST.  back to top

Climber descending 2nd step after Everest summit - Photo Mia Graeffe Climber preparing to descend first ladder at second step - Photo Mia Graeffe

Climber descending 2nd step after Everest summit - Photo Mia Graeffe. Climber preparing to descend first ladder at second step - Photo Mia Graeffe.

21 May - 

EVEREST TIBET, 21 MAY. TEAM RESTING AT ABC. MEET W/CTMA, ROPE FIX FROM C3 TO SUMMIT ON 23 & 24. WE ATTEMPT FOR 25 SUMMIT. LEAVE TOMORROW FOR C1

20 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 20 MAY. ENTIRE TEAM AT ABC AND WELL. SUNNY WITH SOME WIND AT ABC, MORE WIND HIGH. TEAMS MEET W/CTMA TOMORROW AM. KNOW MORE THEN

Sherpas and climbers at crampon point after descending North Col from Summit - Photo mia Graeffe Members at ABC dining tent reliving the summit bid - Photo Mia Graeffe

Sherpas and climbers at crampon point after descending North Col from Summit - Photo mia Graeffe.Members at ABC dining tent reliving the summit bid - Photo Mia Graeffe. 

18 May -

Hi Everyone ... This is Scott Patch with an update for the Everest Tibet Expedition this 18 of May.

Another beautiful day here at basecamp with again stunning views of Everest.

Today teams meet with the CTMA (Chinese Tibet Mountaineering Association) and it looks like our break in the weather is coming. Most teams are moving from Basecamp tomorrow to Advanced Base Camp in preparation for our final push up Everest. The CTMA is looking to fix the rope from camp 3 to summit on the 23rd and 24th! This would give us our opportunity to head up behind them and summit, somewhere from the 25th to 27th. All teams are planning on meeting again on the 21st to share weather forecast and plan our summit strategies! Very exciting indeed!!!

It's been a long wait here at Basecamp and everyone is excited to get moving back up the mountain. We will spend one night at our interim camp before reaching ABC on the 20th. This will offer us at least a days rest at ABC before heading up for our summit push.

Lots to do before we depart Basecamp tomorrow morning!! Thanks for following our expedition!!
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16 May -

Hi Everyone, Scott Patch here with a dispatch for the SummitClimb Everest Tibet Expedition .... Today is 16 May.

Another Bluebird Day here at Everest Basecamp! Amazing the extremes that Everest will throw at you!! The ambient air temp outside is somewhere just around 0 degrees Celsius .... evident by our laundry freezing when on a line outside. But the sun is warm and toasty ... we still have a good bit of wind down here at Basecamp with the upper mountain getting much higher winds.

Looking at weather forecast we might spend a couple more days here until heading back to Advanced Basecamp ... Just taking it day by day and waiting for the winds to slow down a bit. The upper mountain is still in a heavy wind pattern of 40 to 60 Km/Hr winds.

The team is doing well, keeping busy visiting other teams and going for treks in the surrounding mountains. Today we went on a long trek up the frozen river that leads out of basecamp. It follows a valley up into the hills North East of Basecamp. Stunningly beautiful terrain!! We got caught up in the game of "let's just see what’s around the next corner" .... and, yup, there always ended up being another bend in the gorge.

This afternoon we plan to have a large card game with another Expedition at Basecamp .... Win or lose it will be a great afternoon!

We'll keep you updated on our status, but for now we are just enjoying our downtime before the work begins again.

Thanks for following our Expedition! .... Over and Out .....
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Arnie and Mia looking down at Everest Tibet Basecamp with Everest in upper left, from beginning of ice river - Photo Scott Patch Arnie and Mia on trek up ice river from Everest Tibet Basecamp - Photo Scott Patch

Arnie and Mia looking down at Everest Tibet Basecamp with Everest in upper left, from beginning of ice river - Photo Scott Patch. Arnie and Mia on trek up ice river from Everest Tibet Basecamp - Photo Scott Patch.

14 May -

Hey Everyone.. This is Scott Patch with a dispatch for the Everest Tibet Expedition, today the 14 of May. The entire team is at Bascamp, with the exception of Jean Michel who joined us late and is acclimatizing at ABC currently.

We arrived at Basecamp on 9 May and have been keeping ourselves busy by visiting, playing cards, sending emails, doing laundry, taking needed showers, treks around basecamp (to glacier lakes just above us or a frozen river out of basecamp) .... and visiting the teahouses an hour or so walk from our camp.

Today, and the past few days, the sun has been shinning and temperatures warm and pleasant ... just lots of wind. Lows at night are only dropping to around 0 degrees Celsius.... and our tents are getting to 40 degrees Celsius during the day! Which helps dry laundry very quickly!!

So, we currently wait for weather to improve in order to head back up the mountain for our summit push. On the North side of Everest we need two things to still happen …. 1) We need approximately a 2 day window of good weather so the Tibetan Rope Team can get up on the mountain and secure the fixed lines from camp 3 (8300 meters) to the summit, safely. And, 2) a window of weather that will allow us to get thru the high camps … to the summit and back down, safely. Sometimes these two windows overlap and we can just follow the rope team up.

So the past few days have been full of meetings with Expedition leaders to discuss weather, rope options and summit strategies. So, for now we wait patiently for the winds to die down and our opportunity to climb to the summit of Everest. The high winds do offer us amazing views of Everest from Basecamp, with beautiful plumes of snow being blown off the summit …. Beautiful indeed!!

Yesterday we celebrated Arni Vatnhamar’s birthday! A very happy birthday to Arni …. We certainly enjoyed your birthday cake!!

Another great benefit of our basecamp down time is the fun of visiting other Expeditions! It’s always great to meet new people from other cultures!! What a better place to do it then at Everest basecamp!!

Thanks for following our expedition!! Over and Out!!!
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Arni Vatnhamar (left) and Franz Macherhammer (right) displaying Arnie's delicious birthday cake Arni all tucked into a cozy bed at teahouse for night - Photo Mia Graeffe

Arni Vatnhamar (left) and Franz Macherhammer (right) displaying Arnie's delicious birthday cake. Arni all tucked into a cozy bed at teahouse for night - Photo Mia Graeffe

Mia with Tibetan mother and child at teahouses nearEverest Tibet Basecamp - Photo Mia Graeffe Plaque placed at Tibet Everest Basecamp in memory of Lives lost on 18 April 2014 and all climbers who have lost their lives on Everest “The Mountain Is The Climbers Home. In Memory of The Climbers Who Stayed on Mount Everest” – Photo Mia Graeffe

Mia with Tibetan mother and child at teahouses near Everest Tibet Basecamp - Photo Mia Graeffe.  Plaque placed at Tibet Everest Basecamp in memory of Lives lost on 18 April and all climbers who have lost their lives on Everest “The Mountain Is The Climbers Home. In Memory of The Climbers Who Stayed on Mount Everest” – Photo Mia Graeffe.

10 May -

Hi this is Scott Patch with an Everest Tibet dispatch for 10 May.

Yesterday the entire Everest Team made it to Basecamp from our second rotation up on Everest. Also, yesterday, our trekkers left Basecamp and one of our Everest members too. Garry your quick wit, good nature and your ability to translate multiple dialects of English will be missed .... best of luck to you!  

Today, and for the next few days, we rest at Basecamp in preparation for our Summit push. The weather on the upper mountain needs to improve before we can start to think of heading up. From our cozy Basecamp we can see the upper reaches of Everest getting pounded by the ferocious winds. For now we are content in our warm basecamp (currently inside my tent it is nearly 30 degrees Celsius!!). Eventually, the jet stream will move North and our bid for the summit will begin. But for now we rest, heal and enjoy visiting with the other Expeditions here at Basecamp.

Thanks for following our Expedition
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Garry Williams after descending from North Col - Photo Scott Patch. imagesView from tent at Camp 1 (North Col) of Lhakpa Ri - Photo Scott Patch.

Garry Williams after descending from North Col - Photo Scott Patch. View from tent at Camp 1 (North Col) of Lhakpa Ri - Photo Scott Patch. 

8 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 8 MAY. EVEREST TEAM @ ABC DOING GOOD. TREKKERS HEADING TO BC. SUNNY WITH NICE BREEZE. TOMORROW HEAD TO BC FOR REST BEFORE SUMMIT PUSH.

 Tent at North Col with route to Camp 2 seen up snowfield and Everest summit in upper right - Photo Mia Graeffe Trekking along the lower East Rongbuk glacier above interim camp - Photo Mia Graeffe

Tent at North Col with route to Camp 2 seen up snowfield and Everest summit in upper right - Photo Mia Graeffe. Trekking along the lower East Rongbuk glacier above interim camp - Photo Mia Graeffe.

7 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 7 MAY. REST DAY @ N COL FOR EVEREST TEAM. TREK REST @ ABC TODAY. THEY WALK TO CRAMPON POINT FOR GOOD VIEW OF ROUTE TO C1

Arni Vatnhamer and Garry Williams trekking to Interim Camp - Photo Mia Graeffe. Sherpas Lhakpa and Chongka at base of North Col - Photo Mia Graeffe.

Arni Vatnhamer and Garry Williams trekking to Interim Camp - Photo Mia Graeffe. Sherpas Lhakpa and Chongka at base of North Col - Photo Mia Graeffe.

6 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 6 MAY. EVEREST TEAM AT N COL FOR 2 NIGHTS, 7010M. ALL GOOD! TREKERS AND JEAN REST DAY @ ABC. SUN & HOT IN AM, SNOW IN PM.

Sherpa breaking trail down to ABC from North Col after fresh snow - Photo Mia Graeffe Sherpa pulling fixed line above fresh snow on North Col - Photo Mia Graeffe

Sherpa breaking trail down to ABC from North Col after fresh snow - Photo Mia Graeffe. Sherpa pulling fixed line above fresh snow on North Col - Photo Mia Graeffe. 

5 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 5 MAY. REST DAY TODAY. SUNNY IN MORNING WITH LIGHT SNOW IN PM, LIGHT WIND. TOMORROW EVEREST TEAM GOES TO C1 FOR 2 NIGHTS. back to top

Rock painting at Ancient Rongbuk Monestary of Goddess Chomolungma - Photo Scott patch

Climbers ascending the headwall towards North Col at 6600 metres (Thorbjorn Lundsgaard). Rock painting at Ancient Rongbuk Monestary of Goddess Chomolungma - Photo Scott patch

4 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 4 MAY. EVEREST TEAM AT ABC. LIGHT SNOW AND WARM. TOMORROW NEEDED REST DAY. ABC TREKKERS AT INTERIM CAMP.

Members climbing to North Col - Photo Scott Patch Our Advanced Base Camp with the North Col and Everest in Background - Photo Scott Patch

Members climbing to North Col - Photo Scott Patch. Our Advanced Base Camp with the North Col and Everest in Background - Photo Scott Patch.  

3 May -

EVEREST TIBET, 3 MAY. ALL EVEREST CLIMBERS AT INTERIM CAMP DOING WELL. NORTH COL CLIMBER AND ABC TREKKERS FOLLOW TOMORROW. GOOD WEATHER TODAY. back to top

2 May -

Hi Everyone, this is Scott Patch with the Everest Tibet Expedition on this May 3rd. We have had a great few days of rest here in basecamp and are looking forward to getting back up on the mtn. Today the Everest climbers will head out of basecamp and slowly make  our way up to ABC, with a one night stop at our interim camp. Our North Col Climbers and ABC Trekkers will leave basecamp tomorrow for the  journey to ABC. They will spend 2 or 3 nights in Interim camp in route to ABC.

Two days ago the North Col Climbers and the ABC trekkers went down to the ancient Rongbuk Monastery. It's always a deeply spiritual experience to visit such a site.

Everyone is in great health and has a strong appetite. The weather is sunny in the morning with light snow showers in the afternoon. Temperatures here at basecamp are very nice during the day, with above freezing temps at nice .... very enjoyable in deed.

Thanks for following our expedition .... over and out

Team members taking a break while climbing to the North Col - Photo Scott Patch Adi Koszta climbing up to the North Col

Team members taking a break while climbing to the North Col - Photo Scott Patch. Adi Koszta climbing up to the North Col.

29 April - 

Hi this is Scott Patch, with the Everest Tibet Expedition. It's April 29th and our entire team is at Basecamp (5165 meters). We have had an exciting and exhausting couple of days. On 27 April we left ABC (6410 meters) for our first trip to the North Col (7010 meters). It was a long, hard day but everyone did great and reached their personal goal. Great job by everyone!!! Yesterday we left ABC and made the long trek back to Basecamp (approx 21 km). When arriving at BC we were greeted with our new North Col members, Advanced Base Camp trekkers. It was great to see them and hear they had a nice trip in from Kathmandu with comfortable accommodations and good food along the way! Today is a rest day for everyone here at Basecanp (BC) …. With many members catching up with family via email, taking hot showers or enjoying the day reading a book and visiting with our new friends. The weather has been nice the last few days. Today some clouds have rolled in with light snow showers. The warm temperatures at BC are a nice treat for the team. Thanks for following our expedition!! Over and Out! back to top

 A happy Adi Koszta and Thomas Van Dantzig at north Col, Everest Tibet - Photo Scott patch

A happy Adi Koszta and Thomas Van Dantzig at north Col, Everest Tibet - Photo Scott patch.

27 April -

EVEREST TIBET, 27 APRIL. ALL MEMBERS ARE DOING WELL AT ABC, AFTER OUR FIRST TRIP TO #NORTH COL, 7020 M. GOOD WEATHER FOR CLIMB. BC TOMORROW!

Members coming down onto the flats at 6575 metres (Frank Irnich) Sherpa team crossing a ladder, just below the North col. Photo Frank Irnich

Members coming down onto the flats at 6575 metres (Frank Irnich). Sherpa team crossing a ladder, just below the North col. Photo Frank Irnich. 

26 April -

EVEREST TIBET, 26 APRIL. ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY AT ABC! TODAY WE LEFT CLIMB GEAR AT CRAMPON POINT, READY FOR OUR CLIMB TO NORTH COL TOMORROW.

Member hiking up to ABC. Photo Chris Bailley. Tents, Dinning Tents in ABC. Photo Rikke

Member hiking up to ABC. Photo Chris Bailley. Tents, Dinning Tents in ABC. Photo Rikke. 

25 April -

EVEREST TIBET, 25 APRIL. EVERYONE IS WELL AT ABC. TODAY WE HAD PUJA AND WEATHER WAS PERFECT, SUNNY WITH LIGHT WIND! A VERY NEEDED CHANGE. back to top

24 April -

EVEREST TIBET, 24 APRIL. TEAM IS DOING GREAT AT ABC! TODAY WE PRACTICE OUR CLIMBING TECHNIQUE NEXT TO CAMP. WEATHER IS SUNNY AND WINDY.

23 April -

EVEREST TIBET, 23 APRIL. BUSY REST DAY AT ABC! WENT THRU OUR CLIMBING GEAR, GAMOW BAG AND MUCH DISC. ON HIGH ALTITUDE SAFETY. ALL ARE WELL.

Team at Advanced Base Camp after Puja ceramony - Photo Scott patch

Team at Advanced Base Camp after Puja ceramony - Photo Scott patch.  

22 April -

EVEREST TIBET, 22 APRIL. ENTIRE TEAM IS AT ABC. ALL ARE DOING WELL! TOMORROW IS A WELL DESERVED REST DAY! back to top

21 April -

EVEREST TIBET, APRIL 21. ANOTHER ACCLIMATIZE DAY AT INTERIM. WENT FOR HIKE DOWN TO ICE PINNICLES AND EXPLORE THEIR BEAUTY. TEAM IS ALL WELL.

20 April -

REST DAY AT INTERIM CAMP. TEAM IS DOING GREAT. JUST FINISHED A MARATHON GAME OF UNO. CHEERS

19 April -

EVEREST TIBET TEAM ALL IN INTERIM CAMP AND ALL ARE DOING WELL. back to top

18 April -

Greetings to all . This is Scott patch reporting from Everest Tibet Base Camp on this Friday 18th of April. Our team had a great relaxing day, packing for our trip tomorrow to ABC. We spent the day packing, sending emails, drinking good drinks in our dining tent, showers, laundry and enjoying each others company. A few members even found the Mallory and Irvine memorial, Our Australian teammates finally found it today after repeated efforts over  the past several days . they should be able to rest well tonight!!

So tomorrow we leave for our interim camp at 5600 meters where we will spend a couple of days acclimatizing. Then we head to Advanced Base Camp (ABC), 6400 meters. Here we will acclimatize for several days and keep busy with climbing practice, Puja ceremony and a trip to the North Col (Lhakpa Ri).

Everyone is in great spirits and good health . We all are looking forward to heading up from basecamp and getting a bit higher!! Thanks for follow our dispatch and for all the well wishes!!!

Over and Out!!!!

17 April - 

Habari ya asabuhi mimi rafikis kwa progressi Everest Tibeti na North Col! (Hello and good day to all our friends and family following the progress of the Everest Tibet and North Col team!!) Today is Thursday 17 April and this is Jeannette McGill of South Africa reporting for the team from Chinese Base Camp. Today we all walked north down the valley to the old Rongbuk Monastery and explored the llama caves and surrounds. We then carried on to the nearby cluster of teahouses at a checkpoint and enjoyed a refreshment of choice from the comfortable confines of a tea house tent. We then headed back to the welcome Summit Climb base camp for a late lunch. Everyone is presently relaxing either reading in tents or watching a movie in the dining tent before dinner a bit later. Tomorrow we get to pre-pack our duffels for yak weigh-in before departing for interim camp the day after next. Keep up the welcome support! Baie dankie almal! (Thank you very much everyone!!) back to top

Garry inside cave at Ancient Rongbuk Monestery asking Mt Chomolungma for safe passage - Photo Scott Patch Mia inside cave at Ancient Rongbuk Monestery asking Mt Chomolungma for safe passage - Photo Scott Patch

Garry inside cave at Ancient Rongbuk Monestery asking Mt Chomolungma for safe passage - Photo Scott Patch. Mia inside cave at Ancient Rongbuk Monestery asking Mt Chomolungma for safe passage - Photo Scott Patch.  

16 April -

 

I am pleased to report that the team arrived safely to Everest Base Camp (Tibet) on Monday 14 April. We have spent two nights here in EBC resting and acclimatizing after the 900m jump in altitude from our last acclimatization post in Tingri (4300m). The base camp on the Tibetan side of Everest is spacious and well laid out. SummitClimb has a central location in EBC and our members are enjoying the chance to meet people from other teams who are attempting Everest from the north side.

Yesterday, some of our members walked down to explore the Rongbok monastery which has an excellent view of the mighty north face of Everest. It is a very peaceful and spiritual place. Others explored the pristine mountain lakes just above EBC.

Our nights are spent enjoying the excellent food from our cook Kippa and honing our skills in the card game Uno. So far the Australians are showing the rest of the world how Uno is meant to be played and won =)

Franz our resident photographer is taking some brilliant pictures including a time lapse of Everest at night. Some of the photos are very large so uploading them is proving difficult but we are working on a way to shrink them so you can call enjoy the views from EBC.    

Looking ahead, we will spend another two days here in EBC before heading to Interim Camp (5800m) on 19 April. After two nights at Interim Camp, we will make our way to Advanced Base Camp (6400m) where we will stay for approximately 4 nights practicing our ice climbing skills and fixed line management skills ahead of making our ascent of the North Col (7000m).

Thanks for following our progress on the mountain. We think of you everyday.

With warm regards,

Tom

North Col candidate  back to top

Team at Ancient Rongbuk Monestary - Photo Scott Patch Team gathering for dinner in or Basecamp Dining Tent - Photo Scott Patch

Team at Ancient Rongbuk Monestary - Photo Scott Patch. Team gathering for dinner in or Basecamp Dining Tent - Photo Scott Patch.

Mia sending an email and Tom reading in our cozy Basecamp  Dining Tent - Photo Scott Patch Birthday cake made by our great cook for Mia's Birthday - Photo Scott Patch 

Mia sending an email and Tom reading in our cozy Basecamp  Dining Tent - Photo Scott Patch.  Birthday cake made by our great cook for Mia's Birthday - Photo Scott Patch.

13 April -

G'day everyone from Garry Williams and the SummitClimb Mount Everest Tibet team in Tingri this Sunday 13th April . Everyone's ok and our international team of climbers are all geling together really well. We're currently staying at the Hoo Han Hotel while we rest, relax and acclimatise. The rooms are comfortable, clean and the food is tasty and plentiful. We're currently at 4300m above sea level so everyone's feeling the altitude in one way or another - slightly breathless and mild headaches are common; though I've discovered that Lhasa Beer helps a lot with acclimatisation and carb loading!! The team spent the morning strolling around this ancient town and gained a vantage point for our first view of Mount Everest. It was fantastic to finally get to see the expedition's ultimate goal; as well as Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world. Most of the Sherpas have headed off to set up basecamp and we'll be following them there tomorrow. Thanks for following our team on SummitClimb news, we all really appreciate your support. Stay tuned for the team's next dispatch where we'll all be at Everest Tibet Base Camp.

Lunch in Tingri Tibet -  Photo taken by Arni Vatnhamar Members in Tingri Tibet - Getting first view of Everest from Tibet. Photo by Scott Patch

Lunch in Tingri Tibet -  Photo taken by Arni Vatnhamar Members in Tingri Tibet - Getting first view of Everest from Tibet. Photo by Scott Patch.

11 April -

It's Tom here from SummitClimb Team Everest from Tibet reporting for Friday 11 April  on our team's progress.

Today was our second day spent acclimatizing to the lofty heights of the Himalayan mountains. The team is in good health. We went for a relaxed 3 hour hike in the hills surrounding Nylam and took photos of the pristine mountain landscape that Tibet has to offer.

Everyone has a hearty appetite. The cuisine at the local restaurant is a favorite of the group. Meal times are a great time for members to get to know each other. We are gelling into a solid unit ready to take on the challenges of Everest over the next 7 weeks.

Tomorrow, we drive to Tingri to continue acclimatizing for two nights before heading up to Everest Base Camp.

All members are in good spirits and very happy to be living out their mountaineering goals of climbing Everest with SummitClimb.

We look forward to the unique experiences ahead and hope you will be following our progress via the website.
(A quick hi to Pip my girlfriend, thanks for all the lovely messages of support. Love xo)

Over and out,

Tom (North Col Everest candidate) 

Everest Tibet team during acclimitizing hike outside Nylam. 

10 April -

Hi everyone, as you can see from the picture we have reached Nylam Tibet. It's the 10th of April, I'm Mia Graeffe and reporting on behalf of the Everest Tibet expedition. We left Kathmandu this morning at 5:45am, slightly delayed because long process of paper work at the border. We are looking forward to do some hiking tomorrow around Nylam and generally acclimatizing. Thanks for following our expedition.

Team at Nylam.

Team at Nylam. 

Team Rosters:

Everest Tibet -  

  • Scott P.- LEADER
  • Garry W., Australia
  • .Mia Graeffe, Finland
  • Franz M., Austria
  • Jean Michel M., France

Everest Tibet Training Climb -

  • Adi K., Australia
  • Thomas Van D., Australia
  • Jeannette M., South Africa
  • Nirmal S., UK
  • Satpal P., UK
  • Anthony D., UK

Advance Base Camp Everest Trek - 

  • Dave S., UK
  • Mitchell R., UK

Climbing Sherpas & Staff -   

  • Lhakpa Gelbu Sherpa Lama        
  • Lhakpa Tendu Sherpa                  
  • Chhawag Karma Sherpa               
  • Gelze Sherpa                                   
  • Ang Dorjee Sherpa                         
  • Kipa Sherpa - Cook  back to top
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