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CTomer & Dr. K: Posted on Saturday, May 26, 2012 2:44 AM
Received word late that Jon officially reached the summit of Mount Everest! Jon summited very early with Jangbu Sherpa: 3:30am Nepal-time, 3:45pm Colorado-time. Summit winds were reported as "Light to dead-calm". It was indeed a perfect weather window, something that was missing a week prior when the jet stream backed itself directly over the summit.
Congratulations, Jon! You've worked hard for years to reach this goal. We've climbed hundreds of mountains together, slept on 58 Colorado Fourteener summits and wrote a book, and talked for hours about what it would be like to stand at over 29,000ft gazing across the horizon admiring the Parallax Effect. |
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CTomer & Dr. K: Posted on Friday, May 25, 2012 4:55 AM
A brief update on Jon's progress - Jon's summit window is today.
It's 5pm-ish on Everest and Jon's in his tent at Camp 4, 26,000ft, eating and drinking. Jon will depart Camp 4 around 9pm and head to the summit as a team of four. Jon, Arnold Coster team guide, and two Sherpa. Weather is favorable....summit winds around 30mph. Numerous climbers summitted yesterday reporting winds under 40mph. I just checked the weather maps, and he's got 12-24 hours to make it happen. |
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CTomer & Dr. K: Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 7:19 AM
Talked with Jon this morning at-length. He's packed, primed, and highly motivated for a 2nd attempt at the summit of Mt. Everest. A climb of a lifetime. The good news: Jon's plan is more well-suited to how we typically climb mountains together: Light & Fast. It's a philosophy we used and perfected during our groundbreaking summer project, Sleeping on the Summits: Colorado 14er High Bivys . Jon will be joined by two very fast, strong Sherpas according to team guide Arnold Coster. |
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CTomer & Dr. K: Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 6:00 AM
Had a good conversation with Jon this morning. He's still battling demons but has recovered physically. In spite of what has happened, Jon is ready to make a 2nd summit attempt...heading back into the "Death Zone" (above 26,000ft).
Jon said the word around Basecamp is that up to 7 people may have died during the horrific 48-hour weather window on the 19-20th. Teams are still trying to locate clients and Sherpa. What happened? The jet stream all of sudden backed itself over the summit. |
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Posted on Monday, May 21, 2012 5:45 AM
Talked with Jon this morning. The situation up there is being compared to the 1996 Tragedy Jon Krakauer wrote about in his book, Into Thin Air . Jon confirmed 5 deaths and some folks still missing. Jon saw four of the bodies near the summit but below the balcony. The 1996 disaster claimed 8 lives during the main summit window when bad weather moved in.
Jon said there was a 2 hour wait at one of the main chokepoints near the summit. High winds moved in an trapped folks who were ascending and descending. |
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CTomer: Posted on Sunday, May 20, 2012 12:09 PM
Haven't heard directly from Jon yet. Based on the reports coming in, his Team did not make the summit and may have aborted due to a combination of 300 climbers on the route and high winds returning. It was a short two day window with winds under 30mph. Winds ramped up to 40mph on the 20th. Most teams will not attempt a summit unless the winds are below 30mph. I just emailed his Team an updated weather forecast. The next good summit window is May 25-26. We're hearing conditions were brutal from Camp 4 to the Summit on the 19th-20th. |
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Arnold Coster, Dr. K, CTomer: Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 6:37 AM
Recieve this update fromSummit ClimbExpedition Guide Arnold Coster (Jon's expedition): Tomorrow we will head off to camp 3 at 7200m to start our summit attempt.
The weather is looking good for 19 and 20th, but this morning over 300
climbers sett off to try to summit on the 19th. We will avoid this summit
madness by going for the 20th as well for Everest as Lhotse. The plan is to
summit early morning of the 20th and get back down to C2 the same day, but
first we have to get up at Camp 3 tomorrow and Camp 4 around 8000m the |
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Dr. K: Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:20 AM
Post 27: Prelude to a Championship. Update the Morning of May 15. After hearing about the weather, the conditions on the mountain, consulting and listening to what other teams here are planning and considering the weather window for summiting, May 20 is our Target Date. The 18 (Friday) Winds are forecast to drop below 15mph above 8000m/26000’.
A small team of Sherpas and about 50 people from various teams will be climbing on that day as the final ropes are fixed above the South Summit to the Top of the World. |
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Dr. K & CTomer: Posted on Friday, May 11, 2012 9:39 AM
 Talked with Jon a couple times in the last few days. He's in great spirits and feeling physically ready for the summit window approaching. Now is when accurate, pinpoint weather forecasts take center stage. All the expeditions are jockeying for position and watching the weather forecasts with an eagles-eye. It's all about identifying when the strongest winds (jet stream) will back away from the summit allowing climbers to safely reach the summit. The photo above was taken in Camp 3 (24,100ft). |
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Dr. K & CTomer: Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2012 11:46 AM
Sunday was finally a day that we get to head back down to Basecamp for a much needed week or more of rest before we look towards a summit attempt which begins after May 12 or maybe even later depending on weather conditions. I had spent 6 nights above 21,000’/6400m…..the body acclimates well at that height, but after almost a week, descending restores valuable strength, red blood cells, and body mass. But I still had to descend all the way down the Western CWM, through the icefall, and back to BC. |
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