Summit fever as Mandy Ramsden nears her date with destiny: Thursday, 13 May 2010 at 14:43
Dear all

Very good to be back "home" after our 6-day valley sojourn. The morning of departure dawned crisp and clear and each of us enthusiastically bolted from the Lodge, eager for a day of solitude in hills. James and I opted for iPods - a definite "keep out" sign. We've now spent six weeks together and a fairly intense event looms ahead. It seemed fitting to rather spend the day with Jack Johnson than with the rest of the team.

It felt rather good to sail up past groups of heaving trekkers, foreheads resting on their trekking poles as they gasped out "Namaste". We're definitely stronger and better acclimatised. And I seem to be the only one to have put on some weight since I arrived in Nepal (although, disappointingly, my cups no longer runneth over!).

Base camp is melting out as summer approaches, and we've returned to a world of rushing streams and swirling pools. Large rocks are perched precariously atop of diminishing platforms of ice and my tent is now at a distinct angle..

A hand has churned up not far from the helipad and rumour has it that a few other body parts have surfaced in the lower ice fall - all macabre clues to some old, sad mysteries and grim evidence that the Khumbu Glacier grinds its way down from the Lhotse Face at fairly rapid pace.

Nonetheless, the rising temperatures and shifting campsites are barely noticed and the almost sole focus of attention is now the weather. Weather forecasts for the next two weeks have come in from all over the globe and are as varied as the opinions of a room full of economists (although hopefully more correct). A concensus view seems to have formed that the 16th of May will be a fair summit day, with the 17th becoming slightly windier.
The window is expected to slam shut quite abruptly around noon on the 18th, which leaves little time to flee from a potential thrashing.

Those eager to try their luck have either left base camp or are leaving early tomorrow morning. Some of these teams finalised their acclimatisation program well before us and depart with their sanity barely in tact. Many of them are small, independent and fairly strong teams that have a good chance of getting up and down before getting into trouble. We, on the other hand, do not fall into the nimble and quick category and will sit through this window, together with some of the other big teams, and wait for something more promising towards the end of the month.

I feel fairly sanguine about this decision. The idea of leaving for our summit push having only just arrived back seems a little rushed. Leaving in a few days' time will give us a chance to get our heads around the task ahead and give us some time to get properly sick of base camp. The trade off will be the possibility of a bit of a crush as Himex, IMG and Alpine Ascents set their sights on the same timetable. Between them, they will put roughly 100 people en route towards the summit. Talk is that this should be somewhere between the 21st and 25th of May - still well within the text book guidelines.

The morning has been spent running through the oxygen drill. We've fitted faces to masks, masks to regulators and regulators to cylinders. The plan is to go onto oxygen on arrival at Camp 3 (which our sherpas report is still standing, in spite of the gale that's raged up there for several days).
We'll stay on it at various flow rates, depending on whether we're sleeping or moving, until we return from a summit bid. Its hard to know what to expect and, having not used it before, none of us is aware of our individual receptivity to supplemental oxygen. Its all looking a lot more serious at the business end of the expedition.

Still, there's a few days to go before we start packing for the South Col and we'll have to keep ourselves amused until then. There's washing to be done (ourselves and our clothes) and a little inter-expedition socialising to do (in that order). There's talk of turning the medical tent into a movie house. We may wander off to stretch our legs and eyeball the challenge ahead from the summit of nearby Kala Patar or Pumori Base Camp. Somehow the days here seem to go quite quickly. In the meantime, we'll keep watching the weather ....

Take care

Mandy
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Weather hampers Everest teams: Friday, 14 May 2010 at 11:46
Whilst communication from our intrepid climbers is limited, there is plenty of information coming from the mountain. If you think Capetonians and the Brits are obsessed by the weather, spend some time watching the various websites and blogs from Everest! There are at least 11 weather sites which climbers use to try and determine if summit attempts are possible.

Winds at the summit are currently touching 138kph making progress even to advanced base camp (ABC) difficult. Here is some information and comment from Explorersweb;

Hurricane-force winds hitting Everest are flattening tents even in BC. Climbers returning from high camps carry epic tales while those hoping to go up this week are seriously reconsidering their options.

A Fishtail rescue heli failed to airlift remains of the Russian Lhotse climber today, due to high winds pushing it around at 21,000 feet Peak Freaks reported.

From the South Side;
Base camp really got kicked by wind today around 14:00hrs Nepal Time," Tim Rippel told his home team. "It has quit now but it created a stir with everyone running around securing camp."

"At Camp 2 the winds ramped right up causing our toilet tent to be destroyed and blown away," Adventure Consultants wrote. "Our three Sherpa staff at Camp 2 struggled to hold down, secure and repair our various camp 2 tents as they swayed and moved at an alarming rate with the high gusts. By afternoon it was not only C2 that was windy as our BC tents were also rocking. Right now I dread to think what state of repair our Camp 3 tents are in.

From the North Side;
"As we are camped under Everest, we can see what the weather is doing up there every second of every day. And; please let me inform you, it is not a pretty sight," Dan mazur reported yesterday from Chinese BC. "There is a two kilometre wind plume blowing from the top� the wind is cooking along up there at 138 kilometres/ hour. Much all teams have left ABC. Quite a few tents in ABC have fallen down and/or blown away."
At the North Col when the gale got serious, Duncan Chessel's experience was even worse: "Sudden thumps of 40 knot/75km/h gusts hit the tents every so often," he reported. "The camp is protected from direct winds but the wind rotors over the protective wall of ice, bringing whirls of spindrift too. Pleasant!"

What winds are safe to climb in?
Veteran high altitude climbers can possibly make a climb in 30 knots or 15m/s winds, provided they are strong and fast. The average climber will however need max 20 knots or 10 m/s.

Where are the CAPESTORM climbers?
Currently all of our climbers are kicking their hills at base camp, The graphic here shows the state of the climbers. We have added a �summit counter� which shows the total summits so far this year. This includes the sherpas who secured the ropes to the summit and the one �genuine� summit (ie not by a Sherpa or guide) of Canadian climber Lucille de Beaudrap reached the summit just after 06:00hrs May 7, 2010. That seems a long time ago!

Unfortunately with the uncertain weather, the windows for summit attempts are shrinking, and this can cause congestion as teams race to give their climbers an opportunity to summit. Bear in mind that some teams are charging up to $60,000 per climber and success (or failure) for their climbers has a direct impact on their future business! We are lucky that our climbers are either with an extremely experienced, well established company such as Adventure Consultants (Mandy Ramsden) or with the SA/Australian combined self sufficient of team Adventures Global (Ronnie Muhl and team).
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Everest update - the countdown starts! Saturday, 15 May 2010 at 12:09
Great news from CAPESTORM sponsored climber and team leader Ronnie Muhl;

The team have been carefully assessing the weather forecasts and it would appear that a substantially good weather window is coming into view on the 23rd and will stay until about the 27th. The team have decided to take advantage of this window and so they will leave Base Camp on the 19th and climb up through the Icefall to Camp 2. They will rest there on the 20th and then climb up to Camp 3 on the 21st. They will sleep at Camp 3 (7200m) and start using supplemental oxygen for the first time. On the 22nd they will leave Camp 3 early and ascend through the Yellow Band and then traverse across the Geneva Spur and make there way to the South Col and their Camp 4 at 7900m. They will rest there for a few hours and if all goes according to plan, they will push for the summit at 9 pm. The team is well rested, the camps have all been established by our incredibly strong Sherpas and everyone is excited about their climb of a lifetime.
There are a number of smaller teams at Camp 2 at the moment, waiting for the winds to subside, so that they can hopefully summit in the next few days, but this weather window appears to be less reliable than the one that we are aiming at next week, so we feel confident with the decision that we have taken. There is lots of excitement on Mt Everest at this very moment and all the stories are about to unfold, so watch this space for all this exciting news...
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Over and Out from Mandy as she gets ready for the summit push - Go Mandy!!: Monday, 17 May 2010 at 11:21
Dear all

This morning base camp is alive with the cheers of summit success. The gamble of the dodgy weather window of the 17th has paid off for many of the teams that sat on the South Col in a state of uncertainty until late into last night, while the rest of us eavesdropped on their radio frequencies from the warmth of the base camp mess tent. This is great news for us. Not only is it highly motivating to know that a summit is possible under less than ideal conditions, but it means roughly 100 fewer people aiming to be there at the same time as us.

After almost eight weeks away from home, our summit attempt is upon us and we'll be setting off in the early hours of tomorrow morning for Camp 2. Mike has studied the heiroglyphic charts and tables from various angles and it seems that wind speeds may be within an acceptable range around the 22nd and 23rd. He has the unenviable task of making the call between a fairly breezy but do-able summit day and the chance that better days may exist later on or not at all.

Food bags for Camps 3 and 4 are packed and we've had a lengthy briefing covering every tiny feature of the route to the summit, culminating in a short video clip of AC's successful summit attempt in 2007. Mike, as usual, did not mince his words and ended by reminding us that summit day was one day on which he, Ang Dorjee and our sherpa team would be working for our families and not us.

The plan is to spend two nights at Camp 2, one night at Camp 3 and then head up to Camp 4, where we'll rest before leaving for the summit push sometime that night. The actual hour of departure will depend upon several factors, one of which will be congestion management amongst the larger groups. Each of us will be teamed up with a Sherpa who will remain with us at all times.
Its all desperately exciting and, if I'm honest, quite daunting.

Still - before we get carried away, our weather-watching wait may not be entirely over. The weather forecasts change daily and Mike will continue to ensure that today's decision remains appropriate. If necessary, we will hang out in the comfort of Camp 2, where Kaji and Zangbu will keep us well fed and well hydrated until we can safely head up.

So - this will be my last e-mail for a while, but you can keep an eye on our progress through AC's dispatches, which should occur daily and possibly more frequently on summit day. And before there's any panic over the absence of news, it should be noted that the last missing dispatch was caused by an unfortunate combination of a visit from the Himex leadership and a bottle of whisky, from which its taken this novice high altitude drinker a few days to recover.

Cheers, Mandy
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Today's update from Mandy Ramsden's expedition: Tuesday, 18 May 2010 at 15:04

We have just received this update from the Adventure Consultant's team with whom Mandy is climbing;

Summit Push Underway
18 May, 10 - 05:21

Today's early morning wakeup ritual was fairly typical: sleep deprivation; grunting rather than talking; bad humor; suppressed appetite; Ang Tsering praying with his Tibetan rosary beads; hugging the heater for all it's worth; icefall and summit nerves kicking in; chuck in the odd throw-up for good measure (Tony, you got to hate that); and by 2.00am everyone was rolling clockwise around our puja altar and throwing rice three times for success, safety and luck. Caroline, thanks for getting up at that ghastly hour to see us off and for your wicked summit success art work!

The lower icefall had changed a lot in the past two weeks and predictably, there were more melt pools and lots of zig zagging around newly formed glacial pressure ridges. Even Mandy avoided wet feet. Also predictable was the melting out of fixed rope anchors. Just to make things interesting a couple of ladders were semi suspended in space. In a volatile section of the upper icefall a large crash/whoomph caused hearts to skip a few beats. Fortunately, the ice behaved and stayed in place.

It was with relief we emerged from the icefall (only one return trip to do) and began snaking our way around the Western Cym crevasses to camp 1 where we stopped for tea and bici's. Thanks to Kaygi our C2 Sherpa Cook for laying on a good spread.

The Upper Western Cym route to C2 was in full on stifling hot mode as there was no wind and skies were clear. We can now tick the 'getting thoroughly baked experience' off the list for this trip. In the Cym we passed groups returning from their summit day; various war stories were exchanged. )The approximately 100 successful summit climbers from yesterday were mostly descending from C4 to C2 today).

Today there was a mass movement of climbers and Sherpas from BC to C2; about 150. It seems almost everyone still waiting to summit is on the move for this next window. Like us, they are getting ready for a summit bid anywhere from the 21-24.

At Camp 2, our cook Zangbu is almost looking sphelt (and that is saying something!) after another two weeks of his compulsory high altitude diet. It was a good afternoon for fluffing out our compressed sleeping bags in the sun and catching a nap.

Tomorrow we will rest at C2 and appraise our weather and summit options.

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Mandy close to topping out!! Friday, 21 May 2010 at 15:15
News comes thick and fast from Everest. Mandy Ramsden is on the South Col (see map) and hours away from becoming the first South African woman to achieve the 7 summits (reaching the highest point in the 7 continents)! After scares with high winds it seems tonight might be the night!! We are holding thumbs that the weather is kind and Mandy is strong. See the following dispatch from their comms at base camp. Come on Mandy, we're all right behind you.

For those of you who picked Mandy in out store competition you are line for the chance to win one of three R3000 down jackets or one of the many other prizes. So watch this space!

From her team;

At the Col and Ready to Go!
21 May 2010
7935m
Last night the team experienced strong winds throughout the night at Camp Three - Mike reported a consistent 90km/hr for most of the night and as morning came the team had to make the big decision whether to stay or go.

At 5am things werent looking hopeful but as 6am rolled around the lulls between the barreling gusts became longer and it looked like the forecasted decrease was beginning to eventuate. Sure enough by 7am Mike and Ang Dorjee reported that it was almost calm at times and that gusts had dropped to about 40km/hr. With the winds forecasted to drop further throughout the day the team crampon-ed up and headed out the tent door.

The route from Camp Three to the South Col heads diagonally up the upper part of the Lhotse face and at 10am I heard that the team were all at the Yellow Band. This prominent feature is a rounded sandstone rock section and temperatures can usually be quite hot when the sun hits this area. However, this will not have been too much of a problem today as the strong winds prevailed.

Following the Yellow Band the team continues across a fairly mellow bowl, along a rock seam and at just after midday they reached the Geneva spur. This section is quite loose and blocky and requires some careful placement of crampon spikes to negotiate. Traditionally this is where you would start to really feel the wind whipping through the Col.

The team all arrived at the South Col in the excellent time of five hours and have spent the afternoon resting, rehydrating and sucking in the Os. Mike reports that the wind is slowly dropping off and that there are not too many other teams at the Col.

I look forward to sending you the next update this evening as the team leave the South Col but for now I am off to see if I can get a couple of hours sleep before the long night ahead. On behalf of the team thanks for all your messages of support and please stay tuned over the coming hours.

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First Summit pics of Mandy and report from her team: Sunday, 23 May 2010 at 14:24
Firstly, I wish to offer a huge congratulations to James, Tony and Amanda for reaching the summit of Everest! The team climbed strongly and everyone was back at the South Col by 1.30pm on a superb day. We were very fortunate with the weather, climbing conditions and crowding. Naturally the day was very challenging and everyone has their own story to tell. Our summit success would not have been possible without the amazing efforts of our Sherpa Team, thanks heaps guys. And Ang Dorge, amazing you have now stood on the summit of Everest 14 times! Caroline, thanks for blogging our escapades over the past three days and keeping folks in touch.

As I write this we are all back at Camp 2 resting and relieved to be on flat terrain and in thick air. Part of an Everest ascent plan is making sure there is a good exit strategy i.e. good weather for descent. Well, we awoke to a perfect day that was still and sun was warming our tents from 6.00am. Fantastic, we lucked out for such days are very rare at the South Col. We had a leisurely hour of tea drinking before dealing with the pandemonium that was our high camp tents.

Descending all the way to C2 involves 1500m of steep and demanding terrain on the Lhotse Face. To do this with fine weather and only moderate crowding was a relief. Still, one has to be very focussed as you clip and unclip safety line's, especially when passing other climbers and rappelling steep sections. As James commented, for me it was actually a social day out as I ran into many friends either going up or down. I think it says a lot that more hugs (as such you can hug on the fixed ropes) were exchanged that angst over crowding issues and waiting.

Meanwhile, in the world of our Sherpas things are cranking. Our entire camp 3 and 4 has been cleared to C2, including all oxygen bottles. Then, after Dal Bhart at C2 our Sherpas carried a load to C1 before returning to C2 for the night! Clearly, they want to finish up, party and head home. Plus, base camp is a hive of activity as packing continues there.

Tomorrow morning we will be up early for our final descent of the icefall. By noon we plan to be back at BC, game over aside from the celebrations and return trek.

Chomolungma you have been kind and gracious to us, if not testing, thank you.

Hurray for now
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It's time to party for Everest Heroine Mandy Ramsden!: Tuesday, 25 May 2010 at 14:30
Dear all

Where to start? Its been just over a week since my last e-mail and its been a week of desperate physical lows and great emotional highs. Our summit push began in the early hours of last Tuesday morning with some dispiriting new information. Its never good news when a weather system gets a girl's name, and Hurricane Leila, lurking in the Bay of Bengal, had begun to feature in the commentaries of the various forecasters in a worrying sort of way. The jet would lift, the weather window was expected to open, but it was possible that this unwelcome guest would sneak through and ruin the party.

The plan was to get to Camp 2 and watch Leila's progress from there and we crunched off into the icefall to join the other summit hopefuls with the same "now or never" attitude. As usual, the ice fall was different and hard and now full of bottlenecks at the precariously placed ladders, and the Western Cwm was the same oven-bowl that baked the ant-like trail of climbers as they wove around the vast crevasse fields zig-zagging between Nupste and Everest's west ridge.

Mike remained optimistic about the 22nd as a summit day, but warned that, to be in a position to take advantage of the first and best looking day of this ever diminishing window, we would likely have to endure pre-window high winds at Camp 3. Climbing the Lhotse Face was no easier the second time, only now we could look forward to some respite from the discomforts high altitude living in the form of bottled oxygen. While this sounds all very comfortable, the reality of life with piece of plastic over your face is somewhat messy. Almost unfeasable volumes of drool pooled against my face and trickled onto my bedding as the promised winds brutally battered the tent, filling the vestibule with snow and bringing uncertainty to our onward progress. Despite the O's, no-one slept, and yet, at the forecast hour on the morning of the 21st, the wind died almost completely. We set off for the South Col, feeling quite smug about the fact that both the Mountain Trip and Alpine Ascents teams had retreated in the face of the maelstrom and were now at least a day behind us.

The journey to the rocky, barren, windswept South Col took us over the distinctive (and more vertical than it looks) Yellow Band and up over the Geneva Spur in five steamy, soggy-chinned, lung-burning hours, looking much like a sumo wrestler as my down suit made its thigh and bottom-enlargening debut. Mercifully hidden from view until now, the route to the South summit reared vertically before us. Tony, James and I slumped down in an exhausted heap and nervously surveyed the terrain whilst our sherpa team wrestled with tent poles and fly sheets between gusts.

The 24 hours that followed must surely be the most mentally and physically exhausting that I have endured. Everything happens very slowly at 8000 metres, and our wake up call came two hours before our 10pm departure, heralded by the light patter of snow fall on nylon - not something on the forecast. There are abundant accounts of the climb, some written by celebrated climbers, others by blind men, amputees, oldest, youngest etc..
These are stories I've devoured over the last few years, but I don't recall any that suitably describe the scratch of slipping metal on rock as a crampon fails to catch its chosen stance on the near vertical South summit rocks. I will go back and look for reference to the downward-sloping rock slab at the top of the Hillary Step and the gap nearby that will hold captive a carelessly placed boot. Much of this took place in the dark cold of early morning, but as I struggled with my desire to give up and head down, dawn's glow on the horizon and Mike's gentle "are you sure about that?" kept me moving upward, until, in the distance, I could see the jumble prayer flags fluttering at the top of the world.

What a privilege to step onto that small snowy plateau with Mike on the occasion of his fourth summit, and without whom I would have surely given up. And how impossible it would have been without Pemba Chote, my Sherpa shadow, who brushed aside any clumsy attempt to clip onto ropes, checked and changed my oxygen bottles, was my brain when I was too exhausted to think straight. How small the giants of the Himalaya looked from this angle.

Those of you who've been following our progress through the AC dispatches will have seen the happy summit photos. What they don't show are the tears, the frost-bitten cheeks, the frost-nipped fingers and toes, the buckling knees and the 13-year old American boy who cheerfully arrived from the North side with his parents at the same time as us. We stayed for around 20 minutes, savouring the moment in spite of the discomforts (and cursing as camera batteries failed in the cold). And then it was time to get the second half underway. Those who have climbed with me before will know of my dislike of descent and tendency towards doing it on my bottom. Unfortunately, the result was a trail of down billowing in the breeze from the seat of my down suit, much to the amusement of all. Fourteen hours after departure, we stumbled back onto the South Col, fell into our small, warm, yellow dome and slept solidly for the first time in weeks.

Summit day is really a three-day event, a fact we'd considered and accepted and triumphantly overcome. What we weren't prepared for was a final ordeal through the ice fall. Veterans of unsuitable weather, the heavy snow fall overnight at Camp 2 failed to deter our enthusiasm to get home to base camp..
Much of the descent's discussion had revolved around the exquisite notion of a shower and clean clothes, the prospect of a celebration, the thought of thick air and carpeted tents. So donning our warmest, driest gear, we weren't going to be put off by a bit more thermal misery. Until we realised that we were breaking trail in thick snow carpeting a shifting crevasse field and burying the safety lines. It took seven wet anxious hours of low visibility until Caroline, Ang Tsering and the kitchen staff appeared through the snowflakes, waving a huge banner and bearing celebratory beers (and other beverages, but I was very thirsty). Legs wobbling more than the day's efforts had caused, I picked my way through the last slushy bits of the Khumbu Icefall, up through lower camp and into our little AC oasis.

Hard to believe its over. I don't think its sunk in yet. The summit party was great fun, with lots of Nepalese music and dancing and dangerous liquid that was poured from the tea pot (its apparently very rude to decline). We all gave short speeches. As I type, the shower tent is being dismantled.
James and Tony left this morning, leaving only Mike, Caroline, Ang Dorjee and I. James and I were both teary eyed saying goodbye - we've shared such an intense ten weeks. We'll hopefully start our three-day walk down the valley to Lukla on Thursday. Integration into civilisation will start with a night or two in Kathmandu (which will probably be fairly uncivilised, in truth).

All that remains is to thank you for your incredible support. Your e-mails have sustained and encouraged me and made me feel not so far away from home..

A few have made me cry (one or two even had James in tears). I'm both desperately excited to see my children and deeply afraid of the forthcoming bout of re-entry disease I know will descend the minute I get on that plane next Wednesday and for which I apologise in advance. And I fully intend to get round to every single offer of a glass of wine and catch up.

Yours, tired but very very happy,
Mandy
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Mandy Ramsden fights boredom as she waits for a weather window: Monday, 10 May 2010

Dear all

Hello from Hotel Himalaya, our conveniently located oasis of warmth and civilisation in the heart of the metropolis of Pheriche. Sitting at 4 200m, the air is treacly sweet and thick and everything seems a little clearer and a little more civilised. The restorative powers of oxygen are evident in the reduced hacking and nose dabbing and the reappearance of Tony's long-absent, Everest-sized appetite and I have slept through the night for the first time in many weeks.

We've now been here for 4 warm, spacious and lump-free nights and there's a general air of torpor about the sun room where we hang out in feline repose, stretching and yawning between books and meals. At least that would be a fair description of me. The others have managed to dart around the surrounding hills every morning with the energy of the nimble-footed baby yaks that dot the hillsides at this time of the year.

Our little valley vacation got off to a disappointing start when the day of departure dawned snowing and miserable and we were forced back to our tents to retrieve an extra thermal or two and a thicker pair of gloves - a bit like heading for your annual summer holiday at the sea side wearing a woolly jersey. Still, spirits were high and the gortex -clad team set off for Pheriche after breakfast, Mike's rather complicated directions ringing in our ears as we optimistically applied lashings of sun cream.

Whilst Tony and James raced off at high speed, Chris and I took our time and plenty of photos as we trotted along the glacial moraine and marveled at the extent of the Khumbu Glacier and the expansive Himex camp (complete with dome tent containing a 42 inch television, reclining chairs and a cash bar)..
We pottered along in deep discussion as the wind picked up and the clouds dropped. Pheriche finally appeared through the mist some seven hours after departure, just as the "when are we there" feeling began to set in.

Unfortunately, we've had to say goodbye to Dr Chris, whose constant nausea, absent appetite and alarming weight loss all indicated that further descent would be most sensible. By all accounts, this seems to have worked and Mike left him in Pangboche after his first hearty meal since Chhukhung. We will miss his sharp wit and outrageously funny dinner table banter enormously.


Whilst its all very well to be enjoying the luxuries of a perfectly horizontal bed, almost first world plumbing and a nightly mug (or two) of box red, this is not really what we're here for, and the seeds of boredom and impatience are beginning to take root. Groups of climbers have come and gone over the past few days, sharing experiences and trading war stories, but the primary focus of everyone is the weather. The first window has come and gone, brief as it was, and allowed for the fixing of ropes and a handful of westerner summits. The forecast for the next two weeks makes for gloomy reading. The optimists have spotted a day or two of when the wind is expected to diminish slightly in its brutality somewhere around the 12th or 13th of May, but Mike is looking for something slightly more sustainable, so its unlikely that our summit bid will be launched much before the 20th of May, or even later.

With that in mind, the team will have to keep itself positive and occupied for quite a while longer. Tales of capitulation emanate from almost every camp. Some are casualties of altitude, others are casualties of attitude.
Several fed up (and wealthy) individuals have flown out by helicopter to Kathmandu, only to find the lure of civilisation too great and the appeal of another trip through the ice fall somewhat diminished. We, in the meantime, will try to remain appreciative of our magnificent surroundings and hold on to our new found health. And while its been great to be on holiday, I'm rather looking forward to getting back to the comfortable familiarity of base camp, closer to the goal.....

Take care

Mandy

PS I've managed to pick off most of dead skin from my lips and they're looking less lizard-like, but now my roots are showing rather badly. Time to head up to a place where a beanie will cover all evils!

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Everest Update: Thursday, 06 May 2010 at 15:16
With Ronnie Muhl and his team back at base camp, and Mandy Ramsden who is attempting to become the first SA woman to scale each of the 7 continents highest peaks, also back at lower level, news reaches us that the ropes essential to these climbs have been fixed to the summit of Everest. This from the ExplorersWeb website;

"Working sherpas on the south side bagged the season's first Everest summits today. Hordes of climbers will follow as soon as the current rough weather conditions improve. More details have arrived on today�s summits � along with rumors of a handful of climbers following tomorrow.

Simone and Denis are alone again and thus free to climb Everest, Lhotse (or both). 7-Summits guides Abramov and Cherny hope to open a route on Changtse on Friday � weather forecasts for that day are rather scary though.

On the north face, Ralf and Gerl are ready for a summit bid up the Supercouloir � and so is Gnaro Mondinelli, climbing on the normal north side route without supplementary O2.

Everest south side

Alpine Ascents were first to report today on their Sherpas reaching Everest summits � the season firsts! Some time later, No Guts Know Glory comm. Manager John O'Shaughnessy provided further details.

Summits and more summits?

"Sherpas from International Mountain Guides, Alpine Ascents and Russell Brice's Expeditions, taking advantage of low summit winds and clear skies, fixed lines from the South Col to the summit, with 10 of them officially reaching the summit of Everest," John wrote to ExplorersWeb.

"Base camp is buzzing with news of the summits. After several early weeks of good climbing, the mountain has been bogged down with poor weather for almost a week and many teams have gone lower down the valley to rest and wait for a weather window to open for summit attempts. There have been rumours of climbers moving up behind the rope-fixing Sherpa team to try to take advantage of May 6th's expected low winds for summit attempts of their own."

"This will likely be a very small number of people though, as most teams are waiting until sometime after May 10th," John noted. "Weather forecasts have the May 5th and 6th window closing hard on the 7th with high summit winds and remaining un-climbable until May 11th or 12th, at the earliest."

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Mandy Ramsden - Everest fights back!: Wednesday, 05 May 2010 at 10:12
Dear all

Difficult to grasp, but we have completed our acclimatisation phase and are now looking forward to some hard sloth in Pheriche for at least 3 to 4 days..


We left base camp in the early hours of Wednesday the 28th of April, with the aim of getting to Camp 3 at around 7 300m sometime in the following 3 days. Weather forecasts from various sources around the globe predicted snowy conditions for Thursday and Friday, with fine conditions for the weekend. This seemed confirmed by the bright halo around the almost full moon as we followed the by now familiar juniper and rice routine around our puja chorten as we set off towards the lower ice fall.

This was to be our third pre-dawn sortie through the ice maze and once again it held some surprises. Previously solid ladders fluttered anchorless, and we followed the tracks onto freshly formed bridges. Arm rappels had morphed into abseils and the roller coaster football field had almost flattened beneath previously absent ice cliffs. Newly strung prayer flags fluttered over perilously angled towers and the usually gentle and encouraging Ang Dorjee barked through his prayers at any sign of hesitation.

Better acclimatised, we reached Camp 1 an hour faster this time. By now, the moon halo had given way to a rainbow around the sun. Known as a sun dog, this solar phenomenon is caused by the refraction of the sun's rays through ice crystals high in the sky - another confirmation of impending snowfall.
Disrobing down to a singe layer, we discussed our options over cheese, crackers and cold juice served by the ubiquitous and cheerful Kaji. We could stay at Camp 1 for a night and risk being trapped by the risk of avalanche off Nupste for one or two days, or we could continue to Camp 2, requiring the stamina to continue for at least another three hours in the scorching heat of the Western Cwm. The prospect of dispensing with a frosty start and earning full rest day made the decision unanimous, and we completed our longest day so far - ten hours - a fair test of endurance. We trudged into Camp 2 to be greeted by Kaji once more (he's fast), this time bearing a flask of hot sherpa tea, closely followed by dark snow clouds billowing up the Cwm and spilling over Nuptse's lower ridge.

Like Base Camp, Camp 2 is perched on the edge of the glacial moraine and is alive with gurgles and creaks. Its also exceptionally dirty, with the detritous of many years of expeditions scattered about the rocks and ice.
The rusty tins, odd shoes, bits of plastic and general waste all conspire to present a very similar scene that a Johannesburg runner may encounter along the Braamfontein spruit. Perhaps only the discarded oxygen cylinders are a reminder that we're aiming to climb the world's highest garbage dump. Still, there is some effort underway to clean up the mountain and, this year, there is a small (underfunded) expedition assembled specifically for that purpose..

Whilst we had certainly earned one rest day, we hadn't expected two. After a day of lurking between the mess tent (conditions are good up at Camp 2) and our own tents, doing nothing but eat, sleep and occasionally read, we were ready to face the shiny blue slope bearing down above us. Other than a light nocturnal dusting, the promised snow had not materialised and we had spent much of our rest day keeping an eye on the ant-like activities up and down the fixed lines of the Lhotse Face and psyching ourselves up to do the same..
We were surprised then to be woken by the scratch of snow on nylon rather than Zangbu's gruff wake-up call, which usually heralded the misery of an alpine start from Camp 2. Nonetheless, Mike's decision was to pack up and decide later. That Zangbu was still in bed was a good sign that he'd decided already. The Sherpa team was particularly reluctant to move, and that was ultimately the deciding factor.

The following day dawned still and clear and brimming with Sherpa enthusiasm. Two days of sloth behind us and the prospect of beers and beds in a Khumbu valley lodge ahead catapulted us from our down nests and into the mess tent for a fortifying pancake or four. We jangled our way out of camp and plodded towards Lhotse, still snug from the mess tent heater and unconcerned about the light wind beginning to pinch at our cheeks. The terrain that took two hours to cover on our previous cycle took only an hour this time, and in that hour the occasional ripple of breeze transformed into blasting waves that cascaded the freshly fallen snow over the edge of the gaping bergschrund at the base of the Lhotse face, where we now stood fiddling with ropes and jumars. These were not the conditions we were expecting. Out came the "just in case" down jacket.

After a somewhat inelegant start over a sizeable crevasse and up an ill-fixed ladder, I managed to front point my way to a vertical position and over the first bulge of blue ice, while Mike unhelpfully bellowed over the wind that he'd always just walked up to the first anchor on previous trips.
The route meanders over and around the course of the glacier, sometimes flattening, sometimes bulging, always treacherously angled and mostly glassy blue. The previous traffic had left some vaguely chipped steps, but mostly a good firm kick of the crampon was required to get a confident stance.

And so it went on for six hours. Clipping and unclipping, burning and trembling calves, fumbling with carabiners in unweildy mitts, cramping fingers. We moved at an excrutiatingly slow pace, three or four steps at a time mustered from monumental physical and mental effort, then nothing, until breath returned, heart moved back from throat to chest and head instructed another go. Until Mike shouted "tents". He was standing on a small ledge a short way above, beside a small oasis of orange and yellow. I managed, without stopping, the ten consecutive steps required to get me onto that ledge.

Our sherpas had established Camp 3 on a small precipice carved from the ice of the Lhotse face, just a tent- and a boot-width and anchored with ice screws and a great deal of rope. I recalled the tattered remnants of tents along the way, victims of vicious winds and careless tethering, and hoped that Lakhpa Dorjee and his team had done a better job.

What ensued was surely the most miserable night the trip so far. We tossed and turned and gasped in the thin air while the maelstrom raged outside. We popped diamox and disprin. The Camp 3 snacks and meals that we cheerfully assembled at base camp several days before were poked and prodded and shunned as distinctly unpalatable. Mike and I turned to a packet of bland digestive biscuits and laboured through several of those, washed down with black tea. The hours ticked by slowly and the storm showed no signs of abating. Mike confirmed that there were no circumstances in which we would hang around up here and we would leave as soon as the night released us, regardless of conditions.

Which is what we did. We abseiled down the Lhotse face in the waxing and waning visibility, communicating with the tug of a rope, the roaring wind stealing any shouted instructions or queries. Snow blew through carelessly fastened zippers, into hoods and down necks, filling mitts and stinging cheeks for the three intense hours it took us to reach the bergschrund. We stumbled into Camp 2, eyelashes and eyebrows frosted, the hair that had escaped from my beanie caked in chunks of ice. And so ended our Camp 3 experience. And our faith in the weather forecast.

Our trip down to base camp the following day was uneventful and even pleasant, marred only by encounters with three Himex climbers being carried down on oxygen, one of which was Shari, my Australian dentist. I guess our night at Camp 3 was still better than hers at Camp 2.

So we've arrived back at base camp and are clean and acceptably fragrant once more. We all seem to be in reasonable shape. Most of us are suffering from the dreaded Khumbu cough to some degree. James and I have very sore lips and my tongue is sunburnt. Fred - I can hear you suggesting that if I talked less my mouth would be shut longer. Some have blisters. Nothing serious and certainly nothing to rouse Chris's concern. Tony's suggestion of a nasal decongestant was countered with a bowl of steaming water and a towel, delivered without much sympathy. Chris's most valuable contribution has been his wicked sense of humour, and none of us have escaped as targets..

There's an air of pre-holiday excitement as we pack for Pheriche, a village in the valley some 1000 metres below base camp. The idea is to get some oxygen and some rest and do as little or as much as we like.

There are quite a few teams that are ready for a summit bid and all indications are that the ropes to the summit should be fixed by tomorrow (the 5th), opening the way for the early birds to get up and out. In the meantime, we'll keep watching the weather forecasts (!) and will time our return from Pheriche accordingly.

Once again, thank you so much for all your messages of support. Today is my 40th day away from home and to come back down after our interesting Camp 3 experience to a full Inbox was heartening and very encouraging. I will send out an update on our return from the valley.

With much love

Mandy

PS: Before leaving Johannesburg, someone asked me if I was scared. I remember joking that I was more scared of my children looking after my house for two months than hanging off the Lhotse face. I've changed my mind. By all accounts they're doing a great job and I've now hung off the Lhotse face.

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Ronnie's team hampered by heavy snow: Monday, 03 May 2010 at 07:17
We have just heard from Ronnie, who is in BC and not with the rest of the team in Camp 2.
Last Thursday, the day prior to leaving for Camp 2, he developed a sore throat and decided to delay his departure from BC until such time as it had cleared up. He started a course of antibiotics as an additional precaution. Brad and Sandy decided to delay their move by one day and hopefully Ronnie can join them.
At 4.20 am on Friday the 30th, Steve, Darren and Pete left with Nima Bhote and Lhakpa Gelgen for Camp 2. Steve spent the night at Camp 1 on his own on the way up, while the other two pushed all the way to Camp 2.
Sandy and Brad left at 3.30 am on Saturday morning with Lhakpa Nuru and climbed all the way to Camp 2 on the same day. Ronnie decided to delay his move by a further day, as his throat was still not feeling great. Everyone in Camp 2 is feeling good.
Mike, Athol and Glenn left Base Camp on Saturday morning for their 7 day walk via the Gokyo region to Namche Bazaar.
At 11 pm on Saturday night it started snowing heavily and it continued throughout the night. By 4 am, the time that Lhakpa Rangdu and Ronnie had decided to leave BC for Camp 2, 15 centimetres had fallen, and it was decided to abort the climb. It snowed on and off most of the day, which also prevented the rest of the team from doing any further climbing out of Camp 2.
When Ronnie checked in with the team this morning (3rd May), the weather had improved dramatically and they were all doing well. Ronnie is working on an alternative strategy and may not join the rest of the team on this rotation. It is likely that he will wait for the rest of the team to descend, before making any further decisions.

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Mandy Ramsden starts the next cycle of acclimatization on her quest to become the first SA woman to conquer all 7 summits: Tuesday, 27 April 2010 at 15:23
Dear all

Firstly, many thanks once more for all of your newsy e-mails and messages of support and apologies if I don't respond individually. Please know that each message is very gratefully received and read over and over, especially when I'm feeling a little down. I'm told that homesickness, impatience and boredom are three of the major reasons for failure up here, and you've played a major role in keeping those at bay.

We're almost at the end of our rest period and have spent some time this morning packing food for Camp 3 and running through some gear choices. The snack bins are a child's fantasy, with boxes and boxes of sweets, chocolates and biscuits to cater to every taste. Whilst at home these would be difficult to resist, here they hold little appeal save for the fact that they contain calories and calories are what is required to move us upwards and keep us warm.

Everyone has benefitted greatly from the oxygen-rich and pancake-abundant environment of base camp and we're all psyched to get going with our second acclimatisation cycle, notwithstanding the impending 1.45am wake-up call and a breezier weather forecast. It seems that we're in for a bit of snow for the next few days, which will give us a different set of conditions to those we encountered on our first cycle.

The plan, weather and energy levels permitting, is to sleep one night at Camp 1, one or two nights at Camp 2 and one night at Camp 3, with another night at Camp 2 on the descent. Some of our gear has been left up at Camps 1 and 2 so we should be travelling a little lighter this time. Mike and I will be sharing a tent at Camp 3, mainly so that he can keep an eye on my breathing and general health (this will be a new altitude record for me). I will be pleased to have some company and another body contributing to the temperature levels in the tent. The fact that he is well over 6 foot and I am well under will make an interesting fit. We won't be using bottled oxygen this time round, the idea being that the body needs to have an opportunity to experience the oxygen-shy environment and adapt accordingly. Mike assures us that this will be the worst night of our lives (preceded by the hardest section of the climb) - a very cheery thought indeed!

The unusually sunny afternoon will involve a change into tomorrow's climbing clothes (its way too cold to even think about doing this in the early hours), some dithering over battery charging, hand warmers, medication etc.
and most likely a nap (we do a lot of napping here).

So - cheerio until next week some time. Mike will continue to send out an AC dispatch on a daily basis but I will be having a technology-free week until we return!

Take care

Mandy

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Everest team reconfigures after Lex and Athol pull out: Monday, 26 April 2010 at 11:01

Sad news from the big mountain, as two of the South Africans aborted their summit attempts. Hot off the presses from base camp;

"The sun hit our tents at 7.15 am and the warmth was wonderful after a cold (-10) night at Base Camp. After breakfast, a series of decisions were made which would dramatically change the dynamics of the expedition going forward. Lex and Athol decided that they were not prepared to climb through the Khumbu Icefall again and consequently aborted their expedition plan to spend at least one night at Camp 3. Glenn Williams however, held firm and decided to stick with the original plan and experience the Lhotse Face and climb to Camp 3 (7 300 m). It was decided that he would leave this morning (Monday) at 4 am with Lhakpa Rangdu to climb to Camp 2 and then onto Camp 3 as per the original plan. Lex will be leaving Base Camp tomorrow (Tuesday) to make his way down to Lukla to fly home. Athol will wait for Glenn to complete his climb and then the two of them will do a 7-day trek out together and fly out of Lukla on 8 May.
The composition of the team has now changed dramatically which re-inforces once again that big-mountain expedition plans can change any time. The rest of the summit team are focused and enjoying a few more days at BC before the next rotation."

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Everest climber Mandy Ramsden back at base camp after camp 2 acclimatisation: Monday, 26 April 2010 at 07:12

Dear all

By now many of you will have read the AC dispatches and will be aware that we are back at Base Camp after a successful first acclimatisation cycle. It seems a long time ago since we left in the icy early hours of Monday morning. Funny - getting up to head into the ice fall felt much the same as getting up to go to work: a bit of early morning fatigue, a touch of uncertainty as to how the week would work out, some trepidation over the obstacles ahead, awe as to the magnitude of the project and a sense of excitement should it all work out. We bid our base camp team farewell ("see you on the weekend" - much like many corporate types heading off into battle on a Monday morning) and set off into the darkness, the smell of burning juniper following close behind.

The ice fall is constantly on the move and the ice fall doctors head up daily to place new ladders and ropes and secure those that have loosened in the day. Seracs that towered over us previously had collapsed. New crevasses had opened up. Some triple ladders were required. Ang Dorjee prayed and threw rice, while prayer flags fluttered over sections considered by the sherpas to be particularly perilous. This time we passed through the Football Field without stopping and continued upwards, in a hurry.

As usual, what you think is the top never is, and the roller coaster of of rappels and ladders continued for an exhausting age, until at last the terrain flattened and a small gathering of tents could be vaguely discerned at the base of the Western Cwm. Our Camp 2 cooks, Zangbu and Kaji, greeted us with a thermos of Sherpa tea and we settled into what was to be our home for the next two nights. Here, life was to be much more simple and a great deal less comfortable. No more mess tents.Significantly colder. But for the first time we could see the features of the South East ridge route that dominate the tales of Everest glory and disaster.

The blue ice of the impossibly steep Lhotse face gleamed just out of the reach of the jet stream. Unbelievably, we will be camped two thirds of the way up this seemingly smooth wall sometime next week. The yellow band ribboned around Everest's west ridge, crossed Lhotse and continued along Nuptse in its journey accross the Himalayan range. The Geneva Spur, a rocky prominence formed at the meeting of Everest and Lhotse, will need to be crossed in crampons on the way up to the South Col, where Camp 4 will be situated. For a short while, the bare, black South East ridge could be seen, while the snowless south summit, the Hillary step and the actual summit came in and out of view, partially obscured by the streaming banner cloud that halo-ed out behind Lhotse.

If all of this didn't bring into sharp focus the reality of what we are facing, then the leaden limbs, the high altitude insominia, the breathlessness, the headaches and the waves of nausea were always there to remind us of the lunacy of our holiday choice. Some suffered more than others. My particular cross to bear seems to be insomnia, which is unfortunate given the endless hours to be spent within a small nylon cocoon with nothing but the battering wind and a finite supply of sudoku puzzles for company.

Two nights at Camp 1 were followed by three more at Camp 2, nestled on the glacial moraine against the west ridge at 6 500 metres - definitely the highest at which I've slept, or at least tried. If I did manage to nod off, I would wake periodically feeling as though the mountain was lying on me, rather than me on it. It was significantly colder than Camp 1 but, up here, we once more enjoyed the luxury and sociability of a mess tent (heated at
night) and the always beaming Kaji serving a nightly three course meal that did not involve soya and did not come boiled from a bag (mostly). Our maximum altitude on this cycle was 6 750m, which brought us to the ice bulge at the base of the Lhotse face, where the Khumbu glacier tumbles over into the Western Cwm.

The season is in full swing now and we have watched, fascinated, as a team of Sherpa fixes hundreds of metres of rope to the Lhotse face. These ropes will be used by almost everyone planning to climb the standard route, although not everyone contributes to the cost or the effort of installation..
The climbing strategies of various teams are also beginning to unfold and, whilst acclimatisation is the aim of every plan, its clear that everyone has their own idea as to the optimal way to achieve this. Some are spending fewer nights up high, others are heading to camp 3 as soon as possible.
Russel Bryce's team has headed up Lobuche Peak (around 6 000m) to avoid a trip through the ice fall. There are a few indivuals planning to summit without oxygen and some planning offbeat routes. The key is flexibility to allow for unco-operative weather or ill health.

So far we're well on track and it feels great to have the first planned cycle behind us. We returned to Base Camp in the bitter cold but crisp beauty of dawn yesterday morning (again to avoid the heat and instability of travelling through the ice fall in the late morning), to be greeted by a feast of sushi, fresh bagels and apple muffins. It feels especially good to have clean hair, a fresh set of clothes and an abundance of oxygen. And I finally had a good night's sleep, curtailed only by the capacity of my pee bottle.

There is an air of lethargy around Base Camp today, although most of us got down to some laundry and some have gone for a stroll. This afternoon is likely to be spent happily doing as little as possible. The evening holds the promise of liar dice and perhaps some red wine. If the weather is good, we'll do some ice climbing tomorrow. The aim of the next few days is to get as much rest as possible in preparation for our return above the ice fall, which we expect to happen on Wednesday. The world of trees and villages and yaks and tea houses now seems as remote as the world of highways and cars and mobile phones and, in spite of the comforts of base camp, the purpose of our presence here looms large.

Cheers

Mandy

PS Why do self-inflating thermarests only self-inflate when being wrestled into their storage bag?

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Update on Ronnie Muhl's Everest team: Sunday, 25 April 2010 at 08:14

From Ronnie, now back at base camp;

Hi All. We have all arrived safely back in Base Camp. We spent the first night (20th) in Camp 1 -certainly one of the windest places we have visited. Some of us were worried our tents would lift off! Lex returned to base camp on the 21st as he was ill and the rest of the team progressed to Camp 2. We spent the 21st,22n...d,23rd at Camp 2 and then returned yesterday to Base.

The photos certainly show the bleakness at camp 2. We wish Ronnie, the team and Mandy Ramsden all the best as they continue their quest for the summit.

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Mandy Ramsden attempts to beef up!: Monday, 19 April 2010 at 07:23

Dear all

As you may have seen from the latest AC distpatch, we decided to take one more rest day, just to be extra sure that the team is in good health before we head for Camp 1. This means that I am now several banana pancakes ahead and many hours of upward slog behind. There is no doubt that I have built up some extra reserves in the rump area which will hopefully serve me well in the forthcoming weeks.

Yesterday saw an inter-expedition trade of medical and dental skills. My crown had dislodged halfway up the icefall (yes, THAT one, Dr Key) and I was concerned that it would come out again somewhere more serious, like halfway up the Lhotse Face. Here, it would be spit or swallow or expose my fingers to potential frostbite, none of which are appealing prospects . One of Russel Bryce's Russian clients had a sore shoulder and he has two dentists in his team. Mike, a qualified Physiotherapist, kindly offered to see to the Russian's shoulder in exchange for some dentistry work for me. The mess tent served as a makeshift surgery and Chris, our team doctor, hauled out a set of scary looking instruments and a tube of rather ancient-looking dental cement from a dusty ziplock bag . Dende, our cook, brought along a bowl of water and a towel more fitting for session in obstetrics and stuck around to watch while Shari, my new Australian dentist, got down to work in the light of her headlamp.

The Russian emerged looking much happier and suggestions that some of the rest of us might benefit from a half-hour massage fell on deaf ears.

The other news is that Vanessa, our Camp 2 climber, has decided to return home. So we're an even smaller team now and I've lost my Camp 1 and 2 tent mate. Its possible that I may share with James and let Tony have his own tent, as he's the only one who has not been ill (probably since he rarely removes his surgical mask - he may look silly, but he's the only one smiling now!).

Our impending departure for Camp 1 means that we need to spend some time today getting packed and organised. The camp is a flurry of activity and enthusiasm as we sort out the gear that will go up and stay up at camp 2, which has already been established by our Sherpa team. We're all suffering from cabin fever now and I am particularly curious to see whats around the corner at the top of the ice fall.

Its scorching hot and Ang Tsering is marching aroung barking orders while his troops re-arrange tents and walkways where the ice beneath has shifted or melted. Some are taking advantage of the good weather to do some laundry and I have promised to teach Tony how to send an e-mail (!) after lunch.

Have attached a photo in recognition of my Standard Bank colleagues who, with great patience and fortitude, put up with my complete distraction in the weeks before my departure.....

Cheers

Mandy

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Mandy Ramsden up and into the ice fall: Saturday, 17 April 2010 at 12:44

Dear all

The Khumbu ice fall has a fearsome and well-earned reputation as one of the most dangerous sections of Everest when approached from the South side. More people have perished in the ice fall than on any other area of the mountain, so there was an air of nervous tension over our 2.30am toast and tea yesterday morning, prior to our maiden voyage into its midst. The level of anxiety increased substantially with Ang Dorjee's continual prayers and the smoky aroma of burning juniper wafting in from our puja chorten. Adding to the atmosphere was the general state of chaos and indecision over what to wear, what snacks to pack and whether to put on one's boots before or after one's harness, all of which seemed like life or death decisions at time.
Departure into the jaws of the beast was preceded by the throwing of rice and circling of the puja chorten, with Ang Tsering, our expedition Sirdar, praying for our safe return.

Stepping out of the heated mess tent and into the bracing cold, we jangled our way through camp, the headlamps of earlier birds pin-pricking through the darkness high above us. The entire route through the ice fall is navigated on fixed lines laid by the ice fall doctors, anchored with ice screws and pickets. Clipping on to the first one, we moved slowly and steadily through this giant obstacle course.

Moving through the ice fall is a bit like trail running. Unlike road running, where the mind and body almost detatch from one another and go in separate directions only to meet up again in a happy haze of endorphins, trail running requires your undivided attention at all times, or you may find yourself in an undignified heap. The same applies to the ice fall, although here, the price of carelessness and inattention is somewhat greater than a pair of bloodied knees and a bruised ego.


Much has been written and said about the dangers of the Khumbu ice fall, and from base camp its looks like a slice of carelessly frosted cake, but as the summit cone of Pumori became bathed in dawn alpenglow and first light revealed the frozen pools and crevasses, the towering seracs and icicles, I felt very small and very priviliged to be in this surreal, mysterious and constantly changing world.


The ice fall is not, however, a place to hang around and dwell, so we kept up our steady pace of clipping and unclipping, keeping rest breaks short and infrequent. Our goal for the day was to reach the Football Field (difficult to tell why this vast jumble of house-sized chunks of ice was so-named), some 400m above base camp and half way to camp 1, which we achieved in a pedestrian 4.5 hours.

One of the challenges of this mountain is coping with extreme variations in temperature. Within an hour of me windmilling my arms and stamping my feet to get my numbed fingers and toes back, the sun crested the Lho-la pass and we were instantly cooking in our many layers of fleece and gortex. After urgent disrobing and lashings of suncream, we continued our descent, to be met at the edge of the ice fall by a sherpa bearing cold orange juice. We stumbled back into base camp, sweaty and exhausted, some 7.5 hours after our chilly, pre-dawn departure, ready for a well-earned lunch of toasted sarmies and chips.

So today is a rest day. The team has bounced back from yesterday's ordeal and our campsite is a picture of industry and energy as we all take advantage of the clear, hot day to wash hair and do laundry. Ang Dorjee's tent site is beginning to get a water frontage, so some rehabilitative digging and channelling has taken place and he now has a rockery instead.

Plans are fluid at this stage. We expected to move to camp 1 tomorrow, but there are a variety of lurgies floating around and Mike has decided that we'd all benefit from another day at Base Camp. My cold is nearing its end, but unfortunately the team is not in sync and the mess tent is cacophany of barks and blows and sniffles. There's plenty of time though and another day of sloth is likely to do everyone a great deal of good. Its all part of the game.

On that basis, and in the absence of any major event occuring tomorrow, this is likely to be my last e-mail until we return from camp 2 sometime towards the end of next week. So have an excellent weekend and keep watching AC's dispatches for news of what we're up to. I'll write again when we return to the oasis of sanitation, technology and cullinary excellence that is base camp.

Cheers

Mandy

PS Have attached 2 photos: One of James, Tony and I in the Football Field and the other of the view of the ice fall from my tent. In the latter, the following can be seen: the Lho La on the left, Nuptse on the right and Lhotse on the sky line at the top.

PPS Esmarie - Ben is fine. Spoke to him this morning. His two front teeth came out on a Chinese rice cake and have now been re-glued. His only discomfort was his inability to smile for photos!

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Ronnie Muhl's team on the Khumba ice fall: Friday, 16 April 2010 at 09:38

A rest day is on the cards for today, with the climbers probably making a beeline for Camp 1 tomorrow. I'll confirm when I have accurate news.

15 April 2010
Our climbers are heading up part of the way to Camp 1, up the Khumbu Icefall today, then back to BC.

14 April 2010
Today is a rest day for the team and tomorrow we will be leaving at 5 am to make a push up the Khumbu Icefall. We will climb up the Icefall for 3-4 hours then return to BC as part of our acclimatisation process. Some massive seracs crashed in the upper Icefall sometime over the last 24 hours. This will make our first push to Camp 1, planned for the 18th, a little safer.
A serac is a block or column of ice formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Often house-sized or larger, they are dangerous to climbers since they may topple with little warning.The reason there is a little more safety now, for our climbers, is that the seracs on the Icefall have toppled already, so there are none poised to crash down.

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The great CAPESTORM Everest competition: Thursday, 15 April 2010 at 18:38

As our CAPESTORM sponsored Everest climbers continue their adaptation and practise on the ice falls, we celebrate their expedition in all our concept stores with a great competition to win one of five top end down jackets and many, many other prizes. Simply fill in the entry form in store with ANY purchase, however small. Guess the name of the first CAPESTORM sponsored climber to summit Everest (brief details of each climber on the entry form and below)

Ronnie Muhl (SA), expedition leader, Summitted Everest in 2007
Howard Cooke (SA), 55 year old business living in Qatar
Lex Petousis (SA), hotelier (Vineyard Hotel) and avid climber
Athol Surtees (SA), 53 year old, avid paddler and mountain biker
Glenn Williams (SA), 45 year old father of one from Joburg
Mandy Ramsden (SA), attempting to become the first SA woman to climb the highest peaks in all 7 continents
Stephen Bock (AUS), 38 year old director
Sandy Hoby (AUS), 38 year old flight attendant
Peter Wells (AUS), 36 year old television presenter
Darren Robertson (AUS), 33 year old consultant
Brad Jackson (AUS), 37 year old oil rig worker
Lhakpa Rangdu Sherpa (Nepal), 38 year old Sherpa with 5 Everest summit
Ngima Nuru Sherpa (Nepal), 28 year old Sherpa with 10 Everest summits

Then follow their progress as they near the summit on our Facebook page and on our store windows as the climb progresses. Winner announced as soon as the first climber summits.

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Ice climbing 101 with Everest climber Mandy Ramsden: Thursday, 15 April 2010 at 07:30

Dear all

After two weeks on the trail, we've finally donned harnesses and crampons and had a taste of what we're up against in the next week. The experience level in the group ranges from complete novice (i.e. crampons upside down) to mildly experienced (i.e. crampons on correctly) and the day was devoted to learning or refamiliarising ourselves with the gear and techniques that will get us up the hill that looms before us. Mike and Ang Dorjee set off after breakfast to design a course that would give us some practice and allow them to assess how much trouble they're in.

This year, the ice fall doctors have placed 39 ladders (some single, some double), so the first challenge of the day was to get comfortable with crossing them in crampons. Easy enough for tall men with big feet, but my size fives barely fit across the rungs. Still, by the end of the day, we were confidently traversing backwards and forwards, with rope tension and without. Admittedly there was no yawning chasm beneath and I suspect the air of nonchalance that developed on the ladders may well vanish with the addition of a 100m abyss.

Next up was a vertical ladder that ran out with four or five metres to go.
Whilst I'm well familiar with the use of a mechanical ascender, my front-pointing techniques were a little dodgy and my dismount over the bulge of ice at the top inelegant at best. What would have been a cool toe hook on rock became an awkward crampon jam that saw me perched on the bulge like a beached whale, much to Mike's amusement ("what was that?" were his words, I think). Nonetheless, things improved with practice and by the third or fourth go my ascent was bordering on stylish!

What goes up must come down, and therefore the ability to abseil is essential. Its all very well having the confidence to throw yourself over the ledge without having a panic attack, but it doesn't help if you drop your abseil device, fail to lock your carabiner or don't check that your harness is locked . For me, the big lesson on abseiling was the safety aspect, particularly since more accidents happen on abseil than anywhere else (Mom - I paid very careful attention).

By late afternoon, Mike and Ang Dorjee were beginning to look less nervous and we packed up and headed back for a well-earned cup of hot lemon. I'm not exactly sure whether its a tea or just heated cold drink, and I'm certain I'd never have it back home, but up here it tastes just right.

We obviously didn't do too badly, as the plan for tomorrow is to head halfway up the ice fall for acclimatisation purposes. We will leave camp around 3am, just as our sleep patterns are returning to normal and high altitude insomnia has been conquered. But when its cold, the ice fall is stable, and we will have sufficient time to scurry up and down before the heat of the day makes the ice fall an uncomfortably hot and unacceptably dangerous place to be.

On that note, I have been asked by a few people how cold it is up here.
Thanks to the BigAte Everest survival bag I was given and the handy thermomoter it contained, I can report that it has reached 48 degrees C in my tent at midday and -10 degrees C in my tent at night. We have had some snow over the last two nights and during the day, base camp comes alive with the trickles and gurgles of streams forming from the melting ice that we're living on. (Unfortunately, Greg, there seem to be no yetis here so none of the other items in the survival bag have proven useful so far, save for the biltong that I flattened before I left!).

Lastly, before anyone thinks that what we're doing here deserves any sort of adulation for bravery or effort, spare a thought for the Columbian man we met yesterday who has one leg and will be attempting to climb Everest without oxygen....

Cheers, Mandy

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Ronnie Muhl and the team prepare for ice work!: Tuesday, 13 April 2010 at 13:52

We continue to follow Ronnie on his newest adventure.

Last Tuesday, Ronnie, the rest of the climbers and the trekkers had a rest day in Dingboche with a trek to Lobouche on Wednesday. By Thursday they were in Gorek Shep, a frozen lake bed covered with a layer of sand. It is also the last stop before Base Camp and the base for climbers who are heading for Kala Patthar. Our adventurers did climb Kala Patthar, but just for the view and as an acclimatisation exercise. Part of the team is still a day behind at this stage.

On Friday the leading group arrived at Base Camp (BC) and settled in. We received news from Howard Cooke�s wife on his condition. The virus or bacteria was unidentified at that stage, but he was on UV drips for 96 hours. The doctors were doing all they could to get him healthy again.

By Saturday, all climbers and trekkers were together again for the first time since Namche Bazaar, and looking forward to three days of relaxation and acclimatisation. Yesterday was the day for the well-known puja ceremony, held under the shadow of the Khumba Icefall, by a visiting lama. The climbers and high-altitude sherpas laid out all their equipment and they and their gear were blessed for safe passage on the mountain.

Today, the third day of rest for the climbers, is also the day the trekkers head off on their return journey � it was sad to see them go. The news on Howard�s recovery is good and bad: he cannot continue on this expedition, but he was well enough to be flown home to South Africa. We wish him well.

Have a great week, and keep an eye on that summit!

All at CAPESTORM wish Howard a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in SA.

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Mandy gets down and dirty, all for a good cause though: Monday, 12 April 2010 at 13:35

Dear all

Day 2 at Base Camp has dawned clear and still - perfect weather for a Puja ceremony. Since the auspicious period is coming to an end this afternoon, our Lama decreed that the Puja should start early-ish. Also, he'd come all the way from Pangboche and had several other ceremonies to conduct before heading home on foot, in his North Face trainers. Our sherpa team prepared the chorten and formalities began promptly at 8am.

The purpose of the Puja is to apologise to the Mountain for stepping on her flanks and to ask for safe passage and good luck - all things to be taken extremely seriously regardless of religious persuasion. The event was both spiritual and festive, with the Lama and sherpas chanting prayers, burning juniper branches and throwing rice. Crampons and ice axes were laid out to be blessed and five long strands of pray flags were attached to a central pole erected above the chorten. Base camp is now looking rather colourful as each team goes through the same ritual.

The 3-hour ceremony ended in high spirits with the distribution of large quantities of wine, beer and snacks, notwithstanding lunch at noon, and the smeering of eachothers' faces with sampa. Whilst extremely messy and highly entertaining, this tradition does have some serious roots: the white sampa represents a white beard, to indicate that we will live to old age after returning safely from our climb.

Apologies offered, our sherpas will now head up through the ice fall and start setting up camps one and two. We, however, have some work to do before we are unleashed on the mountain. We''ve spent a few hours doing a gear check, rigging harnesses, making prussiks and fitting crampons and tomorrow we will venture a few metres into the ice fall to practice some rope work, try out some ladders and learn a bit of ice climbing.

For the rest of today, I'll continue my quest for a bigger bottom and enhanced energy stores by working my way through the sumptuous 3- to 4-course meals that emerge from the tiny kitchen tent at what seems like very short intervals and doing nothing more energetic than leaping up to view the occasional avalanche coming off Pumori or Nupste.

I've been away for two and a half weeks now, which would ordinarily mean that I am nearing the end of an expedition, rather than barely beginning one, so its been great to open up my mail box and see some words of encouragement or some news from home. You will see that my mails are now coming from the AC members' web outlook address. This is a far more economical way of corresponding as the hotmail site often downloads mindless content and costs a fortune. The AC system is not, however, dedicated to me alone, so content should probably be limited to something you'd be happy for your mother to read.

So - Mom - keep them coming - I've savoured every one of your mails. And Esmarie - please keep me up to date with what's happening on the other side..
I get the occasional sat phone sms from Ben but its not easy to get a good idea of what's happening. Hope all is well at the office - Rob and Chris - I am missing that early morning Vida coffee. John and Wendt - am looking forward to some newsy tidbits....

Cheers, Mandy

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Mandy Ramsden settles into base camp, with fresh yogurt and power showers!: Sunday, 11 April 2010 at 12:01

Hello from Base Camp. I've just emerged from my first shower since Namche.
Now sporting a fresh set of clothes, clean hair and some mascara, I feel sufficiently human to make contact with the outside world. My hair had reached the staged that some form of headwear was essential at all times (out of consideration for the other team members - it took three shampoos to generate some lather!).

Base camp is a sprawling village of colour chopped out of the lower reaches of the Khumbu glacier, with a direct view of the fearsome looking ice fall.
Camps have been established between boulders and streams and pools and the occasional creaks and groans and gurgles are a reminder that we are constantly on the move.

I spent a few hours yesterday re-acquainting myself with the contents of my Base Camp duffels and generally setting up the space that will be my home for the next 7 weeks. Our tents are decked out with carpets and foam mattresses - extreme luxury. This, together with the freshly made yoghurt, the high pressure shower system (including wooden rack under foot) and bed tea at 7.30am, is sure to make the times in between climbing very comfortable indeed.

We've had a long and dusty journey since leaving Namche a week ago. We've met some famous people (famous in this high altitude world at least) and seen some truly spectacular scenery.We've been blessed by Lama Geshe in Pangboche - a spiritual and humbling event. Ama Dablam - the Jewel of the Khumbu - Lhotse and Nuptse have been our constant companions until shortly before reaching Lobuche two days ago.

Splitting from the trekkers at Dingboche (4400m), we headed up to Chhukhung
(4800m) for 2 nights, walking up almost as far as Island Peak base camp (which overlooks a massive glacial lake more impressive than any I saw in
Patagonia) and then summitting Chhukhung Ri (5400m) the following day. From there, Makalu (the 5th highest mountain in the world) could also be seen in the distance.

Our walk from Chhukhung to Lobuche took us over the Kongma La pass (5500m) in 7.5 hours - our longest day on the road yet. Mike was unrepentant when I pointed out that the AC brochure described this route as "severe". I suppressed the occasional need to bleat by recalling the 40 to 50 kg loads on the backs of the teenage porters who cheerfully trot up the valley for a meagre wage and a Rs2000 tip (approximately R300), wearing little more than jeans, a sweatshirt and a pair of trainers. We were rewarded at the top of the pass by views of Cho Oyu and Pumori, and a swift, knee-jarring 500m drop down to a cup of hot lemon in the village of Lobuche, our last stop before Base Camp.

So now we enter the next phase of our trip. The ice fall doctors have established a laddered route through the jumble of ice above us. Some 15 000m of rope is ready to be fixed to the Lhotse face and beyond. Everest's almost snow-free South face is obscured by her west ridge, but the distinctive banner cloud plumes out in the unrelenting jet stream. We will have our puja ceremony tomorrow (early - to catch the auspicious period as declared by our lama) and then get into the lower ice fall for some tuition..
Until then, we will enjoy some well-earned rest and spend some time just soaking up the atmosphere of Everest Base Camp.

Cheers, Mandy

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Everest Team settling into base camp and ready to hit the Khumbu icefall.: Saturday, 10 April 2010 at 13:44

The climbers and trekkers should all be settled in at BC now. The climbers have three days of rest and acclimatisation ahead of them before hitting the Khumbu Icefall on Tuesday. I will update this as soon as I recieve news from them, or news of Howard's recovery.

For a video of their progress follow this link http://www.cracker.co.za/video/2233/adventures-global-everest-expedition---video-3

More news as it happen on the CAPESTORM Facebook page. We also unveil our Everest CAPESTORM competition on Tuesday with over R30 000 of prizes up for grabs.

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CAPESTORM Everest team arrive in base, but not good news about Howard Cooke: Friday, 09 April 2010 at 09:58

The first group arrive in Base Camp (BC) today - the journey this far is one of the Himalaya's most popular trekking routes. Those who are a day behind get to Gorek Shep. Their communications should improve from now onwards.

An update on Howards condition - thanks Judit:
I am Howard's wife and I would like to correct the information. I came to Kathmandu from Qatar as his condition was critical even after two days of hospital intensive care. Howard is still in hospital and the virus or bacteria that attacked him is still unidentified. The first suspicion was a strong form of menangitis, but this was not ... See moresupported by clinical tests. Further test samples have been sent to France and India. He was on 24 hour UV drips for 96 hours which just managed to stabilise his condition. He still could not use his hands and fingers yesterday and was confined to wheelchair in his movements. His blood pressure and body temperature jumped up yesterday which were of concern but by this morning these were dropping . His hand and leg joints are still extremely swollen and still has bad rashes on his legs.
Today morning he managed to walk to the PC with my help about 6 metres from his door and was appreciative of the various concerns and just to wish to make it clear that he can't leave the hospital for another several days. Certainly not until the cause of his condition is identified. It was not mountain sickness. The doctors thinks that it will take him weeks to walk any significant distance unaided. So although he wishes to be with his mates on the mountain, this has got a diminishing likelyhood. He wishes the group every success.

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Everest Expedition head for base camp, but with one man down: Thursday, 08 April 2010 at 11:02

As Ronnie Muhl's expedition head into base camp their communcations get sketchy. Here are the updates from the last couple of day;
7 April 2010
The team and trekkers are climbing to Lobouche today. They are struggling with comms and have been desperately trying to get video footage through.

6 April 2010
Today is a rest and acclimatisation day in Dingboche.

5 April 2010
On this, day 9 of the summit adventure, the climbers and the trekkers are moving up to Dingboche at 4300 metres where they will spend the night.
Howard's condition had not improved at all. He couldn't walk, and it was decided to evacuate him by helicopter back to Kathmandu. It was later established that he had a viral infection and would need to spend three days in hospital. The rest of us left Tengboche and moved up to Dingboche(4400 metres) while the others, one day behind us, moved up to Tengboche. The views from there of Ama Dablam were exquisiute!

4 April 2010
The team made an early start this morning to trek to Tengboche (aka Tangbouche).
On waking this morning, we realised that Howard Cooke was not feeling well and he decided to stay in Namche Bazaar with Pete, James, Darren, Sandy and Brad. The rest of us moved up to the quaint little village of Tengboche (3900 metres) arriving in time for lunch. In the afternoon a group of us had a private blessing with the high ranking lama of the Tengboche Monastery. It was a very special occasion. The views of Everest in the late afternoon light were spectacular!

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Write a new note. Everest Climber Mandy Ramsden on route to base camp: Sunday, 04 April 2010 at 08:4

Dear all

Today the group split up and the climbers hiked up to the Everest View Hotel. We sat gaping over lemon tea at the spectacular views of Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Everest (see photo). We also passed by the school and hospital built by Sir Edmund Hillary, who is quite revered in these parts, and Chris was taught by a passing trekker how to wear his buff in slightly more functional manner (now he looks like a pirate).

Today has been a rest day (sort of). Some of the team have been grappling with light headaches. Others have had to raid the imodium stash, but all in all, everyone is in good spirits. Last night, despite having already retired to bed, Chris emerged in his pyjamas to teach the late night stragglers to play Liar Dice. Not only did we learn the game, but we discovered that Ang Dorjee is a terrible liar. We also learnt some choice phrases for stupidity and futility that I will have to refrain from using in polite company. And you thought it was all spirituality, team work and good karma up here!

It felt weird not being at the starting line in Newlands this morning. This is the first time in ten years that I haven't spent Easter in Cape Town. Will give me something to aim for next year though.

Tomorrow, we'll head for Deboche (3 800m), as we make our way closer to base camp. No more mobile phones, no more internet, so the next e-mail will come from Base Camp some time after the 10th of April. If its not from me directly, it will come from Susan Muindi, who will distribute to the group on my behalf.

Thinking of you all. Happy Easter.

Cheers

Mandy

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Everest Climber Mandy Ramsden treks to Namche: Saturday, 03 April 2010 at 15:17

Dear All

We're finally on the trail. Its great to be out of the smog and noise of Kathmandu. The flight to Lukla was something spectacular - 25 minutes with the Himalaya stretched out to the left. Lukla must have the very shortest and steepest runway in the world, with a sharp drop off behind and a stone wall in ahead. Certainly no room for error.

The very large group of trekkers and climbers is morphing from a single unfamiliar mass to a group of interesting and very nice individuals - plenty of people to chat to along the way. And there are plenty of other groups all heading in the same direction.

The trail is exceptionally beautiful. Its definitely spring here and the trees are full of blossoms. Prayer flags flutter up the hillsides and we occasionally come across small temples (which must be passed on the left for good karma). Many have prayer wheels inside the walls and I feel compelled to run my fingers over them like the locals do as they pass by, possibly in the hope that they will bring good luck! We've crossed several long bridges spanning the fast flowing, pale green rivers (fed from the glaciers above) and have moved through many picturesque little villages along the way. We often have to compete with animals and cows (well they're a cross between yaks and cows) for space on the trail and have been warned to remain uphill from them, so that we're not sent over the edge and into the valley below. Apparently they're very grumpy, which is not surprising given the fact that their load is tethered under their tails - looks almightily uncomfortable and would make me grumpy too.

The trek up to Namche is fairly hard work, but we made it in very good time. I think we were spurred on by the clear view of Everest from a lookout point about half way up the giant hill just before we arrived. I am in awe. Still, we're not there yet and at 3500m, I'm feeling strong (and very hungry). Tomorrow is a rest day, which will give us a chance to explore this very charming little town, which is littered with touristy shops.

So - this is the last stop with Internet access and cell phone reception. I will try to send some photos before we leave. I'm off to have a toasted cheese and many cups of milk tea (which I'm starting to get used too) while I sit in the sun and wait for the rest of the group to get here.

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Everest climber Mandy Ramsden and the first briefing: Friday, 02 April 2010 at 14:37

Dear all

I�m all Thamel-ed out and ready to go.

The full team is here: 13 trekkers and 3 climbers. My fellow climbers are Tony, a Kiwi who has lived in South Africa for the last 35 years (I won�t be sure what he looks like until he removes his surgical mask) and James, a very likeable Irishman from Dublin. These are the guys with whom I�ll be spending the next two months, along with the AC guys I introduced previously. Also with us is Vanessa, originally from the US, now based in Hong Kong, who is here on a Nuptse permit, meaning that she will go only as far as Camp Two, and possibly to the base of the Lhotse face.

Our briefing yesterday was informative and a little daunting. Mike ran through the soft and hard issues. The hard issues revolved around the climbing program, only a small fraction of which can be cast in stone (i.e. the arrival date). The rest is dependent on weather and health, but can be broken up into three cycles, with the first two aimed at optimal acclimatisation and the third at a summit attempt. These cycles will take us to Camp Two, then to Camp Three and finally, to the summit. All last 5 to 6 days and all will be designed around prevailing and forecast weather conditions.

We will train and rest in between these cycles in order to remain fit and healthy (and sane). It is impossible to imagine a 2-month process with one single giant goal in mind and this program slices up those two months into segments that are slightly easier to mentally and physically digest.

The soft issues revolved around teamwork and expedition ethos, with an emphasis on open communication and tolerance. Mike also introduced the Sherpa team of 20 that will form the backbone of the expedition, and without whom there�d be no expedition.

Whilst AC will do everything they can to get us there, the rule is safety before summit. Caroline put it best: "Every other day, we are working for you. On summit day, we are working for your families". It will be Mike and Ang Dorjee�s call whether each one of us goes up or goes down.
Lastly, we watched a short video clip of the last ten minutes before summit. I�m not sure if this was a good or bad idea. From the south summit, the summit looked miles away, but the Hilary Step- my biggest mental obstacle - looked do-able.

Nepal is roughly 70% Hindu and 25% Buddhist, so a trip to Kathmandu would be incomplete without a visit to a few temples. Our first stop was a Hindu temple (the name escapes me, mainly because Chris and I were yacking at the back of the bus. Really. ). Here, we watched mesmerized as an ambulance drew up and laid a dead man upon one of the pre-prepared funeral pyres. The Hindus here cremate their dead within 3 to 4 hours of death. The pyre is always alongside a river, into which the ashes are swept once cremation is complete about 3 hours later. Only pregnant woman and infants are buried.

The pyre is lit in the mouth of the deceased, usually by the eldest son. Once alight, the body is covered in grass and the flames grow until the wood catches. Relatives, normally only male, stoke the pyre periodically.

Around a corner sat a few men dresses in white robes and smeared in white powder. These men have abandoned all material things and live at the temple, meditating and smoking dope. Notwithstanding their aversion to belongings, they were insistent upon a few rupees per photograph.

So � this is the end of the beginning. Our Base Camp duffels left this morning, we�ve let our hair down, shopped for trinkets, imbibed some local flavour and religious custom and so far (other than Mike and Caroline who are struck down by Thamel Tummy) have remained in good health.
We�re off at around 6am tomorrow and my next e-mail should be in a few days� time from one of the villages in the Khumbu Valley. In the meantime, follow our progress on AC�s expedition dispatches.

Cheers
Mandy

PS � Dr Chris gave us a big lecture about looking after our feet. In keeping with his instructions, I took them (and the rest of me) for a 2-hour massage, the happing ending being the R200 price tag. Only following doctors orders�.

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Everest climber Mandy Ramsden settles into luxurious Kathmandu and looks for a G & T: Monday, 29 March 2010 at 15:34

The last two days have been spent buying last minute things, sorting and packing gear into various duffels and generally chilling. Mike admitted today that it is impossible to fit the Base Camp list into a single bag of 30kgs, in spite of the strict instruction to do so contained in the Trip Notes. I have managed to fill two larged duffels that are certain to weigh significantly more than that (although they do contain 2kgs of dry wors, several bags of chocolates and 8 books). The plan is for climbing gear to make its way by porter and yak to Base Camp ahead of our arrival on the 9th of April.

Kathmandu is a melting pot of eastern and western culture. Its littered with dread-locked hippy-looking travellers, having eschewed western dress in favour of tie dye and yak wool. Its also crawling with tough looking North Face-clad types, mostly to be found nosing around the abundant gear shops . Here you can get a rip-off of any high end brand and every third shop sells "genuine Taiwanese" North Face, Mountain Hardware and Marmot down jackets for the price of a T-shirt back home (although thats not where the price starts).

The vibrant colours and friendly invitations of shopkeepers make it tempting to load up on touristy trinkets that will almost certainly end up in a dusty drawer somewhere. "Functional" is the rule, although the carved business card holder to which I succumbed is definitely borderline! Thankfully most shops don�t take credit cards, and cash is dispensed from ATMs 10000 rupees (about R1500) at a time, so one can�t do too much damage.

Whilst that all sounds very exciting, its hard to ignore the squalor and chaos. The streets of Thamel have no pavements and crossing them is almost as dangerous as traversing the Khumbu Icefall. Cars, bikes and rickshaws all compete with pedestrians for space on the tarmac, at high speed and with greater success. Street children and street dogs lie sleeping in flea infested heaps on the pavement, while the malformed and simple beg at your ankles for a few rupees or scraps of food. All of us occasionally choke on the acid soup of Kathmandu smog. Still, it has a certain charm. A bit like Melville � better viewed in her evening wear.

The teams are starting to assemble. Ronnie Muhl and the South African half of his team arrived yesterday. We ate together last night at the famous Rum Doodle restaurant, where the signatures of hundreds of Everest summiteers are mounted on the wall behind the bar, including those of Sir Edmund Hillary and Reinhold Messner.

The rest of my team also arrived today and are now busy doing what I did yesterday: sorting gear and urgently rectifying deficiencies in down-town Thamel. I, on the other hand, am ready for a gin & tonic....

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Everest climber Mandy Ramsden checks in: Sunday, 28 March 2010 at 13:46

Hello from smoggy Kathmandu

The trip started on Friday morning with a teary family farewell. It was all going fine until Amber presented a small scrapbook of photos to carry with me, at which point I dissolved.

Also rather tear-jerking was the R5 700 I had to pay in excess baggage. At least all of it arrived. I was greeted at the airport by our expedition leader, Mike Roberts, who instantly handed me a bottle of hand sanitiser and a bottle of water, along with strict instructions around their use.

Whilst I�m the first client to arrive, the full Adventure Consultants team has been here for a while. Chris, our base camp doctor, has a background in trauma surgery and is fresh from a stint in Afganistan. I�m hoping that he�s coming to base camp for a holiday.

Caroline, a Scot, will manage base camp and look after the 13 trekkers that are walking in with us. Ang Dorjee Sherpa is Mike�s 2IC. He will be aiming for his 14th Everest summit.

Mark, ops manager, flew out to Lukla this morning. His job will be to establish camp in advance of our arrival and ensure that the tons and tons of food and equipment find their way there � either by Sherpa or by Yak.

Kathmandu is heaving with climbers and trekkers heading for various peaks. There�s a buzz of anticipation and excitement as the season begins. We had drinks last night at Tom and Jerry�s, a bar in the touristy Thamel district. I shared a beer with Russel Bryce of Himex (who gained some degree of fame/notoriety as the focal point of the Discovery documentaries on Everest) and mingled in the company of a few other legendary figures in the climbing world (including Simon Yates � forever to be remembered as the man who cut Joe Simpson�s rope in "Touching the Void"). Utterly surreal!

Had my gear check this morning. Managed to rationalise a few items and will rectify some deficiencies when Mike and I head for the gear shops later. Dave � those new Black Diamond crampons with the anti-balling plates were sniffed at on account of their short points. We are off to the Black Diamond shop to attempt to purchase anti-balling plates for the old crampons. Once that�s done, I will re-pack into base camp duffel, trekking duffel and town duffel. Then I am free to go sightseeing....
So that�s all for now. I�m looking forward to spending the next few days resting and exploring and generally "getting into the zone".

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