Mt Everest 2010

The team has finally completed their journey back in Kathmandu. Everyone is safely back and enjoying the change of scenery!

This climb has been a huge achievement for everyone of the team. For Rob Hill this is the culmination of a long held dream to climb all 7 of the highest summits on each of the continents in order to raise awareness of people who suffer from intestinal disease. He has done an amazing job over the past 10 years since he first embarked on this project, and we at Canada West Mountain School have been very proud to have been able to work with him on all of his summits. We were all very saddened when Rob had to descend from Everest on his 2008 attempt with us, so we are even more elated at his success this time around. Congratulations on finishing your quest, Rob!

Darrel Ainscough has been quietly and steadily ticking off the 7 summits over the years. He also was with us on Everest in 2008 and had to descend early -  we were equally please with his strength on the mountain this season and are incredibly happy that he also has reached his goal of climbing all of the 7-Summits as well. Way to go Darrell!

(Both Rob and Darrel have both completed their 7-Summits with a climb of Carstensz Pyramid in West Papua as opposed to the Australian version)

For Lead Guide John Furneaux, this is his 2nd successful ascent of Everest, putting him in a rather elite group of Mountain Guides who have successfully climbed and Guided to the summit of the worlds highest mountain. An excellent job under extreme conditions, further demonstrated by the patience and care that saw our team up and down without any incident, injury or frostbite. I know that Rob, Darrell and all the Sherpa team were gratefull for his excellent leadership.

The Canada West Mountain School team has reached the summit of Mount Everest!

Rob Hill has reached the South Summit at 9 am on May 25th, Local Nepal time, while CWMS Guide John Furneaux along with Darrel Ainscough reached the main summit of Everest shortly after 9:15 local time. They were joined by Then Dorje Sherpa, Dawa Bhote Sherpa and Mingma Dhukpa Sherpa. Everyone is safely back down in Camp 4 and resting, re-hydrating and getting ready for the descent tomorrow back to Camp 2.

Congratulations everyone to a great climb! More details and pictures will follow when they have returned to Base Camp and are on their way out.
Brian Jones

Canada West Mountain School

John just called in at 10 pm (Everest time) to confirm that they have decided to hold off on the summit bid due to deteriorating weather. A few small teams have set out in high winds and heavy snowfall, but John said the decision was confirmed for him when lightning started lighting up the sky over Everest! Our team is comfortably resting in their well secured tents in C4 now, with plenty of food, fuel and oxygen to carry them over.

While this may seem like a difficult decision when the summit is so close, it actually is an easy one to make when we consider the consequences of getting trapped above 8,000 meters in storm conditions! Our team is strong and healthy and the goal on this trip is for them to come home strong and healthy. An oft-repeated mountaineers saying goes “the summit is optional – coming home is not!”. This has always been the guiding philosophy of CWMS expeditions, no matter how big or small.

We hope the team has a good night sleep in C4 tonight in order to be strong for what tomorrow brings. We also hope that the weather and the conditions align tomorrow for a successful summit bid, though this is of course out of anyone’s control. Many teams succeed on this mountain and take full credit for impeccable planning, perfect records, “we have the secret forecasts”,  etc, etc  -  but we really know that luck with the weather plays a critical role in anyone’s success on an 8,000 meter peak. So, lets hope for good luck this time around!

Brian Jones, Canada West Mountain School

It is now 10:00 am, May 23rd and John has just called in to let us know he and Darrel are off the Lhotse Face and ascending the Geneva Spur below C4. They anticipate being to C4 before noon local time. Rob Hill has been resting today up in Camp 4 at the south Col (7,950 meters) waiting for John and Darrel to arrive. The weather is looking good and everyone is strong and healthy, so they expect to leave for the summit tonight.

The only setback so far has been the theft of 5 bottles of oxygen from our Camp 4 cache. Rob arrived yesterday to find the cache had been pilfered (!!) – luckily another team (Asian Trekking) had extra bottles left from their attempt that they offered to leave with our team. This is our 2nd climb on Everest where our high camps have been pilfered of essential items – in 2008 we had food and fuel consumed by another team who did not plan well and fell short of supplies in the South Col.

The next 24 hours are going to be some of the most memorable hours for our team, we’ll be giving regular updates as we receive them here.

Brian Jones, Canada West Mountain School

John Furneaux just called in to say that he and Darrel made excellent time from C2 to C3, they are relaxing in their tents at Camp 3 on the Lhotse face after 5 hours of climbing to get there. Both are feeling very strong, the extra night in C2 did them well.

Rob and Then Dorje are caught up in the crowds that are heading up to the South Col today, there was quite a traffic jam in the Yellow Band for a while this morning. They will check in later when they arrive at Camp 4.

Brian Jones

Canada West Mountain School

It is now May 22nd on Everest, 9:58 am. John Furneaux and Darrel Ainscough have spent an extra night at C2 in order to conserve as much energy as possible, but are now moving up the Lhotse Face to C3 along with Mingma Dhukpa and Dawa Bhote. Rob Hill and 2 Then Dorje spent last night (May 21) at C3 and are now moving up to C4 to spend the night. Both climbing teams should arrive in their camps by mid afternoon.

Rob will spend the night in C4 at the South Col where John and Darrel will join him tomorrow afternoon (May 23rd Nepal time).  They plan to try for the summit on the night of May 23rd, arriving at the summit on the morning of May 24th. The weather seems to be cooperating at this point, with forecasts indicating that May 24th and 25th should be the best weather with the jet-stream moving out of the region. Our hope is that the majority of the climbers make their summit bids tonight and that it is less crowded on May23rd/24th. This strategy worked very well for our team in 2008 – we were up and down from the summit with not a single wait, yet the 2 days before our bid had over a hundred people each day!

All the climbers are doing well and feeling strong. Our team has well stocked camps at both c3 and c4, with extra food, oxygen, fuel and tents. They are prepared to wait out weather or other delays if needed.

I can imagine exactly where they are right now as they make their way up the Lhotse Face, my thoughts are with them all the way! John will check in when he reaches C3, and Rob will check in when he reaches C4.

Brian Jones

Canada West Mountain School

Our team is sleeping in Camp 2 (6,400 meters) tonight and then planning on heading up to C3 (7,100 meters) tomorrow. They will spend a night at C3 before continuing up to C4 in the South Col at 7,950 Meters on May 22nd.

All of our high camps are well stocked with extra oxygen, food and fuel, so they are prepared to stay up high for a few days if needed. Everyone is doing well and feeling very strong after having spent the past two days in C2, and the previous 10 days between Base Camp and Dingboche down lower in the valley.

Our Sherpa team of Then Dorjee, Mingma Dhukpa and Dawa Bhote have been once again performing an amazing task of keeping the camps well stocked up high and looking after the upper mountain logistics.

So, at this point everything we have been able to do to ensure the best chance of getting the team up and down safely has been done. Now, we have to rely on good weather, a certain amount of luck and the continued great teamwork and decisions of everyone on the mountain.

We will continue to post updates as we get them in from the mountain, John Furneaux will be calling in regular updates by Satellite phone. Also watch Rob Hills blog at nogutsknowglory.com. Rob has been supported throughout the climb by John O’shaugnessy who is in Basecamp delivering regular blog updates and staying in radio communication with Rob throughout his ascent.