Political News, Additional FAQs and Our Staff

We continue to be overwhelmed by the well-wishes, support, and offers for help from all of you. Even at this early point, you have no idea how much that helps. Each of you will be with us all the way to the summit, drawing upon your energy and emotional support when things get rough. Thank you.

Here's some additional general information about the climb, a few more FAQs, staff bios, plus at the end is info on how you can sign up for climb updates directly from IMG.

[To Chuck and me these posts appear to be coming thru just fine. But if you're experiencing difficulty, please let Chuck know and he'll devote his life savings and personal happiness to get you right. Call now, operators are waiting.]

Political News:
Most of you have heard the news of uprisings in Tibet, and many have also heard about the Chinese closing parts of the mountain.

Two events occurred simultaneously on Mar 10. That is the anniversary date of the Tibetan uprising in 1959 (when the Dalai Lama fled to India). Monks and students began protesting in Lhasa, Tibet, of which the ensuing crackdown has brought up to eighty deaths by troops and police (the protestors' figures) or ten deaths caused by protestors (the Chinese figures). It seems there were also protests in New Delhi, India; Sydney, Australia and NYC at the UN HQ. The Chinese are blaming the coordinated(?) efforts on the Dalai Lama.

Coincidentally on the same day, China closed Everest from the north; the Tibet side.

Backstory: in preparation for the Beijing Olympics, China plans on taking the torch to the summit. Last April, five protesters were arrested at Tibet base camp protesting to 'Free Tibet' during a practice torch climb. Despite months of stating otherwise, on Mar 10, China appears to have suddenly revoked permits to N side teams until the torch has passed (no access to BC until May 10). This comes about a week before hundreds of climbers were due to depart.

China also requested that Nepal close the S side, apparently to eliminate the possibility of "Free Tibet" protesters being on the summit while the torch is there. Nepal rejected that request, until on Mar 13 Nepal agreed to close the entire S Side from May 1-10; we're told all climbers will be required to retreat to BC. There are rumors that China assisted in convincing Nepal by means of a $120M contribution.

This is of course causing great concern. Our outfitter has stated this shouldn't affect us as we'd not be on our summit push until after that, but there are many concerns:

1. Acclimatization must be completed, and climbers off the mountain, by May 1. This will obviously affect acclimatization plans.
2. Many N Side teams may try to change plans to the S, making it more crowded.
3. Come May 11 there'll be a stampede for the summit.
4. May 1-10 is a very early summit date; what if the Chinese don't summit due to weather? Will they require the S Side remain closed longer, and Nepal capitulates? This type delay could eliminate options on the S Side. And of course all this is changing daily, with Nepal being quite silent, and China characteristically denying everything.

Many of you asked why we chose the S side, and my response was that after Shishapangma, we'd prefer to not have to deal with the Chinese government. And with current goings-on, we think we made the right choice. But the spillover into Nepal wasn't anticipated and is currently great cause for concern.

Connectivity on the mountain
We are taking a laptop, satphone and solar panel. Much thanks to David Christopher for the use of the Thuraya satphone! IMG has a high-speed Inmarsat data terminal (think satellite DSL) that we can use for a fee. They also have additional solar power that we can use; but their laptop is not for general use. So between the satphone and IMG's data terminal we should be able to send both blog updates and some photos from BC. You will have the ability to email us on the mountain – forward to our blogmaster at chuck@chuckaude.com and he'll forward to us.

Classroom Visit
Last week I had the opportunity to visit The International School in downtown Portland, thru some friends, Dave and Linda (their sons go there). I entered in full summit regalia, and spent about 45min talking with the class about the climb. Photos above.

Additional FAQs:

Have you read the new book "High Crimes" by Michael Kodas?
There's a new book about Everest that is mostly about the people and not the climb. Kodas really made some enemies on the mountain, and this seems his way of getting even. He tries to make it an expose of the dire goings-on, but "methinks thou dost protest too much". Not recommended.

Why Everest?
There's been an unsurprising but huge reaction to "I'm climbing Mt Everest" – it's the 'big one' people think of, but among the climbing cognoscenti, the S Col route or N Ridge are mere tickboxes in one's climbing career. It's an overcrowded, overrated mountain, and of all the big peaks I've done, it's the one I'm looking forward to the least. I imagine in three months I will be very disillusioned with the climbing community.

I've been asked "So why Everest? I thought you didn't want to do Everest." Well, I didn't. I'm actually looking forward to Cho Oyo, Broad Peak or Gasherbrum II in future years – all Himalayan 8000'ers, but with far less people. Val wanted to do Everest and turned down Cho Oyo. Well, she wanted to do the West Ridge (yikes!) so we compromised on the more sedate SE Ridge; the S Col route; the dog route. I feel I'm in good hands climbing with Val, and the chance for a great adventure together surpasses the desire to do this peak vs that one.

What about high altitude retinopathy – didn't that affect you on Shishapangma? Will it be an issue on Everest?
Retinopathy is when the blood vessels in your eyeball burst. My father had diabetic retinopathy that effectively blinded him for weeks at a time, as his normally-clear ocular fluid became filled with opaque blood, taking weeks to cleanse itself. I had a tiny spot of high-altitude retinopathy on Shishapangma; there was a tiny blood clot right on my optic nerve, and showed up as a red spot when I'd look at a light, fading a few weeks after returning home.

This is a very little-understood ailment, and there is no research indicating whether it occurs due to lower oxygen level in your blood (an oxygen mask would reduce the likelihood), or lower partial pressure of oxygen in the ambient air (an oxygen mask won't help at all). So there is some risk of retinopathy, and possibly even more than what I experienced on Shishapangma. The likelihood of this should be determined by our acclimatization climbs, and if it's too bad, then I forego the summit. But the likelihood that it'll occur bad enough to block usable vision is remote, and the likelihood of both eyes getting it is more remote. So it's a risk, but in my opinion an unlikely one, and I'm approaching the risk with both eyes open (ba-da-bump!).

Are you using oxygen?
Yes. Uh, let me restate that. YOU BET YOUR A** WE'RE USING OXYGEN!! Not using oxygen is the current macho 'no-cheating-allowed' trend in climbing big peaks, and it just raises the risk that much more. I mourn the loss of those brain cells during my college years, so it's all the more important I hold onto the few left. Yes to oxygen.

And now the specifics for the techno-lovers, taken from IMG's website:
http://www.mountainguides.com/oxygen-systems.shtml

IMG's oxygen system holds 1800 liters of O2, each supplying 10-30 hours at lo-hi flow rates. IMG will supply us four bottles. Climbers sleep on O2 at C3 and use the same bottle to get up to C4 the next day. They have a full bottle at C4 just for sleeping. The climb starts with a full bottle and is used to the Balcony, at which point it is exchanged (the remaining half bottle is left at the Balcony). The second full bottle should be enough to go from the Balcony to the Top and back to the Col.

If climbers are slow or if there is a problem, the half full bottle left at the Balcony is for backup.

This sounds very reasonable to me.

Our staff:
We will have a large staff on the mountain, but there are five VIPs that you'll be hearing more about.
Mark Tucker and Ang Jangbu Sherpa – IMG's expedition leaders; the Big Bosses
Ang Passang – Sirdar (head of the Sherpa climbing team)
Phunuru Sherpa – Val's Personal Sherpa
Passang Rinji - Monty's Personal Sherpa

http://www.mountainguides.com/everest-south08.shtml has these bios, as well as pics and bios of the entire IMG client list and Sherpas.

Mark Tucker has been guiding since 1985, with Mt. Rainier as the starting point. Since then, he has climbed and guided classic peaks on seven continents, with the summit of Mt. Everest as his high point. Mark's extensive experience in South America, Africa and the Himalayas, combined with his lengthy career guiding n Rainier and Denali in the US, makes him a super member of our guide team. On September 29, 2006 Mark became a Seven Summiter when he led the IMG Mt. Carstensz expedition to the summit of that mountain. His first seven summit was Aconcagua in 1989 — it only took him 17 years! When not in the hills, he leads a fun-filled Other Life. Passions by land include mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, motorcycle riding, and gardening (he's still working on the golf game.) By water, he enjoys surfing, kayaking, wind surfing, scuba diving, water skiing, and fishing, and by air, hang gliding.

Ang Jangbu is a partner and director of the premier trekking and climbing agency we use in Nepal. Jangbu grew up in the village of Phortse where he attended the Hillary school until the age of 18. In 1981 he moved to Pokhara and lived there for seven years and trained under the legendary Colonel Jimmy Roberts, the founder of Nepal's first trekking company and the trekking industry in the Nepal Himalaya. He then moved to Kathmandu and started a trekking and climbing agency with two other partners in the spring of 1993. Jangbu is married and has two children. He has been on dozens of expeditions, including summiting Everest on the 1990 American Everest Expedition. Jangbu has climbed Europe's Mt. Blanc and most of the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, and has served as assistant instructor for Colorado Outward Bound. Ang Jangbu has worked with Eric Simonson on every IMG Himalayan program since 1991 and is a very popular leader. He and his staff put together one of the very best Sherpa teams for IMG.

Ang Passang Sherpa (Sirdar)
42 years old, from Pangboche, 4 kids
Experience: Everest X 19 (4), Makalu X 1, Daulagiri (1), Cho Oyu X 9 (7), Ama Dablam X 3 (4), Nuptse X 1
Ang Passang has been working for IMG as a climbing sirdar since 1997.

Phunuru Sherpa (Val's Personal Sherpa)
26 years old, from Phortse, 1 daughter
Experience: Everest X 7 (3), Cho Oyu X 9 (7), Nirika (1), Lobuche East (1), Island Peak (2), Ama Dablam X 1, Attended Khumbu Climbing School three times (including first aid training), Attended week-long medical course in Khunde.

Passang Rinji Sherpa (Monty's Personal Sherpa)
30 years old, from Phortse, 2 kids
Experience: Everest (2), Makalu 1, Island Peak (12), Mera (3), Pharchamo (1), Pokalde (2), Namche Barwa 1. Attended Khumbu Climbing School (with first aid training)

Blog website: http://monty-val-everest.blogspot.com

To get updates on the climb directly from IMG:

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