American Expeditions

Climbing.com has a nice overview of the major expeditions this year planned by Americans. One caught my attention was of a North Face sponsored team attempt that will attempt a traverse of the three summits of K7 in Pakistan. The members include Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Peter Croft, Mark Synnott and Kevin Thaw. The TNF site has a little more info.

Nepal unrest eases

Several media reports have the Maoists relaxing their road blockade across Nepal. This just in time for the spring climbing and trekking season in the Everest region

Everest 2006 Climbing News Coverage

Starting this week, I will be posting regular updates to my Everest 2006 Climbing News page. Please visit that page for news of Everest climbs.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

The training is over, the goodbyes are being said and of course, the duffels are packed. Most expeditions try to arrive in Nepal or Tibet around the 1st of April with a target summit date of May 15th - 30th. Several teams arrive this week including Paul and Fi Adler, MountainLink, British West Ridge. Blair Falahey is already there. 7summits arrives in Katmandu on April 10th and on and on.

The last week before leaving is a time of mixed emotions. Excitement rules the atmosphere but apprehensiveness in the underlying emotion. Not for the climbers but for those left behind. Most people think it is tough on the climbers but the reality is that the ones left behind now have nothing to do for the next two months but wait by the phone, check the email a hundred times a day and otherwise try to find a new answer to the ever-present question of "How do you do it?"

The farewell parties were held. Everyone drank a little too much and the tears flowed proudly as mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, children of all ages and special friends gathered to wish their intrepid explores all the best, God's speed, safe climbing and a thousand other expressions of love and support. Yes, it is tough but remember that they are going after a dream and that is the best wish of all.

Unique climbers this season

It seems that my expedition list is never complete so I invite any team that would like a mention to contact me. This is exactly what happened with SightonEverest.com when Milan Collin contacted me. Milan signs his name as "Climbing Cameraman/Producer/Filmmaker." The team website has some nice profiles of the principles hoping to get Thomas Weber to the top from the north side. Here is what they are all about according to the email from MIlan:

"I noticed that on the expeditions of this year, we're missing on the North side of Everest. Our project is called sightoneverest, and we're gonna lead 'Thomas Weber' who has a rear eye diseas to the top. The guide Harry Kikstra (owner of 7summits.com) and also 7 summiteer, is doing the expedition together with Alex (from 7summits-club Russia). We have our own website and filming the whole climb for a documentary. If Thomas is reaching the summits, he will be the first blind person summiting on the North side. With this climb we're giving attention to 2 charity projects in Nepal. One is called the Himalayan Cataract-project, wich is from a US doctor who bringing sight back to people who are blind for many years. Only by doing a small surgery as 20 dollars.The second one is called the SolarTuki project. Here people will get clean lights in there houses without inhalating all the deadly fumes.More details are on the website: http://sightoneverest.com , were we will also add pictures and footage during the climb as we're bringing also an editsuite up to basecamp. Harry is leaving on monday 20 march and we're (Kevin Augello and Milan Collin) 2 proffesional filmers, will leave from London on the 6th of april."

Another interesting story is that of Australian Christopher Harris. He is barely 15 years old and will attempt to be the youngest non-Sherpa to summit. He is also with the 7summits team. Chris and his father, Richard, are trying to make Chris the youngest person to climb the 7 summits and he has 4 at this point. You may recall that last year Danielle Fischer, 20, achieved that goal with her Everest summit. Temba Tsheri Sherpa is the youngest Sherpa to have climbed Everest, at age 16, in 2001. The Nepalese Government set a minimum age of 16 to climb Everest from Nepal after Temba's summit so Chris will go from the north side.