The Everest 2012 Season is officially underway with climbers now in Kathmandu and some already trekking towards Everest Base camp on the South. The North will remain quiet for a couple more weeks as the Chinese had previously stated that no climbers can enter Tibet until April 1st.
In additional to frequents posts as news warrants, every weekend throughout the season, I will try to post a summary of the week’s activities. With all the planning, training and packing behind, this past week was about the first steps.
IMG, as usual, sets the pace for early arrivals with climbers leaving their home countries around March 23 according to Eric Simonson’s latest blog post. But hundreds are not far behind. Most teams want to be at EBC by April 15th unless they are acclimatizing on another mountain, e.g. Lobuche.
Hopefully the personal blogs will start soon with climbers and trekkers sharing their feelings as they start their journey. Grant Rawlinson aka “Axe” posted an update on his site as he arrived in Kathmandu, climbing from the north side this year with Altitude Junkies.
It’s always both an exciting time and a sad time leaving on an expedition. Exciting to think of the upcoming adventure but especially hard to say goodbye to Stephanie and other friends and family. Stephanie will be joining me in ten days time in Kathmandu for 3 nights after I finish my acclimatisation trek on the Annapurna circuit
Axe goes on to detail his electronics he will use to stay in touch – a good read and the first Blog of the Day this year.
I know for me arriving in Kathmandu always brought on a sea change of emotions.
Stepping off Thai Airline TG 319 from Bangkok into the humid, warm air of Nepal was both a physical and emotional moment. You enter the stuffy customs hall where hundreds of people are vying to complete immigration forms and soon queue up to give their US Dollars to a committee of gentlemen who, in a manual yet orderly process, count, stamp, hand over and eventually return your passport with all the endorsements required to enter their Kingdom – a magical moment.
Next you join the throngs staring at the small door covered with heavy black plastic strips where your two huge duffel bags might emerge. The conveyor belt starts with a whir, everyone stops taking for a moment, turning heads towards the door. One by one bags emerge – some small, some huge – but your eye is sharp for your piece. After two minutes you begin to think that everyone on your flight had the North Face yellow duffel exactly like yours.
But they arrive and you can check off one item from your worry list. You heave them onto your trolley – why do you always get the one with the wheel that is perpendicular to the others and stumble through the final security checkpoint – you know – the metal detector that is not plugged in or the x-ray machine that has five people beside the monitor but no one is looking at it.
In any event soon you push your hobbled trolley through the doors and are met by smiling faces, about 100 of them, all holding signs of various companies. You scan carefully and there it is: first contact!
You are on your way.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
14 thoughts on “Everest 2012 Weekend Update March 25”
Thanks and blog on!
Getting very excited. Last year I discovered you after following Duffy and Alan Hinkes on the Iceland,( the food giants) expedition. Duffy made the summit and his blogs were really good. Alan having climbed Everest before intended to leave at 7,500 having taken his members to their goal. He did this but then sadly the good blogs stopped.The amount of time you must take to provide us with such an up to minute blog is amazing. You cover so many facets of the Everest season. This year sounds to be busier than ever. I think base camp will be rather crowded. Not climbing this year you say, how could you, you wouldn’t have time so busy bringing pleasure to many. Many, many thanks.
Wow, thanks all for your kind comments. Yes, covering Everest takes a lot of time, about 4 hours a day when things really heat up. I read a ton of info, talk to “people”, email, map in my own experiences and then try to synthesize what is happening and write a post trying be coherent all at the same time 🙂
Greg, when I make a post, the headline goes onto Twitter and Facebook but the easiest way to be notified is to subscribe via the panel in the lower left corner of this page. You will receive an email with a direct link to that latest post. You can unsubscribe anytime.
March Madness, baseball spring training, basketball playoff run, hockey season winding down and playoffs starting; but there is nothing better and more exciting, in my opinion, than your Everest coverage. Thanks for doing this again in 2012; I’m sure it ends up being a huge time commitment, but greatly appreciated by your readers.
One quick question, if we’re following you on Twitter/Facebook, will we be getting informed of all the updates, or should we be checking back here from time to time?
Greg
Co-workers are enveloped in March Madness. Me? I’m getting excited to follow another season on Mt. Everest. Keep up the great coverage, Alan.
As always, a vivid picture of what’s to come, straight from one who has been there. Looking forward to your posts, thoughts, and the adventures of everyone who attempts the mountain.
Kat
Alan,
Thanks for undertaking the Everest 2012 coverage. Really great work and much appreciated.
Jim Lumberg
Thanks for your contributions Alan… Always a pleasure to read your posts/articles!!
Looking forward to it!
OK, thanks; still following the climb via your coverage.
Thanks Alan. I really enjoy your information and blogs
Thanks Lynda and all. Remember that I am covering the action from home in Colorado this year and not climbing like I was in 2011. I have climbed 4 times and covered Everest 5 seasons since 2002 on my site alanarnette.com
Godspeed, Alan! Following your posts as your climb the world to END Alzheimer’s!
Always enjoy your Everest coverage….
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