Getting a jump on the Everest season, International Mountain Guides (IMG) has starting building their base camp on the Khumbu Glacier. The first climbers will not arrive until the first or second week of April as they will trek in from Lukla to acclimatize.
Eric Simonson reported:
IMG expedition sirdar Ang Pasang called from Everest Base Camp to report that our advance sherpa team of 14 sherpas and 3 cooks have now established our Base Camp! Now, they are hard at work, with lots of tent platforms to build and tents to erect. After deciding exactly where to set up the tents, Ang Pasang is heading back down to get ready to receive the next shipment of loads being sent from kathmandu and headed up the hill. He said base camp area is looking pretty good, but that the terrain has changed a lot just since they were up there in December to reserve the campsite. Every day the Khumbu Glacier continues to move and melt, and the tents will need to be reset over the course of the expedition.
Icefall Doctors at Work
He also mentioned that the Icefall Doctors are already at base camp and will start fixing the lines in the Khumbu Icefall. In 2012, the Icefall was in on April 4, so they are on schedule this year or even a bit ahead. Perhaps with the extra time, they will investigate a slightly different route away from the avalanche prone West shoulder of Everest.
New Route Postponed
Updated from russianclimb.com that “20 March, 2013 Gleb Sokolov didn’t find enough money for his Everest project (new line on Kanchung Face in alpine style), so postponed it to next year”. This is the second year in a row, they had not found the funding at the last minute. Sokolov and Alexander Kirikov planed to climb a new route from Tibet on the East Face ( Kangshung Face) in alpine style without oxygen.
Climb On
Alan
Memories are Everything
9 thoughts on “Everest 2013: Nepal Base Camp Established”
Gosh the excitement is building already. If the nos coming in are correct it is going to be very busy this year. Each year I think the nos can’t get bigger but they do. One wonders where all the funding comes from cos I know the guys in England are struggling to find financial help no matter how many ways they for support Hope it is a safe and successful year for all concerned Cheers Kate (UK )
Kate, as you know, most Everest climbers are self funded through making climbing a priority in their life. They save for years, simplify their lifestyle, no new cars, etc. Some even take second mortgages out on their homes. And some have rich uncles! 🙂
Alan; Thank You for the website, your work, and all you do to keep us informed about the climbing season of Everest each year! Last April 2nd I traveled to Kathmandu from Boston to trek to EBC. Thanks to your YouTube videos I gained a lot of information about clothing etc. I took your advice and bought a Patagonia hoodie and it was the best piece of clothing for the trek.
I was fortunate enough to meet Paul Thelen and Dr Eberhard Schaff from Germany who were trekking to base camp and on to the summit with Asian Trekking Expidition. I returned to Boston in late April and followed your blog daily. Sadly I learned of the tragic loss of life on May 19th. Paul Thelen was at camp 4 when he got the news of his friend Dr. Schaff so he did not summit.
Your post this year on how you report tragedy is right on. Will be checking your blog often during the 2013 season. Especially interested in the 5 men and 1 women of the USAF team, being an AF vet.
Thank You!!
Thank you Louis. The loss of any climber is a tragedy and even more so when you know them personally. Hopefully 2013 will be safer for all. The USAF team is a great group of guys whom I was lucky to have climbed with one of them on Vinson. Here’s to their success!
Good Post, Alan. Nice that the Everest activities have started pretty soon this year.
Alan, I just want to say thank you for the blogs which have fantastic interviews. Keep up the good work….it’s so interesting seeing the preparations, waiting for the climbers to arrive and then begin their trek.
hey allen,
great to read your reports again, from india loveraj singh dharmshaktu will be making his 5th attempt on everest, possibly he might try to go without oxygen. There is an expedition from the north east and from west bengal, the boy scouts in india also known as the NCC are taking an expedition as much as the school kids of lawrence school sanawar, led by colonel rana, from my home city pune, 4 climbers willl be attempting everest this year while 4 or 6 climbers (not sure of the exact no) will be attempting lhotse.
Rajeev Saumitra, my friend who returned from everest last year after weather didnt allow him to go beyond camp 4, will attempt again.
I think there should be appox all in all a 100 climbers from India this year on everest alone.
I wish all the climbing teams a great season, i wont be there to follow much of it as i may be climbing myself in another part of the himalayas. Good luck and climb on….
Chris, IMG is always one of the first at EBC. Last year they started setting up on March 14! They have a huge camp so it takes a lot of time to carve out tent platforms, etc. Also, they prefer, like Himex, to be away from the main tent city so all in all requires time and Sherpa-Power 🙂
Extra early this year!
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