Everest 2019: Team Locations and Headlines

22 thoughts on “Everest 2019: Team Locations and Headlines”

1. Hi Alan,
   I’ve been following your blog for a few years now to try and track a work colleague who has attempted Everest 4 times now without o2. He was lucky to survive the avalanche and this year was found unconscious at 7500m by a mountaineering team. Considering he was climbing with a professional mob, who seem to have multiple deaths this year, did his team just leave him behind while they pushed on for the summit. He’s recovering in hospital so again he was lucky. Gil, even Everest is telling you to stop trying without o2

   1. Those who try without Os have a tough success rate. Since 1953, there have been 153 member (not Sherpa) summits without Os. 61 who tried without Os have died. Of those, 13 died after summiting and 48 did not summit and died.

2. Alan,
   Will you be covering K2 in June/July??
   Fingers crossed!

   1. Yes, but not as extensively given there are fewer teams who provide fewer updates.

3. Is the Nima Tshering Sherpa who died on Makalu the same Nima Tshering Sherpa who was with Wui Kin Chin? Both incidents mention Seven Summits Treks.

   1. No the Annapurna Nima has frostbitten toes and may loose several.

4. R u revie the nihal bagwan”s any new status from india.

5. Hi Alan
   The summit climb expedition on Tibet side has reached camp 2 at 7900m today may 21st.
   Audrey

6. I teach 7th grade, and every year we follow your blog. It coincides perfectly with our geography unit on Monsoon Asia, and brings the information to life better than our textbook can! Thank you for your insights each year!

   1. Glad they are enjoying it again this year Lori! Thanks for letting me know. Say hi to the kids for me 🙂

7. Dear Alan,

   Love all the logistical/admin/tactical details in your reporting. After reading every word I can find on 2019 Everest season, I’m slowly coming to the realization that you are forced to wade thru a lot of stuff that is…….well…..a bit spun. I realize that you must chose your words carefully and present opinions gently to be able to continue to do this so effectively.

   Based on all I’ve read in the past few days, it appears that many of the climbers feel that their acclimatization (“rotations”) are complete. Is there a scientific test to determine this (pulse ox, pulse, respiration rate, etc, etc)? ……or do they just say, “hey, I’ve been up to C2 three times and C3 once….let’s go”.

   Love ya Alan. You’re the best.

   Kent

   1. Thanks Kent, I sincerely appreciate your comments. Yes, it’s a lot of work to sift through the spin versus the real news. Thats why I appreciate individuals who post their experiences. But I also have a good relationship with many of the commercial guides and can trust their answers to my questions. If I feel it is spin, I don’t post it.

      As for when are you acclimatized? Based on decades of climbing to 8000 meters, its pretty well understood now that you need to be able to get to at least 7000 meters and not horribly struggle. Times are the common measure but as you suggest, O2 Sat can be part of it as well and other indicators.

      The big test is during the summit push and how fast a person is going. If they are too slow, then the responsible operator will pull them back for their own safety. And this is the difference between operators, imho.

8. Dear Alan,

   I’ve been reading about the wind at C2 and above. There were comments that some teams took down the tents and “ cached” the contents. Can you explain how this works? How do teams locate their cache when the area is covered with new snow?

   1. Hey Kent, There are a couple methods. They can take the tent complete down and put in its stuff sack and try to bury it or put inside a larger tent like the dining tent or more likely they just collapse it by taking the poles out and put a few heavy rocks on top to try and keep it from blowing away. They probably took a lot of the random gear and “cached” it inside the dining tent where the cooks rode out the storm – tough duty to be sure.

9. Maybe I’m wrong here and maybe I am influenced by some incidents that happend quite lately. But why do you guys put ur life at risk? What for? For yourselves? Pls don’t fool u! One really close friend of mine happened to carry down his “Co-trekker”, who showed obvious signs of high altitude sickness, was then exhausted, went to bed and never woke up again. It’s not only adventurous, as ur posts might pretend, it’s dangerous, even to go to base camp!

   1. They do it because they have to. If ya don’t understand you never will. Don’t hate just appreciate. Those guys are amazing keep it up.

10. This is nimsdai ‘s post in the Annapurna rescue if you haven’t seen it.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bww40tPjs7M/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1jx884s6mafe7

    1. Yes, I quoted from that and more in the April 28 Weekend Update. Thanks.

11. Hi Alan,
    what do you know about Mark Synnott and his north face attempt?
    Cheers

    1. Haven’t heard about this? Where did you see it?

       1. I asked him if he was available to climb in NH at the end of May and he wrote back that he was leaving for Everest and will not be back. Then I hear a podcast where they were talking to him about his new book and at the end he said that he was leaving next day for Everest North Face. I would think that if he is going, North Face and/or Nat Geo would be involved.

12. Exciting ventures

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