I’m getting reports from climbers who completed their first rotations to Camp 1 and are now back at Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side that the Icefall is quite challenging this year. Some say it takes ten hours to navigate the route to Camp 1, which has an amazing number of “zig-zags.” The number of ladders is extremely low, under five. Another team drops climbing in Tibet. And no search on Shishapangma this spring.
Ladder Rules
The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which manages the Icefall Docs, warned the Sherpas not to carry double loads as the ice is very unstable. Many Sherpas do precisely this to earn more money. They listed some cautionary notes:
Only one climber on any ladder at a time.
Lighten and limit loads carried by high-altitude workers to avoid overloading ladders.
Strictly adhere to safety measures such as clipping harnesses to safety ropes while on ladders.No Shish Search
Kristen Harila, who wanted to search for Shishapangma for friends taken by an avalanche last Autumn, tells me China has refused her permit to climb Shisha. “Hi Alan, it’s officially canceled, but I am still working on finding a solution for our plan to get Lama and Gina home. Thank you!”
The same ban applies to all foreigners this spring, including Cho Oyu, but Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow tells me he will be on Everest and leave for Tibet next week.
However, another commercial team has given up on climbing Everest from the Tibetan side. Adventure Peaks canceled when China announced they would not be allowed to end Tibet until May 7. Now, Arnold Coster, who runs his own company under the Seven Summits Treks partnership, made the announcement:
Unfortunately, I had to decide to cancel my Everest North expedition and switch to the South. The Chinese authorities keep delaying our entry date, and now I feel that waiting longer is too risky. Only teams with no other choice will keep waiting, but after more than a dozen Everest North expeditions, I simply think the gamble on a late summit is too big. Yes, there have been years when people summited late, but I have also seen years when the season abruptly stops when the monsoon arrives. Tomorrow, we will fly to Pheriche by helicopter, Climb Lobuche East and catch up with our team on the South Side. All members are well acclimatized to 5000m+ in Langtang Valley
Nepal Permits Increase
As of April 25, Nepal has issued 388 climbing permits for Everest to 36 teams representing 60 countries. The United States has the most climbers, with 70, followed by China with 65.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Everyday Everest
A new 16-part podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season.
Based on my Fictional 2020 Virtual Everest series, I’ll have a twenty-minute updated episode of the story a few times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home, trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push. The story’s protagonist, Harper, sets the tone for the story when she tells her husband, Marc, “Honey, I’m going to climb Everest.”
You can listen to Everyday Everest on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Breaker, YouTube, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Previous Everyday Everest Episodes
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 11–First Summits
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 10–Climbing the Lhotse Face
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 9–Summit Date Planned
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 8–Suffering at Camp 2
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 7–Into the Cwm
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 6–Into the Icefall
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 5–Arrival At Base Camp
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 4–Blessing in the Khumbu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 3–The Trek Begins
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 2–Hello Kathmandu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 1–Welcome and Part 1
Preparing for Everest is more than Training
There are five Summit Coach clients on Everest in 2024
If you dream of climbing mountains but are unsure how to start or reach your next level, from a Colorado 14er to Rainier, Everest, or even K2, we can help. Summit Coach is a consulting service that helps aspiring climbers worldwide achieve their goals through a personalized set of consulting services based on Alan Arnette’s 30 years of high-altitude mountain experience and 30 years as a business executive. Please see our prices and services on the Summit Coach website.
