Safe & Sound at Camp 2

This is Diana with Ben’s update for today. He called this morning on the satellite phone from Camp 2 at 21,000ft. Even in his superb physical condition he said it is exhausting, climbing from Base Camp to Camp 2. He still sounds strong, but I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. The entire team is safe and strong, but all team members were already sleeping (before 7pm Everest time). Tomorrow is a much needed rest day at Camp 2. It is cold there, so they are all bundled in their down suits.

Ben continues to be impressed with Phil as the organizer and the Sherpa team is excellent. They have 40 bottles of oxygen ready for the team.
Ben, Alexander & I all thank you for your prayers. God is answering them.

Moving back up...

So here is the schedule for the next 5 days:

Thursday, April 22, 2010 – Basecamp to Camp 2 @ 21,000’

Friday, April 23, 2010 – Rest at Camp 2

Saturday, April 24, 2010 – Climb to Camp 3 @ 23,900’ – Rest for a few hours and descend to Camp 2

Sunday, April 25, 2010 – Rest at Camp 2

Monday, April 26, 2010 – Descend to Basecamp



This will be my final rotation on Mount Everest before attempting the summit, hopefully sometime in early May. Above Camp 3 I will begin to use supplemental oxygen for the first time. In September of 2005 I climbed to the summit of the world’s sixth highest mountain, Cho Oyu @ 26,907’ without supplemental oxygen and felt fine. However, Mount Everest requires a much higher demand on the body. Although just 2,128’higher, the danger of climbing to the summit of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen can be fatal. Climbing with supplemental oxygen is extremely safe. The supplemental oxygen will allow me to think more clearly, make better decisions, and feel warmer in my extremities. As I have stated from the beginning – safety first. If at any point I feel unsafe I will turn around pleased and content.

Please pray for safety and wisdom for the entire team. We are all doing really well. Our upcoming summit attempt is dependent entirely upon the jet stream. It must move north of the mountain to allow for safe passage to the summit and back. This happens each year in early to mid May. We have the best resources available providing us with up to the minute weather forecasts for Mount Everest. Theses forecasts will also give us an idea of potential wind speed; another determining factor in our summit attempt. I pray, I hope, I wish, for an early May summit attempt. Overall the weather has been fantastic and hopefully, this will continue. Thank you to everyone who is praying for the team and I. As well, thank you to everyone who leaves a comment. I truly enjoy reading them all.

Back safe fromCamp 2

I have safely returned from my 3 night stay on Mount Everest! On April15th I left basecamp at 5:00 a.m. and climbed through the Khumbu Icefall all the way to Camp 1. Phil and I climb at a similar pace so I never climbed alone. Always safety first! We were the first of our group to arrive at the sight for Camp 1. The views were fantastic. We pitched a few tents at the entrance to the Western Cwm (Welsh word meaning valley) as this was to be our home for the night. I truly felt like I was climbing Mount Everest. Throughout the morning we easily crossed any crevasse we faced and easily scaled every ice cliff. Although, proper thanks must be given to the Icefall Doctors who maintain the route, which is constantly changing with the flow of the Khumbu Glacier. This fact would be recognized on my way down because there was a massive collapse in the Icefall. Thankfully, every climber was safe and accounted for.


Day 2 found me wandering up the Western Cwm all the way to Camp 2 at 21,000’. The view of the Lhotse Face was everything I had imagined, absolutely fantastic. From this vantage point I could just see Everest’s south summit and the famed Hillary Step. I rested for the afternoon and tried to make myself at home and it was home that was on my mind. Even though our food is top notch, nothing compares to my wife’s wonderful cooking and smiling face.

Day 3 was meant to be a rest day so we could further acclimate to the altitude. Camp 2, or Advanced Basecamp is a large area and is actually quite rocky. The constant rock fall from the upper reaches of Mount Everest have thoroughly littered this area. So why camp at this particular spot? Remember we are camped on a glacier that is constantly moving. The actual portion of the glacier that receives the rock fall is safely out of reach. One of the attached pictures is me in my fluffy down suit at Camp 2. Take notice of the rocks at my feet all while on snow and ice. A few of us spent the morning wandering around Camp 2 and tried to breathe in the mountaineering history this sight represents. As soon as the sun dipped behind the beautiful North Face of Nuptse the temperature quickly plummeted to zero degrees and I quickly put on my Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero down suit. Ahhh, warm again.

Day 4 - This morning was a chilly morning to get out of the sleeping bag and the tent at 21,000’ but I did not want to wait until the sun would hit and warm things up. I had to make my way all the way to basecamp and I wanted to do so before the intense sun prompted the Icefall in to action. So now I sit typing away on the laptop knowing that the entire team has safely descended to basecamp.

A few days of rest and relaxation are on order before we head back up the mountain and try to touch Camp 3. More details on this climbing sortie later. I know that this update may seem to indicate that every step is a dangerous one on Everest. Please remember that for me attaining the summit of Everest is the bonus and not the only reason I came here. I came here to enjoy God’s beautiful creation and to do so as safely as possible. If at any time I feel unsafe or that I am unnecessarily jeopardizing my life I will gladly and willingly retreat. My wife and son are far too important for me to be needlessly reckless. You may wonder, isn’t climbing Mount Everest in the first place needlessly reckless? Well, those thoughts and contemplations are for another time. Thank you all for your continued prayers.

Rest complete! Leaving for Camp 1 and 2.

Today ends our 3 day rest cycle. Tomorrow we will leave basecamp at 5:00a.m. and travel the entire Khumbu Icefall all the way to Camp 1 which is at an elevation of 19,680’. We will stay only 1 night at this camp because it is just a temporary refuge. We will then leave one tent at Camp 1 and some oxygen which will be for emergencies only. The following morning we will then enter the Western Cwm, rope together because of the enormous crevasses, and climb to Camp 2. This camp is also known as Advanced Basecamp (ABC) and is at an elevation of 21,000’. This camp will be our future staging area when preparing for our summit attempt and Camp 1 will be bypassed completely. The plan is to stay at this camp for 2 nights and then return all the way to basecamp for a 5 – 7 day period of rest. Why so long of a period of rest? There are several reasons. Number 1 is that just living at this altitude is extremely arduous, demanding, and tiresome. The body needs this time of rest in order to function “properly” at the higher elevations on Mount Everest. As well, it is extremely difficult to eat sufficiently at altitude so in returning to basecamp we can try and eat enough to replenish what has been lost on the mountain. Number 2 is that we need to wait for the Lhotse Face to be fixed with rope and for Camp 3 to be established at an elevation of 23,900’. I will provide more information on this camp in a later dispatch. Please remember that nobody would be able to climb Mount Everest without the help of Sherpas. There are personal Sherpas and group Sherpas. I will also provide more information on these hardworking people at a later time. Look for more to come as well as some pictures in 3 – 4 days. Thank you for your continued prayers of safety. Also, please keep my lovely wife and awesome son in your prayers as I am away. Thank you.

Today I started climbing Mount Everest! Since I have been at basecamp for 3 days, it is now time to begin acclimating to the higher elevations. A climb of Mount Everest generally takes 4-6 weeks upon arrival at basecamp. The reason for this is that I have to allow the body time to create more red blood cells. These are the body’s cells that carry oxygen. As you can imagine the higher in elevation one goes there is less oxygen to breath. Therefore, to overcome this, I can further my acclimatization by climbing high and sleeping low. So today I ventured onto the lower portions of Everest, at around 18,200’, and have returned to basecamp for 2 days of rest.


The most notorious portion of the climbing route on the South side of Everest is the Khumbu Icefall. This is a two-mile long maze of jumbled ice blocks, crevasses, and seracs as big as a house. These crevasses, sometimes 20 feet wide and 150 feet deep, are overcome by aluminum ladders lashed end to end and then placed horizontal to span the enormous openings in the glacier. The Icefall is the first obstacle that must be overcome if I am to attain the higher reaches of Mount Everest.

The object of today’s little climb was to get to the first couple of ladders and work on the skills necessary to cross these frightening fissures with confidence and speed. The confidence needed to cross these wide gaps is easily understandable but why the speed? The Khumbu Icefall moves downhill at around 3 – 4 feet per day. The crevasses instantly get wider, and the enormous blocks of ice can collapse without warning. Once the sun hits the icefall the glacial movement accelerates. Since I will need to cross through the icefall 6 times in total, I must be fast and efficient. So most of the climbing on this portion of Everest is done at night for obvious reasons.

Please enjoy the pictures taken of me crossing a few of the crevasses in the lower icefall. Again, thank you to everyone who has remembered me in prayer. Words cannot express my gratitude.

In a few days I will venture all the way through the icefall and sleep at Camp 1. This will begin my first of several rotations up the mountain. Hopefully, if all goes well I will also push on to Camp 2 located at approximately 21,500’. I may be out of contact for a few days because carrying the computer, DSL modem and other technology stuff higher on the mountain is just too cumbersome. However, I will be able to call my wife via satellite phone and she can post an update on our progress. Thanks for following along as I attempt to stand on the highest point on Earth.

Safe arrival at Everest Basecamp!

I have safely arrived at Everest Basecamp. How cool is this? I am presently sitting at 17,500’ A.S.L. typing away on our fantastically reliable GD8000 computer. The weather has been absolutely fantastic. Not one cloud in the sky every single day and very warm temperatures. As well, there has been a slight breeze to keep the trekking to basecamp manageable.


Actually, we are one day ahead of schedule. Since the team is all very strong and healthy we decided to skip the last village of Gorak Shep and trek all the way to basecamp. I am positively dumbfounded at the facilities and amenities we have here. I will elaborate more on these luxuries at a later time.

So what is in store for the next couple of days? I need to acclimate to this altitude so the name of the game is rest, rest, and more rest, at least for a couple of days. Tomorrow we will have our puja ceremony. This is another Buddhist ceremony in which a local lama will come to our basecamp. The sherpas have built a chorten or alter and will string out 5 strands of prayer flags. A little rice throwing, some prayers, dancing and drinking will be just enough for the sherpas to feel safe and secure. The following day they will begin carrying loads of gear up the mountain in order to help us build and supply our camps. Of course I will be respectful but will chose to sit this ceremony out. In a few days we will begin to wander into the icefall. This is the most spectacular portion of the Southside route on Mount Everest. We will come back to rest a few more days and then make our first foray all the way through the icefall and sleep at Camp 1.

Since my computer and satellite connection are much more reliable now I will be able to provide updates much more frequently. Thank you to everyone who has kept the team and I in your prayers. A special measure of thanks to those who have prayed specifically for my back. So far, no problems. My back is feeling fine.

Thanks for following along. More to come later. Is that fresh bread I smell?

Heading for Lobuche

Well, our rest day is finished here in Dingboche. Tomorrow we head further up the Khumbu Valley for the even more desolate village of Lobuche - elevation 16,100'. We are all doing well as a team and feeling healthy, therefore, we will go straight to Everest Basecamp on the 8th and skip Gorak Shep. This will be nice as our basecamp facilities are second to no other team on the mountain. I will be able to start sending pictures again from there as our satellite/modem/DSL connections are more reliable.

More coming real soon. Thankyou for your continued prayer and encouragement.