Thanks for following our 2017 Mount Everest Expedition!  The team is rested and ready to move up to Camp 1 in just a few hours.  They will travel up the Khumbu Icefall in the dark, departing Base Camp at 03:00 on the 19th.  The Khumbu Icefall is a jumbled, shifting flow of glacier that is ever-moving downhill.  If you envision a glacier as essentially a frozen river, flowing down from the heights of a mountain, then the Icefall is like a Class VI rapid, with huge, fractured blocks of ice instead of monster holes and waves.  The glacier moves somewhat less fast at night, when things are more frozen than under the heat of the sun, so we feel it makes the most sense to travel through it before the sun hits.

There are a lot of moving parts on any expedition and especially on a Mount Everest climb.  Nine of our amazing staff of Sherpa guides and climbers will depart for Camp 2 at 21,000′ in the morning, to set up our Advanced Base Camp for the expedition.  Two of our other Sherpa team will accompany the Western climbing team to Camp 1 for two nights, and continuing up to Camp 2 for another three nights, before heading back to Base Camp.  A very special friend of ours, Dawa Sherpa is helping oversee the complex logistics  and is at Base Camp.

Everyone is eager to head upwards and thankful that everyone is in good health and not suffering from the infamous “Khumbu Cough” that is rampant among trekkers and climbers.

On a personal note – one of our long-time Sherpa friends and an outstanding guide, Da Ongchu Sherpa had to leave for home to attend to a family matter.  We wish him all the best and hold him and his family in our thoughts in the coming days.  Our team is our extended family and we’re sending much love and good thoughts to our friend.

Thanks to our invaluable Sherpa partners!

(from left to right) Mingma Sherpa, Namgel Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, Nima Gelgen (BC Kitchen), Sarki (BC cook/boss), Mindu (BC Kitchen), Nuru Sherpa (BC kitchen), Nawang Gedem (Camp 2 kitchen), Kaji Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa, Temdi Sherpa, Pimba Nima Sherpa, Dawa Sherpa.
Not pictured:
Na Temba Sherpa, Mingmar Sherpa, Da Ongchu Sherpa, Chhepa Sherpa (BC kitchen), Daura Sonam Sherpa (C2 Kitchen)