The June 18th West Buttress team made it to High Camp! Yesterday morning they left Camp 3 at 14,200′ (4328m) and started up a slope fondly referred to as Bunny Hill. After tackling Bunny Hill, they made it to the bottom of the Fixed Lines and the bergschrund there. A bergschrund is where steep snow above pulls away from glacier ice below, making a large crevasse. Here, it makes a nice platform for the team to transition before heading up a very long permanently fixed rope. The slope here is a bit steeper than the rest of the route and having a fixed rope makes the move a bit easier for everyone on the mountain. They used their ascenders to pull themselves up the line as they marched, one foot at a time, up to the 16 Ridge (16,200′ 4937m). They picked up their cache on the ridge before climbing the last 1,000′ (300m) to High Camp at 17,200′ (5242m). The climb up this ridge is very scenic and the views are stunning. Everyone had a nice hot meal and hot beverage before tucking into bed last night. Today they will enjoy a rest day and hopefully be making a summit attempt soon!

Audio Recording

A climber on the fixed lines, with Camp 3 in the distant background.