September 28, 2010

Cho Oyu

IMG leader Mike Hamill reports from ABC that all members and Sherpas are now down, and the equipment has all been carried down.  They are packing up and leaving on the 30th, and expecting to be back to Kathmandu on the 1st.  Mike gave some more details on the turnaround decision.  It sounds like the Sherpa fixing crew kicked off yet another avalanche up high, above the Yellow Band, and several of them were carried some distance.  There were some minor injuries but it sounds like everyone is OK.  There is just too much snow this year, it has been a very persistent monsoon season.  This was the 22^nd Cho Oyu expedition that IMG has done, and only the second time we have not made the top.  We want to make the top as much as anybody, and we’ll try super hard to be successful, but most important is the safety of our team members.  Sometimes the mountain just says no!  It is just great to know everyone is safe and sound and on their way home now.

Eric Simonson

September 27, 2010

Ice fall above C1.

IMG leader Mike Hamill called on the sat phone to report that the weather is good and the team made it up to C1 in fine shape. Yesterday the fixing sherpas made it up to C2 and today they climbed to C3 to check the snow conditions higher up and fix the Yellow Band and slopes above C3. Unfortunately, the news is not good. IMG sherpas Danuru (9 Cho Oyu ascents) and Mingma Tenzing, along with a number of sherpas from other teams, found the conditions above C3 to still be heavy loaded with snow and unsafe, and they have decided to the plug on the fixing, and are descending. Mike and the climbers are spending the night at C1 but are going to come back down to ABC tomorrow and head for home. There is just too much snow up high. It sounds like a number of the other teams have made the same decision. We’ll keep you posted on their departure plans.

Eric Simonson

September 25, 2010

Cho Oyu

Mike Hamill reports that they have had several days of improved weather now, so the team is hopeful that the snow conditions are stabilizing up higher.  We have now extended the expedition past the planned itinerary, and unfortunately some members have been forced to depart due to previous commitments. The remaining climbers are hanging tough and ready to climb.  We have the Sherpa team heading up to C2 today (the 26^th in Tibet) and they plan to fix the Yellow Band the next day (the 27^th ) if they feel comfortable with the slopes above C2.  The IMG climbers are planning to go to C1 on the 27^th , C2 on the 28^th, C3 on the 29^th, and summit on the 30^th .

We’ll keep you posted!

Eric Simonson

September 23, 2010

Mike Hamill checked in late yesterday to report that the team turned back short of C1 and they have how returned back to ABC.  They were hoping the snowfall was going to let up, but it kept coming down harder, and they decided to spin and wait for more improvement before heading up.

Eric Simonson

September 22, 2010

Mike Hamill reported in yesterday evening:

“We’re pulling the trigger. We just finished breakfast and are headed to C1 in a few minutes. It’s snowing a bit this morning as predicted, but it should be a lot drier for the rest of the week. We’re shooting for the 25th as our summit day. The Sherpas are headed to C2 today (22nd), planning to carry to C3 and fix on the 23rd or 24th, conditions depending. All the fixing gear is at C2 and there is a team of at least 7 Sherpa committed to help with the summit fixing, including Da Nuru and Mingma Tenzing from IMG. Ang Passang has done a great job helping to organize the fixing. All is well here, and the team is healthy.”

Eric Simonson