Everest and Lhotse 2019

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David's 10th Everest summit27/May/19

Not my most difficult Everest summit, but certainly not the easiest. Complicated logistics, lots of other climbers, and short weather windows made 2019 a challenging year. But with careful planning, a good bit of luck and a hard working Sherpa crew we managed to give our climbers a safe and enjoyable climb. Well done to everyone for persevering when things got tough, and thanks for being a great team.

David Hamilton

Leaving Everest Base Camp25/May/19

The team are on their way home from Everest.

After reaching the summit on May 22nd the team descended from Camp 4 to Camp 3 on May 23rd. The 'crowds' who climbed to summit on the previous day were clearly not vey good at getting out of bed early and the 6 Jagged Globe climbers had the route pretty much to themselves for the descent to Camp 2. Leaving Camp 4 on the South Col at 09.00, everyone was back at Camp 2 in time for lunch at 13.00. Similarly the following day a 05.00 start from Camp 2 saw everyone back at Base Camp for breakfast at 10.00. The Khumbu icefall, was very quiet with little evidence of other climbers descending and only a few Sherpas moving up to clear the upper camps.

We were greeted at Base Camp by the cook team and Claire who had been managing comms during the summit push. As the expedition was now running a few days late there was a bit of a rush to get most of the team packed up and ready to leave for home. Most of the climbers left Base Camp the same afternoon for the short 2 hour walk to Lobuche where they stopped for the night. The following day they boarded 2 helicopters for the short transfer to Lukla where they spent the rest of the day.

On the morning of the 26th this group flew by 'fixed wing' aircraft to Ramechap airstrip in the Kathmandu valley, followed by the 4 hour road transfer to the tranquil Summit Hotel in the capital city, where they are now enjoying hot showers and sleeping in proper beds.

Meanwhile David and Rui started the 3 day hike to Lukla with a plan to arrive on the 27th and fly to the Katmandu valley on the 28th.

While all this was going on our Sherpa team closed base camp and prepared all the equipment for transport and storage. The high bulk and low value items are stored in the villages close to Base Camp, while more expensive and sensitive items are returned to Kathmandu for inspection, cleaning, repair and maintenance. It was pleasing to note that of the 100 bottles of oxygen taken to BC at the start of the expedition, 99 were present at the end. There is a chance that the one missing bottle may have been sent to KTM with a sick trekker, meaning that none have been lost during the course of the climb.

As all the climbers are now on their journeys homeward the story of the 2019 Everest expedition is almost over.

David Hamilton

Here are some thoughts from the team members:

"I'm so happy I chose Jagged Globe for my attempt on Everest. I really wouldn't have got up the mountain without our fantastic guide David's experience and patience and the help of the wonderful Sherpa team. They really are the best on the mountain. It isn't easy but it is an incredible experience."

Mary Broster

"The Jagged Globe method 'works'. With multiple rotations of the mountain before our summit attempt, the team was ready to tackle camp 3 without oxygen and then climb higher to camp 4 in some comfort. We had to remain there for an extra day to wait for better conditions, but again we were able to cope with this and still have 100% success the next night, with the whole team topping out after dawn and before the crowds arrived."

Roland Thomas

" Some people say "because it's there", I say "you have to be there". There are no words that can possible describe the feelings, the sensations, the joy of standing on top of the World, the culmination of a dream that started 3 years ago for me. I left part of me on that mountain and a little bit of Everest will always be part of me. Call her Sagarmatha or Chomolungma, I'm grateful that she provided me a safe climb and I'm grateful for being part of a great group of people (climbers, sherpas, staff), brilliantly led by David Hamilton who achieved his 10th summit."

Rui Silva

How we got to the Summit and Back24/May/19

Everest 2019: Summit Report

Following the record number of people climbing to the summit of Everest on 22nd May and the publishing of Nims Purja's dramatic picture of queues on the summit ridge the world's media are full of stories about crowds on Everest.

The Jagged Globe expedition has spent the past eight weeks climbing Everest, reaching the summit on the morning of 22nd May. Here is my story of what we experienced, and some suggestions for managing the numbers of climbers wanting to climb Everest in the future.

Clearly the numbers of trekkers and climbers visiting the Everest region will continue to grow. Some of this growth will come from the traditional mountaineering nations, but much will come from new sources such as China and India. The Nepalese authorities have no long-term plan for how to manage the growth in trekkers and climbers in the National Park. With good management, increasing numbers of visitors to the mountain regions of Nepal will be beneficial to both local communities and to the Nepalese economy as a whole.

Two separate management plans are needed; one for trekkers operating below the snow line, and one for climbing activities on the popular peaks, particularly Everest. The issues faced by Nepal are not unique and useful lessons can be learnt by studying the management practices used in other popular National Parks and famous mountains. The Nepalese could learn a lot by copying best practices from Denali in the USA, Aconcagua in Argentina, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Switzerland's Matterhorn and also avoid the mistakes and failures that have been made on these other mountains.

Restricting the numbers of climbers on Everest seems like a quick fix, but it is hard to think of a method of doing this that would be fair and transparent. This would also serve to curb growth in an important sector of the Nepalese economy. The Nepalese authorities are collecting large amounts of money from Everest climbers already. The total amount of permit fees, liaison officer expenses, environmental charges, and rope fixing fees collected this year exceeded USD $5,000,000. A tiny proportion of this was used on the mountain for safety or environmental benefits.

If more of this money was set aside to prepare the facilities on the mountain many of the issues associated with larger numbers of climbers could be mitigated. A well-funded and well-equipped group of professional Sherpa climbers, with some technical assistance from organisations that have done similar elsewhere, could be created to manage the rope fixing each season. This would ensure that all potential 'bottleneck' areas were equipped with separate 'up' and 'down' lines. This would largely eliminate the queues that were seen this season on some sections of the route including the Khumbu Icefall, the Yellow Band and the Hillary Step.

The only thing that is stopping this from happening is the lack of engagement by the authorities in Kathmandu, and the infighting between the various interest groups in Nepal who want a share of the money generated by Mount Everest.

But on to our own experiences on the mountain this season...

We made three 'rotations' onto the mountain before the summit bid. We climbed first to Camp 1 and returned to Base Camp. We then climbed to Camp 2 and made a short trip to the door of the Lhotse Face, returning again to Base Camp. We made a longer trip, through a period of bad weather to sleep at Camp 3 and returned again to Base Camp. During these six journeys through the Khumbu Icefall (between Base Camp and Camp 1), we experienced very few issues with overcrowding. On a few occasions we may have waited for 10-15 minutes for groups of Sherpas to pass, but this does not seem unreasonable. We achieved this by choosing our travel times carefully, both to avoid obvious 'busy' times and to avoid being caught in the heat of the sun.

We planned to climb to the summit on 21st May and this required leaving Base Camp very early on the 17th May using a weather forecast for a 5-6 day period ahead. This would put us in front of the main wave of summit climbers. This worked, and we saw few other people on the days that we climbed to Camps 1, 2 and 3. The trail became a little busier when we went to Camp 4 but, as there was only 'up' traffic and no 'down' traffic, there were no significant delays.

Once in Camp 4 on the afternoon of 20th May, we learnt that the weather forecast had changed. Summit winds on the 21st were going to be 25-30 knots but reducing to 15-20 knots the next day. We made the reluctant decision to forego the chance to summit on the 21st (with an estimated 40 climbers) and go on the 22nd (when there might be over 200 people).

Our team of 6 climbers and 9 Sherpas rested at Camp 4 on the South Col (breathing supplemental oxygen at a low flow rate) and brought our intended start time forward from 9:30 pm to 7:30pm to ensure that we did not get stuck at the back of the summit queue. As we left our tents on time, we could see the lights of a few other teams on the snow slopes above, several hours ahead. Conditions were surprisingly warm at first and I wondered if my down suit might become uncomfortably hot as the day wore on.

It took the team around 4hrs to reach the first significant feature on the climb: the 'Balcony'. The trail was quite busy but most people were moving at a speed similar to our own. There must have been approximately 100 people visible ahead of us when we left Camp 4 and we passed 20-30 of these on the way to the Balcony. All the climbers changed to their second bottle of oxygen once there. We left the partially used bottles for collection on descent and pre-placed some 'reserve' bottles as well. One of our seven climbing Sherpas said he felt unwell and we agreed he should descend to Camp 4.

From the Balcony to the South Summit, the route follows an exposed ridge and here we felt a cold wind blowing at 15-20 knots. Now, I was very glad to be wearing my down suit. The trail is mostly steep snow but passes through a few steep rock bands. Here, it was impossible to pass anyone, but the people ahead seemed to be climbing at our speed and, probably, we would not have travelled much faster if we had had the route to ourselves.

Just before the South Summit, the winds strengthened to 25 knots. I reached the South Summit around 3:30 am together with Rui, Mary and 3 Sherpas (Chimi, Mani and Yula). By this time, Sean with Rakesh and Roxanne with Pem were ahead, moving along the final summit ridge. Mary was feeling the effects of the very cold wind and we stopped for about 30 minutes in a sheltered spot just below the South Summit to warm her up. As we did so, 30 or 40 people including Roland and Nima Rinji, his Sherpa for the day, passed us.

On the move again, we now joined the slow-moving line of people on the summit ridge. In previous years, I have climbed this section on difficult rock ledges. Fortunately, this season there was a lot of snow which made progress easier. We waited somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes in the sunshine below the Hillary Step. Progress was slow because the first summiteers of the day were now making their way back causing a jam on the narrow passage of the Hillary Step. Once we were able to overcome this obstacle, I unclipped from the fixed rope and used my ice axe to pass a line of slow people, reaching the top at 6:15 am. I took some pictures and waited for the others to arrive. First was Roland with Nima Rinji and I helped him take some pictures with his DHL flag. Roland and Nima Rinji set off down after a short time on the summit and I waited about 30 minutes for Mary and Rui to arrive. We took a group picture with the Jagged Globe flag and set off down ourselves a little after 7 am.

This is where we encountered the only unpleasant queue of the whole expedition. Climbers were backed-up not just on the Hillary Step itself but for 20 to 30 metres on the far side. Plus, there were as many as 70 people wanting to get down from the summit but the climbers at the bottom had control of the ropes. As soon as one group came up, another group appeared from beyond the South Summit and started on the ropes straight after them. There was no chance for those climbing down to move until all the ascending climbers had made their way up the ropes. The paradox of this situation is that the downward climbers would have been quicker and would have got down the Hillary Step sooner, clearing the ropes earlier for the ascending group. In all, we waited approximately 2 hours before we could navigate the Hillary Step in descent.

The journey from the South Summit to the top and back again was approximately 5 hours; 2 of which had been spent moving and 3 hours queuing. Despite our earlier than usual start the evening before, it was obvious to me that a queue might develop around us anyway. So, I had prearranged our oxygen supplies accordingly and the team were not at much of an additional risk, but the situation was not ideal. Other teams just blundered on as normal. More likely than not this was because they did not have enough oxygen or other resources to do it differently; some having parred everything down to make their trips as cheap as possible.

By 10 in the morning, we had reached the South Summit again, stopped for some food and water, collected our stored oxygen bottles and set off down the mountain. The descent was problem free with no noticeable queues or blockages. We made steady progress to the Balcony and collected our final stash of oxygen. Our first summiteers of the day, who had beaten the crowds, were back to the South Col (camp 4) before 10 am; my group brought up the rear at 2:30 pm.

It had been a long and busy summit day but, in the end, we came up with a strategy to deal with the crowd. As I said above, it should be possible to design a better way of fixing the ropes on the mountain to reduce the bottlenecks and delays. But this will need an investment in trained personnel and material.

Nim's excellent picture of queues on the summit ridge has provoked huge interest and negative comment from around the world on the problems facing Everest. Let us hope that it leads to pressure on the Nepal Government to invest some of the USD $ 5,000,000 collected each year to improve the safety of team members and Sherpas as they climb to the Top of the World.

David Hamilton, Everest Base Camp, 25 May 2019

24/May/19

Summit day photos10:44 GMT, 24/May/19

The team are safely back down in base camp and have sent these photos today.

Team at the South Col.

Rui, Mary and David on the summit.

Rui on the summit.

10 summits for David Hamilton.

Summit names confirmed13:37 GMT, 23/May/19

Here is confirmation of all our HA Sherpas, leaders and climbers who reached the summit of Everest yesterday morning. Many thanks to our Nepali staff who made this happen! Well done to the team for their efforts on what has been a difficult season weather-wise. Stand by for photos once they're back in base camp tomorrow.

1. Pem Chhiri Sherpa. Pem's 14th summit.
2. Chhimi Lhenduk Gurung
3. Mitra Bahadur Tamang
4. Ngima Rinji Sherpa
5. Yula Sherpa
6. Man Bahadur Tamang. His 1st summit.
7. David Hamilton (UK). David's 10th summit.
8. Mary Broster (UK)
9. Roland Thomas (UK)
10. Roxanne Litynska (UK)
11. Rui Da Silva (Portugal)
12. Sean Sutton (UK)

Please note: everyone who left base camp on 16 May for the summit push made it to the top on 22 May. We had one climber (Dennis) who sadly had to leave the expedition last week due to medical reasons. Dennis was a much-liked member of the team and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.

Team safely in Camp 2 on descent09:50 GMT, 23/May/19

David Hamilton radioed down from C2 earlier and reported that all is well. Understandably everyone is very tired and anxious to get down to BC. They hope to be down by 0900-0930 tomorrow for a late breakfast.

Everest summits!09:46 GMT, 22/May/19

15:15 local time

Expedition leader, David Hamilton has just phoned from Camp 4 on the South Col to confirm that all team members reached the summit of Everest this morning at 0615. All of the team are well and are now back at Camp 4. The Sat phone line wasn't great, so we don't have any more details just yet. David said they plan to descend to Camp 2 tomorrow and to base camp on Friday. Many congratulations to the team!

UPDATE 19:18hrs local time from David Hamilton. "Team all well at C4. Clear and cold summit conditions (-31c). Winds up to 20 - 25 kts. All on top 0430 - 0700. Goodnight"

On the move13:47 GMT, 21/May/19

The Everest team left the South Col at approximately 1945 local time.

David expects it to be a long summit day (his InReach most likely won't have enough battery for the entire climb).

Teams have been leaving the South Col every hour since 1500hrs. There could be as many as 250 people going for the summit tonight.

We don't expect to post updates until the team is back safely at the South Col. In the meantime we wish the climbers the very best of luck.

Rui's tracker https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/RUI

David's tracker https://share.garmin.com/DavidHamilton

Lhotse news13:01 GMT, 21/May/19

We'e had an update that Iain and Mingma Dorji Sherpa turned around at 8,000m on Lhotse this morning. We'll update when we have more info.

Archive photo by Mal Haskins

Summit bid postponed 17:57 GMT, 20/May/19

Summit bid postponed due to high winds. Will stay at C4 and try tomorrow night - David Hamilton

Teams in Camp 410:23 GMT, 20/May/19

All climbers have arrived in their respective Camp 4s (Everest and Lhotse).

It took 6.5 hours for us to climb from from Camp 3 to the South Col. Conditions were OK for travel, but it is currently (1315 local time) a bit blustery on the South Col. We're hoping for good summit conditions tomorrow.

David Hamilton

Archive photo of the South Col camp by Robert Mads Anderson

Camp 3 on summit push06:35 GMT, 19/May/19

The team have arrived in Camp 3 on their summit push. Yesterday, expedition leader, David Hamilton said that summit options were not looking ideal as winds were still forecast to be high on 21/22 May, but 23/24 May were likely to be crowded. So, they have moved up today to Camp 3 and if need be can wait 24 hours in Camp 4 on the South Col. You can follow David’s tracker: https://share.garmin.com/DavidHamilton

Update:

The team all climbed from Camp 2 to Camp 3 today, leaving at 05.30 and arriving around 12.00. Conditions on the Lhotse Face were cold at first but got hot and sunny later. Several teams are on the move aiming to summit on the 21st, and we are hoping for good weather over the next 2 days.

David Hamilton

In Camp 213:05 GMT, 17/May/19

David has been in touch to say that team are in Camp 2. They're having a rest day tomorrow and are monitoring the weather forecast.

To the summit!14:35 GMT, 16/May/19

Both the Everest and Lhotse teams are leaving base camp at midnight tonight (16 May). They're aiming to summit on 21 May, but are prepared to wait at Camp 2 for a few days and adjust this plan, depending on the weather forecast. We wish them the very best of luck!

First summits of the season12:01 GMT, 14/May/19

The Jagged Globe Sherpas are all back in Base Camp enjoying a few days rest before the summit climb begins. The Sherpa rope fixing team reached Everest summit today and a few early teams are hoping to climb to the top over the next 48hrs.

The Jagged Globe climbing team are enjoying a few days rest before the hard work of climbing to the top begins. Some have chosen to rest in Base Camp while others have walked down the valley for a few hours to rest in one of the Lobuche lodges. The lodge accommodation is quite basic, but a proper bed, proper toilet, and bakery selling apple pie are quite attractive after spending over a month in Base Camp.

The weather forecasts are indicating a period of good weather on Everest starting around 20 May. If this is confirmed in the next few days the team will aim to leave Base Camp on the 16th or 17th in order to take advantage of the next weather window.

David

Base Camp laundry15:04 GMT, 13/May/19

The whole team is currently resting in base camp after our rotation up to Camp 3. We will be here at base camp for the next couple of days catching up on laundry and sleep while we wait for the ropes to be fixed to the summit and the winds up high to die down.

A couple of teams are going to try for the summit in the next couple of days but we are planning on resting in base camp and trying our luck a bit later. Last night Rui and Sean took over the Sherpa kitchen to give the cooks the night off and made a restaurant-worthy meal of fish, pesto, parma ham and sun dried tomato.

Base camp is strangely quiet as lots of the other big teams have all taken helicopter flights down to Namche or Kathmandu to rest.

Here is a picture of Roxanne taking advantage of the sunshine to do her laundry and Mary unsuccessfully trying to get her to do some of hers too!

A few more rest days in base camp07:28 GMT, 12/May/19

The first summit window of the season is due in a few days. The team are all in good shape and ready to set off for the summit. However strong winds between 6000m and 8000m have disrupted our logistic build up and we do not have sufficient supplies at Camp 4 on the South Col to mount a summit bid in the next few days.

We hope that Sherpa team can take advantage of the expected good weather on the 14th and 15th to complete the remaining carries to Camp 4. After this they will return to Base Camp for a few days rest. The climbers are debating whether to remain in Base Camp for the next few days, or take a short hike down the valley for a change of scenery.

Longer term weather forecasts are notoriously unreliable, but it seems that the cold temperatures and high winds on the summit could end around 19/20/21 May and we are working towards organising our summit climb in the next suitable weather period.

David

An update from base camp08:33 GMT, 10/May/19

After spending a night on oxygen at camp 3, in strong winds that were amplified when inside the tent, the 2019 team began the long abseil down the steep blue ice of the Lhotse Face. At frequent anchors, the routine of secure foot placement, unclip figure-of-8, tie in again below anchor, then attach karabiner, ensured we all descended without incident. In 3 hours the team had returned to the levels of camp 2.

The following morning before dawn, the team set off again towards base camp and found the Khumbu Icefall had changed in character since we climbed up almost a week ago. The gaps were wider, the route altered and the abseils deeper. In lower sections, bare rock had replaced the familiar ice.

Now back at bas ecamp, we rest, eat, launder clothes, eat again and patiently wait to make our fourth rotation, this time to the summit.

Roland

Update from David Hamilton

The team are all resting in base camp after completing the third rotation on the mountain. They are now waiting for suitable conditions to climb to the summit.

Weather and snow conditions have been a little unusual this year. A wind and snow storm on the night of 2/3 May damaged many tents at Camp 2 and this delayed the preparations of some teams. High winds at altitude have delayed efforts to carry supplies to camp 4 on the South Col. Thus most of the expeditions are not yet ready to climb to the summit.

The weather forecast indicates a period of reduced wind speeds in the coming days: 12-16 May. If all goes according to plan the ropes will be fixed to the summit on 13 and 14 May. This should allow for the best prepared teams to climb to the summit in the following days before the wind speeds pick up again.

The Jagged Globe team expect to have all the necessary equipment on the South Col by 13 May, and the climbing team will be rested and ready to leave Base Camp on the same day. With a rest day at Camp 2 this would give a possible summit day of 17 May.

However the current forecasts are suggesting that the low wind period will end on 16 May. Thus it might not be possible for us to take advantage of this first 'short' summit window. We will be monitoring the weather forecast closely over the next 2 days and making a decision about our climbing plans in the afternoon of 12 May.

If we are not able to take advantage of this 'early' weather window the team will rest for a few more days in Base Camp and prepare to take advantage of the next spell of suitable weather.

David Hamilton

A night sleeping at 7,160m09:08 GMT, 08/May/19

The Jagged Globe team were the highest on Mt Everest last night as they were the only team sleeping at Camp 3 (7,160m). Conditions were windy during the night but everyone slept reasonably well. The winds were too strong for our Sherpa team to make a carry to the South Col this morning and they will try again tomorrow. Meanwhile the climbers will return to Base Camp after a spell of 6 nights at Camps 2 and 3.

David Hamilton

Archive photo of C3:

Team in Camp 308:13 GMT, 07/May/19

All the climbers moved from Camp 2 to Camp 3 this morning. We left C2 at 04.50 and arrived at C3 around 11.00. Conditions were clear and sunny but there was a cold breeze blowing down the face.

The Lhotse Face is still quite icy as not many parties have climbed it yet this season. Several camps/tents at C3 were destroyed in the storm on 3rd and 4th May. The 5 tents of the Jagged Globe camp were the only ones standing when we arrived today. The team are all well and will practice sleeping with bottled oxygen tonight before descending to C2 in the morning.

David Hamilton

Camp 3 in place08:29 GMT, 06/May/19

The Jagged Globe Sherpa team have established Camp 3 at approximately 7200m on the Lhotse Face. The climbers will climb to C3 early tomorrow morning and spend one night before returning to C2 and Base Camp. The strong winds above 8,000m are forecast to reduce on the 9th, and the Sherpas will start to move the team supplies to Camp 4 on the South Coll then.

David Hamilton

Resting in Camp 212:06 GMT, 04/May/19

Everyone is resting in Camp 2. The strong winds and snowfall seem to have passed. We will have a quiet day tomorrow and assess the conditions. We are planning on the Sherpas climbing from BC to C2 on 6 May and we will go to Camp 3 on Tuesday 7 May.

David Hamilton

Back in Camp 211:02 GMT, 03/May/19

All team in Camp 2. We left BC at midnight and most of the climbers arrived at C2 in time for breakfast. 3 people broke the journey and enjoyed a 2 hour rest at Camp 1, arriving at C2 a little later. After a few weeks of benign weather conditions have changed for the worse. Strong winds last night damaged many tents at C2. The Jagged Globe tents are fine. Heavy snow is expected for 48 hours. After this we will attempt to climb to Camp 3 once things settle down.

David Hamilton

Rest day in base camp08:29 GMT, 01/May/19

During the course of an Everest expedition the climbers get to spend plenty of 'downtime' resting in Base Camp between the climbing rotations. This is an opportunity to meet up with other climbers from the various teams, meeting new friends and renewing old acquaintances. In addition to the climbers in camp there are medics, writers, film makers and photographers. Magda Lassota is a Polish woman spending the climbing season at Everest Base Camp working on a project to photograph a selection of climbers and tell their stories. She visits the Jagged Globe camp frequently and her friendly face is always welcome. She shared this night time picture of climbers in the Khumbu icefall with the JG team and we would like to thank her for allowing us to publish it here.

The climbing team are resting in Base Camp prior to making the third rotation onto the mountain in a few days time. This gives a chance for everyone to catch up on laundry and other admin tasks.

It is now almost 3 weeks since the team arrived in Base Camp. During this time conditions have become noticeably warmer. Most of the surface snow has disappeared and the ice around camp is melting quickly. Several new streams have appeared running between the tents, and there are pools of water close to the trail. Remarkably the floor in the dinning tent has remained fairly level. This doubles as a cinema in the evening and last night there was a showing of 'A Star is Born'. However the surface under the sleeping tents had become very uneven. So the Sherpa team helped everyone to move the tents aside (see picture) so that the surfaces could be levelled. Camp is now looking in good shape and should not need any other major work between now and the end of the climbing season.

David Hamilton

Second rotation completed15:41 GMT, 30/Apr/19

Yesterday, between 7:30 and 8:00 and just in time for the second breakfast, we all have arrived back from our second rotation up the mountain. Tired but happy that we have achieved our objective for the rotation.

Four days prior, having gotten up at midnight, we left for Camp 1. The trip was much easier as we were more acclimatised from our last rotation and more familiar with the icefall. Early next morning we left for Camp 2 for the first time. The largest obstacle on the way was 10-15m wall with the slight overhang put in for our jugging pleasure.

After a day of rest in C2, we have made a little foray to the base of the Lhotse face. It was a beautiful day and we all stood there among the most beautiful scenery in the world, in awe of the grandeur of nature.

At 4:30 next morning, we left to go back to our temporary home from home - the base camp.

Guys in the team entertained themselves by counting the ladders between the basecamp and Camp 2. So, there are 7 vertical (multiple ladders tied together or positioned alongside each other still count as one) and 6 horizontal. All are back safely in basecamp now enjoying several days of rest.

Roxanne

Base of Lhotse Face27/Apr/19

On Sunday 28 April the team had a morning hike from Camp 2, visiting the base on the Lhotse Face at 6750m. They left C2 at 07.30 and returned at 10.30. David said that "The face looks icy. The ropes have been fixed as far as Camp 3, but there are very few people moving up."

You can follow Rui on his Garmin InReach

Resting in Camp 208:04 GMT, 27/Apr/19

All team resting in Camp 2. This morning we all went down to Camp 1 to collect supplies and then returned to Camp 2. We left Camp 2 at 05.00, reached Camp 1 a little after 06.00, and were all back in Camp 2 between 08.00 and 09.00. David Hamilton

Team arrive in Camp 209:51 GMT, 26/Apr/19

Expedition leader, David Hamilton messaged us this morning to report that 9 people (7 climbers plus Pem & DH) are in Camp 2. They all left C1 at 06.00 and reached C2 6,400m between 08.30 and 09.00. The weather is hot and sunny. There are good views of Sherpas carrying loads to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face.

Archive photo of the Lhotse Face - Robert Mads Anderson

Team in Camp 1 en route to Camp 209:09 GMT, 25/Apr/19

Update from David Hamilton:

9 people in Camp 1. Departed BC at 01.00. arrived C1 07.00 - 08.00. Route very busy with Sherpas first 2 hours, then quiet. Conditions cold and clear with no wind. Sun hits the tents at Camp 1 from 08.00 then temperatures reach more than 30 degrees C. All going to Camp 2 early tomorrow morning.

Photo by Roland from the last trip up to C1:

Capturing height 5660!15:11 GMT, 24/Apr/19

On the 23rd of April, early in the morning, Captain Hamilton appeared restless. For the past several days one thought has been bothering him, like an ice axe insecurely attached to a rucksack "Privates", said Captain Hamilton addressing his platoon", one thought is bothering me, like a bee in my pants".

Soldiers looked at the captain expectantly, as if Her Majesty herself were talking to them about her pants troubles.

"Look up", continued captain, "and tell me what it is that you can see, damn it". Everyone looked up, but no-one had the courage to comment on what it was they were seeing.

"Is it the pujha lapsu that isn't to your liking, Sir? Perhaps it's not made of white enough stones or perhaps the prayer pole is too long?" one of the soldiers offered an explanation, checking other soldiers' faces for some endorsement or support of his theory.

"I'll tell you what is too long, private", captain's ice-blue eyes were menacing, "it's your skull that's too long for your brain"!

Then, Captain Hamilton, took pity on his platoon and explained that what really bothered him, like a loose crampon, was the dominant height of exceptional military importance overlooking our base camp, perfect for either artillery or archery fire, the so called Pumori ABC or Height 5660.

"We have got to capture this Height, and we have got to do it today, or my name is not Captain David Hamilton, MBBS, PhD, PgDip, PGCert, MSc, RGN, RMN and generally a FGG".

"Forward, the Light Platoon, charge for the Height 5660"! he said. With that, the platoon marched briskly and confidently and proceeded to capture the height 5660 which thunder'd and flash'd. There was no forward reconnaissance, and Rui, Brock and Roland, deprived of their commanding officer Pem, were ordered to guard the rear of the platoon in case of a Himalayan Griffin Vulture attack. Brock initially thought of capturing an American paratrooper who was defending the Height, but decided the paratrooper was of little intelligence value and disposed of him on the spot.

Sergeant Major Iain was indisposed due to a fall from his horse during the previous night's charge to Camp 1. Privates Mary, Roxanne, Sean and Dennis were the first to arrive at the Height and Captain Hamilton, having briefly excused himself to use the local facilities, commended them for bravery.

Our platoon secured the height and returned, triumphantly, to the base camp by lunchtime as all the world wondered. Captain examined all soldiers with health complaints and declared them as fit as horses. Whatever complaints remained were treated by Captain Hamilton's universal cure - a triple strength Tai curry accompanied by iodine suppositories.

With best regards,

Dennis Ougrin

Restaurant review

Jagged Globe Everest Base Camp (Altitude 5350m)

Opening times: 08.00 - 22.00, 7 days a week, April & May.

Single sittings for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. One table with 10 places. Reservations obligatory.

I will start by saying that the views outside the dinning tent are definitely better than the ambience inside. On the other hand nothing could surpass the dramatic panorama of Himalayan peaks including Everest, Lhotse & Nuptse. During Breakfast and Lunch service the front door is left open and diners can enjoy the mountain views while eating. With darkness falling and temperatures plummeting during Dinner service it is best to keep the door closed and the diners sit around the gas heater inside.

Breakfast is normally a 'western' style meal with freshly made yoghurt or porridge followed by a full fry-up (eggs, sausages, beans, toast). Depending on the rhythm of the resupplies bacon is sometimes on offer, and pancakes (plain, apple or chocolate) sometimes replace the toast.

Lunch can be quite varied but often starts with soup. The light buffet of freshly baked bread with a selection of cold meats is popular. Cooked vegetables, pasta (with a red or green pesto sauce) chips and tinned fish are also regular lunchtime favourites.

Afternoon tea features an inexhaustible supply of Cadburys Creme Eggs often supplemented by freshly baked Chocolate Brownies or Muffins. Head Barista,Rui, ensures that the coffee is always prepared to the customer's satisfaction.

Resident Chef Kancha Man Tamang pulls out all the stops for Evening service preparing a delicious range of Nepali favourites including Dall Bhat, fried rice, fried chicken and pizza.

Once or twice a week guest chefs put in an appearance. Recent favourites include 'Sean's Steak night' and 'David's Thai Chicken Curry'. Transport and storage issues mean that wine is currently not served, but San Miguel Beer is available at a slightly inflated price.

All in all I would say that a visit to this eatery is an unforgettable experience, and the staff are to be congratulated for maintaining such a high standard of food and service on a glacier 5350m up in the Himalayas.

David H

1st rotation to Camp 1 6,059m09:24 GMT, 23/Apr/19

Our Easter Sunday started a little different this year as the team headed out into the Khumbu Icefall at 2am from base camp. Our previous excursion into the icefall had prepared us for some of the challenges but it is fair to say the complete trip through this maze of ice towers and crevasses was an attack on the senses and a real test of endurance.

The entire trip was 14.5km long to camp 1, and our camp was set up with fabulous views of the South Col and Lhotse. On arrival, after 8 hours of climbing, the team settled into the routine of boiling snow for water and getting some food before relaxing and catching up on sleep. Once the mountains cast a shadow from the sun the temperatures dropped quickly and the team headed into the sleeping bags, prepared some early dinner and before long were ready for bed.

Our Easter Monday followed a similar pattern to the previous day, alarms at 5am followed by a hot drink and a quick breakfast bar or similar before heading back down to base camp at 6am. The route down was relatively quiet so we all made good progress and got some good practice abseiling and down-climbing the ladders. After a few hours the team finally made base camp to the welcome sight and smell of breakfast and our ‘home’ tents.

Roll on rotation number 2 in a few days!

Sean

Climbing to 5800m in the Icefall06:23 GMT, 20/Apr/19

Friday 19th April

One of the most anticipated days of the expedition, namely entering the infamous khumbu icefall, started with early morning alarm calls at 2:40am. Soon afterwards we were slowly picking our way through the frozen landscape, occasionally being overtaken by Sherpas. We edged our way up in the dark, around and up ice formations, and up the odd ladder as the sun slowly rose behind us. Eventually, as this was a shake down run to test equipment, clothing and ourselves we turned around at 5800m. The decent was much easier on the lungs although we did have to negotiate our way past several groups of ascending climbers. More importantly breakfast and showers awaited us.

Iain

Remembrance09:29 GMT, 18/Apr/19

April 18th is the 5th anniversary of the 2014 icefall collapse that resulted in the deaths of several Sherpas from different expeditions. As a mark of respect the Nepali staff working on Mt Everest this year requested a 'no climbing' day on the mountain and all our climbing team were happy to comply. Instead we planned an acclimatisation hike to approx 5,500m on the hillside overlooking Base Camp close to Pumori ABC. However more than 6" / 15cm of snow fell overnight and this made conditions on the rocky path unsafe. Instead, the team chose to hike to Gorak Shep, the nearest settlement to BC, for lunch. On return to camp conditions in the afternoon were warm and sunny. This gave everyone time to pack clothing and equipment for tomorrow's first climb into the Khumbu icefall.

David Hamilton

Training in the Khumbu Icefall16:16 GMT, 17/Apr/19

The Everest and Lhotse climbers are getting used to life at 5,300m in Nepal. The weather has been quite unsettled since they arrived at Everest BC almost a week ago. While conditions are clear and sunny most mornings there has been heavy cloud cover and some snowfall almost every afternoon. Around 10cm of fresh snow fell on Base Camp last night (16th April). Despite this the team have continued with the training programme before moving up the mountain in a few days time. In the last two days they have made morning trips into the lower icefall to test clothing / equipment and to practice ice climbing techniques. Today (17 April) five members of the Sherpa team set up an ice climbing circuit featuring a steep 'up' cliff, a steep 'down' cliff and a ladder crossing in the icefall close to Base Camp. All 8 climbers spent several hours practicing ice climbing this morning before returning to camp for lunch.

David Hamilton

Puja ceremony08:13 GMT, 16/Apr/19

Yesterday the Sherpas built a beautiful white granite chorten for our puja ceremony. It involved burning sage, blessing the equipment and lama and guests.

Our day started sunny guests received plenty of black tea, rice to throw, flour, shots of rum, a shot of roksi out of your hand and a healthy pour of chang. We got flour on our faces for long life with a scarf and a string necklace for good luck on the mountain.

The team Sherpa then stretched prayer flags across our camp. Once the flags were up we had a photo session with all the climbers and Sherpa team. Blessings for a safe passage on the mountain.

Sean and Brock

DHL trekkers visit base camp09:58 GMT, 15/Apr/19

Sunday 14 April

Waking to mixed weather, the climbing team has been busy today sorting out the food tent. A few packets have not liked the altitude but we have found all the Easter eggs in good condition. For sure this expedition will be very well fed.

The morning also gave a brief opportunity for hand laundry and for sharp razors to tackle two week's of beard growth.

A highlight was the visit from the DHL Everest Quest trekking team who joined basecamp for a high altitude lunch. This team of 14 DHL colleagues was selected from all corners of the world and it is now on its homeward leg via helicopter from Lobuje.

Tomorrow we all look forward to our Puja ceremony that will seek positive blessings for our days on the mountain. The Sherpa team is excitedly finalising the plinth today.

Roland Thomas

Team ascent of Kala Pattar11:26 GMT, 11/Apr/19

15.00 Thursday 11 April

Gorak Shep

This was the second day in a row of perfect weather in the Khumbu. We awoke to clear skies and bright sunshine. After a leisurely breakfast we made the two and a half hour hike to Gorak Shep, the last stop on the Everest trail before Base Camp. We dropped our bags into the rooms at the Himalayan Lodge and set out to hike to the classic viewpoint of Kala Patar. This 5545m hill behind Gorak Shep gives better views of the surrounding features than can be seen from the valley floor. After a gentle climb of almost 2 hours we reached the top and were rewarded with views of Everest's North Col and South Col as well as the summits of Everest and Lhotse. Combined with yesterday's views of Makalu and Cho Oyu we have seen 4 of the 8,000m peaks in 24hr period. All members of the team are in good spirits and good health and everyone is looking forward to arriving at Everest base camp tomorrow.

David Hamilton

Wednesday 10 April:

On Wednesday, the 10th of April at exactly 6 a.m. Kathmandu time or 1:15 a.m. by Big Ben, captain Hamilton was inspecting his platoon in a demanding, yet good-natured way. He had spent the previous night smoking his pipe and studying maps. His impenetrable ice-blue eyes were full of determination.

"Privates", captain started in an accent that could only have been acquired at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst or perhaps at the University of Glasgow, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a combination of my tactical genius and your diligence will produce the result we all desire. We will take the Alpine Lodge at Lobuche today, and we will, damn it, get the best table in the lodge."

The disposition was as follows. The platoon was divided into two tactical groups. The first one, codenamed Snow Leopards, was to push through Khonghma la, a path some 5,540 meters above see level. Captain Hamilton was in charge of that tactical group. Lieutenant Pemchhiri took charge of the reconnaissance section of the tactical group which consisted of privates Brock and Rui. The section had to operate at least a mile ahead of the main tactical group at all times.The rest of the Snow Leopards consisted of privates Sean and Mary, as well as sergeant major Iain who had to walk alongside the privates to enforce compliance with the platoon rules.

The second tactical group, codenamed Yaks, had to force march along the Imja valley and the Khumbu valley. The group consisted of privates Roland, Roxanne and Dennis. Lieutenant Manbathur was in charge. The group had to reunite with a sleeper cell codenamed Naks left behind the enemy lines overnight. The sleeper cell comprised agents Manu and Anne with lieutenant Jeendra Bhujel in charge.

"Don't take any prisoners", continued captain Hamilton in the firmest voice he could muster, "especially no yaks or horses. However you might take a couple of American climbers, except from the state of Utah, which I do not fancy." With that, the tactical groups separated. The Yaks successfully reunited with the sleeper cell at Dugla. The agents had a go at taking prisoner an American, but eventually decided against it due to the American’s poor knowledge of Lobuche. The Yaks and Naks encountered a lot of opposition, especially large animals and people whose skin colour covered all colours of the rainbow, including grey/green and deep purple. Despite the opposition, the tactical group arrived at the lodge at 12:30, shortly followed by the reconnaissance section, followed by the rest of the Snow Leopards, who encountered no opposition. The lodge was ambushed in three separate waves and the best table was secured. Captain Hamilton arrived last to the standing ovation of his troops. His demeanour was humble, but the tone of his voice betrayed some poorly disguised pride, when he ordered lemon drinks for everyone.

Dennis Ougrin

Acclimatisation to 5,400m08:20 GMT, 10/Apr/19

Blazing sun and light snow greeted us yesterday when we walked up to Chukhung at 4730m - the last stop in the valley before the Island Peak base camp. The internet connection is good, so most of us were glad to catch up with the news from the outside world.

Today, the climbing team made a little outing to 5,400m just to the west of Chukhung Ri. The weather was changeable, with clouds unfortunately obstructing most of the views.

All of the team are in high spirits, especially hearing the news that our base camp bags after a slight delay due to the weather, are at last being helicoptered to Pangboche and onto yaks on the way to base camp.

Roxanne

Dingboche09:28 GMT, 08/Apr/19

Saturday 6 April

Hello from the Everest/Lhotse team trek! Today we trekked from Deboche to Dingboche. In the morning we went to the monastery in Pangboche to receive our blessing from the new lama for good luck on the mountain. The weather was very clear in the morning but it became very snowy in the afternoon forcing the team to take a tea stop for some hot lemon on the walk to Dingboche. The team are all doing very well but David is currently vetoing the team's request for a team dog.

Mary

12.00 noon, Monday 8 April

Following two days of bad weather the team is enjoying sitting the return of the sun again. This morning they made the short hike from Dingboche 4400m to Chukung at 4750m. This is the last village on the trail to Island Peak base camp and has great views of Nuptse & Lhotse to the north and Ama Dablam to the south. Tomorrow the team will make an acclimatisation hike to over 5000m before spending a second night at Chukung. After this this they will resume the trek to Everest BC with the aim of arriving on April 12th.

David

Team arrive in Namche14:46 GMT, 04/Apr/19

When is a rest day not a rest day? When you are on your way to Everest Basecamp. From Namche Bazar we walked up and around Khunde and Khumjung to test our legs and lungs. We were rewarded with clear views of nearby Thamserku, the majestic Ama Dablam to the east and the mighty mass of Everest to the north. Namche is heaven for chocolate cake lovers and those that absolutely must have a double espresso every day. It is also the last chance for those missing items they need to purchase.

Tomorrow the trek continues towards Deboche via the impressive Tengboche Monastery at the top of the ridge.

Roland

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