DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - The Kazakh climber Maxut climbed his 12th 8000er today. He topped out on Manaslu at 10am their time. I also forgot to comment on Ueli Steck and his first ascent of the Northface of Tengkampoche with Simon Anthamatten in Alpine style. They are using this as a ‘warm up’ for their attempt on Annapurna’s Southface. I will try and keep you updated with news as i hear it.

After calling his wife, Olga, from the summit she reported:

“Not surprisingly, Max had been breaking trail and arrived to the summit alone. Other climbers are still going up, quite slowly but steadily.”

-Eoinod-

DUBLIN, IRELAND(Team Geared Up) The first climber from the South side of everest has been sent packing after authorities found a Tibetan flag on the man. The banner was found on the man at B.C. Earlier this week Nepalese soldiers had been given the authorization that they are allowed to shoot protesters on Everest. It is certainly going to be an ‘memorable’ season to be on Everest.

From MountEverest.net:

The mountaineer has been footed from the peak after police found a Tibetan flag on him. The American reportedly joined permit with the Everest ECO expedition, led by Dawa Sherpa whose dad Ang Tshering owns the popular climbing agency Asian Trekking. The American climber has not been named and is probably just sharing the team’s Everest climbing permit.

It’s not clear if he flew it or if he was searched for it. The officials immediately told the mountaineer to pack up and currently enroute back to Kathmandu; to many this American is coming home a hero.

-Eoinod-

SINGAPORE (Team Geared Up) - Spotted on GO Blog, here’s a movie I will be queuing up to see. Blindsight the documentary/movie follows the gripping adventure of six Tibetan teenagers on their journey to climb a mountain in the shadow of Everest.

Lhakpa-Ri peak, the goal of the expedition, is 23,000 feet high. The expedition leader is blind climber Erik Weihenmayer. On May 25, 2001, Erik became the first blind man in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.

In 2002 I shared a pint with Erik’s climbing sherpa from that expedition in Kandersteg, Switzerland. He was on a hut exchange where he ran a swiss alpine hut for a summer while a swiss guide helped out in a Nepalese one. I can’t remember his name, but I swooned in awe when I saw his Everest Summiteers Association membership card. Not only had he helped Erik place his hands & feet up the Hillary step, but he had also carried the IMAX camera to the summit on his back during ‘Everest’ movie (and was wearing the cap to prove it in the bar!).

Watch the Blindsight trailer:

There’s a nice line in there by an American:

The difference between westerners and easterners, we want to stand on top… it’s just ingrained in our make up.

Eastern response:

Get one person to the summit and everyone succeeds.

Very true of the east from my experiences.

Nice… see you there with the popcorn.

www.blindsightthemovie.com

-Robin.

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) It looks like the permanent permits for the South side of Everest have been issued for this year. However climbers will not be allowed move above camp 2 until the 1st of May and they will have to take a ‘rest’ at Base Camp between the 1-10th of May. This is due the fact China are trying to carry the Olympic torch to the summit between these dates. The question this year appears to be however will a ‘Free Tibet’ banner appear on the summit as has been rumoured? Below a picture of the gear the torch relay team will be wearing on summit day!

The Kazakh national team decided to abandon their attempt at a Lhotse-Everest traverse a while back but had said they may attempt just Lhotse. This is unlikely now with the mountain not effectively open until the of 10th of May.

-Eoinod-

SINGAPORE (Team Geared Up) - Tom Creaney and James Osborn work together in the Clothing Supply Chain for Tesco Stores Limited. Based at their largest distribution centre in the uk the pair struck up a friendship on a charity expedition in the Scottish Highlands back in 2006 where they bagged 5 Monroes in 36 hours for the charity ‘Whizzkids’. Between the pair of them they have over 25 years mountaineering and climbing experience and it was following this that they
found out it was both their life long ambition to climb ‘Everest’.

‘From loosing the map at 6000 ft, having no tea bags whilst stuck in the snow, being chased through valleys by raging bulls; forgetting the gas and having cold dinners all week, compass breaking… The list goes on! There really isn’t much misfortune that the pair haven’t endured, James even survived a 15 ft fall from an ice wall in 2004.’

Later this year in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care the pair are joining the Jagged Globe expedition in the Himalayas with the same team as Ranaulph Fiennes. Eoin O’D wrote about Ranaulphs 2008 Everest Expedition back in November. Setting off after the Fiennes party returns, the pair will be attempting some tough Ice Climbs on Everest over a period of 6 weeks.

One of the things that I find interesting is to see the personal equipment that a high altitude climber uses and I asked James to add some of the kit he’s bringing to our Gear Profiles. You can check their gear out right here and note that I share the same Patagonia shell layer, while Eoin has the same Crux AK47 Pack. Also interesting to spot the Spantik boots are on someones wishlist too.

Good luck the the lads - we’ll try and track them here and go see how much they’ve raised (£23k! 100% for Charity) on their expedition website www.coldfeat.co.uk. You can also see James profile on TGU.

-Robin.

(Image Credit: Tom & James on Helvellyn last weekend.)

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - Sir Edmund Hillary passed away aged 88 today. He needs no introduction as one of the most famous people in mountaineering history. I hope he will be remembered not only for being part of the first team to summit Everest but also for all the charity work he has carried out in the area to try and improve the lives of the sherpas. I’m sure he will be missed greatly by all those who know him.

After returning from the summit, which was announced in The Times on the morning of the coronation of Elizabeth II, the climber famously greeted a fellow expedition member with the phrase: “Well, George, we’ve knocked the bastard off.”

Helen Clark, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, described his passing as a profound loss. She said: “Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities. In reality he was a colossus. He was an heroic figure who not only ‘knocked off’ Everest but lived a life of determination, humility and generosity.”

-Eoinod-

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - Ranulph Fiennes is returning to Everest once again. He will be attempting the peak for the third time next yeah with the same guide, Kenton Cool, he climbed the North Face of the Eiger early this year. He will also have with him Dr Rob Casserley who is a medic and a high altitude camera man. The last time he attempted to climb the mountain, in 2005, he approached from the North side and got to within 1,000 feet of the summit. I wonder what sort of film is going to be made by the explorer? He is raising funds for the Marie Curie Cancer fund once again with £3million his target!

-Eoinod-

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog)- The expedition earlier this year, by a large team of doctors, to place members of their team on top of Everest and also take blood samples along the way will be shown as a documentary on BBC. Tonight (23/9)the first hour long part will be on BBC2 at 8.00pm and the second part next Sunday(30/9) at the same time. The highest blood sample was taken at 8400m. How cold would that needle have been? The expedition was to examine human performance at extreme altitudes and to research hypoxia(low oxygen levels).

“This two-part special follows a team of doctors conducting a series of groundbreaking experiments as they climb Everest, the world’s highest peak.

From their laboratory tents, pitched in -25 degC conditions, the experts use their own bodies for medical tests. They push themselves to the limit to better understand the human body’s behaviour in a low-oxygen environment.

The team hopes their work will lead to new, life-saving treatments for intensive care patients suffering from hypoxia, a shortage of oxygen in the body.

-Eoinod-

(Image Credit: UKClimbing.com)

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - K2’s west face has finally been climbed been the Russian pairing of Andrew and Vadim with neither using supplementary oxygen. More than 200 people have climbed K2 this season with all previous summits before todays coming on either the Abruzzi spur or the Cesen route. K2’s North and East faces still await a first ascent!

At 6:15 pm, local time the sumiteers have reported safe and sound from C6. Back from the summit, Andrew and Vadim had rested for some time in C7.

Earlier this morning, the Russian climbers on the west face of K2 woke to red storm clouds, poor visibility and 30/50 mph winds. In a 10 am radio call, Shabalin and Tukhvatullin were reported holding in C7 (8400 m), while Mariev and Popovich were out scouting above the camp. Four climbers were holding in C6 at 8150 m after a wrecked attempt to ascend further. The Jannu climbers were meanwhile approaching the high camp 6 as well. Serguey Penzov is still descending, and is now between C1 and ABC. None of the climbers is using supplementary oxygen.

-Eoin O’Driscoll

Featuring strongly in the article is Ian McKeever. No word yet on how he is doing on his attempt on the 7th of his 7 summits challenge. According to the article he was heading off early this week. Outsider reported on May 31st that he had summited Elbrus just 15 days after conquering Everest so the record looks set to be shattered for the fastest time ever to do all seven summits. The aim was to finish by 10th July. Read about his challenge here.

-Aisling-

Image Credit: Take Me Higher