Despite weather forecasts of high winds on Everest, the Russian team gamely left for the West Shoulder today. But in the end, they couldn’t fight the gale-force winds, which eventually forced them back to their tent at the base of the mountain.
“It’s calm right now, but the forecast is worrying,” leader Andrei Vasiliev wrote yesterday from a snow cave, where Sergey Kondrashkin, Vitaly Shiilov, and Vasiliev had sheltered for the night at 6,400m. Late today, they confirmed that the weather forecast of powerful winds was unfortunately right.
Impossible conditions
The three climbers had fixed three pitches above them, according to Mountain Club, and were hoping for firmer terrain as they approached the West Shoulder of Everest, en route to the West Ridge.
However, as we previously reported after consulting meteorologist Vitor Baia of Portugal, conditions were good Tuesday and Wednesday, but winds rose dramatically today.
On a previous foray up Everest, one of the climbers heads for the West Shoulder. Photo: Andrei Vasiliev
“The winds are very strong,” Vasiliev reported. “It is impossible to work higher on the mountain.”
Retreat or surrender?
Vasiliev said that his team is retreating to a tent at 5,600m. This is below the Lho La Pass, possibly on the Khumbu Glacier beside the vertical section leading to that col.
The question is whether the team will wait there for better conditions, retreat to their base in Lobuche, or call off the expedition.
Some charts still show a chance of variable winds tomorrow, before the jet stream hits the mountain with full force (see below).
Wind levels at around summit altitude on Everest this week, by meteoexploration.com
Baia says the winds will remain high every day until next Tuesday. From Wednesday on, the winds should be weaker.
Fourth day pushing
The Russians set off on their third trip up Everest last Monday, hoping to summit via the West Ridge without oxygen or external support, and with no one else on the mountain.
On Tuesday evening, they checked in with Mountain Club from their tent at 6,000m, where they spent the night. The hard trailbreaking through fresh snow had slowed their pace, but they expected better conditions on the following day, as they started up steeper terrain toward Everest’s shoulder. They knew the snow up there was harder and compacted. They could even see their trails from the previous trip up, so no new soft snow had accumulated.
The Russian team on Everest’s West Shoulder. Photo: Andrei Vasiliev
Yesterday, Vasiliev noted that they had climbed four pitches on old fixed ropes, plus another eight pitches of their own. The team is fixing ropes at the hardest sections, but not entirely along the route. As expected, snow conditions had improved with the more vertical terrain, but as Vasiliev pointed out, “it’s not exactly easy walking yet.”
The Russian leader insists the route to the summit is doable. However, wind delays and a lack of time may ultimately end their attempt.
