After waiting out high winds yesterday, climbers in Camp 4 are preparing to leave tonight on their last summit chance, assuming the gale will finally drop. Running from Base Camp on an attempted Fastest Known Time, Karl Egloff of Ecuador will join them.
Failed attempt yesterday
Things didn’t go as planned for those attempting to summit Everest today. High winds hit the upper side of the mountain. Members in SummitClimb and EliteExped tried to reach the summit, but, as far as we know, they all retreated to Camp 4 after five hours in the wind.
SummitClimb member Povilas Lengvinas and his Sherpa started their summit push at 8:45 pm Nepal time yesterday, but they turned around before 2 am.
“The winds were supposed to blow at some 25kph, but in fact, they were much stronger,” Tadas Jersovas, an expedition guide who is in contact with the three Lithuanian climbers currently on the mountain, told ExplorersWeb.
To the top tonight
Saulius Damulevicius, climbing without oxygen or Sherpa support, didn’t even try to leave his tent. It was hard enough to keep it standing through the night in the gale. However, he will try to set off tonight, between 8 and 10 pm, depending on how the wind evolves.
Lithuanian climbers Povilas Lengvinas and Saulius Damulevicius at Camp 4. Photo sent over Inreach
Damulevicius will not be alone: While there is no official confirmation, climbers on the mountain said Karl Egloff of Ecuador will start his attempt to make the Fastest Known Time on Everest today as well, aiming to reach the summit on May 27.
Garrett Madison (on the video below from Camp 4) and Terray Silvester are leaving for the top tonight with a small group of clients. SummitClimb member Povilas Lengvinas of Lithuania and his Sherpa will also go if they can buy more oxygen from another team in Camp 4.
The Elite Exped team, led by Nirmal Purja, is also trying again, according to Jersovas. They have five Sherpa guides and four clients, two of them without oxygen.
Kristin Harila of Norway, with Mingtemba Sherpa and Pasang Rinzee Sherpa, and Justin Sackett of the U.S., with Tenjing Sherpa, have not yet confirmed, but they may join the final push. Sackett moved up to Camp 3 yesterday and planned to reach Camp 4 this morning. Harila was on her way to Camp 4 earlier today, and she knows tonight is her best chance.
Uncertain wind speeds
“The forecast currently looks best for May 27,” Harila’s team explained yesterday. “Even though the wind may calm down slightly on May 28, snow is expected later in the day on the 27th, and we don’t know how much. We are also getting closer to the monsoon season, which can bring heavy snowfall. That is something we really want to avoid.”
Forecasts have failed to provide accurate predictions this season, especially regarding wind speeds. People in Base Camp and trekkers currently in the Khumbu are reporting strong winds everywhere.
But there is another powerful reason to go for the summit now. Climbers have been warned that the Khumbu Icefall will likely be dismantled on Friday, May 29.
A “crazy” BASE jump?
Climbers at Camp 4 have also mentioned a “crazy BASE jumper” who also intends to leave for the summit tonight. He is Josh Bregmen of the UK, who reportedly plans to climb Everest and BASE jump from some point on the mountain. The team describes this as “the highest possible BASE jump on planet Earth,” but Bregman never replied to the questions we sent at the beginning of his expedition. Two days ago, the team posted on Instagram that they were at Camp 2 and were heading for the summit.
