After two days of fierce wind, the weather has improved enough to allow a 10-member Sherpa team to reach the South Col, the location of Camp 4. The Sherpa team, led by Migma Dorchi Sherpa, reached the place quite late today, at 7:15 pm local time.
Sherpas first
At 7,900m, the South Col is the climbers’ final rest stop before the summit push. Chhang Dawa Sherpa says the weather is cooperating. If this continues, the Sherpa team will likely fix the route and reach the 8,849m summit tomorrow or Sunday. Their clients, however, will need more time to be ready.
Everest and Lhotse from Camp 2. Photo: Seven Summit Treks
Camp 4 is also the highest location stocked with gear, food, fuel, and, most of all, oxygen. Commercial climbers typically reach here already breathing bottled oxygen. They continue to use it as they rest before heading for the summit, usually in the late evening. Some teams leave even earlier and reach the top before dawn on the following day. Their summit pictures are not exactly spectacular, but they — sort of — avoid the heavy traffic on busy summit days.
Local guides had hoped to reach Camp 4 two days ago, but high winds forced them back to Camp 3. Climbers who were on their rotations to Camps 2 and 3 were also surprised by the rough conditions on Thursday.
Changing times
Today is also the anniversary of the first no-oxygen ascent of Everest in 1978 by Reinhold Messner of Italy and Peter Habeler of Switzerland. It was a milestone at the time because scientists and most climbers believed it was impossible to reach the summit of Everest without supplemental oxygen and return alive.
Now, nearly 50 years later, no-O2 ascents remain rare and not as pure as Messner and Habeler did. They climbed in a light, single push from Camp 2, completely on their own, with no emergency oxygen stored along the route in case of trouble. The pair committed themselves totally to their project.
File image of Messner and Habeler in 1978. Photo: Seven Summit Treks
These days, most climbers attempting Everest without oxygen have Sherpas carrying emergency oxygen bottles in case things go south. The Sherpas also do all the chores during the climb.
In addition, climbers ascend well-fixed, packed-down routes and arrive at camps already set up and well supplied. Nowadays, climbers who carry their own tent and gear and use no Sherpa help are rare. This year, we know of just two: Saulius Damulevicius of Lithuania and Marcelo Segovia of Ecuador. Both have just reached Base Camp. Damulevicius has acclimatized on Mera Peak and Baruntse, while Segovia trained on his country’s 6,000’ers.
Saulius Damulevicius in camp on Baruntse some days ago. Photo: Saulius Damulevicius/Facebook
