Another perfect bluebird day atop Everest, another batch of triumphant summiters.
One of the biggest groups, with 17 clients and 27 Sherpas, was Lukas Furtenbach’s Express team. Even before they flew to Nepal, the climbers followed a training regime which included sleeping in a hypobaric chamber. They only landed in Kathmandu 16 days ago!
Once in the Himalaya, they first climbed Mera Peak, and reached BC so acclimatized (for an oxygen-aided ascent) that they only needed one trip up the Icefall. Since then, all they’ve had to do is wait for good weather.
A colorful Dorchi Wangdak, working with Seven Summit Treks, on the summit.
The Himalayan Times reported that David Ashley, 48, of the U.S. summited this morning with Phurba Sonam Sherpa and Karma Gyalzen Sherpa. Ashley is a kidney donor.
Summit pictures taken by yesterday’s groups have begun to appear on social media. Among them, our lead photo of Antonina Samoilova, the only Ukrainian climber this year. Joining her was 18-year-old American Lucy Westlake and Italian para-athlete Andrea Lanfri. Lanfri lost both legs and seven fingers to meningitis, Planet Mountain reports. He climbed with his regular guide, Luca Montanari. Dozens of other climbers, with perhaps less singular stories than the above, also made it to the top.
Lucy Westlake summited at just 18. Photo: Lucy Westlake
The nighttime train to the summit. Photo: Lucy Westlake
The overall success rate these past two days has been high, thanks to the great weather and despite the usual crowding on the upper sections. Yesterday, there were more than 100 summits. Today, the number may decrease, but the number of happy climbers is still in the dozens. Meanwhile, a third wave is on the go.
I wonder what is the interest of reporting on those ascents. It’s like reporting on scuba divers on a freediving website. Those tourists summits are not that interesting technically.
Valid point, Dor. The sweet thing is that those not interested can easily choose not to open and read such stories!
Summiting Everest as a double amputee and seven fingers missing is highly “interesting technically”. To dismiss this as “tourists” is ignorant, callous, demeaning, individually distasteful and entirely incorrect. Nobody is forcing you to read the article – if you are not interested then don’t read it. Meanwhile those of us that are interested enjoy reading the challenges that people have gone through to reach the summit – you can wonder no more.
As a non-climber and sitting down here in South Africa, I have only respect for each and every person that climbs an 8000m peak. So, keep the reports coming, they are all interesting in their own way.
I think that it is great that all of these people are summiting Mt. Everest. The Amputee is a great story, but, Getting to the top of Everest, isn’t the feat that it used to be. There are many reasons for this. Yes, you have to get over the Kumbu Ice Falls, you have to step carefully or you could fall to your death, and you could succumb to Altitude Sickness, which is possibly the biggest killer on Everest. I think that it is almost like an amusement ride today. In 1953 When Hillary and Norgay summited the famous Mountain,… Read more »
Everest isn’t easier to climb because of global warming. Walking with Cramptons on bare rocks is dangerous. Waiting inline for your turn for the summit is also dangerous. Running out of oxygen on the decent is when most climbers die. Every season climbers die while trying to summit and return safely. Everest is still risky. There’s been people climbing Everest without oxygen and Sherpa for years already. Though I wouldn’t do it personally. I do agree K2 or Annapurna would be more of a challenge for the true climbers.
I have a friend who is due to summit in the next 24 hours. He will then attempt the first person to legally paraglide back to base camp. Fingers crossed the weather gods will smile upon his attempt and he will arrive safely back at base camp.