Something has prompted Tyler Andrews of the U.S. to turn around when he was nearly touching the summit of Everest. After a 17-hour, non-stop run without supplementary oxygen from Base Camp to above the Balcony (8,400m), he has decided to go down.
‘All well in the mountains’
Andrews, 35, left Base Camp yesterday at 9:08 pm Nepal time. Chris Fisher supported him until Camp 2. There were also support teams in the higher camps. Around noon today, he was above 8,000m. At 8,200m, Andrews sent a text message over his InReach reading: “All well in the mountains.” This suggests that Andrews would finally succeed on his third attempt this season to speed climb 8,849m Everest.
Concern began among the thousands of followers checking the climber’s location on his tracker during the afternoon in Nepal, when his InReach device stopped sending a signal. Andrews’ team also had problems connecting with him over the radio, but were aware that he was moving. They noted that 16 hours into his effort, the runner was approaching the Balcony. Shortly afterward, the team finally connected with him and learned — and shared — the bad news:
Instagram story by Tyler Andrews’ team at Everest Base Camp.
Some 20 hours after departure, Andrews’ tracker shows him on his way down. But if his team’s information is accurate, the signal does not show the highest point he reached:
Tyler Andrews’ tracker at 5:45 pm in Nepal shows the climber is on the way back. Graphic by Garmin InReach
Third attempt
Andrews was on his third attempt to speed climb Everest.
On the first attempt, on May 10-11, Andrews turned around slightly above Camp 3, due to problems with his equipment.
Last Friday, he tried with supplementary oxygen, but the high winds at the summit proved too strong to let him finish. That day, Karl Egloff of Ecuador also attempted to bag the Everest FKT (Fastest Known Time) without oxygen. Egloff aborted shortly after Camp 3.
Both climbers officially called their expeditions off, but Andrews changed his mind unexpectedly yesterday. Weather forecasts promised good conditions today. He decided at the last minute to give Everest a last try and set off that same evening.
Andrews was trying to beat the previous mark set by Kaji Sherpa, who climbed from Base Camp to the summit in 20 hours and 24 minutes in 1998. Kaji’s ascent was controversial since the climber used oxygen on his way down. However, Andrews believes that how a climber performs on descent is not significant if the planned record run ends at the summit.
“In my opinion, if you get to the top, you get to the top,” he told ExplorersWeb. “I don’t mind how you go down. However, I understand people may have different criteria.”
Andrews still has a long way to go to Base Camp, but there are support staff at several points of the route. Other climbers are also still on the mountain. We will update you when we learn what caused him to turn around.
