The trail between Camp 1 and Camp 2, Everest and the Lhotse Face ahead EVEREST A PROFESSIONAL S VIEWPOINT As someone who earns his living from the mountains, expedition leader Jon Gupta discusses why he decided to climb Everest last year and what he found once he got there WORDS AND PICTURES JON GUPTA Oover the past eight years I have come a long way from cold, wet nights navigating around Snowdonia practising for my Summer Mountain Leader Award, to last year s successful alpine-style ascents of several 7000m peaks in remote Kyrgyzstan. I have a passion for the world of high altitude mountain expeditions and I now run my own expedition company based purely around climbing mountains, both in the UK and at higher altitudes. I have organised, climbed and led high altitude expeditions all over the world, both with and without clients. The direction of my climbing is gradually changing as I gain experience, and the appeal of harder and more remote climbs is getting ever stronger. Today my dream expedition is a remote, 7000m, technical new route or line, so why did I join the world s highest circus and climb Everest in 2013? WHY EVEREST? Like many folk, Everest has a special draw for me I ve been intrigued by its legends, history and myths and have read countless articles and books on the mountain and trawled 66 MAY 2014 MAY 2014 67
Like many folk, Everest has a special draw for me I ve been intrigued by its legends, history and myths, and have read countless articles and books on the mountain and trawled over maps since a young age over maps since a young age. In more recent years Everest has received a lot of negative publicity and I was interested to see if any of it was justified. Are there really dead bodies everywhere? Is it a rubbish dump? Is it over-crowded? Perhaps the biggest reason I wanted to go to Everest, though, was that I am a full-time expedition and mountain leader and my life and love is about climbing mountains so of course I wanted to climb the highest mountain in the world. GETTING THERE After three years and seven expeditions to Nepal guiding on mountains such as Island Peak and (for Tim Mosedale) Ama Dablam, I still refused to consider Everest as a realistic option, mainly due to the cost. I wasn t going to set any records so sponsorship wouldn t be easy I simply wanted to climb it, test myself and experience Everest. Sat in the K2 Steakhouse in Kathmandu with Tim after his Ama Dablam 2012 expedition, I posed the idea of how he definitely needed me as assistant on Everest. He laughed it off and I left it at that... until we had a few more beers! A few months later during emails I dropped it in again, and this time he took it more seriously. February 2013 came around and we came to an agreement; I would assist the team during acclimatisation and get my own shot at the summit. I tied it in with my Island Peak trip and everything was set for two months in the Himalayas. MONEY So it costs a small fortune, but what do people expect it s a two-month expedition! I ve always believed the adage you get what you pay for and to a degree this is no different on Everest. Pay cheap and you ll get a cheap outfit and a cheap service and cheap on Everest isn t good. Pay good money ($50,000) and you ll get a great service, with the best Sherpas, experienced guides and top logistics, with people who care about your safety. Pay even more and you get WiFi, western chefs and a better base camp tent. Either way it s still expensive, and sadly this will prevent a lot of people from climbing it and narrows the market to those who have a spare wedge of cash and those who can get some form of sponsorship. Everest is a huge money maker for Nepal. Between the mountain itself and the thousands that trek to Base Camp every year it makes millions for the Nepal tourism industry and brings in much need employment for many local Nepalese families and small businesses in the Khumbu. Overall, I choose to believe that it is slowly improving life for many Nepalese and, in particular, opens up greater educational opportunities for the next generation of Nepalese children living in the Khumbu. Through many charitable projects, schools (such as the Hillary School in Khumjung) and medical centres have been built all over the Himalayas, and this is surely a positive aspect of tourism. In recent years, new initiatives have been set up such as SPCC (Sagamartha Pollution Control Committee) which regulates the disposal of rubbish and waste from big expeditions. It is a non-governmental and non-profit making organisation run by Nepalese people in Namche Bazaar. OXYGEN So let s get on the mountain. I love the debates on ethics in climbing and respect that people have such strong opinions on issues such as bolts, fixed lines, commercial peaks and using oxygen, but I quickly get frustrated that they often can t appreciate the other side even if they don t agree. I seriously considered not using oxygen on Everest, but I did and I ll explain why. Without oxygen at 8000m+ you are really pushing your body s physical limits, your brain and organs are starved of oxygen and you become highly susceptible to hypoxia, oedema, hypothermia and frostbite. Your chances of success are reduced and the likelihood of requiring rescuing, or major assistance, is increased. Ultimately I made the decision that I wanted to summit, I had nothing to prove to anyone, it was my first time at 8000m and I wanted to enjoy the experience. I hope to lead a long life climbing plenty more mountains, and enjoy the company of my friends and family; I feel I have a duty to these people to ensure I return time and time again. EXPERIENCE What does it take to be ready for Everest? If I was putting a team on Everest I would choose people carefully for a number of reasons. Mountaineering experience is invaluable, however I have met climbers who have experienced 8000m peaks and still don t know how to independently put their crampons on, manage themselves, stay hydrated, avoid getting frostbite (the list goes on...) you would like to think they would know these things having experienced a big peak, but the FAST FACTS Everest South Col Info and stats on climbing on the south side Jon weaving through huge crevasses in the lower Western Cwm with Nuptse (7861m) behind NEPAL Mount Everest THE ROUTE Everest s normal route follows the Western Cwm before ascending the Lhotse Face to the South Col, and then continues up the South East Ridge to the summit. FIRST ASCENT The South Col route was the one taken by the successful 1953 expedition, while previous attempts had mostly focused on the north (Tibet) side, including the infamous 1924 expedition. STATS Since 1953 there have been 4,416 summits via the South Col/South East Ridge route, while the north side (Tibet) has seen 2,455 summits. Source: www. alanarnette.com 68 MAY 2014 MAY 2014 69
Crossing a crevasse in the Khumbu Icefall reality can be very different. On the other hand, you may have a person who has rowed the Atlantic solo, cycled around the world, have limited mountaineering experience but posses outstanding personal admin skills and an aptitude for extreme environment and physical endurance. Experience counts for an awful lot, and the more you have the better, but it s not always possible for people to acquire all the experience required for something big like Everest due to time, family, money, commitments and so on so other attributes have to been taken into account. With these two things combined and the assistance of highly skilled and experienced western guides and Sherpas, it opens the door for less experienced mountaineers to attempt Everest. But fundamentally I would want to know one question: is someone going to be a liability to themselves and others around them? It s simply irresponsible and dangerous to attempt to scale a mountain of such magnitude and not be self-reliant. RISK FACTOR Risk is inherent in everything we do, and I find it fascinating how so many people are strongly opinionated and vocal about the risks involved with things they do not understand or have experience in somehow they are the experts. 70 MAY 2014 I m not asking anyone to immediately be able to understand the risks involved, rather to understand that with experience you learn to assess, manage and reduce the risks, understand what they are and how they could effect you and the people around you. The most dangerous mountaineers are the unconsciously incompetent where the individual does not understand or know how to do something and does not necessarily recognise the deficit. Sadly, people do die every year on Everest, however if you profile everyone who has died over the last 60 years and looked at their experience levels and the support/logistics they bought into, you will probably find the majority will be vastly inexperienced and with cheap outfits. What s more, a large proportion could sadly have been prevented. Risks are what make life exciting, they add to the buzz from climbing and mountaineering and ultimately without any risk there would be no challenge and life would be incredibly dull. Risk is part of what makes up an adrenaline rush, it s what makes the heart pump faster and make your palms sweaty. It s type 2 fun the best type of fun it makes you feel alive and want more. MY CLIMB I left Base Camp on 15th May at 4am. Stopping momentarily I looked back at my little yellow tent, took a deep breath and headed towards the icefall. I was going alone to the South Col where I would meet up with my friend and climbing Sherpa Jabu. Having been through the icefall a number of times over the previous week, I knew it well now and had learnt its personality. The icefall never sleeps and the crumbling towers of ice stacked precariously on top of one another are constantly shifting and moving. There are spots where it s fine to stop, rest, drink, wee or nibble, and then there are places where it definitely isn t okay to stop instead you move quickly and efficiently, alert at all times. I made quick progress to Camp 2, in just under four hours, and felt fantastic. All I had to do was continue to manage myself, remain hydrated, pray for light winds, not get sunburnt and keep on climbing. Our Camp 2 cook team lead by the legendary Pasang Temba Sherpa (20 years on Everest) were beyond outstanding. I sat for hours in Pasang s kitchen tent chatting, drinking tea and watching him proudly go about his work a 6300m cook! The next day I joined up with American Everest guide Bill Crouse (eight summits), who was under the same logistics umbrella, and his client Hemant, and made towards the Lhotse Face and Camp 3. A very cold morning soon began to warm up, and as the sun hit the high slopes the wind and
Climbers moving up the Lhotse Face towards the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur A few other climbers were about here and there, but not the crowds I had heard of in fact, I hadn t experienced this at all. Climbers ascending the Lhotse Face Padawa Sherpa, Kenton Cool, Bill Crouse and Hemant spindrift ripped down the Lhotse Face smashing into us. I zipped my jacket up to my nose, pulled down my ski googles and looked around behind me. A few other climbers were about here and there, but not the crowds I had heard of in fact, I hadn t experienced this at all. The Lhoste Face is a vast, open icy slope at around 45 degrees, and it s a long way down from Camp 3 with little room for error. But here I was, 7300m high on the Lhotse Face, laboriously melting snow for water, listening to Mumford and Sons, and nibbling on some of my favourite snacks (Percy Pigs and Sensations peanuts). During the afternoon the inside of my tent reached a steamy 47 degrees due to direct sunlight solar radiation, so I snoozed in my underpants with the doors open, drifting in and out of sleep. Bill and Hemant arrived and, once settled in, I jumped in their tent for a chat and shared some food (clothes back on now!) and chatted about the next 48 hours. From this point it is normal to begin using oxygen just a small trickle partly to aid the push beyond 8000m, and particularly to become accustomed to the masks and climbing with one on. Previously I had spent an hour at Base Camp practising my system with goggles, balaclava, sunglasses and hood on, and finding any skin that might be exposed and ensuring it was covered by clothing or sunscreen. SOUTH COL As the afternoon passed the heat eased off and when the sun finally disappeared temperatures plummeted quickly, so I soon found myself burying deep into my sleeping bag with my water bottle filled with hot water. I felt very much alone on this very big mountain. A gust of wind smashed against my tent and ice-cold crystals showered down on my face waking me up. During the night your breath condenses on the inside of the tent forming perfect ice crystals which then proceed to fall on you through the night. With plenty of space and extra care I cooked my breakfast inside my tent, all the time from the warmth of the sleeping bag, my bare hand darting in and out from my sleeping bag to manage the process. Lying horizontal, desperately willing for the sun to reach my tent, I watched the little yellow and blue flames of the stove lick the bottom of my pan, slowly warming my morning brew. My morning routine is embedded in me from hundreds of previous nights spent in the mountains, and it wasn t long before I was packing the last of my things away and putting my boots on. Bill and Hemant were not quite ready, and hanging around waiting for them would mean getting cold, so I decided to begin heading up to the South Col alone. I had all day, and the weather was perfect. Stood outside my tent at Camp 3 I could see everything; the entire Western Cwm stretching out in front of me, from the very top of the icefall to the tiny yellow and red tents of Camp 2. The Western Cwm is absolutely spectacular, a hidden valley locked away at over 6000m by the gigantic sheer faces of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse. Above me my route was going to take me higher than I had previously been before, through the Yellow Band, Geneva Spur and up to the legendary South Col. I was relaxed, ready and excited as I climbed out onto the face again, and started up. On my radio I had spoken with Tim, and I knew that Kenton was heading up with the Sherpas for Bill and Hemant, and Jabu for me. I had worked with Jabu on Island Peak and Ama Dablam before in fact, we had shared both summits together on more than one occasion. I was over the moon when I found out Jabu would be joining me on my attempt to the top as we got on really well. Unsurprisingly, Jabu caught up with me just before the Geneva Spur and beamed his huge smile and bellowed Hello Mr Jon!. It was really great to see him he was carrying a big pack and seemed happy and in very good spirits. With the excellent forecast predicted, there were a few teams also pushing for this weather window and over the course of the day around 70 climbers took the journey up to the South Col at 7950m. The South Col is always windy, period. It s one of the highest campsites is the world, nestled in between two of the worlds highest mountains it s incredible (and for the record, it s not a dump either). I shared a tent with Bill and Hemant, and Kenton with Dorje Sherpa it was all good fun and very sociable with piles of down everywhere. I felt great and remained off my oxygen through most of the day and night, preferring to breath normally as opposed to through the mask. The time spent at the South Col was really crucial for preparing myself so I was absolutely ready. I knew it was imperative to arrive here in good order, and I simply spent my time maintaining this. I spent hours melting snow, drinking, weeing, drinking weeing, drinking a bit more, and weeing a bit more (hydration is really important). The rest of the time I spent preparing and organising my kit snacks, camera, heat pads, suncream, water... the list goes on or just relaxing. I knew that if my kit wasn t easily accessible then I wouldn t even bother trying to find it when climbing. SUMMIT NIGHT When I left at 8pm on 18th May I felt absolutely ready I was warm, hydrated and organised. I knew where all my kit was and how to access it (without taking my bag off and, more importantly, with my big mitts on) and psychologically I was ready I knew that this was it. The weather was perfect, the stars were out and there was an exciting buzz in the air. Jubu and I set off towards the trail of headtorches on the other side of the col. There was no big prep talk or words exchanged we knew each other and that was enough. I set the pace and Jabu stuck right behind me. The first section is not steep, and although a line was fixed I happily bypassed it and with it about 20 climbers. I was conscious of what could happen, of the queues waiting at the Hillary Step, and decided this wasn t going to happen to me. Remaining unclipped I continued to overtake climbers and Sherpas who already seemed to be standing still. This ground wasn t difficult or technical for me and after nearly an hour I found myself staring ahead into darkness, a trail of headtorches behind me. The route from this point to The Balcony was perfect, just the two of us, moving steadily and efficiently on superb snow and mixed ground, stopping from time to time for a sip of water, a tiny bite to eat, a quick chat and off again. At The Balcony I realised there was another two headtorches higher on the mountain and guessed it was probably Kenton and Dorje who had left a little before me... I wanted to catch them up! At The Balcony Jabu kindly changed my oxygen over whilst I went for a wee in exchange I gave him some Percy Pigs, water and a quick high five and we set on up towards the South Summit. As soon as I set off I felt different; a switch had gone off, my legs felt heavier, my breathing was a little faster something had changed. I gave it a few minutes to see if I could get into a rhythm and Jabu asked everything okay, Mr Jon pulling the mask to one side to reply I said I m not sure, I feel a bit slower. Sure enough, my oxygen wasn t coming out at all. After the cylinder change over I hadn t checked to see if the flow was on again. He joked it was to slow me down and waved me to keep going. The next few hours passed quietly and methodically. I listened to my breathing and fell into a semi-conscious state of repetition... step, breath, step, breath, step, breath. Finally, after a few hours, the slope angle eased back and we took a short rest in a dip. I took my mask and bag off and sat down for minute. Looking back I realised we were now quite a long way ahead of the next climbers, but what was more exciting was that I knew that if I was sat on the South Summit the top wasn t too far way, perhaps an hour to the top! For the very first time on the mountain I slowly started to allow myself to believe that I was going to do it. The realisation of what was about to happen hit me, my undisclosed long-standing dream of climbing Everest was turning into a reality and I felt the back of my throat go dry. From the South Summit to the top of 72 MAY 2014 MAY 2014 73
Climbers make their way up to the South Col via the Lhotse Face Everest the ridge narrows considerably and the climbing is really superb. Still in pitch black and unaware of the time, I relished the opportunity to climb along this legendary exposed ridge, inching my way ever closer to the summit. Arriving shortly at what was unmistakably the Hillary Step, I stopped for a moment to take stock of what the fuss was all about. I had read so much about this short crux in the route, and it looked exactly like the pictures, a short rocky corner with no option for going around. With surprisingly little difficultly Jabu and I climbed through the step and around the boulder at the top and up to regain the ridge. At this point I bumped into Kenton heading back down he was beaming and I congratulated him on his 11th summit before continuing onwards into the darkness. I reached the summit at 2.50am, in a time of 6 hours and 50 minutes from the South Col, and fell to my knees. A wave of emotion flooded my body and tears filled my eyes the relief was intense and simply couldn t believe I had done it. Jabu stood next to me like a life-long friend and he congratulated me, and I him on his eighth successful summit. It was a pleasure to share the summit with Jabu and to have it entirely to ourselves. I thanked him for being there, selflessly keeping an eye on me should anything go wrong. I took a few quick pictures, a bit of video, and sat down. It was still pitch black and utterly silent, with barely a puff of wind. We turned our headtorches off and just enjoyed the moment, and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I realised that I could actually see almost everything where previously it had been just black. A silver glimmer bounced off the surrounding mountains shimmering in the night. We sat in silence looking across the vast expanse of mountains, letting it all sink in... we had done it and it had been perfect. Jabu passed me his radio and I made the obligatory radio call to Base Camp confirming my whereabouts. After a short while we knew it was time to head down, so at 3.20am and with Ed Viesturs mantra in my head getting to the top is optional, getting back down is mandatory we began the journey down. THE DESCENT The descent was quick and safe. I crossed paths with Bill, Hemant and their Sherpas near the South Summit, and from there the descent steepened and we soon came across the line of around 60 climbers and their Sherpas snaking their way up. There is no feeling like that of passing people going up when you re descending you glow inside and with every step down you feel fantastic. Occasionally a climber might say hello or give a congratulatory thumbs up, but under the masks and balaclavas most ignored us, concentrating on what lay ahead for them. At 4.30am I had passed them all and we took a rest on a small ledge to watch the sunrise. Utterly lost for words and in danger of welling up again, I pulled my camera out and took some pictures. The rest of the descent was fine and at 6.15am I embraced Jabu at the South Col, thanked him from the bottom of my heart for simply being there with me, and fell into my tent. I had left one litre of water in my sleeping bag which I downed in one go, before falling into an exhausted sleep still with all my kit on. Two hours later I woke, Jabu thrusting a pan of hot tea in my face. He came into my tent and we sat for a while chatting and drinking tea and making a plan. We decided to head down to Camp 2, and possibly to Base Camp. I didn t want to leave, but I knew my time was done, I had achieved my aim and done it well, and now I still had the long journey back down. I walked into Camp 2 in the early afternoon to be welcomed by the rest of Tim s team who I had spent the previous weeks climbing, camping, and living with. Eager for an account, we sat down and chatted and drank tea. I was on a huge high but completely exhausted and I could feel my body finally beginning to relax and unwind. Nearly seven weeks had lead to this one day and now it was almost over. 48 hours later I sat on the street in Kathmandu enjoying a ice-cold Coke and a MAY 2014 75
Sunrise over Makalu and Lhotse, both 8000m peaks take-away chicken falafel. From Camp 2 I had descended to Lukla in two days and luckily managed to hitch a lift on a helicopter out of Lukla that evening. Now was a chance to reflect on the experience of reaching the highest point on earth. The feeling of standing on top of Everest is incredibly difficult to describe and however hard I try I can t possibly take you there through words or photos. The feeling of knowing you are stood at the highest point in the world is truly unique, a dry throat, eye-welling, knee-crumbling sensation that you can t recreate. Anyone who has pushed themselves to their absolute limits both physically and mentally at the same time will have a good idea of the place it takes you. Post summit success, 8:30am: Jon ready to leave the South Col and descend the mountain Climbers on summit night moving by headtorch light 2.50am: On the summit of Everest ANSWERS Having actually been there and climbed it I can now answer some of the common South Side rumours: Did I see dead bodies everywhere? No, not a single body. Is the mountain a rubbish tip? Not at all, not even close compared to many mountains it s actually very clean. Isn t it really busy? With a few hundred climbers on the world s biggest mountain I would call it sociable at times, but I never had to wait or queue the weather can squeeze large groups of climbers together on occasion and this causes the queues we have all seen. Anyone can climb it, can t they? Well, no. Whatever anyone says it s still tough physically, mentally challenging and serious. Anyone could go there but not everyone could climb it. So now with the benefit of hindsight, and having had time to reflect on my Everest experience, what did climbing this mountain and going on this expedition mean to me personally? Well, it s the highest mountain in the world, and my life and love is about climbing mountains so of course I wanted to climb the highest one. I learnt things on this expedition that will me make me a better expedition leader, and I see it as a continuation of my life-long mountaineering apprenticeship, my aim being to become the best I can be. Climbing Everest is not the pinnacle of my career, but more so another learning experience, a stepping stone, an experience which I can draw on in the future to make better decisions in the mountains. In the end it boils down to this: I chose to climb Everest for me, because climbing mountains is what I do. Jon Gupta is sponsored by Montane more at www.montane.co.uk/athletes ABOUT THE AUTHOR JON GUPTA Jon is a Winter Mountain Leader and with his company JCG Expeditions has led expeditions to Nepal, Russia, Morocco and Tanzania. For more info go to www.jcgexpeditions.co.uk THE KNOWLEDGE Everest South Col Essential info to know before you go WHEN TO GO The vast majority of Everest climbers go in the pre-monsoon season, in April-May. The first few weeks will be spent trekking in to Base Camp, followed by increasingly higher acclimatisation rotations up the mountain. The summit attempt comes once at the South Col. HOW TO GET THERE International flight to Kathmandu, internal flight to Lukla, followed by the trek in via the Khumbu Valley and finally Everest Base Camp. WHERE TO STAY Hotels in Kathmandu, teahouses on the trek and tents from Base Camp onwards. HOW HARD Although many will say how there s little or no technical difficulty on the climb or that it s a walk up the mountain, be under no illusion that climbing Everest requires mental and physical strength, plus the essential ability to manage yourself on the mountain and all that entails from keeping hydrated, fed and warm to organising and understanding how your gear works. HOW MUCH The old saying you get what you pay for is never more true than on Everest, and you can choose from a budget expedition where corners may be cut, right through to a luxury package where mod cons are provided at Base Camp. But for a high-quality outfitters you are looking in the region of 50,000 US dollars and if anyone is offering significantly less than this you should be asking them the question why?. WHO TO GO WITH This follows on from the question above, but again we would not recommend going with a cut-price operation as you will reducing your chances of success, and increasing the level of risk you are taking. The following companies come with good reputations, but of course you must make your own judgement about which one is right for you: Dream Guides Run by Guy Willetts and Kenton Cool, Dream Guides are based in Chamonix and offer treks and expeditions worldwide, including Everest. Price: US60,000 www.dreamguides.com Jagged Globe hugely experienced on Everest and other 8000m peaks, Jagged Globe are probably the leading Britishbased company on the mountain. Price: From US59,000 www. jagged-globe.co.uk Himalayan Experience: Russell Brice s operation is one of the longest-established in the Himalaya and is at the deluxe end of the range, offering the infamous White Pod at Base Camp. Price from: US65,000 www.himalayanexperience.com Mountain Trip US-based co. offering Seven Summits expeds worldwide www.mountaintrip.com Tim Mosedale Trek & Mountain contributor and four-time Everest summiter who runs regular Everest expeditions www.timmosedale.co.uk 76 MAY 2014 MAY 2014 77