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 April
14, 2003 -
In this year’s 50th anniversary of Everest’s first ascent the mountain has attracted a major load of climbers. There are Everest survival shows, countless dispatches to the web, Everest Internet cafes, and even an Everest Bar. It's easy to assume that the mountain has become a playground of flashy magazine articles, organized meetings and a party all the way to the top. All sorts of people attempting to do all sorts of things have lined the slopes of Everest only in the past few years. Teenagers to 70 year olds, the blind and the disabled, the snowboarders, skiers, and gliders, and teams of all different sizes - from “solos,” to massive expedition projects. There have even been Playboy bunnies.The silent camps Yet there are still silent camps on the mountain. They are the camps of a different kind of people. This year, two of those have unfortunately attracted the least media attention of all, despite their attempts at some of Everest’s most difficult routes. A Japanese team is attempting the West Ridge, and a South African expedition will attempt Everest’s North-East face, a new route on Everest. These are the types of expeditions that go down in Everest’s history, not because of the novelty of a new tech gadget or the first from a nation to summit, but rather because on their own, they are truly epic climbs on Everest’s most difficult and harsh routes. There are no discussions in base camp about who is putting up what rope and who is paying who – these climbers are their own rope fixers, doctors, and cooks. The steepest and the grade V The small Japanese team will be going for the West Ridge, however, it is unclear if they will follow the true West Ridge that was climbed by a Yugoslavian team in 1979, or veer into the North-west Face and reach the summit via the Hornbein Coulior like an American team in 1963 did. Either way they have a very formidable task ahead of them – each of the routes have rarely been climbed and both are exceptionally difficult. The Hornbein Couliour is extremely steep. Just this past autumn season French snowboarder, Marco Siffredi died whilst trying to descend it on a snowboard – it is arguably one of the sickest and most difficult ski/snowboard descents in the world, the “Ultimate Line,” if you will. The West Ridge direct, which was climbed by a Yugoslavian team, is considered to be one of the most difficult routes on effort. It has the highest “grade V” climbing in the world. There are parts of the route where you need to take your gloves off to climb an overhanging rock section. Whether they continue on the West Ridge direct, or veer to the North-west face, the Japanese have two of Everest’s toughest routes ahead of them – yet, there is hardly any mention of them in the media. Untouched Everest On the other side of Everest, Cathy O’Dowd and Ian Woodall are preparing for their lonely climb. Try looking up North-East face in any Everest book, all you will find is a picture of it from a far. No one has even tried to do it. The base camp is neither accessible by truck nor by helicopter, and to get to the remote base camp the team will have to wait until a high-pass is clear of snow before proceeding. Only 16 climbers have summited from Everest’s Kangshung face (East and SE routes). Cathy and Ian’s NE route is a daring first on Everest’s least climb side. Cathy and Ian were on Everest already in 1996, the fateful year of Everest. In their team as a trekker was also Deshun Deysel, who this year is on Everest’s South Side with another South African outfit, hoping to become the first black woman to summit Everest. Cathy and Ian are veteran Everest climbers. Cathy is one of only two women to have summited Everest from both sides. The couple often climbs in small outfits. This year it's just them, Ang Geljen Sherpa, and their base camp manager Padam Maygar. Passing the dead In 1998, the team had a very sobering experience on the Everest North side. Several climbers died on the mountain in tragic and even ugly circumstances. Cathy and her team were the last to meet one of the climbing victims - another woman. Both the 1996 and the 1998 expeditions rendered Cathy and Ian much criticism. On her website, Kathy gives her own report of the horrible circumstances. (link to her story below) Her account is important reading in these days of Everest glamour. It reminds us that Everest is NOT an amusement park. People die on Everest. When they do die other climbers climb past the dead to the summit only days later. Some of the climbers still sit there, their lives lost to their dreams. Some of the bodies are even waypoints on the climb. But more than anything, they serve as silent reminders to the ones that follow in their steps. No safety in numbers Everest is a war in times of peace. It's a war between the fear of death and the desire of a dream. As in any war, there are casualties. But the casualties don’t stop the war. Soldiers usually stop to help the dying, but step over the already dead to attain their goal. To achieve one’s dream isn't pretty. In fact, the bigger the dream, the larger the stakes. Some gets lucky and some don't. But without dreams, we are dead already. The two teams attempting their difficult routes on Everest are brave souls. But there has already been one confirmed death and one other possible death on Everest, both on the easy route, both in Base Camp. As we follow the climbers, no matter how many their numbers and how easygoing their dispatches, it is important to remember that. Resources: Cathy's story about the incident in 1998.. Back to MountEverest.net.... |
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