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Oxygen, and AMS A different approach to acclimatizing on Everest 
Ask an Everest climber what one of the most dangerous places on the mountain is and you will no doubt hear about the dreaded icefall - A mass of ice moving 2 meters daily and continually churning up remnants of past expeditions and returning them to base camp, sometimes decades later. In 1970, 7 climbers died from an avalanche while climbing in the icefall. It makes sense that the less time spent in a dangerous place means less opportunity to get hurt or die. This goes for bad neighborhoods as well as Mount Everest.Into the icefall On an average Everest trip a climber may walk through the icefall anywhere from 8 to as much as 12 times. They make a trip to C1 and then back down – then up to C2 and back down – then to C3 and back down. Finally they go for the summit; 8 trips through the mishmash of house sized chunks of ice overhanging 200-foot deep crevasses. The odd angles and positions of the ice blocks make them appear magically suspended in mid-air, as if a light breeze would send ice flying down the hill. As it turns out wind, warmth, and melting ice does send bits of the icefall tumbling down daily with a guttural growling heard throughout Base Camp and large white cloud of smoke. Thomas and Tina Sjogren, Everest summiteers, Arctic, and Antarctic veterans have come up with an alternative acclimatization schedule that not only minimizes time through the icefall, but also allows for more time spent up high acclimatizing per days spent on the mountain. More time up high They start out with a climb up to C1 and stay there for 2-3 days before a move up to C2. Whereas other climbers go down after the first trip to C1, T&T actually go up. In C2 they spend from 7-10 days climbing above 7000m towards C3 and the Lhotse wall, but always spending the night in C2. T&T emphasize skipping the night(s) spent in C3. After an expedition or two where they utilized the standard acclimatization procedure T&T decided that C3 was just too draining on the body and left them very tired and weary. Their conclusion was the extra blood cell gained by sleeping at C3 does not outweigh the physical anguish it causes. After time spent in C2 making day trips up higher, they make their second trip through the icefall and return to base camp. From here they descend down the valley to tree line at 3800 meters to recuperate and feast in the thick air. After returning to base camp they are effectively ready to go for the summit. T&T arrive in base camp early and are ready to make 2, if not 3 summit attempts by the end of May. Other teams who constantly go up and down often only have 1-2 chances for a summit by the time they have recovered from time spent at C3. Third time through icefall - next stop summit By their third trip through the icefall, T&T are ready for the summit. There are some who believe that this is not the way to go, however - descending down to tree line is opening the body up to virus’ and colds. T&T feel adamantly that the healthy effects of low altitude on the body far outweighs the risk of getting sick. Risks - first timers heed caution Another caution is that this acclimatization schedule does not ready a climber for the details of C3 and the climbing route. A first-time Everest climber should consider the traditional schedule and then maybe consider the more alpine style approach for subsequent expeditions once they are familiar with the mountain and the route. In addition, T&T’s plan is not meant for climbing without oxygen. When going for Everest without oxygen it is important that your body is subjected to an altitude of 8000m before going for the summit. It is critical that you know how your body is going to respond to the harsh conditions at 8000m before making a summit attempt. T&T’s approach is primarily targeted, but not limited to an Everest veteran. They have amassed four seasons on Everest and came about this technique by trial and error. The key points they emphasize are going up after C1, not sleeping in C3, but day tripping up above 7000m, and maybe most importantly descending to tree line for the body to recover in the oxygen rich air down there. This goes to show you that there is more than one way to skin a cat, or climb a mountain in this case. Back to news... |