"Supermom" Monica Kalozdi update: Everest Summit and hard descent
Jun 5, 2005 11: 13 EST
June 3, just before the summit push, they shot of a last live image from 8300 and headed up. Then all went quiet. Today, at last, an update:
Summit!
"June 4th, 2005. 8:15 am. Monica, Tom and guide Jean reached the summit of Everest, 8848m. "Leaving at 11:15 pm from camp 4 at 8,300m. We climbed the exit cracks to the north east ridge, then over first step, second step to the final slope. Summiting on a clear windy day, too cold and tired to do all the dispatches planned. We then climbed back to camp 3 at 7,900 for the night. Today we climbed down all the way to ABC. Tired but happy. We made it!"
A very tough 16 hours
Jeno, Monica's husband (in Beijing on his way to meet up with her) told ExplorersWeb that it was for them a very tough 16 hours - especially the coming down which took them as long as the going up. "As Monica said it was the toughest things she may ever do in her life - every muscle, every bone all the way down to her finger nails is aching. But now they've reached ABC and they are all okay".
Jean Pavillard is a mountain guide in Chamonix, France. In 2003, he helped heart transplant survivor Kelly Perkins and her husband Craig to reach the top of Matterhorn 4,478 m (14,693 ft), dubbed by early climbers "the awful mountain". With them were Tim and Michael Brown of Serac films; Michael filmed Kelly and Craig's ascent. Needless to say, Jean knows his knots and rope techniques. A page on his website is dedicated to just that - "techniques and tricks".
Monica Kalozdi summited Cho Oyu last fall, as part of the Himalayan Experience team, along with friend and mountain guide Jean Pavilliard. She has also summited Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Denali, Aconcagua and Mt, Vinson.
Live image over Contact 3.0 below the summit on Everest north side, courtesy of Jean Pavillard.
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| Andrew Lock on Annapurna tragedy: "I wanted to keep on climbing" Jun 6, 2005 | | Gabriel Filippi and Sean Egan's soul, together on the summit of Everest Jun 6, 2005 | | "Supermom" Monica Kalozdi update: Everest Summit and hard descent Jun 5, 2005 | | Robert Milne dies during summit push Everest South Jun 5, 2005 | | Grania Willis summits Everest this morning Jun 5, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week-In-Review Jun 5, 2005 | | Himex summit - Update from climber Jun 4, 2005 | | No Mountain top too high, my Love Jun 4, 2005 | | Jagged Globe team summits again! Jun 4, 2005 | | More summits for DCXP/Project Himalaya this morning Jun 4, 2005 |
| | End of season... Jun 4, 2005 | | Ranulph Fiennes turns back on Everest Jun 3, 2005 |
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