British Firefighter attempting Mt Everest

A Message from Katmandu

2010-05-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

28th May
Sorry for the delay in me updating the blog. I have not been to well. The plan was to summit on the 23rd May. We climbed upto the North col on the 20th. After a sleepless night, literally holding the tent up as the wind was unreal we set off for 7800m. I knew from the word go i wasn`t going well. The day should take 5/6hrs. The plan was to go on oxygen around 7500m. The problem I was having was an inability to slow my breathing down. I was taking one step forward then stopping for 5 breaths. Even at this rate I was still panting constantly. I radioed upto the camp for them to bring down the oxygen which they did. This made a small amount of difference when really it should transform your performance. I finally got to the camp in the dark at 8.30pm. I had been going just under 12hrs. I was exhausted. i boiled up some water and tried to relax. Even at rest I still could not slow my breathing down. I put the oxygen back on just to try and rest. The camp is on a steep gradient and if you were to come out of your tent and slip you would fall a fair way. I needed to slow my breathing down and couldn`t. During the night I snoozed as best I could. I woke at 3.30am and sat up to hear my lungs were crackling when I exhaled. The cracklind is water building up in your lungs.This is a sign of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). This condition can be life threatening if not treat or ignored. On realising what was happening I took the correct medication and increased the flow of oxygen. I propped myself up so the water didn`t affect my breathing as much and prayed it didn`t get any worse! The only real cure for HAPE is to descend. As long as I didn`t get any worse the risks in descending were far greater than I faced staying put until the morning. It was a long night, staring at the roof of the tent realising that I needed to get down but also my dream was over. I was scared but knew to get through this safely I needed to keep calm and just slow my breathing down as best as I could. I cried with frustration and fear at the same time. The summit was so close and I felt robbed. I thought maybe by the morning I could go and it would be alright. At the same time I knew if this happened higher up or it got worse, the chances of getting down were very small. This made me think of Beth and Isla and everyone at home who were unaware of the situation and who I`d promised I wouldn`t take unnecessary risks."I will only go one step up if I know I can get that one step back", that`s what I`d said. It was now time to stick to that promise and not take a big gamble. The sun came up and people began rising from there tents. It was a perfect day and the views were just amazing. I went up and saw Nigel the Doc and Stu the leader, both of which confirmed what I already knew. The risks of going on were to great . Nigel said I could take Viagra which could help,but if it comes again you are in deep trouble. The risk was just to great. Maybe when I was 20 some I might of rolled the dice but life`s to good and Everest doesn`t need any more bodies laying on it. I set off down after wishing the guys well. My goggles were steamed up with the tears rolling down my cheeks. I was walking away from my dream. I went passed the Montenegrans who hugged me and said how sorry they were in there broken English. I got down onto the snow reasonably quickly. There a lot of people coming up to 7800m today, as there plan was to go for the summit on the 24th. I passed heaps of people who I`d got to know over the last few weeks. Each time I explained it felt like a kick in the nuts. I was sick by the time I reached the north col as I must of told the storey 20times. I just wanted to get down so the Sherpa and myself didn`t waste much time at the North col. I grabbed one or two things I had left in the tent and we headed down. I was still breathing hard although the oxygen was helping a lot. The descent was tiring and I began to stumble a bit which made me slow down and take my time. Once at ABC I thought I would feel a lot better but soon realised that I was coughing violently and still very short of breath. Ispent the night there but knew the next day I needed to get down further to base camp.Bola the guy running the base camp operation, had organised for a jeep to collect me and drive to Katmandu in a day. I would then be able to get treatment. The walk down to base camp was exhausting. I was to weak to carry my bag and it took 7 1/2hrs instead of 5hrs. That night I was so tired but my coughing would not allow me to sleep. The next morning, the 24th(summit day for a lot of teams) I was up at 5am as the jeep for Katmandu was coming at 6am. There was 2inchs if fresh snow and the mountains were completely clouded over. There were a lot of people high up on Everest this morning, either coming down or going up for there summit attempt. I hoped they were all safe and wished Raj and his staff a fair well. We knew we had people still up at 8300m and 7800m. It was sad leaving base camp in this way. I had wrote the team a letter explaining the situation and hoping they would contact me with there stories and pics in the not to distant future. I think it would have been hard for me to swallow if I was around when they came down. The journey to Katmandu was long but interesting. The scenery was a lot greener compared to when we came through it 8 weeks ago. I got back to the hotel in Katmandu at 7.30pm. After a bit of confusion I met up with Uswari, the guy who owns Himalayan Guides. This is the company Adventure Peaks use in Nepal. He is a very well connected guy and organises the logistics for a lot of the Western teams on both sides of Everest. He took me straight to a medical clinic and at 10.30pm I was examined. They put me on a nebuliser which helped with my chest and after the examination said i need a chest xray just to make sure but it was HAPE and probably some form of chest infection. I went back the following day and the xray which was clear so they gave me some medication and a fit to fly note. i am now waiting for a flight home..... Sick as a parrot. I have not stopped yet so I don`t think the real sadness has hit home but I can`t help thinking of the view from the high camp, the summit was less than 2km away. It was there and to have turn your back and not give it a go is gutting. I have talked to my parents and Beth, they have been hugely supportive and I think a bit relieved I made the decision to turn round. I feel like I have let them all down in some way. All that worry for nothing! I can not wait to see them all. I will put up my daily reports as well as this but thought I better let you guys know what had happened. I hope you have enjoyed the blog and wish I could have brought better news to finish with.

Look after yourselves and each other

Jonathan

2010-05-17T04:18:00.001-07:00

The Ropes are Fixed
16th May Looking up at Everests` summit, standing 25km away and 3.5km vertically higher is an incredible sight. This morning it looked calm and reachable. There was no wind at base camp and no plume whipping off the summit. It was decided that our sherpas would move up to ABC today so I helped sort out some of the food that needed taking up. The forecast is growing in confidence for the 23rd 24th and to really get people excited we heard over the radio that the Chinese have fixed the lines to the summit. I talked to the Montengrans today who told me the two Tiwanese in there group have gone up hoping to summit tommorow. If this is right they will be at 8200m waiting for tonight and there attempt. Good luck guys!

Lights on the Ridge
17th May Last night my mind was occupied with thoughts of whats coming. I couldn`t sleep and decided to open the end of the tent and have a look at the mountain. I could see the lights of climbers up at high camp just below the north east ridge. The tents are on little ledges around 8200m. It was 11pm so they probably getting ready to go for the summit. It was an inspiring sight. The lights seemed to put the mountain into scale. I am really looking forward to getting up high and that feeling of space all around. Stu showed us a video he put together in 2002 of the summit ridge. The majority of the climb is straight forward over mixed ground with a couple of sections of exposed ground and steep climbs. The views are just incredible. I hope I get that high and can appreciate my surroundings. On the south side of the ridge is the Changse face, the route Stephen Venables climbed. It is very steep and falls away several thousand feet. Our route keeps you well away from this. Simon and I have decided to write ourselves some aid memoirs for the high camps. Hopefully this will mean we don`t have to think to hard when were up there. I`m off to pack now, will be off the blog radar for a few days now. Next time I write I will hopefully be telling you of my successful summit. Finally i`d like to thank you all for your encouragement and kind words both before I came out and on the blog. When things get really tough I`m sure I will draw on the support. Thanks to you all. See you soon

2010-05-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

Base Camp
14th May Woke to a windy day in base camp. We are waiting for the forecast everyday now. The Chinese are up at ABC and are ready to go up and fix the lines. The latest is they plan to be up there for the 16th. This would be great as it means some teams may try for an earlier summit, leaving less traffic on the 23rd 24th. We were visited by young Jordan and his team this afternoon. They had met up with a team of Austrians who include an extreme skier. He headed a team that had made a video of there asscent of a remote Alaskan mountain called Elias. There plan was to climb up then ski down. The video followed there expedition. We sat through the video which was fantastic. It was made even cooler by the fact I was sat next to the main skier. The climb was hardcore but then the ski down was unreal. He wasn`t sking down Everest but he did have a and big plan in mind but he wasn`t letting on. Some of the teams are begining to move. Some will stop at intermediate camp on the way up to ABC. I think everyone will converge on ABC within a day or so of each other. It sounds like the weather is not going to be perfect but calm for the critical days when we are high. j pic

Cooking at Base camp
15th May Since we`ve been down at base camp Josh and I have been "steering" Raje, our chef into cooking some slightly more Western food. We`ve been using the same ingredients but cooking them in a different way. We are pretty sure he doesn`t mind us sticking our noses in. The team seem to be apprecative of our efforts and there plates are clean. One or two of the us are suffering with different ailments. Mat the guide is still coughing but seems to be on the mend. Heather seems to have a throat infection along with bruised ribs from coughing. Stephen is recovering from a stomach bug and our super star, Brendan seems to have a chest problem. Hopefully all will be well enough to start up for ABC on Tuesday. My mind is beginning to switch on to what is now only a few days away. I am beginning to think of the routine that i hope to get into higher up. I`ve got a few little adjustments to make after last time. Things like lengthening my zips so I can get hold of them with my big mitts on. I`m thinking of what I`m going to do for nutrition on the big day. Maxi muscle have sponsored Josh for a number of years and have kindly sent over a range of supplements which are perfaect for the big days. I am planning to use both the maxi muscle bars and the power gels. Its possible to force them down when eating is the last thiung you want to do. I plan to drink a Maxi muscle protein mix at the start of each hard day. The protein will regulate my blood sugar levels and stop the peaks and troughs you tend to get when only eating sugars. I plan to eat and drink a small amount every hour on summit day. This will hopefully keep me going the 14+ hours it`s going to take.

2010-05-17T04:10:00.000-07:00

Base Camp winds
12th May Today the winds are wild. I woke with the tent being blown from what seemed like every angle. The key with the tents when the wind is this strong is to keep them closed up. This limits the chance of them being damaged. During breakfast we sustained our first damage. The food store tent turned inside out. The gust that caused it came from no where. Once a replacement had been erected and the supplies transfered we set about strengthening the deffences on the rest of the tents. unforetuantely the comms tent housing the radio equipment was next to go. The radio arial was damaged but the tent was ok and could be put back up. I really felt today was a low point for me. We were inprisoned in the tents due to the wind and it was pretty much definate that the 17th 18th summit attempt was off. What the forecast has being saying with increasing confidence is the winds will drop from the 23rd through to the 26th. This sounds more promising and is not to far away.

Trek up to the North Face camps
13th May It was decided last night that a few of us were going to go for a final walk today as this window on the 23rd was looking more and more likely. We were going to head up the Rongbuk glacier. This leads to the base camps used by teams attempting routes on the north face or the west ridge. The last British team here was an army team which attempted a route up the west ridge then traversed into the Norton couloir. They got to the bottom of the couloir and realised they were stood on a slope that was ready to avalanche. They had planned the trip for 3 years and turned round at this point. There are a number of routes on the north face mainly put up by the Russians and Polish. We set off with the intention of doing a couple of hours but it turned into a bit of an epic. The terrain was a nightmare and rather than turn back we carried on until we had a good view of the North face. By the time we decided to turn round we had been going for 3hrs. After a quick bight to eat and a photo oppurtunity we turned back and began the trek back. We got back after a nightmare walk back. We were all pretty tired and ready for food. The view of Everest and the vallleys laeding off the the glacier were spectacular and justified the effort. That`s it now, just rest until we go for it

2010-05-17T04:07:00.000-07:00

Base camp
10th May Base camp is really becoming home now. It`s interesting how I`m settling into a routine of inactivity that at home I would find incredibly frustrating. Me and a couple of the team went for a walk round the perimeter of the camp. The teams are spread out and contact with them is minimal. This is different on the South side as base camp covers a smaller area and there are a lot more teams over there. The camp is at the nose of the Rongbuk Glacier. We are about 25km from the base of Everest and the glacier runs directly to the bottom of the mighty North face. As we walk to ABC you can see a number of smaller glaciers that feed into the Rongbuk. Walkng south around the camp, away from Everest we come to the Chinese control point. On entry to base camp the Chinese check each individuals passport and the teams permits to climb. Without these being in order you won`t even get into base camp. The Chinese have a definate level of control here. For example when we had our Puja and the pray flags were put up, some guys put up the flags of there respective countries. We were asked by the Chinese to take them down imediately. The whole landscape here is rock and barren. The glacier has shaped the valley and left a scar line about 50m up the valley side showing where it used to be. I`m really missing the UK and how green the place is. Lets hope this weather window allows us to give it go.

Base camp walk
11th May Today some of us decided to go for a walk up the frozen river. Earlier in the trip this valley we did a couple of acclimatization walks. It was at this time I had my chest problems and turned back on both the walks. We set off at a good pace and I felt fine with it. What I`m finding is when I first set off my breathing rate increases dramatically but after a few minutes I get it under control and settle into a sustainable rhythem. The human body is an amazing thing. 6 weeks ago we were moving so slowly up through the rocks. Today the same ground was covered at a pace not disimilar to that of sea level. We walked for an hour up through the valley until it opened out into a plateau. After a brief rest Josh decided to set himself a challenge which involvig scrambling up the valley side for about another 150m. Nigel took the spread bet Josh had offered and of he went. His progress began quite promisingly but as the ground steepened he slowed and by the top he was £15 lighter and coughing big time. The bench mark was set and although I was very tempted and normally would jump at such a challenge my lungs could do without the burn. I have conciously wore a buff over my mouth for a lot of the time. This helps combat the effects of the dry cold air on the throat. It felt good to stretch the legs and lungs and see a bit more of the valley. The more detailed forecast has begun coming in for the potential weather window 17th 18th. It doesn`t look good. Although the jet stream is not directly over Everest the forecast models are still estimating summit wind speeds of 40 th 60 mph. This is to strong for us and the Chinese who need to go first and fix the lines. I think a lot of the team are finding this part of the trip difficult. We have done all our preperation and feel like we have already sat around base camp for long enough. I`m finding the down time not as bad as I thought I would. I think having the blog and being able to keep in touch with home is really helping.

2010-05-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

Base camp Bash
9th May Today passed fairly uneventfully until our team got an invite to the 7 summits expedition. The guys that run 7 summits are Russian and celebrate the 9th May as it is the day the second world war ended. This is also a good marketing oppurtunity. No expense had been spared, food and drink kept flowing all night. Most of the teams were there. We got talking to a real range of people. I met an ex firemen who now captains a 150ft gin palace in Monaco. We also got to meet 70 year old Russian guy who has led expeditions on Everest from pretty much every angle. 7 summits base camp set up is pretty impressive. They have a big dome tent with not only a Tv and video but a table tenis table.We`re negotiating to trade Heather for the Table tennis table. The group decided this is a fair swop and the negotiations are going well. I got talking to there English speaking guide who was a sturdy little Irish guy. He has summited twice before. He had been employed this year because of the 12 clients, they have 6 are English speaking. He told me that the group had not been above the North col and are starting on oxygen there when they attempt the summit. . The party went on well into the night, we cut it short and came back around 8 for some food. There will be plenty of time to let our hair down when we come back down hopefully from a successful attempt.

2010-05-17T03:53:00.000-07:00

Rest BC
6th May Today was a really settled day at base camp. Josh,Max,Stephen and myself did a bit of exercise. We did a liitle curcuit for 40mins which was good as it broke the day up but also opened my lungs up. It feels like your constantly becoming congested and a bit of a blow out cleared the lungs. We are all beginning to discuss all the different permutations that could happen over the next few weeks. The weather has been pretty bad so far.A metre of snow has fallen at the North col over the last few days. Yersterday, our Sherpas were up at 8200m loading the camp. Nuro is one of our top sherpas. He has summitted 9 times and moves like a machine. He went from the North col up to 8200m, dropped his load then all the way back down the ABC. This is an epic day. He came back down to base camp today for a couple of days rest before we hopefully go up for our summit attempt. The weather looks like it could allow us an attempt on the 17th or 18th. We are waiting for a detailed forecast. The main concern is the wind speeds. At the moment the snow has stopped and the winds have increased which is good to clear the snow from the ridge but does lower the temperatures dramatically.Lets hope it works out and we get a long enough window to get up there. I ordered an extra bottle of oxygen, giving me options slighlty lower down the mountain. It will also allow me to sleep at 7800m on oxygen. I`m hoping this will allow me torest far better at this height. Since we`ve had 4 people leave there is a number of cylinders of oxygen now available for team members to buy. Most people have now got the set up I pre-ordered and will be starting on oxygen at 7500m. My personal thoughts are that having the extra both conserves your energy and allows you to rest better at 7800m. I am begining to really focus on the summit bid now. Hopefully another few days here and we will be away.

Base camp
7th May Today was a nothing day. I did a bit of washing, read my book and snoozed. The days seem to pass quickly considering how little we do. Everybody seems to occupy themselves and we sit and talk a lot. The weather is now one of the hot topics. We could be setting off from base camp on the 13th. This would mean us going for the summit on the 17th or 18th. The forecast is not yet detailed enough. All the teams have roughly the same information and are working towards this time frame. Lets hope it`s not to busy up there.

Base camp
8th May Woke up not feeling to well today. Got a bit of a cough and feel a little bit tired. Rather than fight it I have took it real easy today. The weather down at base camp is quite warm. The wind wips up in the afternoon but it`s still quite mild. Once the sun goes down the temperature drops off dramatically. Some of us have been organising the evening meals over the last few nights. We have managed to use similar ingrediants but serve them up in a more Western style. The cook is a great guy but for example the veg for the evening meal served at 7.30, will be boiling away at 5.30pm. You can imagine what they taste like after that length of time. We think he is happy for us to be involved and hoefully he will pick up a few different ways of doing things. The meat isn`t the best of quality but we`ve done a few different things with it and people seem to be getting more food down them than before. Some of the Sherpas have stayed up at ABC but for the ones that have come down it`s relaxing time. They say on an Everest exped like this they do around 15 days of really hard work, load carrying to the high camps. Talking with them, they don`t class summit day as one of those 15 days. Compared to carrying a load of 35kg plus upto 8300m, the summit day is not strenuous. I sometimes wonder what they must think of us Westeners, the way we struggle to coupe with the altitude and demand what to them must be a standard of comfort way above there expectations. They perform these feets of phsyical endurance on a fraction of the food we consume. There genetic make up allows them to perform at altitude far better than we could ever. We could stay here for months and months and still be no where near them.

2010-05-10T02:10:00.000-07:00

2010-05-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

BC Birthday
5th May Today was a special day as it was Geordies` 21st birthday. Geordie os the guy from St Andrews who is attempting to be the youngest British 7 summiteer. He`s a very well spoken young man who is a wealth of knowledge on Everest and his beloved Newcastle United. The link with the football team, I don`t understand as he has no history with the city. Anyway he still has his boyish looks and has no facial hair at all, even though like the majority he hasn`t had a shave more a month. We fonud a beard grooming kit which we prsented to him for his b`day. He took in good humour.The cook staff made a cake which was great. We have lost 4 members of the team over the last few days. Don and Scott left due to Don struggling. We all got the oppurtunity to say bye and I told Don, just to be out here at 62 was an acheivement. I respected Scott for his decision to stick with his dad. The importance of them being together was more impotant than the mountain. Jantoon, who at the start of the trip was a really bubbly confident guy found each stage of the acclimatization process a struggle and never got higher than a short walkn from ABC. When I breifly spoke to him he said that he had been planning this for so long and that now he was hear he had actually lost his motivation. I think there was more to it but I wish him well and was sorry to see him leave. Micky, a guy fron New York suddenley decided to leave the day we were going up to the North col with our big packs. He turned around before the head wall and by the time we had reached the top he was on his way down to BC with Jantoon. This is a very tough expedition, and you can not underestimate what Everest will ask of you.I think these guys maybe realised it was getting tougher than they expected. I spoke to Beth, my wife today. She is a wonderful partner in all of this and supports me more than I could never ask for. I draw a great deal of strength from talking my family back home and reading all the comments people post on the Blog so thank you all. I hope sometime over the next few weeks we can give the summit a dam good shot! I spoke to my friends from Montenegro tonight. We exchanged pics of our trip up the North col. They invited me in to there tent and sat and talked with them. They had celebrated Nepalese new year a couple of week ago, with decorations etc. They had a big Montenegran flag at one end. The told me it had been presented to them by the President and he had signed it. They were hoping to take it to the top then present it back to him as the first Montenegrans to summit. It turns out two of them are Firemen. They have a slightly different strategy to ours in the fact that they plan to leave the North col on oxygen. We are starting a little higher at 7500m. They spent one night at 7100 were we spent 2. I think we are likely to be on the mountain at about the same time. They are thinking around the 16th to the 20th May. It`s all weather dependant now so we will just wait and see.

2010-05-06T04:05:00.000-07:00

The North Col
1st May Once everybody had packed what they needed for this trip, they looked at the size of their load and wondered how on earth we were going to make it up to 7100m. I woke feeling good and although it was tough work was quietly confident. Once onto the glacier and up to the head wall, I clipped to the first fixed line and started up.AlthoughIi was working hard I felt my progress was steady. The biggest thing to contend with was the sun blazing into my back. I drink both water bottles before the top and found the last, and most challenging part exhausting. The route swung to the side of the serac fall, which was massive. The blocks of ice, some of which were shed size, were laid as if they had never moved. Looking up you could see the fresh blue face where it once hung. The route was not as direct, which took longer but with the packs I guess it didn`t really matter. I spent the last hoiur or so following my Montnegran friend. He was faster that I, but took more breaks so we kept acknowledging one another. He came to the final cravase ladder and I took a picture of him crossing, which considering how wrecked he looked before hand definately helped his perfomance. Its a testing experience crossing deep blue cravase on your crampons, walking on a ladder that looks like it would be rejected by any window cleaner worth his salt! I take my time and position my front crampon points on the run of the ladder, this way they can`t slip anywhere. You look down which means you are looking into the cravase. Anyway thankfully, unlike the South side of Everest with the Kumbu icefall, we don`t have many of these kinds of things to contend with. Once I had got over the cravase and up the final akward section I was met by a mass of tents. It was like a mini version of the lower camps. They were all perched behind a huge wall of ice that protects the camp from some of the winds. Our camp was next door to Jordon and his family, the 13yr old American. They seem really nice people and Jordan a very balanced young guy. I am sharing a tent with Simon who has a lot of experience when it comes to trips like this. He completed a race to the North Pole as well as several mountain trips. I got into a tent and got the stove lit and began the continuous process of boiling water. Melting the snow takes ages at this height so just filling a water botttle will take 30mins. Once the rest of the group arrived we got settled into the tents. Tonight was the most restless night I have ever endured. I couldn`t sleep, every time my breathing began to slow down I would gasp for air. I struggled to get any food down and to cap it all off my thermorest must have a hole as it quickly went flat. I put my down suit under my sleeping bag to keep my back warm. The wind was very strong and at times would sound like it was going to damage the tent. We had surrounded the tent with a bank of snow which stopped the wind getting under the canvase. I watched the time tick by all night. The snow gatherewd on the tent and finally, once the sun came up the melt water began dripping off the roof and soaked everything. This was real discomfort which until now I had only had a mild dose of. This was the real thing.

Up to 7500m
2nd May The weather was wild so the plan was to make as much progress up the North ridge as poss. We were not going to get our 7500m goal. Simon and I began the water boiling and tried to eat anything we could. I set off and soon realised I was really strugggling. I had no energy, and every step was real effort. The wind on the ridge, once out from the protection of the camp was wild. It was not only strong but bitterly cold. I had my down suit on and fleece underneath. I was to warm which was not helping. I struggled up to maybe 150m before turning round. There is a section just before camp that requires a bit of concentration. I found this really hard and took my time. Once I got back to the camp I was exhausted. Simon got the stove on and I got my kit off which is a battle in itself. Once back in the tent that was it for the rest of the day. The weather was supposed to be better tommorow so we would have another go. I was strruggling to eat anything and thought tommorows trip would be much the sameas todays.

The North Col and Beyond
3rd May I had another horrid night and couldn`t eat anything. I worked out i`d managed to consume about 1000 calories in the last 24hrs. I expected to feel like i did yesterday. The weather is a lot better so dressed accordingly. I set off and felt great, it was still windy on the ridge so I stuck my down jacket on. The ridge gradually rises up. The view from here is amazing, you can see the summit high above you and the surrounding ranges are incredible. As I went higher my hands began to get a little cold. I decided to turn round at with altimeter reading 7450m. This was due to a little bit of concern about my fingers. I flew down the fixed lines back to camp. Once i stopped I knew I my fingers were cold. I began to gently warm them with hand warmers and Ian, a great guy on the trip gave me his big mits. The key was to keep them warm and get down to ABC. Two of my fingers were a bit white at the end, but with in an hour i had pain and feeling in back to them. This was a relief as it means at least there is no lasting damage. This means I have to be a little more careful when I`m high next time as I must keep them warm. Along with handwarmers I have down filled mitts which will keep me warm. I got down the North col, with the help of Ian. The weather was pretty bad and the constant snowing made for white out. I was pretty tired by the time I reached ABC. Stu already knew about my fingers so he had a look and we decided on the treament. The main thing is not to let them get really cold, so gloves are the ordeer of the day .

Back to BC
4th May Had a good nights sleep at ABC and after a bit of breakfast I set off with Josh. We had a steady walk down and passed the time talking about a wide range of subjects. He`s a top guy and very interesting to talk to. We dicussed everything from the trip itself to what makes a top sports person to parenting skillls to house prices on Hyde Park corner in London. The 5 1/2 hours seemed to pass pretty quick and we were in resonable shape when we arrived, unlike the previous jouirney back which was exhausting. The majority of the group were walking down today one or two were resting following o tommorow. Heather, Pete and Mat, the Marines and mat the guide were going up to the North col. They had not yet slept up there so were a trip behind. As we walked down Everst was engulfed in cloud and snow was falling art our level so we were pretty sure they were will be having a tough time of it. We found out lateer that they had 6" of snow and there was more forecast. Comunication is very important on a trip like this. Along with base radios at BC and ABC we all have hand held radios. We have organised radio calls at a certain time just so we know where peolpe are. This doesn`t always happen for whatever reason and a couple of times we have been concerned for the safety of one of the group. Back down at BC life is fairly easy. 5200m now feels the like hopme. If you exert yourself you still feel it , but normal living is fine. We are eating whatever we can get in, knowin how we all feel hiugher up. It`s exciting thinking next we set off it will be fopr the final time and our summit bid begins.

2010-05-06T03:57:00.000-07:00

The Trek to ABC
29th April Unlike the first time up to ABC we are not stopping the night half way. The trek is 15miles and takes us from 5200m to 6400m. The terrain is up and down and very rocky. It would be a good hike at sea level and with the altitude it really slows you peolpe down. Heather and Don are stopping at intermediate camp as is Mat, who has returned to the group after getting the all clear from the doctors in Katmamndu. It was a long hard slog but the time said it all as it took us 7 1/2 hours compared to the 10 hours it took us over 2 days previous. The scenary is stunning, the problem is you spend that much time gasping breath you really don`t feel like stopping as smiling for the camera. As we pulled up the final mile or so, Everest comes into view, the North ridge ramping up infront of you. You begin to walk through the tented villages the different teams have constructed. There will be sherpas returning from load carries up high on the mountain vchatting away as if they`ve just ran round the park. The smell of food seeps from the cook tent, making you feel nauseas, even though you`ve probably expended 5 times the calories you have eaten that day. I am noticably thinner than when I started. Even though knew this would happen you know you can`t go on like this. The food is very average and at altitude even your favourite would be hard to stomach. Up at ABC eveything is that bit harder. Your sleep is disturbed, eating a little harder and it`s that bit colder. It will be interesting to see how I fair staying up on the North col at 7100m. The plan is to have a rest day tommorow then load our rucksacs with all the high alltitude gear and lug it up the head wall. If the weather is good we will walk upto 7500m before comning down as sleeping a second night at 7100m, on the North col. All tents are in place with the stoves and cooking gear are inside. We are now on boil in the bag food, which I am quite looking forward to. Atleast it`s Western flavours that hopefully will be a little easier to swallow.

Rest Day ABC
30th April Today is a "rest as best you can day". What I mean by that is, at this height you are really not recovering, more like surviving. The sleep was a little better , and I am generally more comfortable than the first visit but still want to get on with our trip higher.

2010-04-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

A Welcome Rest Day
22nd April I woke up with the sun beaming into the tent and the noise of people organising themselves. The majority of the team were climbing the North Col today. I got up and stuck my head out to wish them good luck. This took quite an effort and found myself happily flopping back onto my sleeping bag for a doze. The wind up at ABC is wild. You hear it funnel up the valley then rip through the camps, pulling at the tents. I woke one morning expecting damage but to my surprise everything but the toilet tent was un-harmed. Living at 6400m, which is the height of ABC your body really is recovering as much as surviving. You don`t sleep properly, your appetite is reduced and any activity takes it out of you. This is why it so important to make the long journey back to Base camp. The day was mainly spent listening to the radio chat coming back from the guys climbing. The majority did really well and got up in good time. One or two didn`t make for various reasons and they will discuss the beast way forward with Stu on there return to ABC. Everybody looked tired on there return and a few had developed the dry cough that is common when working hard at this kind of height. I plan to trek back to base camp tommmorow so spent some time sorting out what I was taking down and what was staying. I wanted to make a couple of alterations to my set up for the next trip up the mountain and decided I would leave the equipment at ABC and do it when I get there next time round. Rather than dreading this next assault I am now looking forward to it. The North col gave me confidence which earlier in the trip I was lacking. I know now what to expect when the air gets thin.

The Trek to Base Camp
23rd April After grabbing breakfast I set off, with Simon at 9.30am. We knew this was going to be a slog, and what a slog it turned out to be. The scenary was beautiful with towering ice structures on both sides of the moraine and snow capped peaks all around. Once I got my clothing right I settled into a plod that was more like a day in Scotland than the Himalaya. The ground was rough and undulating but once I got down below 6000m the air became a little richer and my breathing definately calmed down. It was then justy the distance that was the issue. We had been warned that it was a long way but not this long. The way I felt confirmed that at ABC(6400m) your body is not recovering. I din`t feel like I had had a full days reat the day before. The worst part of all was the last section. I came down the last steep decsent, meeting a yak train half way down which was funny. The Yaks just freeze as you approach, or atleast the front guy does. Then what happens is the hurder shouts,whips, thorws stones at the hurd all of which set off apart from the one that is at the front. What follows is a bunch of Yaks trying become one as they all walk into each other. Finallly they get past and I can join the path again. After this last descent I felt I was nearly home, what I didn`t bargin on was that the flat section that followed would take another hour. This was the same for most of the guys as they came in. I was very tired and was looking forward to my tent.

Rest, rest, rest
24th April I slept the best yet. The air felt thick with oxygen, my cough is ok and I didn`t wake up for a pee all night..... Perfect. There was about 8 of us that had come down yesterday so camp was a little more quieter than usual. I spent the morning with the down wind doors of my tent open with my top off reading my book. I am reading a book written by the official Times reporter on the 1953 Everest exped. So far it talks about the problems of how he was going to get information back to England without other reporters gettting there first. I am looking forward to reading on and finding out how the info is delivered. Everything is easier down hear. I can function normally without being out of breath...much. I wouldn`t want to start running anywhere and when I climb a short way up the valley side to get signal on the Bgan I still breath hard. The different is now I feel like my legs are being provided with enough oxygen to keep going. I am looking forward to another few days of rest before any more trips up to ABC and beyond. We are going back up on thursday (29th) so we`ve got a few more days to charge the batteries

BC Rest
25th April I am sleeping really well and feeling well rested down here at BC. We have done a deal with a local guy with a motorbike who is providing us with coke,sprite and beer. We have all chipped in and bought cases and cases of the stuff. It`s been fun watching him deliver 2 cases at a time on his bike, with a big smile on his face counting his dollars. The wind is not quite as persistant down here, still the air temperature is cold. The sun is veryintense and would burn you quickly if you don`t protect yourself. I organised to speak to my family today which was great. my parents,sis & kids, Beth and Isla were all there together. It was great to talk to them although really hard not to blubber especially when Isla comes on. It`s so much easier on this trip being able to comunicate with home regularly. My family are so important and it`s time like this I realise how important! The sat phone and bgan equipment is working really well. It`s incredible to think I can sit such a remote location and speak to the UK with such clarity. The facilities down here at BC are good. It`s nice to be able to get a bit of washing done and have a shower of sorts. The Nepalese guys that run the camp are hard working and always wanting to please. The cook tent is a hive activity. They`re constantly boiling water which has been gathered from the glacier fed river about 15mins walk away. The guys take a barrel over to the river and fill it up then roll it back. I tried to move one of these barrels and wow it was heavy. Mat is back from Katmandu. He has been given a clean bill of health and his insurance (the BMC) are happy for him to have another bash. He has to do the acclimatisation walks over the next few days to catch up and then hope his body copes with it. The group are begining to discuss the next stage of the plan. Once we have completed the next trip up we will be sat waiting for a weather window for our summit attempt. The next stage involves the dreaded walk upto ABC followed by a days rest then upto the North col and sleep. The next day we make our way up the North ridge upto 7500m before back to the North Col for another night. We then descend the North Col back to ABC followed by a days rest. Once back at BC we are then read for the summit bid. This is likely to be around the middle of May.

BC Rest
26th April Today was a sad day. We got news around 11am that they has been an accident on the North Wall leading up to the North Col. A prominent Secrac (unstable ice)has collapsed and swept three climbers off the fixed lines. One was injured, one is still missing and one was killed. My condolencese go to the family(ies) of the climbers. The detail we have is pretty vague. We undersatand that they were part of the Asian treking party. This company offer a range of suppport depending on your budget.David Sharp, the guy from Guisborough who died in 2006 used them. Apparently the three Hungarians had base camp support but nothing above there.Todays accident had nothing to do with there level of support as this could have happened at anytime. This incident has given me a strange feeling. It`s funny thinking we passed over that ground only a few days prior. It is rare for this kind of collapse to happen during the climbing season. During the monsoon there will be a lot more instability due mainly to the snow fall. A section of the fixed lines needs replacing and the route clearing.We believe it will take the CTMA 2 days to sort this. It won`t effect our movement up the mountain. We will still set off on our next stage on thursday and move to the North col on saturday, after a days rest at ABC. I think it has made everybody think a littlie more about the enviorment we are heading into. It has not placed any doubt in my mind of what I hope to acheive, it just makes me even more aware of my surroundings and what I can do to limit the risk to me.

BC Rest
27th April At 6pm the North Col / Lhapkri team set off on there 16hr journey to Lhasa, on there last leg before returning to Katmandu. They were a good bunch who added to the team in a number of ways. It was quite a mixed group, who I think all got a lot out of the trip. I couldn`t help feeling a little envious when they were talking about home, there families and hot baths. This morning we had a Q & A session with Stu and Mat, the guides. A lot of the questions were self explaniory, but it was good to hear about things like the cooking arrangements, oxygen suppplies and times between camps higher on the mountain. I feel ready to take on the next big challenge which is 7500m without oxygen. If this goes well, on the summit bid, I intend to sleep on oxygen at 7800m before heading upto 8200m the following day again on oxygen. I will arrive at the 8200m camp early afternoon where I will rest, eat and hydrate before leaving for the summit at 10.30pm that night. All sounds so easy!!!! Lets get this next stage cracked first and then start focusing higher.

The Final Rest Day
28th April This morning was the first really calm morning, and looking up at the summit of Everest I wouldn`t of minded today being the day. The weather/wind normally worsens in the afternoon which is a pattern followed in most mountainous regions. Intended summit time is between 6.30 & 8.30am, so we have plenty of time to get down before mother nature whips things up. I have spent this morning enjoying the final day of rest before our long journey upto ABC. Don,Scott and Jantoon set off today, for differing reasons. Jantoon didn`t get make the North col first time round, so he has to catch up. Don is the 62year old dad of Scott who is finding the trip pretty tough. He is a fantastic guy and I really hope he makes it to the North col. I think he has resigned himself to the fact that the summit is out of his reach. Over the last 5 years, he has completed 5 of the 7 summits with his son Scott. Scott is a sub 3hr marathon runner and would have a good chance of making the summit. The latest from our leader Stu is that Scott is not going to make an attempt if his dad is not going to be there with him. He is a very motivated, organised young man and your intial reaction is one of disappointment but then there is something really warming the fact he wants to stay back with his dad. I wish then both a memorable conclusion to the trip, whatever happens. I have got my gear ready for the trek up to ABC. I`m trying to keep my pack as lite as poss as I reckon any energy I preserve now is in the tank for the days to come. The lines have been re-fixed up the head wall onto the North col. Appartently it is a more direct route but avoids the Serac dangers. I am looking forward to making my way above the North Col, high up on the north ridge. The team are in good spirits and are one unit which is good. I feel these days spent around base camp could be days where personalities begin to rub but everybody seems to get on well. The mountain has been rigged up to 7800m, so no one has summited yet. The team rigging normally complete to the summit about now, but due to the winds and cold temperatures it will be sometime in the next week. We have tents and supplies at the North col and a tent at 7800m. What the sherpas do is get a tent up then cordon off an area for our use. They can then use the tent to store equipment and shelter if needed. We begin to get daily weather reports from the 1st May. This comes from the States and uses several different weather models, which depending on the level of agreement between the models determines the accuracy of the forecast. Keep our fingers crossed that we get some still bright weather in the middle of May...............Perfect!!

On the North Col 7100m

2010-04-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

2010-04-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

The North Col
21st April Today has probably been the hardest single day I have ever experienced. I can not remember doing anything in my life that asked the same questions as today did. Seven clients and Mat set off and after the usual faff we got going at 9.30am. The weather was good, the wind a bit strong but I felt up for it. We got to the haed wall and had a drink and a bite to eat. A number of the party had walked up to the head wall as there pre Col walk. I connected to the fixed line and began. At first the ground is quite steep and I was soon gasping for air. As I made slow progress up the ice it became obvious that this was going to be very hard. For the first time Everest was going to ask both physical and mental questions of me. Every step and every pull on the jumar(ascending device) was sapping. The ground would be hard going at sea level and then add to that the alltitude it makes it really slow. Before the trip, when I thought of these hard days I was worried I would get frustrated at how debilitating this makes you feel. In reality it didn`t frustrate me, I just settled into a rythem of 6 to 10 steps and then a stop and slow my breathing down. It took me a few hours to get up. The last little section involved us crossing a ladder that was laid over a a pretty deep cravase, then up a steep section to the tents at 7100m. I slumped down next to Mat and waited for Josh and Simon. The others had turned back about half way up knowing they weren`t going to make the top before the turn around time. The weather was looking like it could turn on us so we were quite keen to get down. The wind was wild at times, I found the best way to deal with it was to just to drop down and dip my head when I heard it coming. I wore my Cebe goggles (courtesy of Bushnell Optics) which, along with a baloclava kept the wind off my face. Once we started coming down I felt confident to descend quickly. I wrapped the rope round my fore arm and let gravity do the rest. The less confident people abselied some sections but I felt confident enough to just to let the resistance of the rope against my arm to control my descent. Once off the wall it was a straight forward slog back to camp. We got back just before 6 and we`re met by the rest of the team wanting to know what it was like. Our physical state really said it all. I couldn`t eat a lot so re-hydrated and hit the tent. The end to a hard but reassuring day. Bring the next stage!

2010-04-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

A Little Walk to Check the chest out.
16th April After a good nights sleep I decided to go for a little walk just to see how my chest is. I set off with Nigel who was going to walk upto 6000m again. When I start walking the altitude instantly affects my performance. My breathing goes through the roof. I have to take it really easy when I set off. I did an hour up and there is a definate improvement. I am still runnning at about 80% but not coughing as much as I have been. I am on chest antibotics and are going to resist going for walk tommorow with the majority of the party. This will hopefully give my chest time to sort itself before we head up to intermidiate camp at 5700m on Sunday. Mentally I feel like I have had a few days of thinking my chest could stop my attempt at this early stage. The way it`s improving I hope to be back to full fitness in the next 36hrs. If all is well we could be back as early as the last week of May. It`s more likely to be sometime early June. Our Yaks roled into camp this morning ready to be loaded up for ABC. Watching the yak herders make a note of the loads being weighed on there make shift scales and arguing over the cost is great fun. Listening to them negotiate, then watch the Yaks resist having the equipment loaded makes for a good viewing. Whilst I was walking most of the group did a bit of rope work. They practiced moving up a line, past a belay point and abseiling down.

Another Rest Day BC
17th April We were supposed to be heading up to intermediate camp today but the support team needed extra time to get the camp ready. The first time we head up towards Advanced Base camp we spllit the journey up. This is because is over 15miles and an alltitude gain of 1200m. This would be to much in one hit the first time around. I am using this extra rest time to let my chest sort itself. It still is not perfect but is improving every day. Some of the coughing comes with being in this enviroment. The air is cold and dry so just iritates your throat. I am into a habit of wearing a buff over my mouth and nose pretty much all the time. I wear it when I`m sleeping which takes a bit of getting used to. The camp is comfortable. I have managed to have a kind of shower and done some washing. It is really nice to have my own tent. Although they are pretty big higher up it will be 2 to a tent then 3 very high up. This will be a bit of a squeeze.

Walk upto Intermediate Camp 5700m
18th April Today was hard. I still feel like I can`t get enough oxygen in to power my legs. I am not fighting this and just go at a pace that suits me. The trek took us up the East Rongbuk Glacier past some stunning glaciel formations which were surrounded by 6/7000m peaks. We lost sight of Everest for most of the day and pulled into camp about 4pm. The camp is on the rocky band betweeen the glacier and the towwering cliffs above. Now we`re up a bit higher, 5700m just moving around becomes tiring. Hopefully it won`t affect my sleeping to much.

The Pull upto ABC
19th April Woke up after a good nights sleep. I`m sharing a tent with Simon, the other dad, which is good. We are about the same speed and he gas a lot of experience which is worth having around. Todays walk would take us upto ABC at a height of 6400m. It`s widely accepted that above 6000m is where you really begin to feel the alltitude. We set off and I felt ok, then after about an hour or so I felt like something chenged and I could get the oxygen in. My pace didn`t increrase dramatically but the ease with which I moving improved. When I came to an incline I would conciously increase my rate of breathing and it worked. As the day went on I didn`t feel like the height gain was impacting on my performance. When we stopped about 30mins from camp to have our lunch I was feeling good. The scenary was outstanding as we followed the glacier up. Towers of ice stood 50ft high, as if they had been sculpted. As we turned for the final pull upto camp there was Everest again but this time from very different angle. Unlike base camp where you have the classic view if Everest this is more a view of the north and north east ridge. These are the parts of this huge rock expance that are of interest to us. You can clearly see the main obstacles that are between you and the top of the world. I wouldn`t say it looks close but from here you are gazing up at the all the bumps and ripples before that lead you to the final summit cone. It is amazing to think back in the 1920s Mallory and his team stood in this same area and looked up asking themselves.........where now? The plan from here is to make it up to the North Col at 7100m via a steep 400m head wall. This is going to be the first real hard challenge of the trip. A sum of money is paid by every team to the Chinese Tibetan mountaineering organisation who fix the lines from the bottom of the North Col head wall to the top of the mountain. This will be completed late april depending on the weather. As the trip heads into May the winds will drop and it will become warmer and more settled. Some teams may attempt to summit as early as the first week in May if it looks good. We won`t be ready that early it`s going to be mid to late May.

Up to the Head Wall
20th April After an wild night with strong winds I decided to go up to the head wall and get really close to Everest. This involved an hour or so up to "crampon corner" where .... you guessed it we stuck our crampons on and had about 30mins over the glaciert to the head wall. The scene was incredible. To my left is the north east ridge which was first climbed by Russel Brice only quite recently. In front of me is the North Col with the noth ridge above. This then ramps up meeting the north east ridge above 8000m and the final few metres to the top. It`s spectacular. Stood up there you really feel like you on the mountain. Once at the head wall there were people going up. Thry were at varying different stages of what seems like a set program of acclimatisation. There were people who were carrying big packs. These guys will be staying up on the North Col and are ahead of us. I had a chat with the Montanegrans who were heading up for the first time and coming straight back down. I can see how covering the same ground several times can become a real mental challenge. If I feel good I think I will attempt the Col tommorow.

2010-04-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

A Tough Day Under Everest
13th April Last night was a bad night. I woke in the middle of the night coughing qiute badly and a rattley chest. I kept coughing for quite a while before I proped myself up and waited until the morning. It was the first really lonely night. My mind spent what seemed like hours back with Beth and Isla all safe in Helmsley. Once i was up the cough didn`t seem to bad so I set off on the group walk. As we gained height the cough became more regular, as I struggled to get air in. Simon, the other dad picked up on this and stopped me and asked Nigel, the doc to check me out. He couldn`t do a lot where we were but I decided to go down a wait for them to come back and get checked out. I was exhausted once I got back and I`d only been on the go for 2 and half hours. Once I stopped I didn`t feel to bad. I could feel my heart was beating fast and my chest tight. I suspected the worst and it would be the start of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. This can be treat and doesn`t definately mean the end of my trip but its a problem thet may lead that way. I lay in my tent just pondering the potential outcome of my illness. There was part of me that would love to buzz home and see the girls, but then in the grand scheme of things a few more weeks and I`ll be back anyway. Once the party was back and we`d had lunch Nigel gave me full MOT. He checked me over and using his stethascope he couldn`t hear any rattling on my chest. My heart rate is high and my oxygen saturation is a liitle low but it`s a lot of snot on my chest. I have just had my head over a bowl of hot water with Vics in it. It`s definately feeling a bit better so we`ll see tommorow. The main thing is it`s not HAPE. and I`ll be abe to shrug it off. I`m taking things day by day so we`ll see what happens tommorow.

First Hard Day
14th April Today we were walking upto 6000m. This is really the first bench mark of the trip. I was not sure how I was going go. I was still chesty and planned to take it very easy. It was an 800m height gain over very bouldery ground, with a light brushing of snow. It would have been awkward at sea level. To give you some idea of how you slow down even at this alltitude. When planning walking times in the UK, I would work on 450m an hour over reasonable ground. We are doing something nearer 150 an hour even at this height. I was running at 80%,my lung capacity still seems limited. I am coughing a lot but feel like I`m on the mend. I got up to the 6025m turn around point probably 20mins after the qiuckest. The main thing as I managed it. I felt weak on the way down, mainly because I didnt take any food with me. Once down we had tea, I couldn`t get a lot down and just hit the hey. I`m finding getting food down a problem but got to keep trying.

The First of Three Days of Rest
15th April Today I woke feeling the best I`ve felt so far. I`m still coughing but feel like my energy levels are better. I drank a lot through the night which really makes a difference. Once we`d had breakfast today was the day the Sherpa`s have organised the Puja. This is a Buddhist ceremony, led by one of the monks from the Rongbuk monestry. The ceremony lasted about an hour and the monk blesses all the climbing gear, puts up a pole with four legs of prey flags and chants the whole time. This was fantastic, all the sherpas got involved one of which has summited 13 times. We all throw rice and flour as on offering to the gods, asking for a safe expedion. I got through to home today and spoke to the girls and mum and dad. Although i can`t stop blubbering eveytime it`s great to talk to them. I am still a little concerned about my chest. I`m going to get Nigel to have another listen. It would be great to feel on top form. I know the altitude takes it`s tole but if I had full lung capacity it would be great.

2010-04-15T03:14:00.000-07:00

A Day of rest at Base Camp
12th April Had the best nights sleep so far, tucked up in the sleeping bag. Woke about 7 ìsh, before the sun was on the tent. I unzipped the door to see the North Face of Everest in full sun. What an incredible sight, it looked very still up there. If today was summit day and I was going well, I would be somewhere close to the top.The weather pattern seems similar each day, with it Unfortunately Mat has got worse throught the night.Nigel and Barry, the two docs tret him throught he night for Pulmonary Odema. He has been on oxygen all night and has got steadly better. They took him off the oxygen but his saturation level dropped off quickly and then they diagnosed Pneumonia. It has been agreed that he will be driven out as this could become very serious. It is a real disappointment for Mat who is a really fit motivated guy. We all said our goodbyes to Mat and consoled his partner on the trip Pete. They are good mates and have not only lived together for the last year but trained together. They had managed to get a number of sponsors involved. I must be incredibly hard for such a strong guy to leave at such an early stage. He had the worst sickness and dihrea of everybody and he didn`t shake it off. Looking back it could have any one of us that went down like that. They had made a pack that if one got sick the other one would carry on. Pete`s a strong guy and he`ll be there on summit day. Mat was only 24 so he`ll get another shot. I`ve felt a little bit rough today. Mainly no energy and a bit of a cough. It`s got better as the day has gone on though. Got the bgan sert up today, which allowed me to update the blog. The equipment thta Excelerate and Thales have provided is working great. We`ve got a walk tommorow, gaing 5 or 600m, so going to get my haed down.

A Tough Day Under Everest
13th April Last night was a bad night. I woke in the middle of the night coughing qiute badly and a rattley chest. I kept coughing for quite a while before I proped myself up and waited until the morning. It was the first really lonely night. My mind spent what seemed like hours back with Beth and Isla all safe in Helmsley. Once i was up the cough didn`t seem to bad so I set off on the group walk. As we gained height the cough became more regular, as I struggled to get air in. Simon, the other dad picked up on this and stopped me and asked Nigel, the doc to check me out. He couldn`t do a lot where we were but I decided to go down a wait for them to come back and get checked out. I was exhausted once I got back and I`d only been on the go for 2 and half hours. Once I stopped I didn`t feel to bad. I could feel my heart was beating fast and my chest tight. I suspected the worst and it would be the start of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. This can be treat and doesn`t definately mean the end of my trip but its a problem thet may lead that way. I lay in my tent just pondering the potential outcome of my illness. There was part of me that would love to buzz home and see the girls, but then in the grand scheme of things a few more weeks and I`ll be back anyway. Once the party was back and we`d had lunch Nigel gave me full MOT. He checked me over and using his stethascope he couldn`t hear any rattling on my chest. My heart rate is high and my oxygen saturation is a liitle low but it`s a lot of snot on my chest. I have just had my head over a bowl of hot water with Vics in it. It`s definately feeling a bit better so we`ll see tommorow. The main thing is it`s not HAPE. and I`ll be abe to shrug it off. I`m taking things day by day so we`ll see what happens tommorow.

2010-04-15T03:07:00.000-07:00

2010-04-15T03:05:00.000-07:00

2010-04-15T03:02:00.000-07:00

Pic so far

2010-04-15T02:58:00.001-07:00

Trip to Base camp

2010-04-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Leaving Home
3rd April Leaving ths morning wasn`t as bad as i expected. Beth is a real jewel. At times like this the phrase behind every man is a stronger woman(or words to that effect) couldn`t be more appropriate. She has been so supportive and is my rock.In true Davies style the tears flowed yesterday. I`ve definately inherited my family "tearful" gene and it`s getting worse with age. It`s lovely how Isla just bumbles on. We had a sunggely cuddle at Jane & Rogers which will be treasured for the next 10weeks. The struggle with the technology side of the trip drags on. I got skype set up last night but am meeting Mark from Thales , the sat provider at Heathrow. In some ways it`s worked great as he`ll give me a full run down on how it all works. I`m looking forward to meeting the bulk of the team at Heathrow. If the previous trip is anything to go by they`ll be an interesting bunch, maybe slightly more focused I think. I`m packed, I`ve left, I can feel my mind beginning to clear itself of things I need no longer think about. It`s strange when you have something emotionally huge happening in your life like an everest trip, how life and people just carry on as normal around you. Hopefully I`ll sleep big time on the plane and charge the batteries before we start moving out of Katmandu. A quick trip into Thamel for a carry mat and a water bottle and we`re ready.
Now sat in Heathrow after meerting up with Mark from Thales. The gear is fantastic and seems very easy to set up. Mark`s a regional sales man for Thales which are the UK agent for Imarsat, the owners of the satelites. Excelerate Technology then package the service up with equipment and sell to the likes of the Emergency Services. Mark looks after the middle east and some government depts including part of UNICEF. So far so good, just met two other young guys that are attempting the big one. First impressions seem great, they have the same slightly glazed look that has been all to familiar over the last few weeks.
Katmandu
4th April Arrived in Katmandu after a pretty steady journey. We all went to Rum Doodle for a bite to eat and it was then you realise how big the group is. One thing that has surprised me is how young the group are. I thought mainly middle aged men but I would say the majority are 20s and 30s. The hotel is very comfortable and a nice to think we are coming back to after what I hope will be a successful Everest attempt. The Tibetan visas were filled in after there was suspisions that the Chinese weren`t going to open the border and we would be stuck in Katmandu indefinately. Time for some kippy kippy now.
Oxygen Set up
5 April After a great nights sleep and a buffet breaky it was time to discuss plans. . After Stuarts` talk on kit, ex Flight Lieutenant Ted Atkins, multiple Everest summiteeer, came to talk through the Top 0ut oxygen set we will be using high on Everest. After his first Everest exped in 1988 he began thinking how the breathing system could be improved. After leading his own successful Everest exped in 2004 he left the forces and now lives in France, coming to Nepal for the Everest season providing a number of thre teams with equipment. This is a open flow system, a bit similar to the Dreager equipment we use within the Fire Service. The silicone mask creates a seal around over your mouth and nose and as you can see on the picture you have a resvoir bottle. When you breaththe air is forced into your lungs due to the pressure difference between the surrounding air and the oxygen from the cylinder. Each breath we take is split into 3 part. The first part which is the important lung filling part, the second part fills the pipe work down to your lungs and the third part which is the excelation. Due to the pressure difference between the cylinder/resevoir and the surrounding atmosphere the first part of each breath draws oxygen out of of the resevoir.The second part is then a mixture of surrounding air and oxygen as the pressure equals out. The only problem that can affect the system is icing up. The differnet potential issues can be sorted quite easily. I think being familiar with the equipment at work is a bouns and that feeling of having a mask over your face, which some people will find strange.
This afternoon involved a trip into Thamel, the tourist area of Katmandu. A trip to Shorneas` outdoor shop for some last minute bits. This is owned by a Brummie who married a Nepalese lady and has climbed big hills all his life. Him and his wife now have their own equipment manufactured. All the Western guide companies use him for kit. Kenton Cool (7 times Everest sumiteer) came in as we were leaving. He`s on the South side this year, 8 on the bounce!!
We are leaving for the boarder tommorow, regardless of whether it`s open or not. So going off to get a pre base camp bag together. The rest of our equipment we`ll meet up there in a week or so time.
Picture Dsc 0023
Road Trip into Tibet
6th April Today consisted of a bumpie,dusty bus journey accross the boarder into Tibet. This has to be one of the weirdest borader crossings. You get the impression that the boarder with Nepal is of very little interest to the Chinese. The expedtitions crossing are of even less interest. The freindship bridge spans a steep sided ravine that is overlooked by Zhangmu, the first town in Tibet. This is at an alltitude of 2300m. The drive to the borader began with the chaos of Katmandu with its` traffic and dust. Once out of the city the 100km drive became quite pleasent, apart from the odd rough section caused by landslides. Once the paperwork was complete we were lined up in the correct order and one by one the Chinese boarder gaurds let us cross the bridge. Once on the Tibetan side we passed through the chinses control with very little problem. The locals`who were carrying all the equipment, were not tret with the same respect. For some reason they were in a real rush for them to get through the control to such a degree, that at times, they were jammed in the double doors and had to be physically dragged apart. The bags with the laptops etc were identified before leaving Katmandu due to the £2500 tax placed on each item. The bags were rushed over with the equipment hidden under less interesting gear. We drove upto Zhangmu where we stayed the night.
Nylam
7th April The drive up to Nylam was interesting. The road is blasted into the hillside and to begin with was very rough with a huge drop on one side. After passing the sheated camps that house the people building the road we begin driving on the finished road. It was a fantastic road and a real feet of engineering.. It reminded of the monte Carlo rally. At 3700m Nylam is a fairly hostile place. The residents are hammered by the elements, the wind rips through and the sun beats down, their skin is like leather and they seem to spend there time indoors hiding. Stray dogs and Yaks scavenging on the main street is a weird sight. The colourful trucks that transport the supplies into base camp are fantastic. Along with the women and their dresses,theyt brighten up this baron scene. We`ve walked upto 4000m which was reasonably ok. I felt the alltitude a little bit this morning and took it real easy on the walk. I feel we`ve come up to this height quite quickly so I am concious to take everything slowly. After dinner went to email home, got the text written and the picture attached before the power went off and the whole thing lost. The Chinese do not let access to blog sights hence the delay in me updating. To be honest the real storey begins on sunday with our arrival at Base camp.Pic RIMG0022

8th April Slept real badly last night. Had a bad case of washing machine mind. From midnight until gone 3 my mind worked over time. The fact that I had a bit of a headache didn`t help. After forcing down what I could at breakfast we went out for a walk. Once you start to gain some height the surrounding hill/mountains are impressive. The lower slopes are quite barron and dry with prayer flags hung between every possible upright. We walked up a ridge above the town. We had been told not to take pictures of the town due to the military base thats is here. The walk was quite tough and I took it easy. I felt the alltitude without a doubt. It wasn`t my breathing, it was more my muscles.It took us up to a position with great views of the mountains around. The group got strung out before gathering back togerther ready for the descent. There are 18 Everest clients and 6 who are going as far as the North col. The group is made up of a broad range of people. There is a few who have quit there jobs, a few who are at different stages of the 7 summits on 7continents challenge. One impressive pair are Americans Don and Stuart, father and son who are hoping to climb Everest leaving only Mt Vincent to do. Don is 63 and has just become and grandfather for the first time. They have completed 5 climbs year on year, both summitting although Don does say he`s always chasing his son. They are already disscussung next years plan for Mt Vincent and the completion of the 7 summits challenge. We also have ex England and Wasps rugby player Josh Lucy on the trip. When announcing his retirement from rugby last year, when asked what was next he replied Everest. Before this interview he had already contacted his buddy Keith, a helicopter pilot in the army, telling him what the plan was. Keith agreed and there publicity machine began. They are planning a live link with the rugby game going on at Twikenham of St Georges`day. This game is in aid of Help for Heros and the idea behind it is to try and fill the 80,000 stadium for the game. Josh will then appear on the big screens with a message from Everest telling the cowd and everybody at watching to text Everest to a certain number and donate to the charity. They have a similar communication set up to the one Excelerate Technology and Thales have put together for me. I was very grateful to Mark from Thales who went through the setting up of the equipment with me at Heathrow before my flight. I am sharing with a young guy called Geordie. He is attempting to become the youngest Brit to complete the Seven summits. His plan, if successful on Everest is to go out to Carstensz pyramid in Papoa New Guinea in September followed by Mt Vincent in Antarctica in December. If successful he will the ripe old age of 21. To give him credit he has funded the trips personally and has sponsorship for this one. The other first on the North side this year involves a THIRTEEN year old and his adventure racing dad from the states. They are planning an attempt involving a very low level of support above advanced base camp. Apparently in the US the press have been following him with mixed reports. They are on the north side due to the age limit of 15 imposed by the Nepalese on the south side. Pic RMG0001 RMG0031

Across the Tibetan Plateau to Tingri
9th April The drive up to Tingri is pretty special. The road was tarmaced for the Olympics in 2008. Before then this 3hr journey would take nearer 6. It winds its way upto the high point of 5100m before dropping back down to 4300m. We got our first sight of Everest. It is still some 60km away but it looks huge, with the wind wipping the cloud over the summit it still feels quite unbelieveable that that is our goal. Tingri is the last stop before base camp so all the teams are here. Tingri is a real hole . The hygene is a real problem in places like this.There are a number if the team suffering with there stomachs. The toilets are really primative and the way the food is perpared does not fill you with confidence. There is a huge number of people involved in the different expeditions. I have been talking to some guys who are hoping to be the first summiteers from Montanegro. They were here last year but due to wind and bad organisation they didn`t summit. I spoke to the Beth & Isla this morning which was really nice. The sat phone worked a treat. There are two other guys in a similar position as myself, with a little one back at home.It gives me rerassurance that when it gets tough there peolpe around who will understand.

Getting higher
10th April Got up after a reasonable nights sleep. Suffering a little bit with my stomach and struggling to get the food in. We went out on walk straight after breakfast, gaining approx 600m to just under 5000m. I felt good and sert off at a pace I maintained all the way to the top. Stuart the American, followed me up the last 250m drag and we worked well together, who knows he might be the person i summit with!! Rob, the guide for the North Col party has not surfaced for three days and it`s becoming a bit of a concern for the clients. We have three doctors with us one of which is Barry who is a real English gent. I keep overhearing him disscussing Robs`condition with the others docs, and comparing the various different drugs they`vè brought with them. The latest plan is for some of the group to stay back another day, before going upto base camp. There is a height gain of approx 900m between Tingri and base camp. This will have an effect on even the fittest members of the team. The trade off once at BC is the food and hygene will be a lot better.The decision will be made by Stu & Mat (the guides), in the morning as to whether anybody will stay back. Everest is approx 70kms away as the crow flies yet still looks huge. The bus journey tommorow will take past the Rongbuck monastery with fantastic views of Everest beyond. I feel like this is the start of the next stage and to get close to Everest will be incredible. I think tommorow could be the day the reason why I`m here actually sinks in!

Upto Base Camp
11th April Everybody woke up well enough to travel upto base camp. I think nobody wanted to stay in Tingri any longer than they needed to. The bus journey began with yet another random Chinese check point. I think this was the point we entered the Everest National park. The road was rough but considering where it`s going it`s well enginered. It wound up the hill side, to a high point of 5100m. We stopped the bus as this is an incredible view point. Four of the worlds 8000m peaks were in view. Everest was in the middle clear as day. The road wound down and passed through a couple of villages. The occupants rely purely on farming for there hand to mouth existance. Everest kept on appearing between the hills. The road was real rough and at one point we had to stop and pick up the wing mirror that fell off due to the constant bumping. We stopped at the famous Rongbuk Monastry, with Everest looming over in the background. I spun the prey wheels and looked up at the summit. I asked for a fulfilling attempt and a safe return.Once up at base camp we got our tents organised and settled in. They are brand new tents, I spent some time placing rocks arouund the base of my tent to keep the constant wind out. I did a bit of a sort out but guessed we are going to have enough time to get the tent looking tidy.The food is great. We walked into the mess tent to find all the food you could imagine. Even though we have come up to 5200m our appitites seem much stronger due to the western food. I`m feeling pretty good. I`ve got a bit of a headache but my breathing is good. We`re not getting a bgan signal due to the hills around. The only way is to walk up the hillside so the the bgan can pick up the satelites. Unfortunately Mat, a young Royal Marine has not been well for last few days but decided to come upto base camp yesterday. Just hope he get`s sorted.

The Night Before

2010-04-02T14:12:00.001-07:00

I`ve packed, re-packed then packed again, and I`m still 4kg over weight. I`ve decided to bite the bullet and cough up at the airport if neccassary. I feel there`s nothing i can take out without a consequence. Anyway thouroghly knackered after the goodbyes`. I think both my wife Beth and I are just ready to get on with the challenge that lies ahead. I`m not sure what`s a bigger challenge, Everest or our 2yr old daughter for 10 weeks!

My Day with Draeger

2010-03-27T16:00:00.001-07:00

Draeger, along with a lot of other very interesting equipment, provide Fire Services with breathing apparatus. They invited me to their headquarters to take some photos with a piece of mountaineering history. Draeger provided breathing apparatus to the 1953 Everest expedition on which Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing made the summit. They have Hillarys actual set on display. If I ever needed inspiration, this was it!

Panorama from the Matterhorn

2010-03-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

This is the view from thre summint of the Matterhorn in The Alps. I was out there in 2008 with a good friend of mine who at the time was the ripe old age of 70. Eric`s is a inspirational legend. Hope I`m capable of that kind of thing at that age!