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3/31 – 4/29: Trek to Base Camp
I believe this was one of the longest climbing experiences I’ve had, as it spanned nearly 7.5 weeks from my arrival in Kathmandu to the summit of Lhotse. This duration was even longer than my time working with Himex and climbing Everest in 2016.
Several factors contributed to this extended timeline, including the trek in, delays with permits for Shishapangma that never materialized, acclimatizing on Lobuche, battling bronchitis, and coordinating climbing schedules with my friend Anni. Write up of trek in and Lobuche climb is separate.
Pointing up at Lhotse from Dingboche on the trek in.
Somewhere in the Khumbu icefall.
4/29: BC -> C1
I woke up at 1 AM after a rough night of sleep. By 1:30, I left the tent for breakfast, but my appetite was nearly nonexistent. I managed to eat some chapati and egg, though I made several trips to the toilet before we departed.
As we exited base camp, we stopped at our puja altar to pay tribute to the mountain gods with burning juniper and incense. Crampon point was about a 20 minute walk from our basecamp, it is hear that we put on our climbing gear. This year’s icefall seemed surprisingly tame; I kept comparing it to 2016, when we immediately faced a menacing ladder and challenging sections. This time, it felt flatter with far fewer ladders.
As sunrise approached, I began to feel cold but was determined to reach the relative safety of the “football field” before putting on my warmer gloves and coat. Thundu Sherpa kept claiming it was just 10 minutes away, but it took me closer to an hour to arrive. When I got there, I felt nauseous and ended up vomiting several times. The football field was crowded with climbers, mostly Americans, leaving little room for modesty when my body demanded relief.
Once we resumed our ascent, I felt even worse. I tried not to beat myself up for moving slowly, but I worried about putting both my safety and Thundu’s at risk. There were a couple of steep sections with overhanging sacks, but nothing overly challenging.
Reaching the ice wall at the end of the icefall, we encountered a traffic jam reminiscent of 2016 when I became hypothermic waiting in this same spot. When it was my turn, I felt weak but manageable. I was relieved to finally step into the sunlight above.
Thundu, Super Sherpa above the icefall.
Camp I.
Somehow, I felt even slower heading to Camp One, but I was pleasantly surprised to see my teammate Tim coming down, which gave me a small boost of energy. Reaching Camp One was a relief. I crawled into the tent and managed to sleep for several hours, which I desperately needed. The rest of the day was spent resting in the tent while trying to eat and drink water. Thankfully, whatever had been making me nauseous seemed to have passed. I wondered if the zinc and elderberry I had been using at base camp to stave off a cold were hard for my body to digest at high altitude.
My teammate Anni was coughing frequently; she had been battling a respiratory illness since arriving at EBC, and the altitude seemed to worsen her cough. Thundu and Nima coordinated a drone project for most of the day. Dinner consisted of freeze-dried meals, which tasted delicious as my appetite returned. I fell asleep easily while listening to my audiobook.
4/30: C1 to C2
I woke up around 6 AM to the sounds of Anni and the Sherpas organizing for the day. Breakfast was a simple yet satisfying mix of coffee and a fig bar. Initially cold, I warmed up quickly as the sun rose and we began to move. The route to C2 was different from what I remembered, as it veered far right to avoid crevasses. While this made for an easier ascent, I felt that navigating those crevasses—even if tedious—could provide valuable experience for climbers preparing for Everest.
Anni set a relaxing pace, which was perfect for quietly repeating the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum.” This helped me quiet my mind and stay present. I did get reprimanded for being too close to a crevasse—though I felt secure, roped up—and received some tips on how to carry my ATC. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever escape being “mansplained” in the climbing world. Sigh.
Feeling a bit restless, I decided to pick up the pace until I reached the edge of my limits, maintaining this slightly aggressive speed until we arrived at C2. To my surprise, we were greeted by a large dining tent and a delicious lunch of potatoes, pasta, and soup. It felt surreal to have hot meals at this elevation; usually, on less popular 8,000-meter peaks, we’d just boil water and eat freeze-dried food. It’s also unusual to have a dedicated dining tent at such a high altitude.
Once settled in, Anni and I shared a surprisingly spacious tent. Upon arrival, my pulse oximeter read between 65% and 71%, with my pulse in the 70s. After taking 125 mg of Diamox and resting for a couple of hours, my pulse ox improved to 80%, and my resting heart rate was 71—definitely a relief to see those numbers!
Thundu and me on the climb between C1 & C2.
Me and Anni at C2 with the jet stream blowing on Lhotse behind us.
5/1-5/3: Acclimatizing at C2
The next three days were spent allowing our bodies to adjust to the altitude at C2. Overnight, winds gusted up to 50 miles per hour as the jet stream touched down on Lhotse. Our tent shook violently, and Anni and I shared our concern for our teammate Sirbaz, who was thousands of feet above us, alone at C3 on the Lhotse face. When morning light broke, we emerged to a landscape battered by the storm; several tents had been destroyed, including one of our kitchen tents. Thankfully, Sirbaz returned from C3 unharmed, and we embraced him, relief washing over us.
With the winds still howling, we opted not to climb on the first day; instead, we focused on replenishing our energy and resting. I took some time to work on my journal from Dhaulagiri, finding it strangely easier to summon those memories while in this hypoxic state.
Caption
The following day brought calmer winds, but significant rockfall continued to threaten our ascent. This year, the Lhotse face had seen less snow, leading to dangerous conditions. In the days leading up to this, other climbers had been injured by falling rocks. Rather than attempting to reach C3, we decided to trek to the bergschrund above C2. I felt a nagging worry about needing to climb higher for acclimatization; yet, the increased risk from rockfall made it difficult to justify that decision. I found myself hoping for more snow to blanket the Lhotse face and cover the treacherous loose rocks. To our relief, heavy snowfall began a few days later, providing the necessary coverage for our next attempt at C3.
5/3: C2 – EBC
On the last day of our acclimatization stint, we rose early to begin our descent back to Base Camp through the Khumbu Icefall. The overall journey was uneventful, yet we encountered a climber named Tim Howell, who was planning to scale Lhotse and wingsuit off the summit.
Descending from C2, crossing an avalanche path.
5/4- 5/15: 11 days of rest EBC
After returning to EBC, Anni made the wise choice to descend to a lower altitude to recover from her respiratory infection and worsening cough—something I wholeheartedly supported. She managed to secure a helicopter to Namche, where she could recuperate in a more forgiving environment. However, arranging a return helicopter was difficult and expensive, so she hiked back over two grueling days.
One of many hikes behind EBC.
Tracee, Billi, Janelle.
Meanwhile, I remained at EBC, keeping myself occupied by making laps up to Pumori ABC—sometimes doing this twice a day! It was a great opportunity to bond with my team. One day, my friend Janelle and I decided to venture down to Gorak Shep for lunch, a risky choice given the lack of water and sanitation there, but we were rewarded with Coke’s and Khukuri.
We filled our downtime with countless epic games of Uno and copious amounts of coffee. We even celebrated one climber’s birthday at EBC, even though he was stuck up at C2. The legendary Billi Bierling visited our camp, and we spent time watching movies. Other groups summited and made their way back down, and finally, it was our turn to climb.
Happy birthday James, we miss you…
Pasang aka Happy, me, and the big boss Mingma G.
Mingma G announced that I would no longer be climbing with Thundu, as he wanted to give Thundu the opportunity to try to break a record on Everest. Instead, I would climb with Pasang, also known as Happy Sherpa. While I was sad not to climb with Thundu, I knew Happy well and felt confident that we would climb well together.
5/16: EBC -> C2
It was another alpine start, with breakfast at 1:30 AM and climbing by 2 AM. The initial pace felt rushed, and I couldn’t shake the annoyance of being hurried. When we reached Crampon Point, my heart sank at the sight of at least 20 climbers preparing their gear—so much for our plan to start early and sidestep the crowds. Opting not to stop, we pressed on higher without our crampons in a futile attempt to get ahead. However, the unforgiving terrain soon forced us to pause and gear up for the ascent.
Sensing Anni and Nima’s urgency, I suggested they go ahead, and to my relief, they obliged. When Happy Sherpa and I resumed our climb, I was surprised to feel decent—not nauseated or freezing like during our first icefall ascent. Accepting that the crowds were inevitable, I focused on staying hydrated and well-fed when the pace slowed.
Somewhere in the icefall.
WTF!!
Upon reaching the football field, we finally took a break and chatted with fellow climbers. Once we resumed climbing, we encountered the steep ice wall, and to our dismay, there were at least 65 people ahead of us in line. Happy Sherpa, always eager to move quickly, decided we should try to cut to the front of the line. Before I could voice my concerns, he darted ahead, and I followed, unwilling to risk getting separated. We managed to slip ahead of about 15 people before a climber named Vinnay caught our eye, shaking his head and clucking his tongue, shaming us back into the queue.
When it was finally my turn to tackle the wall, I found it unexpectedly difficult. I still can’t determine if my jumar was too short or too long. Reaching the top, I sat down for about 10 minutes, catching my breath and trying to steady my racing heart.
Eventually, we arrived at C1, where Happy and I took a moment to rest, eat some snacks, and melt snow to refill our water bottles. The remaining slog to C2 stretched on for nearly three hours—longer than last time. The sight of C2 was maddening; it was within eyesight but still hours away.
Finally, I made it to C2, relief washing over me. I was coughing quite a bit, but I chalked it up to exertion in the cold, dry air at altitude. Knowing we had a full rest day ahead to recover eased my mind. I was grateful for the comforts of a dining tent and hot meals. Anni and I continued to be tentmates, although I noticed her cough was starting to ramp up again.
5/18: C2 -> C3
We left around 7:45 AM, 45 minutes later than planned. Right away, it felt uncomfortably hot in our down suits, and I wondered how we would manage. Just 45 minutes in, we decided to unzip the tops of our suits and tie them around our waists—a smart choice. The clouds floated in and out throughout the day, helping prevent overheating.
Too hot already!!
On the way to C3.
The climb to C3 was relatively straightforward, except for a bergschrund that required an awkward straddling maneuver.
Upon arriving at C3, we climbed into one of the team tents that was already set up. Despite the challenging terrain, the tent platform was surprisingly flat and comfortable, spacious enough for Anni and me. We cooked some noodles and did our best to hydrate.
Using the bathroom was challenging; it was a dangerous area where losing balance could send you sliding down the Lhotse face. The “toilet” area was low and lacked steps, forcing me to jump down each time, quite a feat with my arthritic knee.
That night, I began using supplemental oxygen at 0.5 liters per minute. Starting oxygen at this elevation would hopefully help me sleep better, stay warmer, and recover more effectively. I hoped this would make me safer and stronger for the next two days of climbing to the summit of Lhotse and back down.
Approaching C3.
Happy taking a rest.
5/19: C3 to C4
When we woke up, the wind howled, and heavy snow fell, prompting us to delay our departure until around 8:45 AM. At the time, this seemed like a sensible decision—we assumed the Everest climbers would be in such a rush that they’d have a couple of hours’ head start on us. However, we were soon proven wrong; we quickly caught up with them and found ourselves stuck in several traffic jams along the route.
The climb began in bitter cold and blustery conditions, but as we reached the yellow band, the heat became unbearable. I had to stop to shed some layers. Happy, carrying a significantly heavier load, chose to forge ahead without removing any clothing, enduring the heat. To make matters worse, I experienced another bout of diarrhea, adding to my discomfort. I realized it was time to take some Imodium, in addition to the Pepto-Bismol I had taken earlier.
The ascent felt agonizingly slow and there was gigantic traffic jam on the Yellow Band. By the time I finally reached our tent at C4, I was exhausted and dehydrated from the diarrhea. I had hoped someone would have started melting snow for water, but that wasn’t the case. With four of us sharing one tent, I worried it would be difficult to rest and navigate bathroom trips. Another dose of Imodium was in order.
The next few hours were uncomfortable, but we did our best to rest and rehydrate. We managed to have some soup and hot water, eventually attempting to eat some boil-in-the-bag meals. Once the sun set, we tried to sleep, but it was a challenge. When I finally woke up in the morning, I could tell my oxygen supply had run out during the night; I felt heavy and lethargic.
Traffic jam of Everest climbers on the Yellow Band.
Anni and I showing off food we could barely eat.
5/20: C4 -> Summit -> C2
We woke up around 10 PM to howling winds and heavy snowfall, so we decided to rest for a few more hours. When we finally got up around 12:30 AM, things felt hectic. Preparing with four people in a single tent was no easy task. I felt grouchy about being stuck in the middle position. Over coffee and my fig bar, I realized one bar wasn’t nearly enough—note to self for next time. After packing our sleeping bags, both Anni and I needed to pee, which delayed things further. It was troubling that neither of us had to go in the middle of the night; starting a climb dehydrated is never a good sign.
Next, we dawned our harnesses and it was time to rock and roll. I opted not to put on my crampons yet, as my hands were too cold. The wind was fierce when we began, and there was no sign of other teams climbing. I wondered if a rest day at C4 would have been beneficial to focus on hydration for a better summit attempt, but since I believed we didn’t have any oxygen to spare, that didn’t seem viable.
I tried to shift my focus from the challenges to the positives. I was grateful we weren’t moving at a blistering pace, so I attempted to settle in and recite a mantra. My mind, however, buzzed with a thousand thoughts, and I struggled to quiet it, knowing my brain needed glucose and believing the excessive thinking was wasteful. I tried to count steps but that didn’t bring me serenity, so I finally gave in and let the song “Tourniquet” play on repeat in my head; it wasn’t worth the mental energy to fight it.
Lhotse Couloir.
When we entered the Lhotse Couloir, I was pleasantly surprised to find deep snow instead of rocks. Normally this section is primarily a rock climb, but that was not the case today. The thought of Hilaree Nelson skiing her dream line here filled me with joy; it truly was a beautiful ski line despite the tight chokes. However, the couloir stretched on endlessly, flanked by towering rock walls, reminding me that the summit was still far off.
The only real temptation to quit came from my mistaken belief that we didn’t have enough oxygen. As conditions worsened, we kept turning up our flow rates, and I dreaded the thought of descending without oxygen. After my experience on Annapurna, I knew how dangerous it was to switch off oxygen once you’ve started using it. The Sherpas seemed unconcerned and encouraged us to increase our flow rates so we could move faster.
Before long, we reached a plateau where we discussed our plan. Nima and Happy felt confident the summit was just 20 to 30 minutes away, telling us we couldn’t quit now. I could see the summit, and it seemed absurd to turn back at that point. The relentless steepness of the climb weighed on me; all I wanted was to sit for five minutes, drink some water, and gather myself, but the terrain wouldn’t allow for that.
When we finally reached the summit, another team of two was close behind us. Anni went first, snapping some photos while I took in the scene. It was necessary to rappel off the summit, and she was already doing so by the time I expressed my interest in a picture together. The climbing duo behind us looked annoyed, likely eager to move. Ngima took some photos, then Happy, and lastly, me. Although I managed to hold my flags properly, I didn’t bother taking off my sunglasses or oxygen mask; I was exhausted and worried I might drop them. I always feel a surge of stress on the summit—it’s a relief to be there, yet I know how much work lies ahead in getting down, so celebration feels premature.
Lhotse summit!
Everest as seen while descending the Lhotse Couloir.
The descent wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I alternated between arm repels and occasional repelling using the ATC, reminding myself that if the couloir was skiable, surely, I could down climb it.
Alarmingly, my breathing worsened as we descended. Near the exit of the couloir, I sat down to use my inhaler and took 8 mg of dexamethasone, as this medication is effective for both HACE and bronchitis. When we finally reached C4, Happy Sherpa recommended I switch to 6 liters of oxygen, as we had spare bottles that would otherwise be released into the air. I admit that inhaling the 6 liters for about half an hour worked wonders and I felt significantly improved and was able to eat and drink.
The descent began reasonably well. We encountered massive traffic jams at the yellow band, which provided plenty of opportunities to rest. I kept my oxygen on because I knew my lungs were in bad shape. Under different circumstances, I might have considered descending without oxygen to improve my acclimatization for future climbs, but with our trip to Pakistan just over a month away, that didn’t seem wise.
After the yellow band, the path was relatively smooth until we reached C3. I navigated the icy sections without much difficulty, though the ropes were too tight for rappelling. Once we arrived, I sat down and was treated to hot tea and water from another team.
The descent from C3 felt endless. It should have been a short climb, but my lungs refused to cooperate. Everything seemed manageable until we reached the bergschrund, when my breathing became frighteningly labored. I had initially thought I might make it in time for dinner, but that hope vanished. Next, I thought perhaps I could return before sunset, but that was out of the question. Eventually, I had to sit down and tell Happy Sherpa that I needed help. He valiantly carried my pack and eventually sent Ang Du to assist me. I was so weak that even walking on flat ground caused severe pulmonary distress, so I gratefully allowed Ang Du to guide me into camp.
Despite not eating all day, I was too exhausted to consume anything more than soup when I got back to C2. I did sleep well until about 6 AM. At one point during the night, I considered attempting to go down to Base Camp the next morning but ultimately decided it was safer to wait one more day and let my body recover.
Looking back up towards Lhotse now with the moon overhead.
Happy and Tracee at Crampon Point enjoying our beverage of choice, Coke!!
5/22 C2 ->EBC
The climb down to EBC was smooth. Anni descended the day before, so it was just Happy and I together.