Some of you are probably thinking ‘why is he doing one more post when he’s home safe and sound’? There are a couple of opinions I’d like to share…they are only opinions and although I have always told my staff that I’m always right, there is the very odd occasion when I could be wrong!!!!

I thought I’d start with the ‘fight’ between Sherpas and professional climbers on Everest as I feel it has a certain amount of relevance. I believe the fight broke out, fundamentally because of the difference in attitude towards climbing between Westerners and Sherpas. Sherpas look on the climb as a collective experience, i.e. working as a team, whereas some professional climbers look on it more as a solitary experience. How does this relate to the expedition I’ve just returned from? I was with a group from a local Nepalese company called Snowy Horizon, we were the first group of the season to arrive at Advanced Base Camp. The group had four Sherpas, one of which, Tshiring, was a very experienced climber…there job to put up any fixed rope required, basically to climb the mountain before the clients, making the route safe or should I say safer.

Two other groups arrived within the next week, neither had Sherpas or the expertise or equipment to put up any fixed ropes…they expected the ropes to have already been fixed and that they would be able to use them!!! I was gobsmacked, why would you expect to be able to turn up with little or no equipment and expect to use the equipment laid down by previous groups? I wouldn’t have minded if they were going to climb Cho Oyu Alpine Style as the professional climbers, who got into the argument with the Sherpas, on Everest were, these two groups still required the fixed ropes!

The conditions on the mountain were such that fixed rope was required from Camp 1 all the way through to Camp 2 and the Sherpas assumed because of the complete lack of snow on the upper reaches of the mountain (The Yellow Band) then fixed ropes would also be required from Camp 3 to the summit plateau, this was considerably more rope than Snowy Horizon had. This would have meant that there would have been no summit bid by any of the three groups presently at ABC. A fourth group arrived in week three of our stay, from Summit Climb, they had both Sherpas and rope, which meant that the climb could be completed, if weather and conditions were favourable.

Two principles, I believe, arose out of this situation, one I’ve already mentioned, should teams gain access to the mountain, expecting fixed ropes to be in place at no cost to themselves? But more importantly to myself is, if I had stayed and summited could I have said that I had climbed Cho Oyu or did I just drag myself up using a jumar using someone else’s expertise? On Everest, were the Sherpas right or the professional climbers, is there a place for both amateur and professionals….I believe there is, but as always tolerance and compromise are required.

It has been a wonderful expedition and one that I am glad I experienced. Expeditions, probably aren’t for me…too much sitting around, of the three and a half weeks that I was at ABC, I only spent about five days walking/climbing, whereas on a trek you are always on the move. The scenery was spectacular and changed with the light, every hour. Although I’ll never try to climb an eight thousand metre peak again, I’m sure one day I’ll return to Nepal, with it’s vibrant capital city and unique landscape.

Update: The window of opportunity to summit Cho Oyu, like Everest, is very short. The season starts in April and finishes in late May, summiting normally middle of May. Due to conditions, such as high winds and lack of snow, I believe that all four groups that were on the mountain have now pulled out and heading back towards Kathmandu……I hate to say it…..but that does make me feel better, I know it shouldn’t and I would love to have seen the other six members of my group summit.

I’m sat in my tent after taking the decision to retreat to Kathmandu in two days time, the reason……the weather has been temperamental, with no forecast received being in any way accurate. The forecast was for settled weather until 7th May. This has not been the case, there has been snow and winds above Camp 1 of over 100km per hour, not conducive to happy walking. Also the Turquoise Goddess has little or no snow on the side I’m climbing. This has meant that the Sherpas have had to lay fixed rope all the way from Camp 1 to Camp 2, as for much of the time the climbing is on glacial ice rather than snow, which makes it a little harder and above Camp 3 there is practically no snow, therefore the Rock Band would be far more difficult to negotiate.

Enough of the technical excuses. All of the above I would have taken in my stride, but my body was telling me that the Turquoise Goddess was probably beyond my reach. I appeared to have acclimatised well, but the long steep slopes up to Camp 1 and the fixed rope section up to the Ice Fall, really took it out of me and left me more exhausted than I have ever felt in my life and the annoying aspect is that I’m probably fitter now than I’ve ever been.

Today I was to return to Camp 1 and the next day up to Camp 2 stay the night then return to ABC. After returning to ABC I would have taken three days rest before the summit push. The weather yesterday, however, was appalling although it had cleared this morning the high winds were very apparent both at ABC and high on the mountain. However myself and the rest of the group headed off towards Camp 1 as planned, only to meet the Sherpas returning from having spent a sleepless the night higher up the mountain, due to the high winds and informing us that the weather was too severe so we were all told to return to ABC. That decision was the defining moment when I decided that I would return home early!

Was it a difficult decision? The decision in my eyes was right and therefore not difficult, although I felt very emotional, that I had failed to achieve something that had been nearly three years in planning and organising.

Very much looking forward to being back with Carolynn.

Ps, thank you for everyone’s support and understanding….the obsession is over! I’ll stick to Trekking, good news for you Ann!

I’ve just spent three nights up at Camp 1 at 6,400m. To get there I had to climb that 500m scree slope, I think I’ve said enough about that particular slope….the only thing I’ll add is that I will never complain about Uncle Les’s so called paths again….the Sherpas are having to lay the fixed ropes as we are the first group at ABC. So the first day up at Camp 1 was spent climbing up to the Ice wall and back, a height gain of only 300m and a distance of probably only 3k but in the rarefied air it certainly took it out of me.

The following day I repeated the climb plus climbed the Ice Fall, as the fixed ropes had been put in earlier the same day by the Sherpas. Was it worth the wait, oh yes, what a beautiful climb, over solid blue glacial ice and the view from the top was breathtaking. I then returned to Camp 1, again this had taken 8 to 9 hours so I decided to spend another night at Camp 1 rather than making the trip to ABC, which would have added another 2.5 hours of descent down that b….y hill.

I trained hard for this trip and was under no allusions as to what to expect…..but I will admit that the experience has been FAR harder than I realised. I know there will be some people back at home saying ‘I told you so’, but I believed that I had it in me. I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that the summit bid maybe beyond my capabilities, but I have said on previous posts that the summit wasn’t the be all and end all and that if the decision had to be made and that I felt the risk was too great, whether that was because of lack of capability on my part or due to weather etc, then I wouldn’t be foolish enough to attempt a summit bid. One thing I know I will have gained from this experience is an ever increasing love, delight and, of course, respect for some of the greatest mountain scenery in the world. And I think I’ve got some great photographs!!!!!

I’ve just completed that horrendous, what feels like a near vertical 500m ascent up to camp one from ABC. If I’m honest it felt just a little easier than the last time, even though I knew what was coming! We did it in a group of six of us and I listened to Robert Jordons ‘Wheel of Time’ that’s on my iPhone and that certainly took some of the pain away. Nick Farr’s opinion, who has very kindly guided me through this expedition, of the walk between ABC and Camp One, is not repeatable on a public web sit…..but Nick I agree with you whole heartedly!

We’re no longer Glamping! Camp one is as basic as any camp site could be. No mess tent, no cook, no toilet, or any other kind of immunity you would associate with a modern camp site. I’m sharing with Tshering for the next couple of nights, while the Sherpas put up the fixed ropes over the ice fall between Camp One and Camp Two. If they manage it them we will also go up to Camp Two, at 7100m and return back to Camp One, spend the night then return to ABC! Why back to ABC….I think it’s to make me climb that bloody hill again….or it might have something to do with further acclimatisation.

The most important thing is that we are now on Cho Oyu proper and for all my moaning about the killer climb, the views from here are amazing and the view up the mountain to the summit is one of awe and respect.

I’ve just spent three nights up at Camp 1 at 6,400m. To get there I had to climb that 500m scree slope, I think I’ve said enough about that particular slope….the only thing I’ll add is that I will never complain about Uncle Les’s so called paths again….the Sherpas are having to lay the fixed ropes as we are the first group at ABC. So the first day up at Camp 1 was spent climbing up to the Ice wall and back, a height gain of only 300m and a distance of probably only 3k but in the rarefied air it certainly took it out of me.

The following day I repeated the climb plus climbed the Ice Fall, as the fixed ropes had been put in earlier the same day by the Sherpas. Was it worth the wait, oh yes, what a beautiful climb, over solid blue glacial ice and the view from the top was breathtaking. I then returned to Camp 1, again this had taken 8 to 9 hours so I decided to spend another night at Camp 1 rather than making the trip to ABC, which would have added another 2.5 hours of descent down that b….y hill.

I trained hard for this trip and was under no allusions as to what to expect…..but I will admit that the experience has been FAR harder than I realised. I know there will be some people back at home saying ‘I told you so’, but I believed that I had it in me. I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that the summit bid maybe beyond my capabilities, but I have said on previous posts that the summit wasn’t the be all and end all and that if the decision had to be made and that I felt the risk was too great, whether that was because of lack of capability on my part or due to weather etc, then I wouldn’t be foolish enough to attempt a summit bid. One thing I know I will have gained from this experience is an ever increasing love, delight and, of course, respect for some of the greatest mountain scenery in the world. And I think I’ve got some great photographs!!!!!

Unfortunately we have had our first casualty. One of the Spanish contingent has gone down with Acute High Altitude sickness. It appears that he has been hiding the symptoms with drugs for the last three days, therefore no one realised he was having problems. Fortunately we have a Doctor in our group (heart surgeon, to be precise), with his help and the group leader he has been given the correct drugs and Oxygen. This has stabilised him and over the next two days he will be moved down to Kathmandu. He will require no further medical treatment, DESCENT is sufficient.

It’s a timely reminder that each member of the group should communicate rather than hide the symptoms of altitude sickness…it’s a killer, but can be cured so very simply and effectively.

After seven days of confined living, me and my tent are at odds. So as the tent is an inanimate object I decided it was down to me to do something about it. Was a spring clean in order or just a good tidy. I settled on a good tidy (yep you’re right….laziness!) So I’ve opened up all ventilation zips, put the sleeping bag out to air, washed all smelly clothing (except what I’m wearing) and tidied up inside, oh and nearly forgot, I’ve emptied the pee bottle as well!

Camp life is dictated by the temperature and the difference between the sun being out, the wind blowing and night time, which can be as wide as 50 degrees. In the morning the temperature is between -15 & -20 outside the tent and -10 inside! Then the sun pops its head over the mountains and everything changes. Within half an hour the temperature rises by 20 degrees and by the time we eat breakfast at 10am, it’s hot enough to sit out side in shorts and T-shirt as the temperature rises to 30 degrees and then there is the wind, it’s bite, I’m sure is worse than Carolynn’s will be after I’ve told her I’m going to climb Everest next year!

Everyone’s taking advantage of this rest day after what was one of the hardest days of the expedition so far. We went from ABC to Camp 1 and back. It was only 10.5k and 786m of ascent and descent and took 9.5 hours, but it was up one of the most horrendous paths I’ve ever climbed. 500m of 45 to 50 degree scree slope…. Two steps up and three steps down….I’ve never walked a path so demoralising in my life and I look forward to doing it at least another 4 times!

Back to camp life though, it’s very relaxing on rest days such as this. We take leisurely breakfast at 10am, do any ablutions that are required then spend the rest of the morning drinking tea & coffee either socially in the mess tent and for those of you that know me well, unsocially in your own tent, or just sit in the sun and take in what has to be one of the most beautiful views you could ask for. Lunch is served at 14.30, after the late breakfast, you really don’t want it any earlier. The afternoon is spent the same much the same as the morning. Then the sun goes down behind the mountains and the temperature plummets, like a rock! Everyone disappears into their tents until diner at 20.30 and bedtime shortly afterwards.

One or two days like that are OK, but I have to admit that I find it a triffle boring. It’s not what I’m used to. Trekking had a certain amount of structure to it, but high altitude climbing is too dependant on the weather and the teams acclimatisation. This can make for some very long and tedious days. Maybe expedition are not my cup of tea…..but it’s still an experience I’ll never forget.

We’ve been at ABC for three days and for three days it has snowed. Not heavily, but pretty much consistently. The snow is that wonderful powder snow, that we rarely get in the UK, the down side is that you tend to sink to your thighs every time you make a step, damned exhausting. I’ve managed to get out for a couple short walks, when the weather has cleared for an hour or two, but that’s about it. The flip side is that I’ve got to know the rest of the group quite well, in our carpeted & double lined mess tent (it has a gas heater as well but that appears not to work)!

Hopefully the weather will improve in the next day or two, it will only become an issue, if it stays like this for a week and a half to two weeks. If it does we’ll have to pack up and come home as there won’t be enough time to acclimatise and set up camps one to three before the end of the expedition. The weather is the only thing that is beyond MY control.

One upside to expedition life is that it’s very relaxing, close to being a little boring in fact. It’s so different from the previous treks I’ve done, where daily life was pretty much non stop. Getting out onto the mountain will be a relief, I think.

You’ve probably asked yourselves ‘why does he put himself through this’. Today was one of those days that I knew why and I so wish I could share it with all of you, but most of all with Carolynn.

We left the interim camp and wound our way through the terminal moraine of the Nagpa Glacier. Cho Oyu came in and out of view all day, then we turned towards ABC and there the Turquoise Goddess loomed before us. And although that in itself is a spectacular sight the commanding position of ABC has to be one of the most rewarding views I’ve ever seen.

I hope I can do the scenery justice, I’ll certainly enjoy trying.

I thought I ought to mention toilet matters and pre- bed beauty regime. I believe Colin would be just a little proud of me?

At Chinese Base Camp, I experienced something that had never happened to me before. On taking my morning ablutions, I found myself in a cubicle next to one of the Spaniards. Firstly, I think I ought to describe the cubical….the sides were , maybe 1 metre high with no door and the toilet itself was a 20 cm wide by 50 cm long hole in a concrete floor with a drop of about 2 metres to the bottom. It’s commonly called ‘a long drop toilet’. Not unusual in itself, but I’ve never had a conversation while doing my morning ablutions! Believe me all modesty disappears.

My evening routine consists of using the very expensive ‘Action Wipes’ I bought, to give myself an all over ‘full body wet wipe’ and, do I, smell good afterwards as the wipes contain ‘soothing Tea Tree and Eucalyptus oils’.

I then put Nivea Cream on my face and hands to stop them from drying out. At this point I smell wonderful….then I proceed to get into a sleeping bag that hasn’t been washed for a number of weeks or clothes that are washed periodically and even I think they smell!! It keeps me occupied.

Colin might be proud of me but I don’t think he’d like to stand next to me!

Tingri to Chinese Base Camp was basically an hours drive across the plateau, to our surprise we were the only team there…the first of the season. Camping at last! But with my down blowup mattress plus the mattress that Tshering provided I had the most comfortable nights sleep since leaving the Radisson at Kathmandu.

Got stopped by the Chinese Army for taking a little wonder on my own….seems that’s not allowed? Don’t get me wrong they were very pleasant looking 12 year olds with sub machine guns and they even offered to drive me back to the camp, which I politely declined. The incident did get the group organiser in a little trouble….and consequently I got my wrist slapped. I’m not used to this constant harrissment by the military. I find it quite unnerving and disconcerting to see these youngsters with such applied power.

Two nights we’ve spent here, to acclimatise, we did a short walk and I practised using my Pee bottle. It appears to be quite an art form, making sure you don’t spill it and stopping it from freezing. I’ll let your imaginations fill in the rest, but it’s an unfortunate practicality one has to master when the temperature out side could be upwards of minus 30 degrees!

Next stop Advanced Base Camp via an interim camp . ABC will be our temporary home for the next 4 weeks and I believe will have a hot shower….I’ll believe it when I see it.