Craziness on Everest Southside Continues

"This is a season with no end from Nepal. As I reported yesterday, IMG noted the Icefall Doctors were removing the ladders from the Khumbu Icefall and, assumed, the season would finally come to an end. I noted there was one climber attempting Lhotse still there determined to climb with or without ladders.

Cleo Weidlich, made this comment on her Facebook page a few days ago:

This is just to let you know that my climb on the Everest Massif will continue with or without ladders. I have climbed some of the world’s most dangerous mountain WITHOUT them and this mountain is, actually, very tame when I compare it with the likes of Nanga Parbat, Annapurna 1 and Kangchenjunga. I refuse to give in to the pressures of the Everest mafia. I’d like to decide for myself when I have reached my limits. Thanks to ALL of you for all the positive energy; I can feel it..

And today it was reported Cleo did just that by taking a helicopter to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm. The report goes on to say:

American climber Cleonice P Weidlich, who reached Camp 2 from Gorak Shep on a chopper, has apparently done so without taking permission from the ministry of tourism and civil aviation. Ministry’s permission is mandatory to take a chopper to the restricted area above the Base Camp. International operators, including IMG, Himex, AAI, Adventure Consultants, Jagged Globe and Peak Freaks, chartered helicopters to carry Cleo’s climbing equipment and logistics up to Camp 2. Chief at the Lukla airport, Rimji Sherpa, and legal division chief at MoTCA, Ranjan Krishna Aryal, said they were not aware if any such flights were conducted. They said neither Lukla airport nor the ministry were asked for permission for such flights

My opinion is this is a misstatement regarding the commercial companies as the ones mentioned did receive permission to fly into the Western Cwm to remove gear at C1 and C2. I would be very surprised if they knowingly carried gear into the Cwm but nothing surprises any more on Everest.

The reported cost was US$2,000 per person per flight, so a person would spend $4K to get into and out of the Western Cwm. Also, it appears she is climbing alone without Sherpa support.

The second climber mentioned is Chinese Jing Wang trying to set a record for climbing the 7 Summits plus both poles. See these updates from Russell Brice on her project 7+2. She was with Himex on Everest and now appears to have reset her ambitions and will try to climb Everest through the Khumbu Icefall with a team of seven Sherpa:

“Chang, on the other hand, has hired seven local Sherpas and is headed for the Base Camp from Namche Bazaar,” sources told THT, adding that she will leave for Camp 1 in the next five days.

There is still time for these women to climb as the monsoons don’t usually arrive until late May to early June. However, recent reports on Cho Oyu show 100 mph winds on the summit and other reports have heavy snow in the Everest region.The usuall summit window on Everest is around May 21st.

Meanwhile, teams on the North side have mostly retreated to Chinese Base Camp or lower to rest up for an anticipated summit around May 20th.

I don’t know about you but I’m getting whiplash!

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything"

great time for Ueli to poach Everest without Sherpa interference

P.S. It remains to be seen whether ascents of Everest and Lhotse from Camp 2 can count as full summit successes. A case for Elizabeth Hawley, the 90-year-old legendary Himalayan chronicler in Kathmandu.

More keen to conquer Everest

RAJAN POKHREL

KATHMANDU: Attempts to climb Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse by two legendary female mountaineers have emboldened other climbers, who have shown interest in scaling the peaks this season itself.

Climbers from Malaysia, China, Peru and Romania have shown interest in scaling the world’s highest peak, officials at the ministry of tourism and civil aviation told THT. “Azim Afif Bin Ishak–led six-member Ever Quest, Malaysia UTM, Everest Exp 2014 and a few others from China, Peru and Romania want to resume climbing.”

Meanwhile, Wang Jing, 40, from China, who is attempting to scale Mt Everest, yesterday flew to Camp 2 from the Base Camp. American climber Cleonice Weidlich, 51, had already flown to Camp 2 from Gorak Shep in her solo bid to scale Mt Lhotse. Both are expected to complete their climbs in the last week of May.

However, their bid to scale the peaks has kicked up a row, as liaison officers assigned by MoTCA for both the climbers — Arjun Shrestha and Laxman Sharma — are in Kathmandu and have no idea what the two women are up to; none of the Sherpas earlier assigned for their expeditions are with them; the agencies that obtained climbing permit for them have no idea about their latest bid; on top of this, the two have flown to Camp 2 on helicopters without taking the ministry’s permission.

“Russell Reginald Brice of the Himalayan Experience (Himex) that got the permit to scale Everest for Jing and others has already approached ministry, raising serious objection over Jing’s move,” sources said.

Murari Sharma, MD at the Everest Parivar, which got the permit for Cleo, is also miffed at her. “We have no idea about Cleo’s latest activities. All other climbers have already been informed about the cancellation of season’s climbing.” Both Brice and Sharma are worried that if the two women succeed in scaling the peaks, the permits for others in their expeditions might become invalid.

MoTCA officials say they will try to settle the disputed issues at the earliest. “We are positive to settle the disputes and also appeal to other climbers to resume climbing if they wish so,” Joint Secretary Madhu Sudan Burlakoti at MoTCA said, hinting that they will be allowed to land at Camp 2 if they wish so.

Many of you know that I have been dealing with the logistics for Jing Wang to climb the 7 summits and 2 poles in record time. Of course this project came to an abrupt end when I was forced to cancel my Everest and Lhotse trips.

I suggested to Jing that she go to the North side of Everest and obtain a climbing permit from the CMA or CTMA, but this was not forthcoming. Although Jing asked if I could arrange for her trip to continue on the South side, I refused and so did all my Sherpa staff.

In the event it appears that Jing has arranged to continue to climb with another agency and has without permission flown by helicopter to Camp 2, despite me warning her not to.

This has caused me considerable problems with the Ministry, who say that I am still responsible for Jing, despite me not knowing who the other operator actually is. Well in fact I do know who this operator is, but he continues to tell me lies, saying that he has not organised the 7 Sherpa’s that are currently with Jing, although they all come from his company. Even after repeated phone calls he still does not come to the Ministry to take on the responsibility of the Sherpa’s insurance and other such matters.

In the meanwhile the Ministry says that they will punish my company, quite a large fine and probably banned from coming to Nepal for 5 years. It is only in the past few hours that I have now been cleared of the responsibility for Jing and her phantom operator.

So for members who might think that I have carried on with my expedition, please know that this is the exact opposite, these actions of others has caused me considerable pain and hard work to clear my company name in the past few days.

Regards Russ