Logbook: climbing Everest 2021

At a time when Nepal has just lifted its quarantine for vaccinated people, we take a look back at our ascent of Everest last spring: a five-strong Franco-Swiss team attempted to climb the roof of the world at 8,848 metres via its southern Nepalese side during an expedition led by Bernard Muller. One of the participants, François Trouillet, shared his ascent with us using texts and images sent daily by satellite telephone. An adventure of ‘extreme difficulty’, carried out in very special conditions due to the global health situation.

See all our climbs above 8,000 meters.

 

2 April

Message from Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet :

Christine Vogondy, Christophe Faisy, François Trouillet, Pascal Denoel and Yves Bernet attempt to climb to the top of the world at 8,848 metres via the southern side of Nepal in an expedition led by Bernard Muller. The route is based on the one successfully followed in May 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, and is now climbed in four successive camps. The main difficulty lies in crossing the Khumbu icefall. To reach the South Col at 8,000 metres, we will climb slopes with gradients of between 30 and 45°. Beyond the South Col, the Balcony, then the South Summit and finally the summit of Everest... A mythical expedition, out of the ordinary and very demanding... Often the dream of a lifetime. Good luck to this fine team...

 

21st April

That's it, we're off for the last stage of the trek to Base Camp! We head up the glacial valley and make our first visual contact in the distance: Base Camp. Just a few more hours' walk and we'll be there. We stop for a last cup of tea and are greeted by some Sherpas from our team with a welcome hot drink. 

We're at the very bottom of the glacier where the expeditions are based. We're heading up the glacier through an imposing landscape of ice cathedrals. It was snowing and we couldn't wait to get ‘home’. We finally arrived and took refuge in the mess tent, as the snow was getting heavier. A cup of hot tea or a hot lemon and we settle into our tents. We collect our bags and take shelter. It's lunchtime and we're in for a real treat with a dedicated team. We're at almost 5,400m and the altitude, the accumulated fatigue and the bad weather have us stuck in our duvets for the afternoon. After dinner we had the official presentation of the team of Sherpas who will be accompanying us. Their CVs are impressive, but their humility is just as impressive. Come on, it's still snowing but we're still here.

23rd April

Breakfast and first practice workshop in the ice fall at 10am. We start with a short puja ceremony, then a 15-minute walk and we're on site! On the programme: fixed-rope walk, horizontal ladder traverse, vertical ladder climb, lead traverse and abseiling.

26th April

Today we continue our acclimatisation programme. We're heading for Kala Pattar: literally ‘black rock’ in Nepali, Kala Pattar is a small summit on the southern ridge of Pumori, rising to 5,650 m and offering breathtaking views of Everest, the base camp, the glacial valley and all the surrounding peaks.

We start to head back down towards Gorakshep along the same path that took us to the base camp. Except that today it's a beautiful day! A storm of sunshine! The glacial valley we're descending into is awe-inspiring. Just before Gorakshep, we start climbing Kala Pattar by a direct route!  We alternate between patches of snow and rocks and after a long ascent and shortness of breath we reach the summit (we're not yet fully acclimatised!!). But what a view from the summit. Perhaps one of the most beautiful on Everest.

There's a bitterly cold wind but we stay a while to savour the moment. For me, it's the second time I've tied a Khata (a silk scarf as a sign of respect). We start the descent and make our way back to base camp. We pass yaks supplying the expeditions, but also porters with incredible loads... respect. Back at camp, a hot soup awaits us and we all take a little nap, replaying the images of this beautiful day. 

27th April

That's it, the acclimatisation is off in the right direction! A bit of excitement at camp today. We have to pack our bags to go up to camp 1 tonight. Departure is scheduled for 1 am. We have to decide what to take up and what to leave behind. The strategies differ! Climb the max? Climb the min? What will we need? The plan is to go up to camp 1, push towards camp 2 and come back down to sleep at camp 1, then go back down to base camp the day after tomorrow. You also have to choose your meals, as there is no cook at camp 1. It's best to choose something you'd like to eat, as your appetite decreases as you climb. Then the guides check our mountaineering equipment again. Make sure nothing is missing but nothing is superfluous.

29th April

We knew it would be long and hard, but it took us 9.5 hours to reach camp 1 at an altitude of 6,000m facing Lhotse. We descended into gigantic crevasses and climbed back up again, crossing ‘small’ crevasses on ladders and endlessly tormented landscapes.

Up at 5:30, breakfast and we have to pack everything up because our stuff will be going up to camp 2. Our night at camp 1 was just to acclimatise. The tent is frozen and ice crystals cover our gear. It was hard to get into our clothes, but the worst thing was our mountaineering boots. At 7am, we set up camp in the sunshine, but threatening clouds crowned the peaks around us and the snow was going to be with us all the way down.

30th April

Today is a day of rest. So we're taking the opportunity to rest and repair any minor injuries. Blisters here, little knocks there, but also repairing the Goretex socks that have been damaged by crampons. Last night, the team of cooks had prepared a dish that combined taste and spectacle: chicken flambéed in local rum! After the freeze-dried stuff, we really appreciate it!

We're trying to talk strategy for the next few days: ideally, we'd like to go up to camp 2 and stay there for several nights. But the weather forecast we're getting from Yan isn't optimistic: a lot of snow is forecast. We're going to try to get him on the phone to fine-tune his forecast and get his advice. So we get some rest and, to top it all off, a hot shower (shower bucket) in front of the ice fall!

 

 

1st May

Another day off. After breakfast, everyone goes about their business. Showering, reading, writing, tidying up... It's incredibly hot in the tents. It's incredibly hot under the tents, and the sun is sharing the sky with a few snowfalls. We meet up for lunch in our mess tent. After lunch, we decide to put our strategy for the next few weeks in black and white.

Pascal suggested a method for planning our ascent. We defined 4 blocks:

• B1: 2nd rotation with an ascent to camp 2, sleeping at C2, 1 day's rest, pushing on to C3, sleeping at C2 and descending to BC.
• B2: 3 or 4 days rest at BC
• B3: go back up to C2, sleep there, rest for 1 day and push on to C3
• B4: sleep at C3, climb to C4 and attempt the summit! Return as low as possible!

Depending on the weather and other factors, we can move the boulders around. This will take us to the summit between 20 and 22 May, as planned. What's bothering us at the moment are the weather forecasts for 3, 4 and 5 May, when Yan is predicting heavy snowfalls. If that happens, there's a risk of avalanches, particularly on the slopes of Lhotse, which could become very dangerous. We'll be discussing our plan with our Sherpas.

 

2nd May

Rest day today. We haven't moved from our tents. The weather is alternating between sunshine and snowfalls, and every day we can feel our bodies getting used to it, so let's be patient and in a few days we'll be heading back to the high altitude camps to slowly approach the coveted summit. We're planning to rotate to Camp 2 on Friday, which will give us plenty of time to fine-tune our acclimatisation and enjoy these special moments of being with ourselves. Namaste

3rd May

After a few days' rest, our legs were starting to tingle, so Christine, Bernard and our guide Nigma decided to head for the Pumori base camp, which towers above us at 7,184 meters. We had to cross the entire base camp again, which stretched out along the glacier, to climb back up to the ridge and turn right towards Pumori. As we cross, we follow a porter for a moment, who is bending under the load and almost disappears into the ice landscape. It's our rubbish bins going back down into the valley... a moment of embarrassment...

We dehydrated and headed back down. The descent was pleasant and we soon found ourselves back at the bottom. Once again (for the third time) we had to climb back up to the base camp, as ours was at the top. It took almost 40 minutes, which seemed interminable, even though the glacier graced us with an exhibition of unique ice sculptures!

Here's the camp! Just in time for lunch. Then it's off to the tents for a little siesta. Yan (our weather router) informs me of a change in the weather forecast. There's a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, which changes the forecast. That means less snow for the next few days. The good news is that our next rotation at camps 1, 2 and 3, scheduled for Friday, is looking good! Stay tuned! Namaste

6th May

Last night, at around 1:30 am, I was woken by a team of Sherpas meditating in front of the puja before setting up equipment at camp 2. The tents have been set up and the Sherpas are now starting to take the oxygen up to altitude. I estimate the total load to be at least 200kg (50 x 4kg cylinders)! It's hard to go back to sleep because here we are! After all these days of rest to help us acclimatise, we set off again tonight at around 2am for the high altitude camps.  The weather isn't too good this morning, but there's no wind.

Here's our plan:
1) Base Camp - Camp 1 across the Icefall. Overnight at Camp 1 (6000m)
2) Camp 1 - Camp 2, overnight at Camp 2 (6500m)
3) Rest day at Camp 2 - overnight at Camp 2 (6500m)
4) Camp 2 - Camp 3 (7200m) return to Camp 2 - overnight at Camp 2 (6500m)
5) Camp 2 - Base Camp via the Icefall.

Then a rest at base camp after 3 nights at 6500m and a push to 7200m.

We're about to discover the famous West Combe! Mythical. We're going to take advantage of this rotation to do a portage: the first time, we carried a warm sleeping bag, mattress, mask, altitude mittens, cereal bars, tubes of chestnut cream... this time I'm going to carry my wetsuit, tights and warm t-shirts... We're taking advantage of this day to make sure we have all the equipment we need for this rotation! And I'm also going to take the opportunity to have a good shower. For the next 5 days, communication will be minimal. As you can see, the wifi at the base camp works pretty well. But further up ... no more network. Good day to you all and thank you for your encouragement. The difficult part is about to begin...

 

8th May

We left the base camp at 2am on Friday. The sky was clear and the temperature very low. After the Puja ceremony, we headed back towards the Icefall. We'd demystified it a little by crossing it once before, but it's still majestic and disturbing. My five layers of clothing soon proved to be a mistake, and I literally exploded from the heat when the first steps presented themselves to us. But harnessed as we are, with harness and all, it takes a lot of effort to fall out of a layer, so I wait a bit but I burst and it cut my legs. Finally I stop, but I'm going to pay dearly for it.

I did the whole climb with Bernard. It goes smoothly, with one ladder, one handhold and one abseil after another. Then suddenly, without warning, a tower collapsed. Fortunately, I was sheltered by a serac and all I got was the blast! In a minute, I was transformed into a snowman. All right, more fear than harm. We hit the road again and that's it, nestled in the west combe, camp 1 comes into view. Same ritual, we settle into the tents, have a bite to eat, have a nap, picnic again and then sleep.

Didn't sleep too badly, it's our second night at 6000m and we're fine. Woke up at 5:30, had breakfast and made a huge effort in the morning: packing up. The tent is full of ice crystals. No sooner had we touched the canvas than we were covered in snow. Fold up the soaking wet duvet, get out our icy clothes and, as the ultimate exercise, put on our boots. It took us a few minutes to catch our breath.

The second step was to equip ourselves outside: harness, crampons, rucksack on our backs and we headed off into the west combe towards camp 2 at 6500m. The weather is splendid, even though the sun hasn't risen yet. A few ladders to cross the crevasses and we attack a huge track that seems to lead us straight to Lhotse. Everest towers above us on the left and Nupse borders us on the right. It's breathtaking. The heat soon became unbearable. I took off 3 layers but the altitude was beginning to take its toll. We've had a good 2 days. Camp 2 .... can be seen in the distance. It will take us several more hours to reach it. We walk, breathe and drink. A Sherpa from our team even comes over to serve us an orange juice: namasté!

Allez un pas, puis un autre, puis un autre, on se rapproche du camp. Le camp 2 est un camp avancé pour le sommet. On y trouve tente mess, toilettes, cuisine... Allez, une bonne soupe de nouilles pour se désaltérer et on prend possession des tentes. Je la partage avec Bernard c’est assez sympa et rassurant. A ces altitudes, il faut toujours avoir un œil sur l’autre en cas de problèmes. Voilà on est bien installé pour 3 nuits à 6500m.

Une étape clé de notre acclimatation, demain repos puis on ira faire une touche au camp 3 avant de redescendre pour une semaine au camp de base. Aïe le vent se lève on risque d’être secoué comme des cocotiers !!!

 

9th May

The first night at 6500m, clear, cold and punctuated by avalanches, went rather well. We'd gone to bed early, so inevitably woke up early. A quick glance outside and the sunrise behind Everest graced us with a grandiose spectacle. We hung around the tent, chatting, not admitting it to each other, but hesitating to put our noses outside. A team is getting ready for a push at camp 3. They've got their wetsuits on and seem to be freezing. So we do something about it and head for the mess tent for a coffee.

The Sherpa team is bustling around us. They're putting the finishing touches to the camp! The mess tent is already full of oxygen bottles. A quick look at the kitchen - it's incredible how well organised everything is! To think that all this was put together on men's backs... We spend the morning in our tent, but not before having thoroughly explored the route to camp 3. You can see it clearly from here. It literally clings to the slopes of Lhotse. A track criss-crosses the glacier from camp 2, then suddenly a wall that looks immense and vertical leads to camp 3. We'll do it tomorrow, we'll see! We have lunch, talk and share our doubts. What we've already done is really hard... and everything that remains to be done seems so much harder. We'll see what happens, let's continue our acclimatisation. 

 

10th May

Second night at 6500m. We'll say it's fine. We go to bed so early that we wake up early. Great weather again this morning. Objective camp 3. We have breakfast around 7:30 and take off at 8:30. We've got camp 3 in front of us, but there are three main stages! First of all, an ascent of the glacier, then a very big rim at the foot of Lhotse and a wall of ice.

This morning I'm feeling great. I'm following in the footsteps of the Sherpa who leads the way. Navy blue skies, immaculate glaciers, majestic mountains and only the crrric, crrrric, crrric of crampons on the ice to break the silence. A real delight. I have to admit that the climb up the west combe the other day left me feeling a bit tired. The day's rest here has really perked me up!

Pascal and I arrive at the foot of the rimaille. It's an impressive big break in the glacier. We wait for the others, but only Yves seems to be on the last section of the climb. The Sherpa who was with the others joins us and tells us that the weather is getting worse. The others turn back and he suggests that we cross the famous rimaille, make a few efforts on the wall of camp 3 and turn back. All right, we cross the wall. Wow, what a beautiful passage. On the side of the glacier a fixed rope and a very small step and on the left a huge, unfathomable crevasse! In the middle we have to change fixed ropes... we've got two lanyards, so be careful not to let go of them at the same time! It's not long but it's vertiginous. 

We finally reach the wall beneath the camp. One rope for the ascent and one for the descent... in theory! So we set off with our climbing handles, but it's getting crowded and the snow is starting to fall. We decided to turn back. We change ropes, cross the rimaille again (just as complicated as on the outward journey!) and find ourselves in the glacier. The Sherpa beckoned me down and he continued with Yves.

So I set off on this beautiful descent, alone, under the snow. I follow the track back to the camp. A magical moment. I'm back at camp where soup awaits me and the rest of the team. It's delicious! We share the day's experiences and have a nap. We decide to head back down to base camp early tomorrow morning to recharge our batteries! Actually, I'm dreaming of a shower and a Coke. The simple joys... 

 

11th May

We've done it! End of our second rotation with a fine descent to base camp. We will have spent the time we planned at altitude to acclimatise. The living conditions are difficult and our bodies are suffering. But at the same time, they're adapting.

 

We set off into the west combe under a blazing sun. We quickly had to remove 1, 2 and then 3 layers of clothing. The scenery was magnificent, with very few people. On the way back, we reached camp 1 for a short break before tackling the ice fall. The sun and heat make it dangerous. Ice and water become the main elements. You have to be careful, and don't dawdle... you can see the base camp, which is reassuring...

After 5 hours of descent, we arrive at the camp for lunch. What a relief to be here. We can breathe easy and it's totally comfortable! My great pleasure of the day: drinking a Coke! We're delighted to be back in our tent, our home, for a few days' rest. The first summiters motivate us: yes, it's possible, but it's so hard. Let's get some rest for a few days.

 

13th May

Another rest day at base camp. Spending the day reading, dozing and listening to music are all part of the programme! We're trying to think ahead, studying the weather and testing ourselves to see how our bodies are reacting to the many days we've spent at altitude. This morning at breakfast, we all realised the wear and tear we were undergoing. All those nights spent in precarious conditions, in the cold, those meals which, despite the talent of our cooks, are starting to become repetitive; those days of waiting, the uncertainties that Covid is bringing to bear on the next few days... all this is taking its toll on our morale.

Then there's the joy of the first summits, including that of Hélène, whom I'd ‘met’ on Facebook before leaving, and who has just reached the summit at the age of 27, making her the youngest French woman to achieve this feat. But I was also saddened by the first two deaths of the season. A Swiss and an American died very close to the summit. The weather was also gloomy, which affected our morale... 

In the evening, the weather often clears up and offers us some splendid scenery. So carpe diem... A few more hours and we'll be on our way to the Ice Fall and the high-altitude camps one last time to reach our goal.

 

14th May

It's hard to remember what day it is! They whisper in my ear Friday the 14th. Ah, it's been almost 40 days since we left France. We've already seen and done so much! Well, this morning, after my appearance on the France 2 news programme, I decided to shave. I kept my beard to protect myself from the cold and the sun, but yes, I look better that way!

Then I set about repairing a pair of gloves that had been damaged by crampons - yes, yes! I have lots of different kinds of gloves because I'm so afraid of cold fingers (I have Raynaud's syndrome: a blood circulation problem in the fingers and toes (and sometimes in the nose and ears too) that is aggravated by the cold). Silk under-gloves, windstopper gloves and altitude mittens. So far, only the intermediate gloves have come in useful. Mainly in the Ice Fall. The fixed ropes are on the ground and all frozen, so when you hook your carabiner onto it and slide it off, your hands freeze even if the sun is shining. And when you use the descenders or jumars (ascent handles), they protect your hands. As for the mittens, they're waiting for me at camp 2 and will be useful for camp 4 and the summit.

Talking of the summit we're obsessed with, our strategy will depend, among other things, on the weather. And the latest bulletin from Chamonix shows a window of opportunity around 19/22 May, with temperatures at the summit of around -20°C and acceptable winds of 30/40 kph. Of course, there are other factors to take into account, such as the state of fitness of our Sherpa climbers, who have been doing one ascent after another at camp 4 with their equipment. And then there's the fear of traffic jams if we all jump into the same window. Another window seems possible later, around the 27th... that's a long way off. We're going to discuss all this in our mess tent, which I'm posting a photo of to show you how comfortable it is!

 

15th May

Great weather this morning and lots of wind, particularly at the summit, of the order of 140 km/h (above 40 km/h, it's difficult and dangerous to go up there). This morning was all about the oxygen workshop!

For the ‘Summit Push’, a date around 21 May (at the summit) seems to be becoming clearer from a weather window point of view. On the other hand, there's likely to be a lot of people rushing to get there, which could lead to traffic jams. So there's a debate! Pascal (tent without ox) would prefer to wait for another window a little later to avoid the traffic jams and the others can't wait any longer! And the traffic jams may look spectacular in photos, but living through them gives us time to breathe! So yes, you have to manage your oxygen, but it's a balance you have to find. I'll take a final decision tomorrow. Good day to you all, it's afternoon rest for us!

 

16th May

This morning, the tension is palpable at the base camp. Our bodies are being tested to such an extent that some of us are cracking up. Crying feels good. To let go of the pressure that's suffocating us, to let it flow with the tears. Climbing Everest is not just about the difficulty of the summit push; it's also about the long days of waiting, the trips to and from the altitude camps, and living at over 5000m for days on end. We may remember the summit, but these 2 months will leave their mark on us for a long time to come.

This morning, the weather forecast is not very good despite the sunshine and navy blue skies above our heads; the wind is blowing hard at the summit, more than 100km/h, but some of the group are determined to attempt the summit on the 21st, and therefore leave for the high altitude camps tonight. According to 8000 specialist Alan Arnette: ‘The jet stream is expected to move north on or about May 19 or 20th so teams are leaving now to be in position. I expect well over 200 summits over the next few days. We ask Yan, our weather router who's been following us from Chamonix, what he thinks. And that's it, the epilogue to our challenge looks set to unfold over the next few days.

Your head is going to play a major role, but we've been well briefed: if your Sherpa considers that you have to turn back for reasons of life or death, you must not argue! It's clear, but will it be as clear when you're not thinking clearly? Reaching the south col at 8000m will already be a great achievement, but the summit remains the grail.  In any case, I don't feel any fear. We're going to check our equipment once again, all our altitude gear is at camp 2. It's good news that our rucksack won't be too heavy for this 3rd crossing of the ice fall.

Then sleep, eat and... pray 🙏

 

18th May

This morning... all grey! It's snowing and the high winds are still raging, partly due to the cyclone currently hitting India. You can see the extent of the phenomenon on the satellite photo 😳 So the day looks set to be calm again. Reading, music, a siesta,...

At midday, we all meet up for lunch and we're all a bit critical! More chicken, pasta, potatoes... we've got nothing against the cooks, who are doing their best, but we're really starting to feel the pinch, so we're all going off on our own tangents: how I'd love some seafood, oh I'd love a rib of beef, all the gold in the world for a glass of wine, and cakes, yes cakes with coffee, and fresh vegetables, wow, fruit... we're all thinking about the restaurant we'll do when we get back! Well, it'll be a choice of chicken, chips, meat, and for dessert a small cup of fruit in syrup.  OK... we'll have to wait a little longer. A quick chat and everyone heads back to their tents. Reading, music, siesta, .... See you at 18:30 for more stories of fine dining and good food!

 

20th May

It's still grey this morning and we can't even see the mountains! But it should get better in the next few hours. We're still chatting away about the weather forecast. The bad news of the day is the birth of a second cyclone, this time in the Bay of Bengal. But its impact is likely to be more snow and, in principle, no deterioration in wind conditions, which is the most important thing for us.

These last few days have been really intense in terms of emotions and pressure... This morning, we put our crampons back on and went to stretch our legs in the ice fall. Ice fall exercise! It's a great way to get to grips with the glacier. Really fun. The first climb was hesitant, as you tried to find your feet and get a feel for the terrain. Then you let yourself descend. The second is more fluid and the third is a real pleasure! On the way to the site, we walked on the glacier. It's incredible how it has moved and evolved, transforming itself to create unique and ephemeral sculptures! It's magical!

Well, a good morning! The afternoon promises to be a relaxing one, and as we await the latest weather reports, we prepare for the final assault.

 

 

23rd May

Fine weather again this morning. Our departure is imminent, with a summit on the 29th. We're going to put the crampons back on this morning to ‘pull on the fixed ropes’ and, above all, wake up the muscles that are getting ankylosed at base camp. Wow, we've gone from ice fall to water fall! It's pouring everywhere and crazy hot, even though it's only 10 o'clock in the morning. We put our crampons on a lot higher than usual! But after an hour, the heat and a stomach ache forced me to turn back. It was a good walk though, and my mates don't hold it against me. We're going to rest - again - this afternoon and IF there's no change, tomorrow will be our last day here! So we're keeping our fingers crossed.

 

24th May

47 days, We had to wait 47 days to finally contemplate the summit. 47 days of walking, waiting, cold, hope, frustration, suffering, joy... a cocktail that you can't imagine if you haven't experienced it. We're a bit stunned, but the adrenalin of what lies ahead will wake us up.

Last night, 6 Sherpa left the base camp for the high altitude camps. 7 will join them tomorrow. Three of us will leave during the night to reach camp 2, while the others will leave a day later.1 day's rest is planned at camp 2, but depending on the weather, we may be able to stay an extra day, as the date of the 29th is not unanimously supported because of the possible effects of the cyclone. If the weather is good, after our rest day, we'll head up to camp 3. There, we'll find some oxygen to sleep - a little - and climb to camp 4 where we'll meet up with our Sherpa. We won't really be sleeping at camp 4 because we plan to leave for the summit at around 9pm, so we'll just be resting. We'll be at the gates of the ‘dead zone’ at 8000m.

It will then take around 15 hours to reach the summit (balcony, south summit, Hilary step, summit), so around midday the next day (29 in theory, but possibly 30). Then we'll descend as far as possible, ideally to camp 2, and the next day to base camp. We'll stay there for 1 day to rest and pack up before leaving by helicopter for Lukla. I'll still have my beacon so you can follow us step by step. We're taking you up there! We hope we'll have the strength and courage to reach this famous roof of the world. We'd like to thank you sincerely for following and encouraging us over the past 47 days.

 

25th May

Message from Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet:

Yesterday and this morning, we had a lot of bad news. First Christophe, then François, two of the team's most reliable members, had to be evacuated to a hospital in Kathmandu. Waiting at 5,400 metres only slowly destroys the body... But the important thing is that they are safe and sound. The expedition continues for Christine and Yves, who are at Camp 2 (6,500 m) when Pascal and Bernard are due to join them tonight. We share the elegant message from our friend François, who has generously supported us throughout our expedition to date. Our warmest thanks to him.

"I had imagined another ending to my story. But last night my body said stop in the ice fall. I didn't have any bad sensations at the start and the weather was pretty good, not cold. But after 2 hours of climbing, the stomach ache became too intense, my legs were shaking, I broke down and asked a Sherpa to come back down with me. I don't know how, but I got to the base camp and passed out. The Sherpa took me to the base camp hospital, where I was immediately evacuated to Kathmandu hospital. Bad weather, 4 hours on oxygen in the hospital tent, then a slight improvement and the helicopter arrives.

They loaded me up with my bags and oxygen tank and headed for Kathmandu. The valley passes beneath my feet... Arriving in Kathmandu, an ambulance picks me up and we cross the town to the sound of sirens. I arrived at the hospital and was taken care of by a team of nurses who gave me a whole series of check-ups. I'll have to stay overnight for observation and I'll be joining Christophe, a colleague from the expedition who was rushed to hospital this morning with a pulmonary embolism.

We really suffered from the prolonged altitude. If it hadn't been for Covid, we would have gone back down to Namche to recover. In our case, our bodies suffered enormously. Here we are, so close to our goal. What can I say? Frustrated? Yes, of course, but it's less painful to accept frustration than to make a drama out of it. So I'll remember all these days contemplating these mountains, which in the end are also beautiful from below. Thank you again for all your messages.

 

26th May

Message from Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet :

François and Christophe are doing well. François was even able to leave the clinic this afternoon and is now resting at the hotel in Kathmandu. Bernard was affected by the same illnesses as François, but less severely, so he stayed at base camp last night, while Pascal went up to camp 2 (6,500 m) where he arrived safely.

To sum up, we have Christine, Yves, Pascal and some of our Sherpas at camp 2, while our other Sherpas are already at camp 3 (7,400 m) and camp 4 (nearly 8,000 m) on the south col. The second Yaas cyclone currently underway isn't bringing too much wind, and the weather window remains open with a little snow for a final assault around 29 or even 30 May. But that's if all goes well between now and camp 4. It's so difficult. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

Remembering that Christine and Yves will be taking the ox when Pascal left in the spirit of attempting the climb without the ox... What stress. I don't know where I'd rather be: at Camp 2 with them, at Base Camp with Bernard, in Kathmandu with our two friends or here in Lyon. Our climbers are due to leave for camp 3 tomorrow morning.

 

27th May

Message from Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet:

An extra day at Camp 2 (6,500 m) in view of the wind over the next two days. It's the end of the effects of cyclone Yaas, with a lot of wind today and tomorrow between the camps on the one hand, and at the summit on the other. A window of good weather with little wind at the summit is likely to open on 30 May, with take-off from camp 4 on the evening of 29 May. All that remains is to get to camp 4 with this wind. And the pressure of the imminent removal of the Ice Fall by the Ice Fall doctors. Otherwise, the teams are doing well. It's better to wait at camp 2, where the bodies won't disintegrate as quickly, than to go up in the storm.

More news tomorrow. Thanks for all your support. Stay tuned....

 

28th May

Message from Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet:

The snow continues to fall on Everest, as forecast, and the right weather window with less wind and fine weather could open tonight. The question now is whether the slopes of Lhotse have not become too snow-laden, with a risk of avalanche, particularly at camps 3 and 4. There's only one thing to do: wait until tomorrow morning (Saturday) and check the objective risks before making a decision.

For the record, our teams came up from base camp together with Nims Dai (Nirmal Purja) and his teams. Nims is the man who has achieved 14,8000 in less than 7 months in 2019. So there's the right know-how up there to make the right decisions with the top priority being the safety of the teams. Tense days at camp 2 at 6,500 metres, at base camp and in France.

 

29th May

Message from Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet :

End of our Everest expedition. Too much snow has fallen on Sagarmatha over the last few days. It was a difficult decision to make.

Reasons for continuing:

• The weather is improving and we hope to see the mountain ‘purge’ over the next few days;
• The closure of the Ice Fall has been postponed to June 3 by the authorities;
• Our participants in good physical shape at Camp 2.

Reasons for stopping:

• High avalanche risk from the slopes of Lhotse;
• A very difficult route to climb as soon as possible;
• The experience of our local teams at camp 2 who say ‘no go’.
• As all mountaineers know, the mountain is always the strongest and decides everything.
• So when it's Everest... The weather window for the 2021 season has not been kind to us, with two cyclones in quick succession.

All the teams are returning to base camp today and tomorrow from camp 2, a total of around 200 people... All except one, Nims, who will be staying for another two days to reassess the situation. And the expedition won't really be over until everyone has come down. Thank you to the many people who have supported our teams over the last few weeks.

 

31st May

Message from Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet:

Christine, Pascal and Yves returned to base camp on Saturday and, accompanied by Bernard, flew to Lukla. They will reach Kathmandu tomorrow. The other reality of the season, that of Covid, encouraged us to avoid the lodges on the return trek.

This morning at 7am, Nims took his team to the summit of Everest... enough to make us regret our decision. At the same time, an avalanche was seriously shaking camp 2... enough to make us break out in a cold sweat. We're all drained from this emotional lift. First of all, we'd like to wish a safe return to all those who are currently on the mountain. We would like to thank our local teams who, as always, have been exceptional in a season that is likely to be one of the most difficult in recent years, excluding the terrible and deadly years of 2014 and 2015, of course. Our thoughts are with all the Nepalese people who have borne the brunt of the resurgence of Covid in their country, and we wish them all the best in the weeks ahead. And we thank you very much for your encouragement and friendly thoughts. We're on day 53 of our arrival in Nepal.

Join the next Everest climb via the Nepalese South Face or the North Tibet side.