The Summit

May 22, 2008, 4:45 am: Chip has made it to the summit of Mount Everest! He and his climbing partner, Vance Cook, survey the world beneath them. Chip's headlamp is on to increase visibility in the pre-dawn light. For the moment, the men have taken off their oxygen masks, but they'll need them on the trip back down the mountain. In the foreground is a chain of Buddhist prayer flags, offered in thanks for reaching the summit. (Learn more)

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Chip and Vance were concerned about the weather in the days approaching their push to the summit. Reports suggested that the jet stream was staying away from the mountain which meant less chance of high winds. The monsoon season was becoming active but its impact on the summit was considered to be low for the moment. It was clear that this was the team’s “summit window.”

From Chip’s journal:

On May 18th we moved to Camp II, took a rest day on May 19th and on May 20th we went up the Lhotse face to Camp III. The next day, with oxygen masks on and 20 pound oxygen tanks in the backpack we climbed the last portion of the Lhotse Face, took a left turn to cross the Yellow Band and then up the Geneva Spur to the desolate Camp IV. Here we relaxed to a a few hours before a planned 9:00pm summit bid.

At 8:00 the evening of the 21nd, we got out of our tent to an amazing site — a string of lights could be seen as far as the Balcony and beyond. How could climbers get so far when the typical time is 9:00pm? With this year’s restrictions, the schedule was squeezed against the end of the month, so many people lined up for the window — ready or not. To give them a better chance, they started earlier. This was NOT safe climbing, but this was reality and we had to deal with it. We saddled up quickly and by 8:45 we were out of the camp and in high gear. We passed many people (not an easy task on a fixed rope) shooting for the head of the line. It was not about competition, it was about safety! You don’t want to be stuck in a traffic jam wasting your oxygen and freezing. You do not want to be on a rope with 20 other people — ropes and anchors were not designed for such stress. At the Balcony we changed to fresh oxygen tanks, hydrated, and I took care of chilly toes. By then we were ahead of the crowd and under a beautiful full-moon sky. We took a break at the South Summit and went for the final push.

Learn more about Himalayan Mountains, Mount Everest, and mountain climbing.

Definitions

jet stream n.
A high-speed wind current in the earth's upper troposphere -- the lowest layer of the atmosphere at six to twelve miles high. The current typically moves in a meandering path at speeds over 250 miles per hour, at about 30,000 to 40,000 feet above the earth's surface.
Yellow Band n.
Feature of the Lhotse Face of Mount Everest characterized by layers of hard rock.
Geneva Spur n.
Anvil-shaped rib of black rock on Mount Everest, starting at about 24,000 feet.

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