Image index

Ciprian "Chip" Popoviciu stands in front of a stupa at the Swayanabath religious complex on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal. The stupa sits on a white, domed base and is surrounded by stone monkey statues and other monuments. Thirteen golden tiers on the spire are hung with prayer flags, which are anchored to the base of the temple. Chip is holding the Martin GT Magnet Middle School flag created for his expedition to Mount Everest.

A brother and sister pose for a picture in front of a log building in Lukla, Nepal. Draped across their laps is the Martin GT Magnet Middle School flag.

As Chip and members of his group hike into the Himalayan mountains, they encounter porters, women, and children carrying heavy loads of goods on their backs to sell at the market in Namche, Nepal. Yaks share the narrow path, also carrying great weights.

At the Tengboche Monastery, Chip bows as the Rinpoche Lama places a tradional scarf called a khata around around Chip’s neck. The Lama sits cross-legged on a colorful cushion, wearing a dark yellow robe around his head and shoulders.

Chip visited the Rinpoche Lama at the Tengboche Monastery on his trek to Base Camp. He received a khata or traditional scarf during his visit. The Lama also gave each of the climbers a red string to bless their climb up Mount Everest.

After trekking many days, Chip gets his first glimpse of Mount Everest — the tall peak on the far left. The peak just left of center is Lhotse, and the dramatic peak to the right is Ama Dablam. Although Ama Dablam appears taller in this photo because it is closer, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world at 29,029 feet above sea level.

In the moraine of the Khumbu glacier, people have built memorials from glacial rock to those sherpas and climbers who have died trying to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Brightly colored prayer flags, tattered from the extreme conditions, are wrapped around the largest of the memorials. A snow-capped peak can be seen in the background.

A traditional Puja ceremony marks the beginning of the climbing phase of Chip's expedition. The ceremony takes places at a stone altar in the Base Camp and is officiated by a Lama and two or more monks. Puja asks the Gods for good fortune for the climbers and the Sherpa.

At Base Camp, a Lama and two sherpas stand before an altar created for a ceremony known as puja, which will invite blessings for the trip. On the left, a sherpa in a red jacket bends over a fire of juniper branches. The Lama, behind him, dressed in brown and white, bows slightly. On the right, a sherpa stands behind a table that holds offerings of food and drinks. Three large pieces of stone stand on the altar with yellow ribbons tied around them. A tall pole topped with juniper branches leans on the back of the altar. In the background are the Khumbu Glacier and the bases of Mount Everest and Mount Nuptse.

From Base Camp, the bottom of a rainbow can be seen linking the snow-covered foot of Mount Everest, on the left, and that of Mount Nuptse, on the right. The Khumbu Glacier and Icefall can also be seen between the two mountains.

From Base Camp, Chip witnesses an avalanche as it rumbles down the mountain. The yellow and blue tents of the sprawling Base Camp in the foreground are dwarfed by the huge avalanche.

The yellow and blue tents of Base Camp can barely be seen in the left side of the picture where the glacier makes its turn. The huge Khumbu Glacier flows between Mount Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge and is constantly moving. Chip must climb the Icefall of the Khumbu Glacier to get to further camps up Mount Everest.

Carefully holding on to two parallel guide-lines with both his hands, Chip crosses a deep crevasse. A metal ladder is anchored into both sides of the crevasse and climbers must slowly make their way across.

In this video, Chip's climbing partner, Vance Cook, crosses a crevasse on the Khumbu Icefall by traversing an aluminum ladder spanning the gap. The high winds can be heard, as well as Vance’s heavy breathing due to the high altitude and exertion. He mentions that they’re approaching Camp I, and notes, “You have to be careful because you only have one hand on the rope.”

Chip uses metal ladders to climb the treacherous icefall. Below him an older ladder, trapped by the constantly moving glacier, can be seen protruding from a hole in the ice.

Chip and his team make a climb from Camp I. A surreal world of ice dwarfs the climbers as they make their way through the icy expanse. One climber is working his way up a sheer cliff of ice. The striations of layer upon layer of ice can be seen on the side of the cliff.

High winds and blowing ice crystals swirl around the climbers as they attempt to climb the Lhotse Face of Mount Everest. Chip can be seen rappelling down Lhotse Face as he and his fellow climbers leave Camp III in the storm. He is grasping his line with both hands.

Chip scales the Lhotse Face of Mount Everest with the help of a climbing device called an Jumar ascender. He also takes advantage of the footholds bored into the ice wall to gain ground. Although it is an icy cliff, climbers can overheat due to direct and ice-reflected sunlight, so Chip has removed the top half of his down suit to stay cool.

Chip pauses for a photograph as members of his group ascend the Lhotse Face beneath him. In the background behind the group, the Khumbu glacier flows toward Base Camp.

Chip shows his altimeter, which reads 26,070 feet. Inside his yellow tent at Camp IV, Chip uses an oxygen mask to help him breathe in the thin air. The reflection from the tent’s walls casts a bright glow over his face.

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.

At the top of Mount Everest, Chip proudly holds up the Martin GT Magnet Middle School flag. To his left, his climbing partner, Vance Cook, and Pemba Sherpa breathe from their oxygen tanks. The safety lines connecting Vance Cook and Pemba Sherpa hang between them, attached to their harnesses.

From his vantage point on the top of the world, Chip can see the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains cresting through the cloud cover. The moon shines in the distance as dawn breaks. It is a breathtaking sight.

On his way back to Base Camp, Chip pauses on "the Balcony" — a small platform at 27,600 feet. The peaks of the Himalayan mountains can be seen in the background. Because the air at this altitude is very thin, he breathes from his oxygen tank. It is a calm and sunny day and he has unzipped his down suit. Following his successful summit, Chip begins his descent and his journey home.