Triple Crown 2014- Wrap Up

Peak Freaks "Everest Training- Triple Crown" Expedition wrap-up.  Successfully developing self-reliant climbers who do their work, carry the load and their success is not fully on the back of our Sherpa crew. The way it used to be- we are team!

We'll be adding comments here from our past participants to give anyone considering this trip an idea
on what members got out of it. Here's one that just came in.

"Tim (and Becky) - Thank you for the experience of a lifetime!  I will be thinking and talking about the Triple Crown for many years to come.  As I mentioned to Tim a few times out in our camps, I had no idea we would have the opportunity to learn so much about mountaineering on the trip. Tim was such a patient and thorough teacher - always willing to review and go over things one more time - no question of mine was too simple or too complicated for him - he always gave me all the time I needed and always was so courteous and thoughtful with his answers.  You really made it fun - thank you SO MUCH for all I learned - a complete bonus for me!

Beyond the teaching, the opportunity to climb three peaks in the Khumbu region and push myself a little farther up the “altitude curve” was a thrilling experience.  Our setting in a world renowned mountaineering area, the Sherpa culture, Tim’s inspirational spirit and good humor and the many friendships we made all added to make it an unbelievable experience.  I cannot thank you enough.

Please keep me on the list for future climbs!  Not sure Everest is in the cards, but there still are a lot of great mountains out there and I’d love to go back to EBC sometime during the climbing season again.  I hope we can remain in contact."

Best regards,
Craig (USA)

Tim & Becky,

I cannot express enough how happy I am to have signed up for the Triple Crown expedition with you guys. Not only did I get a great introduction to mountaineering, I had experiences that I will cherish my whole life. I met some incredible people on this adventure from whom I learnt so much and want to thank both of you for the opportunity. I hope to have another crazy adventure with Peak Freaks soon! 

Cheers and talk to you soon,

Sahil (MUMBAI/USA)

Hi Tim and Becky:

It's hard to believe that nearly 2 months have passed since our Peak Freaks adventure. I have finally melded back back into "everyday" life. For me, this was the adventure of a lifetime and I will always have incredible memories.  I joined the expedition expecting to make an attempt on three Himalayan peaks and left with so much more. The course itinerary states that the goal is to help develop self sufficient mountaineers. I finished with a level of skill and confidence that will serve me well in the mountains, but will also extend much further to everyday life.
Tim is an incredible leader and his passion for the mountains and desire to extend that passion to others was evident throughout the expedition. All I can say is that Peak Freaks does it right!. Thank you again for a world class experience. I hope that our paths will cross again soon,

Phil

BASE CAMP TREK TEAM- ON TOP KALA PATTAR 5545M

Expedition End- Ice Bucket Challenge - 5350m

In the name of raising awareness and a cure for ALS we officially close Peak Freaks Triple Crown Expedition 2014'  Possibly the worlds highest ice bucket challenge.

                                                   If the video doesn't open, click this link.

                                                         http://vimeo.com/111177669

Tim pulls strings - Team in Kathmandu a day early!

The team made good time arriving in Lukla from Phakding today arriving at 11:30hrs NPT. Members began ordering their lunch and began to settle in for the night to prepare their hopeful scheduled flight to Kathmandu tomorrow, Tim disappears. He was determined to keep those faces smiling till he sees each them off on their international flights.

Tim was giggling on FaceTime telling me the story on how it all went down. Lukla airport manager came in the house they were staying at. He calls out "I'll take two", returns a while later, "I'll take one" one by one and two by two, they were all lifted to Kathmandu. Tim was now alone with all the food on the tables. He called in some porters and area workers to help him with that and just as he was paying the bill he gets summoned to get on the plane.

Tonight it was Rumdoodles restaurant for dinner and signing of the Yeti foot for the wall. Tim sent them all off to Tom and Jerry's, the local watering hole frequented by climbers, he asked to them to look around at some of the old Peak Freak paraphernalia from days gone by.

During our conversation I got tipped off that the team is preparing something special for this blogs  closing. I must say I'm looking very much forward to that post.

Stay tuned!
Becky
"Triple Crown Mountaineering Course"

Check this out!  An extremely rare clean shaven Tim, John Forestell's father Claire and sister Lindsay back in 2001. John was 8 then now 21 lifting a 90kg load at which Tim said just about knocked him over. No doubt!! Good fun...

Lukla in our sights!

The team is in Phakding tonight, sleeping in the rich air beside the river.  Tim wanted me to show the latest photos of the team all cleaned up and with smiling faces. To show them now in the event they get wrapped up in the complications that can come when flights get backed up in Lukla due weather and they get all cranky.

I told him his eyes looked like they were closed. He told me he was praying good weather.

Fingers crossed,

Becky

Triple Crown- Photo round-up

What can I say? pictures tell a thousands words. More to come in the next few days. Enjoy!

TRIPLE CROWN MOUNTAINEERING & EVEREST TRAINING PROGRAM

Stay tuned! It's not over yet!

Becky

Sorrow in the Mountains- Ama Dablam death

Sad news came to Tim when he learned of three deaths on Ama Dablam today. One Sherpa climber was killed and three foreigners were injured when the looming serac (aka ticking time-bomb) on the route to the summit let go of a chunk of ice or possible rock, the details are not out yet.  Tim knew the Sherpa well, his name is Dendi Sherpa. Tim said he'll miss bumping into his smiling face in the valley. The foreigners names he did not know. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families during this difficult time.

Sorrow in the mountains is inevitable these days with warming temperatures and especially when climbing under ice that"will" come off at some point. We feel the best thing you can do if you're not willing to take those risk is to avoid them altogether.

Triple Crown climber Dekel Berenson photo of Ama Dablam 2014'

We quit climbing Ama Dablam over 10 or 12 years ago when this particular serac started to calve back then. To us it just wasn't worth the risk. The situation here is like what happened on Everest this year when 16 Sherpa climbers lost their lives due to ice-fall and not a traditional snow avalanche as many may have thought by the way the media quoted the incident. The event in the Annapurnas was avalanche related deaths by snow loads coming down, Everest was ice-fall.

On Ama Dablam like Everest, you have no choice but to climb underneath it.  Climbers need to know those risks and not take their safety for granted. Tim decided those risks are not acceptable for a training climb or a group of climbers out for a good time and with

RIP DENDI SHERPA- OMANI PADME HUM 

no pressure and not influenced by an outside agenda to succeed at all costs -  the kind of applicants we want.

We used to use Camp 3 on Ama Dablam but now it's in direct line of this problematic area where potential for calving ice and rock is considered active.  Once the ice is gone then there will be rock fall to contend with. We came close to having an incident back in the day so we left and never returned. There are other peaks to climb, it's beauty and prestige is not worth the risk when you're guiding.  Independent teams- okay. The situation there now is that Camp 3 can't be used so all climbers must have the stamina and ability to climb swiftly, all while putting in a long day from Camp 2 to the summit and back. It's not for everyone and certainly not for a novice climber.

We have photos coming out now of our safe and successful "Triple Crown Expedition" I'll be posting them to Tim;s Facebook, if you're not already, be a follower...

Peak Freaks are in Namche Bazaar tonight.

Becky