Everest Unofficial Closure and the Future

The SPCC (Sagamartha Pollution Control Commity) has thankfully given us permission to use helicopters to lift our 32 human loads of equipment from Camp 1 & 2 eliminating putting further life at risk on the glacier.

As a result of the base camp meet the government encouraged people to continue to climb if they want to. If they were to officially close Everest as so many Sherpas requested, they would have been up against demands to give permit fees back. Instead they've offered the current permits a validity of up to five years to be used for a future Everest climb.

There is one private team here that we are aware of that says they're going to make a go at climbing this spring. The ice fall doctors (team of Sherpas who fix the route on the glacier) say ladders they placed will have all been disassembled by force of nature, they'll be bent and broken if not maintained daily. The doctors haven't been back up since April 18 and they aren't planning on going up again this year.

Another chunk of ice broke off today causing another avalanche in the same area as April 18th. Avalanches are frequent and common all over the Himalayas this time of year, but problem areas we have to travel under we take seriously and especially with too many people moving slowly in an area will be conjested. If the Sherpas had to move slow in the area, the clients would be moving even slower once they started.  All western commercial operators are packing up to leave. We're not sure about one of the Nepalese operators. They've not made an announcement yet that we're aware of.

The future of Everest being safe is questionable. Yes there are too many people coming. Some teams have as many as 60 people on them. Everest has become a high altitude tour not a climb as we used to know it. Peak Freaks has often expressed this to the Ministry and aspiring applicants that team sizes and the number of permits they issue would be the death of their gem if not controlled. Seems that the more people are successful, the more the momentum builds compromising safety.  We feel this was irresponsible of the government to just look the other way. We never knew how many people were going to show up till we got here.

Everest is not a walk in the park, dangers are real, mountains kill people. Clients need to accept more responsibility, they should be self-reliant climbers and question what if something were to happen to my Sherpa guide?, would I be able to help him?

Everest does not only have wind issues, the shifting tectonic plates continue to push Everest upward, along with the whole Himalaya mountain range, at 1.6 to 3.9 inches (4 to 10 centimetres) per year. Compounded with the glacier being pulled downward due to global warming, there's a lot of friction between the two. We can't say that Everest will or will not be safe on a particular day. We can only predict with our years of experience working here combined with our tools and skills we've learned as guides who actively work in the mountains, and with our Sherpa guides wisdom and their spiritual insight.

As an operator, we also have work to do. Peak Freaks will continue to train people in safer areas on smaller peaks in the beautiful Himalayas. Sherpa culture is a beautiful thing. There is much we can learn from them.

Everest? The government of Nepal has work to do. 

Om mani padme hum

Tim & Becky Rippel

Safety first- we pull the pin.

"

Peak Freaks Everest 2014' is cancelled due to safety concerns, firstly the route in my professional opinion is NOT safe and providing guidance through our expertise in safety is what we are paid for.  We've cancelled expeditions before to save lives, this is not new to us. Nothing in mountaineering is absolute, we have to be flexible and move with the mountains, there are no guarantees.  As I give this dispatch I hear an avalanche. Earlier today I listened to another coming from the same direction off the western shoulder that killed 16 Sherpas on April 17th. 

What I am seeing here is exactly why we no longer climb on adjacent Ama Dablam 6856m and later Mount Pumori at 7145. We no longer climb those mountains due to global warming, the ice is melting, the glue that holds them together.

Secondly there is too much riff to consider safely moving forward as the political environment here is getting more complex and anger is developing. There is talk of retaliation on Sherpas who want to continue and I'm not about to be part of this or put any of my staff or clients in danger. There seems to be two tribes forming and this makes for a dangerous situation in an already unstable mountainous environment. If we care about our Sherpa families as so many say they do, then we must give peace a chance. 

Tomorrow the Nepalese army and police are expected at base camp to try to talk to the Sherpas who do not want to climb into doing it for a few select operators that are putting pressure on them. This is not how we climb mountains!!

The ice-fall doctors who put the ladders and routes in through the ice-fall have made their decision that the glacier is not safe. Why wouldn't we listen to them?  In addition 300+ Sherpas have put their names on an organized protest to not climb in respect of the recent deaths, why wouldn't we listen to them? 

It's gotten too messy, we hung in here to see if we could learn from all of this and be of assistance in anyway through this crisis, but now that we have an army, police and angry Sherpas staging at base camp, it's time to go home. 

What's next?

We have 32 loads of equipment up at Camp 2. We are organizing jointly with Alpine Ascents and Adventure Consultants a helicopter to take up 3 Sherpas, one from each team, to organize the loads to be flown down to base camp avoiding the glacier all together. 

Some of our clients have organized helicopter lifts to Kathmandu while others are walking out effective tomorrow morning. 

We've been in the Sherpa community for 24 years as partners in tourism and have seen so much good come from it to a country that was once the 5th poorest in the world. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been generated here from mountaineering. 

We will continue to climb on smaller mountains in Nepal and do what we can to keep the industry alive in Nepal,  but we will tread softly on future plans with Everest. 

Over and out

Tim

Everest 2009 taken from Mount Pumori

 

Everest this week 2014' 

Avalanche Update - 11:30 NPT

Tim reports complete chaos on Everest right now. 

6 Sherpas are dead and 9 people missing. Helicopters are flying up and down doing rescues of stranded climbers and long line lifts of the dead Sherpas. As many as 100 climbers were stranded above a broken ladder that are being evacuated down to camp. 

Tim instructed all our members and Sherpas to call home and inform family they are ok. This event has sent shivers throughout the Khumbu. Everyone is rattled by this tragic event. 

Becky 

Rippel & Brice story

It's a pretty quiet camp here in terms of climbing. It's cold and windy up high and many teams are just now starting to gather. Many were held back with bad weather in Kathmandu and others were out doing their valley acclimatization climbs in preparation for Camp 1. 

Tim had a visit from Russell Brice (Himex) today so I thought I'd post information on how and when they met and in the pioneering days of Everest operations. 

I've attached a photo of Tim and Russell catching up at the bakery in Namche Bazaar a couple weeks ago. It prompted Tim and I to reminisce about the old days, it's hardships,  and how we endured.

Tim first met Russell in 1994 on Everest on the north side in Tibet. Tim was part of a Canadian expedition. Russell, Henry Todd and Eric Simonson were also here in the early stages of pioneering at that time.  In 1995 Russell hired Tim to guide for him. He couldn't pay Tim as he was pioneering and we know well how that goes- barely scraping together enough to get it to happen- and barely finding enough clients to help contribute in the form of fees. Guides and operators busting out to new ranges rarely made money in the early years, they just come out of it with valuable experience that they paid for. Today I think we are all surprised how big the Everest guiding industry would become. 

Meanwhile back at home Tim had built a log house in the mountains here in Canada for us and our two kids.  We get a lot of snow and that's why today our home in Nelson B.C. is a skiers mecca with Heli and Cat ski operators surrounding us and 2 major downhill ski areas. We live right smack in the middle of it.  We were flat broke and Tim would go off Heli-Ski guiding in the winters for 3+ months while I was left at home to keep the home fires burning and get creative trying to market our own creation " Peak Freaks". That meant chopping wood for heat and melting lots snow on the wood stove for water 6 months of the year all while keeping cougar attacks at bay.  No real phone to speak of and good old dial-up that ran well below the minimum download speeds, and only after the chair-lift stopped at the end of the day because of the feedback on the line that we shared. I did this for three consecutive winters. Did I say it's for sale? Whitewater Chalet  

Tim's last Everest with Russell was in 1997, he told Russell he had to pay him enough to get our water line buried as he feared he'd be a single man when he got home.  Wait for it.....  a whopping $5k arrived in the bank early July, just in time to get a bob cat in to dig the 1800ft. trench on the side of the mountain before the next winter set in.  24 years we are still married .... thank-youuuuuu  Russell  :)

Today the team is laying low and finally the Ncell 3G tower is suppose to operational. We'll see....

Becky

Happy Nepali New Year

Nepali New Year – Thursday to Saturday, 10 to 19 April 2014

It's the year 2071 in Nepal right now. 

One of the most important dates on the Bikram Sambat is the Nepali New Year which roughly coincides with the arrival spring, usually in mid-April. The New Year is celebrated for 9 days, with the fifth day from the start of the festivities the actual public holiday. There are several rituals that are carried out in the course of the New Year, and they speak of the Nepali belief in the washing away of the old and in welcoming new beginnings. On the first day of Bikram Sambat, people take a bathing ritual in Hanumantay River to let all misfortunes and diseases of the coming year be carried away by the river. Be forewarned that Nepal is bathed in animal blood in the course of New Year festivities to appease the Hindu gods. A symbolic procession is also held around town, where the chariots of Bhairav and Bhadrakal (manifestations of Shiva and his consort) are purposely collided – in an event known as Bisket Jatra – to signify the union of male and female, and the birth of a new beginning symbolized by spring.

Photo of celebrations in Kathmandu

http://peakfreaks.com

Meet The Team

It's been busy at both ends of launching an Everest expedition, it's taken a bit of time to organize information for all of our followers combined with other logistics. Please allow me to finally introduce to you our Peak Freaks Everest  2014' climbing team. 

LEADERSHIP

Tim Rippel - Canada - Expedition Leader, Guide, Camera

Mingmar Salaka Sherpa - Nepal-  Guide, Camera

Kevin Farebrother - Australia -Apprentice Guide

OTHER

Mohan Bikram Shah - Nepal - Camera

MANAGEMENT

Becky Rippel- Communications & Logistics

Sonam Lama- Nepal Headguarters 

Kiran Manandhar - Nepal Outside operations

Roshan Bhattarai - Nepal Outside operations

EBC

Ang Karsung Sherpa - Khunde -Base Camp Manager

Desh Kumar Rai -  Sotang- chief cook

Kami Sharki Sherpa- Solu Khumbu- cook

Lhakpa Gyaltsen Sherpa- Khumjung- cook

Sonam Dorje Sherpa - Khunde -cook

CAMP 2

Tsultim Dorje Sherpa - Khunde- Head cook

Ang Kami Sherpa-  Okhaldunga -cook

CLIMBING SHERPA GUIDES

Tashi Tunde Sherpa- Sirdar

Sangye Furi Sherpa - Guide and Camera

Palden Namgyal Sherpa- Phortse- Guide

Pemba Sherpa - Tingla- Guide

Ritar Lome Bote - Sankhuwa Saba - Guide

Zangbu Sherpa - Harashi- Guide

Tsering Namgyal Sherpa- Pangboche- Guide

Da Tsering Sherpa - Khumjung - Guide

Chhowang karma Sherpa - Tingla - Guide

Shere Sherpa - Tingla- Guide

Phurtemba Sherpa- Phortcha - Guide

Temba Sherpa- Khumjung - Guide

Kazi Sherpa - Khotang- Guide

Chomba Sherpa- Okhaldunga - Guide

Nima Norua Sherpa- Khumjung- Guide

Dawa Wangu Sherpa- Pangbucha- Guide

Nawang Nori Sherpa- Tingla- Guide

Phu Tashi Sherpa- Phorcha- Guide

Minma Nuri Sherpa- Khumbjung - Guide

Ang Nima Sherpa- Guide

Nuru Sherpa- Khunde- Guide

Ngima Sherpa- Khunde- Guide

and....not to forget all the herders and porters and pack animals that make this all possible. Also our base camp trekkers and Island Peak climbers who come along to participate on a major expedition with us at the highest hangout in the world. 

MEMBERS

Kuntal Joisher - Mumbai, India

Torkel Ristebraten- Norway

Jeroen Roodenburg- Netherlands

Henning Faye Schjoll- Norway -(Camp 2)

Christof Deblauwe- Belgium

Jacques Nel- South Africa -(Camp 2)

Ye Min Thu- Myanmar

Sai Kyaw Wunna Soe- Myanmar

Namar Johnsin- Myanmar

Sai Kyaw Thu Hwe- Myanmar

Kee Yo Dwe- Myanmar-

Sadly Kee Yo, nicknamed Koke, was evacuated to Kathmandu with a serious case of HAPE. High Altitude Pulomnary edema. It was a head shaker as all members of the Myanmar team were on our "Triple Crown" Everest Training last autumn. Physically Koke appeared to be the strongest looking member of the team and summitted all peaks in training over 6000m, higher than at base camp without issue. You never know when something can be off and when. One time you're great, the next you're not. He will be sadly missed by the rest of his team mates. 

Because of this development the other 4 Myanmar members have retreated to Pheriche for a rest at a lower elevation and will take their time coming up and down making sure they are completely adjusted, one step at a time.  This team we would consider to be in excellent shape. They live and climb in the high Himalayas in Myanmar - "yes - there are Himalayan giants in Myanmar" and Peak Freaks has something on the burner coming soon that should be very pleasing to our followers.  One member Namar Johnsin climbs the high Himalayas from Myanmar through to China and Tibet frequently, they are guides in their country, rafting and mountain. If successfull, they will be the first team of climbers from Myanmar to summit Mount Everest. 

PHOTO: Myanmar members and their sponsors/support and Tim - arrival Kathmandu airport. 

More information coming on our dynamic team as the days go by. Stay tuned!

Becky Rippel

http://peakfreaks.com

Busy doing what we do

April 13, 2014

Since we arrived at EBC a few days back everyone has been busy doing what we do here this time of year.  Entertaining our trekkers, getting them close up to the ice-fall and taking time to instruct and practice skills with our Island Peak members.

Island Peak members Leslie Paulet and Tom Ireland both from Canada are now on their way. They will shoot for the summit on the 16th, it is very cold this week but then again they are Canadian. Ngima sent a text out to our home base saying they are in Dingboche and everyone is doing well.  They will move up to Island Peak camp tomorrow.

Myself and the Everest climbers headed off to Pumori C1- standard route- not the South Ridge route we used to access in our past Pumori expeditions. We had a good day and are back at base camp tonight.

We managed to dispatch a rash of photos today so you'll see those on my Facebook. If you're not yet a follower and want to see what we've been up to and the great food we are being served and more, have a look. Including a look at Kuntal Joshier's vegan plate. Desh Kumar,  our head cook surprises me every season with new ideas. 

Soon we'll be in position to start working in the ice-fall. Until then we are in no real hurry, just getting camp duties and filming underway while everyone gets adjusted to the altitude and life here. We have two filming projects we are working on this year along with a whole bunch of other shoots going on with other expeditions. Myself, Mingmar Salaka Sherpa, Sangye Sherpa and professional Mohan Bikram Shah, will all be packing small GoPros and point and shoot, nothing big like other large filmmakers here this season. 

Base Camp is generally pretty quiet right now. Many climbers are either delayed in the valley with late flights due weather or working on altitude gains on Lobuche and area.

Photos: Pumori C1 today and Kuntal's vegan plate

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