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Success. Fri 5th Feb.

5/2/2016

17 Comments

 
Picture
Blair at Gorak Shep, 5,100mts
SUCCESS..... We have had no wifi or phone service for over a week. 

Yesterday all three of us busted our arses to summit Island Peak. We set off for Base Camp from Chukhung and arrived at around 2pm. Tents were set up in very windy conditions and no sooner were we huddled in the warmth, food was brought into us and we were settling in for the night in preparation for a 1am wake up call ready for a 2am start. 

Very little sleep and before we knew it we were on the trail under headlamp. All three of us agree had it have been daylight and we could see what we were climbing we would have said "no thanks". At one stage what I thought was stars, turned out to be climbers head lamps way up where stars normally are. 

We had four hours of literally straight up......could it possibly get any harder? Well we then hit the ice. Out came the crampons. We had two ladder crossing with crevasses that went to nowhere. I felt really safe though as we were all harnessed and tied together so basically if one goes, we all go. 

Could it get any harder??? Well yes it can. We then hit a sheer wall of ice we had to climb. About 80 meters in height and about 80 degree steepness. So it's then I realize the ice axes we were given the day before weren't just for looks!!!!. It took us around 3 hours to climb this wall of ice, which took us up to an iced ridge line about 60 centimeters wide and a sheer drop on either side. Another 30 minutes climbing this ridge we were all standing on the summit. 

We can now appreciate why it's called Island Peak. It sits in the middle of other giants on its own. The views are amazing. We stayed up there for about 10 minutes (9 hours of busting our arses for 10 minutes on the summit)!!! We couldn't have been more exposed, 10 minutes was long enough. 

We followed the same route down and it took just as long to get down the ice wall. Attached to ropes and kind of abseiling down but so difficult with the ice shards. We ended up back at Base Camp at around 5pm after 15 hours of one hard slog. We then decided to not spend another night in tents and head back down to Chukhung again under head lamp arriving around 8.30 - 9pm absolutely stuffed. 

Going back a few days now and Blair had stomach problems during our 2 nights acclimatisation walk at Periche. He lost his ability to fart confidently very quickly. He managed to still do an acclimatisation walk up to around 4600mt before calling it quits. 

There's no stopping David as he decides the morning we got to Gorak Shep we would all go to Everest Base Camp, come back to the lodge, relax at 5100meters, have tea and be ready for an early ascent up Kalar Patar. Nope David had other plans, he went up Kalar Patar that afternoon after doing Everest Base Camp in a record time of one hour 10 minutes up and 40 minutes to come down. Meanwhile Blair and I sat back in the lodge around the Heater fueled with yak dung drinking hot chocolates etc. Well the laugh was on us as all night it was gale force winds and we were up at 5.30 to start our walk up in blustery conditions while David was having a little sleep in. 

Blair and I put David's lung capacity in altitude down to the fact that he can free dive for nearly 5 minutes under water. His body tells him at the 2 minute mark that if it doesn't get air he will die......he ignores it and stays down (which apparently is what you're meant to do). I start to panick at 17 seconds. 

Blair is still struggling with his speech and a few days ago commented that Prakash our guide would probably be sitting back in his "dick chair" while we summit Island Peak. I'm trying guys. 

FYI Prakash didn't join us to summit as he doesn't have insurance to climb.

We are now in a place called Pangboche. Still no wifi, so can't attach photos. Tomorrow night we will be in Jorsale, then Lukla. Heavy knee deep snow in Lukla a couple of days after we landed shut the airport for around 3 days. We have found the higher we climbed the better the weather. Trails are very dry and dusty and to be honest could do with a bit of snow to keep the dust down. Blair flinches when I say this with his experience only 11 months ago when he was here in waist deep snow.

We can't read comments or answer comments until we have wifi. I was looking forward to the normal 5 bars at Gorak Shep but apparently the tower was broken.


17 Comments
David G
5/2/2016 11:34:57 pm

Well done. I can't wait to get all the details, and I'm guessing you've got some brilliant photos.

Reply
Christine hennigan
5/2/2016 11:48:30 pm

Sue that ice wall and the 60cm wide ridge and the whole lot sounds so excruciatingly difficult. you must be so proud of yourselves.

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David G
7/2/2016 08:24:43 am

Hi Christine. I'm hearing back that they are all proud, although very tired from the effort.
I hear you may be considering a return to Nepal...!! I'll get Sue to drop you a line on her return.

Reply
Wendy
6/2/2016 12:03:57 am

Well done sue,David and Blair. That sounded extraordinary tough. Glad your safe and on way down, at least somebody cracked .. Hope Blair didn't have to borrow your undies

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Veals
6/2/2016 07:19:04 am

Congratulations guys. Such a massive effort! Have a safe return trip.

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Dis
6/2/2016 07:19:23 am

Well done to all of you, tough effort. Looking forward to catching up.

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James.
6/2/2016 08:01:23 am

Great effort guys, bet you are glad to be out of those tints and off the mountain, only one mountain left Sue...the washing as I lost the list you left me, it's rained for 3 weeks since you left.

Reply
David G
6/2/2016 10:17:15 pm

Oh boy, you are going to cop it....!!

Reply
Glenys paterson
6/2/2016 12:35:18 pm

Hi,
So glad you made it there and back, was a bit worried when there was no communication. Watched the climb on the website, it did look scary. ....Glenys

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Annie crowe
6/2/2016 05:33:15 pm

Wow what a very different experience you've had this year in Nepal. All sounds amazing and just a little scary. Great to hear that you are all safely on the way down and heading towards Lukla. Obviously you've missed Sammy to sniff out wifi for you or alternatively set up or steal some elses. Enjoy the rest of the trip and I look forward to seeing the pictures. Enjoy. Xx

Reply
Veals
6/2/2016 05:39:37 pm

Sue, can't believe u r staying at jorsale and not walking another hour or so to stay at Phakding.
Having a coffee with the boys at the moment & they r going to hop into some roo burgers tonight.
Bel says 'skanky skanky skanky'
Pom says 'garage & yogurt'

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John Gaul
6/2/2016 06:11:15 pm

Well done. A great achievement.

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Sue
6/2/2016 06:44:12 pm

Thanks for all the well wishes and comments everyone. It all seems a little surreal at the moment. Unfortunately I couldn't take my big camera up, so the only photos are ones David took of his small camera. You'll have to wait for some photos. Bodies are still screaming at us wondering what the heck have we put it through. We are back at Namche in the bakery for lunch. Then heading to Jorsale tonight.

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Span a
6/2/2016 09:33:25 pm

Sue it was so good to finally hear from, it sounds like you all had a wonderful experience and I bet there was never a dull moment, I am so looking forward to hearing all about it . Congratulations to all of you now you can kick back and have a well earned rest. The time has gone very quickly , see you soon ,mum

Reply
Bill
6/2/2016 10:47:03 pm

Well you guys were after a challenge & sounds like you were given one!!! Having struggled up KP on one lung & a bad case of the shits, I can only imagine how tough it was at 6,000 plus metres.
Sure you haven't pumped up the degree of difficulty - 60cm ridge with deadly drop off's either side, ice walls, blah blah, really????

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David G
6/2/2016 11:26:58 pm

Hey Bill. Nope, I think it was the real deal..!! Feedback coming through today is that they are all paying a small price. Very fatigued and dehydrated...!! I'll send you a youtube link of the climb.
You up for Island Peak???

Reply
Bill
7/2/2016 09:24:03 am

Had a look at the video, serious stuff!!!
I take my hat off to them. As for me, I'll do a Prakash & pass thanks very much.




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    2016 Island Peak...

    Sue Carroll.
    6 time visitor to Nepal.

    Trek Leader with TrekNepalWithMe.

    ​​Climbing Island Peak Jan 2016

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David Gaul - 0417 388 404
Point Cook. Vic. Australia