Russell Brice Has Landed

04/13/2009

By Ed Wardle

Most of your time on Everest is uncomfortable. So most of your time is spent trying to get more comfortable: a flatter sleeping platform, a warmer bed, a more organized tent, a more hygienic routine to avoid the common GI problems, Vaseline to stop your fingers cracking, a place to sit down that doesn't freeze your buns. Small things make a big difference, and as Russell Brice (Himex expedition leader) says, "Only stupid climbers are uncomfortable at Base Camp."

Russell has always believed that to climb Everest you need to be comfortable and well fed in the two months it takes to prepare for a summit push. This year he's gone a step further. Maybe we should call it "Boutique Base Camp?" Or maybe "Champing" (camping with champagne)? 

Russell Brice's Himex camp

I haven’t seen anything quite as close as Russell Brice's 2009, five-star, luxury BC. The kitchen has shiny fan-assisted ovens, chefs in starched linen aprons arrange salmon on platters, with parsley and flowers in baskets hang from the walls (OK, so the flowers are plastic, but it works!).  You’ll think I’m exaggerating when I tell you there are hot-cross buns baking on Easter morning, but trek past the Himex camp with its white-domed communal tent with fully stocked bar, plasma TV, surround-sound stereo, then smell the cinnamon-baked bread wafting across the Khumbu Valley and you’ll get an idea of the level of comfort Russell has brought to Everest.

Himex climbers relax in the communal tent

Of course, there are still the casualties among the new arrivals to BC. The Himex team is around 26 strong and there are the usual cases of altitude sickness, sore heads, puking, and that grungy sort of lethargy that hangs on your back for the first week. But in Russell's camp you can wash away your troubles with a gas-powered, piping-hot shower or lie on a deck chair in the sun and sip a cold one – Russ's biggest problem on Day 1 was that the beer had ice in it!

High-altitude brownies

I stayed for lunch. There was no handwritten menu, but let me tell you, there are freezers with beef steaks, salmon and chicken, and there is real mayonnaise! They had grilled tomatoes topped with melted cheese, scones with cream cheese and strawberry jam, fresh fruit and vegetables. I'm sorry to go on, but up here we spend entire evenings fantasizing about food like this.

One of the Sherpa ice doctors gets ready to head to the Khumbu Icefall from Base Camp.

OK, back to the real Everest. Last night the ice doctors got to within a hundred feet of Camp 1, fixing ropes and spanning crevasses with their aluminum ladders. They returned through the icefall to base camp late last night and are resting up today. Tomorrow they'll finish the route to Camp 1. Eric's International Mountain Guides team has been at BC, trekking up and down to acclimatize for a week now and are ready to go. Tuesday, April 14th, is time to climb.

At 4 a.m., while the ice stacks of the Khumbu Icefall are frozen solid, astronaut Scott Parazynski will leave BC and be the first to climb onto Everest's high slopes. He'll sleep at Camp 1 – 19,500 feet and directly above the Khumbu Icefall -- for a night or two. Then, if all goes well, he’ll push up to Camp 2 – 21,000 feet (6,400 meters) at the base of the Lhotse Face -- before returning to Base Camp again to rest.

One of the Sherpa ice doctors

That will be the first of about four rounds of "acclimatization," each round pushing his body to a higher altitude. After the four rounds are complete -- Round 4 reaching as high as 24,000 feet (7,300 meters) – he should be ready for an attempt at the summit.

Scott knows that starting his high-altitude acclimatization this early means he could be ready to go for the summit at the start of May. Then, he must wait for the weather.

Everest's summit is blasted by jet stream winds of up to 200 mph for most of the year. But for a few weeks, the jet is pushed north by the monsoons of India and opens a brief window when climbers can attempt to stand on the top of the world. That collision of giant weather systems happens in May.

Russell Brice (center) with two of the legendary Himex Sherpas (Phurba Tashi on the right)

The earliest ever summit was by Russell's Sherpas fixing ropes on the North Face. I filmed Phurba Tashi and his team of five reach the top on April 30, 2007. Phurba returned to Base Camp that same day and exclaimed, "Cold, very cold!"

The earlier in the season, the safer the icefall, but the colder the summit – down to minus 40 degrees in good weather. Later in the season, toward the end of May and even into June, the weather is warmer, but the icefall becomes a death trap.

Himex Sherpas at Base Camp

One step at a time.  I'm planning to climb with Scott on his first acclimatization round, and if I can keep up with them, I hope to film the Sherpas constructing Camp 1. After that, I’m going down to Russell's for the finest rare roast forerib of beef with horseradish sauce, gravy, roast potatoes, parsnips...

Ed, over and out.

Photos by Ed Wardle |

Comments

[Amy]

Just wonderful narrative! Best Everest blog that I have read. Learning new things about Everest and the teams from every blog...
The only thing that is torturous is me wishing I could be at Base Camp/Everest! Baah!
Thanks!!

[sherpalove]

I SO wish I could be at Base Camp/Everest too!!!
but mostly so that I could be with my love...

If you could hear me right now I would tell you that I love you!!!

[Mike Nichols]

Good Luck Gents! God Bless!

[magdy seeam]

Suffering in the ground are more people in search of nature in the ground, they are more alienated people from their homes and more effort and less risk and lower-paid and famous in spite of the fact that they were agents of human and natural agents in the conciliation between the two in a normal life more stable

[matt]

what is magdy seeam even talking about? ( read the comment she left a little farther down the page)

[Matt]

Awesome blog, thanks for the update and pics.

Between this and David Taits blog I can get an idea of what it is like.

Good luck with your climb, stay safe.

[Matt]

I think magdy might be suffering from hypoxia. Magdy....are you above 8000 meters? Come down magdy, come down!