We had allocated 11 days to climb Elbrus, but 3 days from Salt Lake City we already summited the highest summit of Europe creating an issue. What to do with 8 extra days? Well that is not to difficult to arrange.
On june 8 we did the West summit in 4hs,35″ and the same day we got back to the Hotel, on July 11 we headed up again by departing from the hotel at 8,40am and reaching the East Summit at 2,22pm, so about 4hs,22′ from the last ski lift at 3,750 with a approximate elevation gain of 1837 meters, we used running shoes for speed, same as for Elbrus west.
Two days at the hotel was enough for us to start getting a bit of ants on our butts, so with a border permit in hand we departed on July 13 for a mega marathon of peak bagging, witch ended early as we encountered the worsrt rock ever on my 22 years of peak bagging.
We will depart tomorrow for Moscow and to Kilimanjaro we go!

All the best
damian

On July the 7 we headed up to the high camp of Elbrus, with the idea of spending few days there and getting ready for the summit, but the next morning we woke up at 4,30 am and decided on given the summit a try.  Well 4 and 1/2 later we where at the summit! Awesome! Not only we climbe in 4,34.57 but also we ski a great line on the south west summit ridge of the west summit.

Damian

Hello all,

Had been a very long time without news.

A  quick recap of the past month.After Everest we got back to Salt Lake City for 4 days and then traveled to Argentina for 3 days, returning in to SLC on June 13, on June 14 we traveled to Anchorage and then to Talkena for a quick trip up Denali.

The trip to Denali was short but supper hard.

Our camp at 11,000'

Our idea was to ski from the summit as fast as possible, but at the same time because we just finished with Big E, we wanted to eat good. So we loaded our snow sledges with 200 lb of good, super good food! At 1100′ we where eating burritos with fresh eggs and beef.We landed at BC on the 16 and arrived at 14,000′ on the 23rd after few storms on 11,000′.

On the 24 we went to 16,000 for a ski run, where we triggered a very goo size avalanche just right o the fix lines. A super wake call of conditions in the mountain!! On the 25 we woke up to an awesome day, but as all of our stuff was wet, the idea that we could just go for the summit right there was quickly put in the back. In the afternoon as we where working on our gear we could see the team of Theluride dropping the rescue gully from 17,200′, after few turns we could see a huge slide being trigger just up down from her. Kim got got on the huge slide and after the cloud dissipated we could see her half way up the face. Quick I got ready in case if help was needed and after we talked with the park rangers and other climbers we decided on going up to help Kim. I finished that day at midnight and after good night sleep and we a traditional wak up call of Johnny and Damian

we left 14,000′ at 11.30am for the summit with we reached 6,45 hs later and back in Camp by 10 pm. What a hard day, supper windy and super cold with the worst conditions for skiing!!! we finished skiing from the summit ridge to 17,200′ and from Washburn’s Thumbs to 14,400′ On the 26 after a restful morning we departed for the 15 miles ski to BC.

Fine reading for and Artic storm.

Wonder how it could feel been inside a white ball, well that is how we felt from Windy pass to 9,400′, complete whiteout!!!
An for moments complete lost! We arrived on the 28 to Anchorage and took a read eye Alaska airline to SLC.

Rested at home for 4 days and now we are in Elbrus, getting some sleep and getting ready to climb Elbrus supperfast so we can have some time to play around here. Today I so this supper long ice/snow gully from the hotel!

Our slide of June 24th

The resceu party heding to help Kim. note the avalanche debris.

Johnny on the way to the summit at 16,800'

Damian at the Summit with 1 21 celcius! Brrrr cold!!!!

Johnny on the summit with the Sickbird buckle!!!

More news soon

Damian and Johnny!!!

Hello Everyone!
After few days waiting in BC to get the mountain clean and rest from the summit push, we headed down the mountain for some rich air.
We all feel that we had made the right choice on summiting the 19, as the weather window didn’t last long, making 2009 a very short summit window.
After few days of getting things pack we headed to Periche and then Namche and Luckla.

From Periche on started raining very hard and by the time we got to Namche we all where completely wet to the point that everyone invested on some umbrellas.
At Luckla we encouter a huge mess with 100’s of people wating for seats to fly to Kathmandu, but as the weather was bad all flights where canceled.
After half day of stress we decided on chartering a helicopter with other climbers.
So now we all are sitting on a nice coffee place on Kathamandu, wating for our bags that are still stuck in Luckla.
We will get back to the USA on June 2.
All the best
The team

Johnny having lunch at Monjo

Breakfast for Champions! 8am!!!

Always wanted to be a helicopter Pilot!!!

Just spent about 1 hour working on a complete detail of the last few days but my good computer has decided on not charging, so as soon as it gets unplugged it shuts off.

So long story short, I lost everything.
I will get a more complete version of the last few days soon, as really need some sleep.
We departed to camp 2 for our summit push on May 15 and after one day rest at C2 we moved to camp 3. Camp 3; situated a 7160 meters is the where the real altitude starts and after a quick climb from Camp 2 we got our self in to our tents and the serious and hard work of hydrating started– Yerba Mate and more mate, some salame with cheese, some card playing, took the rest of the day. The plan was to sleep on OX that night, not only to rest and provide more strength for the next few days, but also to get customize on using the mask.
From camp 3 the route goes up and left to the South Col ( Camp 4)
May 17 we woke up to a very cold and windy morning, so it took a while to get ready for our climb to Camp 4.
Slowly and painfully we made it to Camp 4 around 2 p.m.. South Coll is a incredible place, the camp is situated between Lhotse and Everest.
After we settle in to our tents a strict process of hydration started.
The idea was to rest all day and at 9 p.m. depart for the summit. The weather was perfect, but in back of our mind know by the weather reports that it could be very windy from 6 p.m. in to mid-night. But as the hours passed and my barometer kept going up 1,2 and 3 points we know that we will have and awesome summit day!!!
At 21,30 we all where outside our tents with our oxygen mask on and at flow of 2,5 L @ minute, we departed from Camp 4.
Our original plan with willie was to depart at 21hs but between on thing and other we where late, so some serious pushing of our lungs was to be made to catch up with him.
We climbed up the triangle face to the balcony, passing people where we could and upon arriving at the balcony we change bottles of oxygen. Although we still have plenty of oxygen left, 1/2 bottle we used so far– the change is part of master plan.
From the Balcony to the South Summit the route crosses in to Tibet for a while in to sort of ridge with some steep snow fields and rock bands, here the temperature was extreme!! A whooping -36,7 c before the battery of the watch die due to the extreme cold! And this was without wind!!
After a long and painful sunrise we made it to the South Summit where we rested and changed or 3 and last bottle. From here we could see the final climb to the summit.
After climbing the famous HIllary step we reached the Summit at 9,20 am with Tety and Johnny, some quick pictures, some big hugs and quickly we started the descent.
Near the Hillary Step I run in to Eugene and Palden whom where stuck in back of climbers and where running late.
I called Willie and we both agree for me to go up again to the summit with Eugene while Tety and Johnny continue their descent– that is the level of trust we have on them!
I summited again at 11am with Eugene and quickly we started the descent that was to be supper long.
Along the way I had to deal with a climber from Ireland whom collapse from a begging of HAPE and extreme tired.
What a nightmare! Willie climbed back from the South Col to help a team of sherpas who where bringing this guy down.
I arrived at the tent 23 hours after a left it! Luckily Tety made some mate for me and before I know I was out.
It took us two days get back to base camp!
I am so happy! What a team! Everyone did a incredible job on climbing this mountain.
We will be traveling for the next few days as we are slowly getting back Home!
For all future inquires please contact us by email
Damian
Hola a TODOS!!!!! (Nunca pense que eran tantos)

Acabo de leer los mails y comentarios del Blog. MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!!!!! Emocionante recibir tantas Felicitaciones de tanta gente (amigos, familiares, gente que hace “Anios” que no veo y gente que “Ni” Conozco.

Muy Loco!! Gracias . Re Lindo!!

15-05-09 CB-CII
Temprano partimos desde el Camp Base al II. Cansada de cargar ropa en la mochila decidi salir con los pantalones de Gore-Tex en vez de los de Trekking. Ese dia hicieron 50 C. Me calcine!!! Todos llegamos cansados y con un poco de dolor decabeza.

16-05-09 Descanso en camp II

17-05-09 CII-CIII

Temprano partimos desde el camp II hacia el III. La primera hora costo un poco pero una vez en las cuerdas fijas agarre ritmo y segui mas o

menos bien. 100mts antes de llegar vino un Sherpa a llevarme la mochila. No
Gracias!!! Tenia que llegar. Llegue muerta, lo unico que queria era tirarme a dormir. En el camino llegando pensaba todas las cosas de la mochila que iba a dejar en el III para alivianarla. Esa noche dormimos con los tubos de Oxigeno. Dormi perfecto!!!

18-05-09 CIII-CIV-Inicio hacia la cumbre
Hoy mas tranqui que nunca nos acomodamos y partimos hacia el camp IV. Esa maniana eramos varios en las cuerdas fijas y el ritmo era mas lento de lo normal. Aproveche a sacar muchas fotos. Ibamos con Oxigeno y toda la diferencia!!! Asi cualquiera pensaba…. La vista del camp IV es lindisima entre el Nuptse y el Everest esta lleno de cerros. Pero no podia creer la mugre. Lleno de carpas rotas, parantes, estacas, garrafas, comida. Una Lastima!!!
Cumbre: La idea era partir 21:00 hacia la cumbre. Nos atrazamos media hora asi que Willie y su grupo se nos fueron adelante y nunca los alcanzamos. Snif! Los hermanos querian llegar juntos a la cumbre. Salimos a oscuras pero la linea de linternas te marcaba el camino. Todo cuerdas fijas y una persona atras de la otra asi que dificil adelantarse. El ritmo era re-lento asi que al principio medio que me dormia. En el balcon nos cambiamos los tubos y seguimos. De repente aparecio la luna, toda naranja, re Linda y al rato amanecio y ahi me empece a entretener con la vista. A un lado todas las lenguas glaciarias y hacia el otro el Nuptse enorme blanquisimo y lleno de cerros atras!! Re lindo eso porque hasta el camp III siempre caminabamos por un valle, entre el Everest y Nuptse con el Lhotse al frente, que re lindos pero no veias mas que eso. En cambio ahora fue salir de ese valle y ver que atras de esos paredones enormes estaba lleno de cerros. La cumbre sur, re Linda y sobretodo porque vez que ahi no mas tenes “La Cumbre”, ahi nuevamente nos cambiamos los tubos de oxigeno. Hicimos cumbre con Johny y Damian a eso de las 9:20, estaba bastante congestionada, eramos 15 por lo menos, todos festejando y sacandonos fotos. No fue una cumbre muy tranqui…pero la vista era impresionante y lograbas ignorar un poco el ruido de los demas. Despues de un rato bajamos unos metros, con mas reparo, y ahi disfrutamos un rato mas el lugar. Comimos (caramelos, el queso que lleve se me congelo, -37C), nos hidratamos y al rato comenzo a neviscar y se cubrio todo asi que hora de bajar. Damian se quedo un rato arriba esperando a Eugenio que venia un poco mas atras con un Sherpa. Con Johny bajamos juntos y a eso del medio dia llegamos al Camp IV. Cansados, listos para una siestita!!!! Yo tenia los ojos medio nublados, en la cumbre se me congelaban los anteojos y como no veia nada, mas de una vez me los sacaba. Damian y Eugenio llegaron al IV como a las 20:00hs. Eugenio super cansado y con muy poca vision. Duro para ellos pero bien. Felices por la cumbre!!!

20-05-09 CIV-CII
Hoy Bajamos del CIV al CII, nos cruzamos con un monton de gente subiendo. Todos nos felicitaban y nosotros les deseabamos lo mejor. Llegar al CII fue un gran alivio pero igual todavia faltaba llegar al Camp Base. Bajar por la cascada. Damian hoy bajo con Eugenio con cuerda corta. Eugenio tenia una vision muy reducida y habia mucho sol. No tenia que empeorarla.

21-05-09 CII-Camp Base
Hoy temprano empezamos a desarmar el camp II. Terminamos saliendo a las 10:00 pero gracias a Dios no hizo mucho calor y llegamos TODOS SANOS Y SALVOS al Camp Base. HIP HIP HURRA Lo Logramos!!!! Eugenio bajo solo, perfecto y ya esta leyendo de Nuevo!!! Esa noche prendi el telefono para llamara casa y SORPRESA Una Radio desde Argentina y otra y otra y canales de TV No lo podia creer!!!. Como se habian enterado???? Fue muy Lindo!! Gracias a todos!!! Y bueno es como que esto se esta acabando….
Les quiero agradecer a TODOS los que de alguna manera nos ayudaron a lograr esta cumbre. En primer lugar a mis padres y a todos mis amigos, a The North Face que en menos de una semana me dio equipo indispensable que necesitaba y no tenia, a toda la gente que ni conozco y nos deseo lo mejor.

A TODOS Muchas Gracias y Salgan a la montania que hace muy bien!!!!!!! Muchisima gente llamo para entrevistas. En estos dias vamos a estar viajando si alguien todavia esta interesado por favor comuniquense con:

Juliana Lamelza, Alquimia Comunicaciones, 4554-7898/4556-0484,

jlamelza@alquimiacom.net

Que Amanecer

Tety on the way to Camp 4

Llegamos! Llegamos! Estamos en la Cumbre!!!
Un sol espectacular …

(Tety en llamado satelital desde la cumbre)

Aquí estamos en estos momentos, subiendo el último tramo hacia la cumbre, desde Camp 4.

(c) National Geographic

Estamos en C4, todo bien.
Llegamos hace un rato, descansamos 3 horas y a las 9 de la noche (11am ARG), saldremos hacia la cumbre.
Anoche dormimos con oxígeno … así, es como si nada.
Un beso enorme para todos!
Tety.

We have been in Base Camp for almost 10 days and it look like it was just yesterday!

In fact as I am writing this, I ask Tety and Eugene how many days we have been in BC. and they tell me 5 or so. No!! 10 days!
I guess that time flies when things run okay and at the same time we have been involved on some serious stuff.
First was an avalanche above BC where a sherpa and two members got involved and then few days of relax where we scape the land of ice and drama of base camp and hiked 35” to our little paradise at the base of Pumori, where we spend hours with other teams, bouldering (rock climbing). Such a relax time! The last time we where about 20 people, our team, some of Willie’s team and the Croatian female team.
Walking bare foot and climbing at our limits at 5200 meters and just relaxing.

Both of these pictures are from our expeditions to the Boulder fields of Pumori. The one in the right is Willie on a hugh ball with Big E in the back ground.

Few days of stormy weather confine us to Base Camp, in which one of those days I woke up to a very snowy morning and after breakfast I decided on giving Willie a short visit to talk about future weather, when I walked by the Clinic HRA where I fund a bunch of sherpas with very long faces. After the usual greeting they told me that a sherpa die of Methanol poisoning by drinking some fake whisky and another was in critical conditions.
Usually methanol poisoning is fatal or with various serious side effects such as blindness and kidneys failure.
As willie and I are always very involved with all rescues I entered the tent where I found a very sad seen.
Mimna Sherpa was laying in the bed with all sort of IV tubing’s and a oxygen mask hook up to his body in a very serious condition.
By 1300h we all thought that he was to die at any moment and by 1400h he was getting better. A team of doctors and volunteers took care of him for 48 hs when a helicopter was able to pick him up for a 45” flight to Katamandu.
He become the first person to survive methanol poisoning in Nepal! In part for his incredible will to survive and in big part for a incredible group of human beings, who proved that the South of Everest is all about helping each other! A team of doctors from different expeditions and a team of volunteers took care of Migna for 48 straight hours. The whole base camp got together and each team helped with donations of medicines, oxygen and man power.
As soon as the helicopter left, Willie and I went straight to our tents and sleep for many hours trying to catch up with sleep.
Yesterday we have a meeting and after comparing many weather charts and maps we got and idea of the first summit windows.
A very dedicated decision making! Not only we look into perfect weather but also the number of people summiting on that day– we don’t want too many climbers on our summit day as it can get danger.
After many pots of Yerba Mate we decided on May 19.
So schedule goes as follow:
May 15: Move to Camp II
May 16: Rest at Camp II
May 17: Move to Camp III- sleep on oxygen at 0.5 liters at minute
May 18: Move to Camp IV- South Col. climb on Oxygen at 2.5 liters at minute. Arrive at S.C. at 14hs. Rest for rest of day and at 21.00hs depart to summit.
May 19: Summit! some time in the morning and return to S.C.
May 20: Descent to Camp 2
May 21: Descent to Base Camp.

We will be posting news as we can– just short news flash. Mara, Wilie’s base camp manager will be calling some of you to give you updates.
We have a fabulous team! Eugene is like the energizer bunny always keeps going, Johnny (AKA) Trash compactor– might be the only person that gain weight in Everest, Tety the queen of Base camp– incredible strong and positive attitude, and me– just keeping everyone in other.
We have all worked very hard for the past 30 days, all fought something, from bacteria attacks to missing home.
Tomorrow is the day and everything will be fine!
What counts is the process and the summit is just a bonus!

Damian

Hola a todos!!!!!

En el campamento base dejo de nevar y se viene el BUEN TIEMPO!!!!!
Maniana partimos hacia arriba. La idea es hacer cumbre el 19 de Mayo.
Hoy ya partio un grupo grande de gente para arriba que van el 18 a la cumbre. El 19 seremos como 50 personas haciendo cumbre.
Hoy estuvimos practicando todas las maniobras con las mascaras y los tubos de oxigeno. Ya esta todo claro con ese tema.
La idea es:
El 15 subimos al Camp II. El 16 Descanso.
El 17 subimos al camp III. Dormimos con oxigeno.
El 18 subimos al camp IV y a eso de las 21hrs partimos hacia la cumbre. Llevamos oxigeno como para 24hrs para cada uno asi que eso no nos corre.
Vamos a ir junto con un grupo de Willie de Jagged Globe y otro de mujeres croatas. Tambien ese dia va a subir un grupo de IMG y de Russell Brice.
Obviamente todo esto es una idea veremos como sale todo. Esperemos que re bien!!!!!
Los dejo les mando un beso y sigan haciendo fuerza que ya parece que falta poco.
Besosssss
Tety

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Our last trip to the higher camps for our last acclimatization was a success.We climbed straight from Base Camp to Camp II in 5 1/2 hours, rested for a day in camp II under the spell of the good cooking of Mima sherpa and on May 4 we climbed to camp III in an astonishing 3 1/2, whipping by all other groups, which we better not put their names in to ink. Got to 3 with enough energy to grab a shovel and start the slow and painful work of digging a tent platform at 7100-meters to set up a tent in the near future for our summit push.

We have been in Base Camp for few days now, in-fact today is our 4th straight day of resting. The long stressful waiting game for the proper summit window of good weather has started. The traffic up and down the ice fall has almost stopped and the mood in base camp is like a bear that has begun his annual hibernation in a snow cave for the winter, waiting for better weather.
We have been trying to get into an everyday schedule so as not to disorganize ourselves too much, and to keep ourselves in good shape; bouldering near our base camp, the everyday social visit rounds, and the every-other day meeting with the expedition leaders about safety. It seams that people count on Willie and I for the rescues, a responsibility that I don’t mind. So today I been trying to organize with all teams to create stashes of proper technical gear ( ropes,carabineers,ice-screws) at BC, CI and C IV to be able to evacuate a victim trough the ice fall.

The plan will be to wait at BC for a good window of proper weather. We are tracking 3 different weather reports, the Swiss, the British and Michael Feagen from the US, they all are a bitt different on their prediction, so we are trying to get an idea of what to expect.
It seams that it will no be a window in to May 17-20 with plenty of bad weather in to then, snow and wind. Hopefully not to bad so we can go in to our every-day bouldering.
All the best

The Team

Hola a Todos!!!!!!
Por aca todos muy bien. Hace dias que estamos en el campamento base descansando.
La ultima vez que subimos fue el 2/05 al camp II, para subir el 4/05 al camp III por unas horas y bajar a dormir al II. Al dia siguiente bajamos al base y desde ahi aca estamos…
El 2/05, cuando subiamos, casi llegando nosotros al final de la cascada. Se desprendio una avalancha bastante grande en la cascada. Llego a agarrar a unos pocos pero fue solo polvo y un susto. No paso nada. Ese dia, las ultimas dos horitas se largo a nevar y se puso horrible. Llegamos al II bastante cansados y muertos de hambre. Empezamos a picotear te con galletitas pero nos sirvieron unas pastas riquisimas.
La subida al camp III fue Muy Buena. Subimos con buen ritmo y llegamos bastante enteritos. Diria mejor que el dia anterior al II. En el III ademas de tomarnos y comernos casi todo lo que teniamos armamos una plataforma para nuestras 2 carpas pero las dejamos ahi atadas sin armar. Ya habian carpas destruidas por pedasos de hielo que caian de arriba. Ademas parece que corre mucho viento y tambien te las puede destruir o volar aunque es medio risa como las atan y atan por todos lados pero es necesario.
La bajada al campamento base fue medio carrerita. Aunque un dia lindisimo asi que sacamos algunas fotos.
Y la vida del camp base es muy tranquila, ademas de cartas videos y libros ahora estamos jugando bastante al monopoly de montania. Esta bueno. Ah! y ayer fuimos a un boulder camino a Gora chep. Bastante dificil para mi y para Johny pero algo hicimos y conocimos gente y un lugar nuevo.
Nuestro plan ahora es esperar una ventana de buen tiempo para ir a la cumbre pero si no se aproxima tal vez subimos alguna otra vez al II para no perder la aclimatacion.
Veremos………..
Eso es todo por ahora. Les mando un Beso grande. Gracias por seguirnos!!!!!!!
Tety