Inglaterra e All Blacks fazem o duelo mais esperado do fim de semana, nesse sábado às 14h30, pois marca o encontro de dois craques que passaram por situações semelhantes recentemente: Dan Carter e Jonny Wilkinson. Ambos vieram de contusões sérias (tendão de Aquiles e joelho, respectivamente), mas face à campanha irregular de suas seleções, voltaram e são novamente a referência da equipe e esperança de jogadas que definam a partida, sem falar nos chutes impecáveis.

Os All Blacks vem com a sua formação principal, bem diferente daquela qu e venceu a Itália em Milão no último fim de semana. São 13 alterações no total. Os ingleses colocam duas novas peças e alguns reposicionamentos. Entram Erinle e Shaw. Monye e Cueto trocam de posições. Tom Croft, candidato a jogador do ano vai para o banco, junto com Geraghty e Deacon.

Apesar da vitória sobre os Pumas, a liderança de Martin Johnson, incontestada quando era jogador, não desfruta do mesmo prestígio como técnico, e foram ouvidas várias vaias à equipe. Seu histórico como técnico é de 7 vitórias e 7 derrotas, e uma vitória aqui pode aliviar as coisas.

Algumas curiosidades:

Desde 1905, as equipes se enfrentaram 32 vezes, com o recorde massacrante de 25 vitórias para os homens de preto, 6 para os ingleses e um empate

Nessa partida estará em jogo o Hillary Shield, em homenagem à Edmund Hillary, neozelandês que foi o primeiro a escalar o Monte Everest. Apesar do centenário histórico entre as equipes, o troféu foi criado no ano passado

Mils Mulaina fará a sua 81ª partida com a camisa dos All Blacks, o que  tornará o segundo com mais participações na histórias

England: Mark Cueto; Matt Banahan, Hipkiss, Erinle, Ugp Monye; Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Hodgson; Payne, Hartley, Bell, Shaw, Borthwick (capitão), Worsley, Moody, Haskell

Reservas: Thompson, Wilson, Deacon, Tom Croft, Danny Care, Geraghty, Tait

Nova Zelândia: Mils Muliaina; Guildford, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Sitiveni Sivivatu; Dan Carter, Cowan; Woodcock, Hore, Owen Franks; Thorn, Donnelly, Thomson, Richie McCaw (capitão), Read

Reservas: Flynn ou de Malmanche, Afoa, Boric, Kaino, Ellis, Stephen Donald, Ellison.

Sure, Sir Edmund Hillary got all the accolades for being the first to scale Everest.

But the locals celebrate someone else — Tenzing Norgay, the sherpa who some say beat Hillary to the summit of the world’s highest mountain.

Source:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/091030/everest-edmund-hillary-mountaineering-tenzing-norgay

It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves -Edmund Hillary

I was formerly working with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) from 1996-2005. Under my watch, the government drew up the maritime industry plan with focus including rationalizing government agencies. Case in point, we had 13 maritime-related agencies in five government departments. A highlight of this plan was the transfer of the Coast Guard from the Department of National Defense to the DOTC. Also under my direction, the DOTC also drew up a Metro Manila land transportation rationalization plan.

When I left government in January 2005, I decided to pursue a lifelong dream – that of climbing Mount Everest. More than a thousand people of various nationalities have climbed Mt. Everest, the first two being Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. However, no Filipino has climbed Mt. Everest – well not until 2006. In October 2003, I made a public call for Filipinos interested in climbing Mt. Everest. I was the expedition leader of the all-Filipino Mt. Everest team. We short listed a small group. With scandalously low funding and meager resources, our group trained in lower mountains. Due to fund limitations, only an all-male Filipino team (two to be exact) could be supported and successfully scaled Mt. Everest in 2006. Then last year, three Filipinas scaled Mt. Everest. The Filipinas notched two records, namely, the first Southeast Asian females to do so, and the first women in the world to transverse Mt. Everest, i.e., climb up one way and go down another way. Please note that, while I led these two expeditions, I myself let go of the opportunity to climb Mt. Everest itself. It is a case of the common good being a priority.

In the trainings and two Mt. Everest expeditions, our team learned some valuable lessons: Belief in one’s self and each other was important. Teamwork and unity were paramount necessities. While we saw the beauty of nature, we also witnessed the ill effects of global warming. To highlight, in our first year, we saw the Mt. Everest base camp blanketed in snow. In our second year, we saw patches of snow at the base camp; last year, there was no more snow at the base camp. We also saw and experienced the poverty of people living in the mountains. Though the Sherpas are a sturdy people and gain economically from the climbers from various nationalities, their lot in general is still poor. In fact, our Philippine Coast Guard doctor, Dr. Ted Esguerra, attended to the medical needs of the Sherpas, and this gesture endeared us to them.

We asked ourselves: What next? As a team, we are still keen in pioneering outdoor adventure, specifically adventure with a national significance. While the Philippines is a mountainous country, it is also an archipelago. Thus, it was natural for us to look to our seas.

This is where the balangay comes in. Our plan is to construct a balangay, the sailboat used by our forefathers to travel across the Southeast Asian islands. The inspiration for this project comes from the maritime achievements of our ancestors. Sailing along the South China Sea, the Gulf of Thailand and the Java Sea despite the presence of obstacles and dangers, our people considered the seas to be unifying rather than divisive. It is a means of transport and communication. In fact, nearby countries have their own version of the balangay. There is the tatara for Taiwan, the lepa for Malaysia and perahu for Indonesia.

Our plan now is to construct a replicate of this boat. The wood will come from the established traditional source in southern Philippines, specifically Tawi-Tawi. We have pinpointed Badjao master boat builders, whose predecessors actually built such boats. We will use traditional tools and not modern ones. However, we will construct right here in Manila Bay, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex. This is meant to generate national awareness. We estimate construction of the first boat to be around 90 days. For 2009, we expect to sail to different Philippine islands. For 2010, we plan to go to different ASEAN countries. From 2011 onwards, given our two-year training and travel, we hope to take on the challenge to sail to Madagascar to the west and to the Polynesian Islands to the east; two places reached by the balangay of our glorious past.

Aside from the outdoor adventure endeavor, we will use the balangay trips to assist in community-building, particularly for coastal communities. The balangay’s construction was meant for travel hugging the coastline and not for deep waters. This then is a plus factor in our community-building efforts. We will travel along the shorelines and stop at communities and key human settlement centers, including cities, to hold seminars. We intend to heighten awareness of global warming. We aspire to challenge our people to help out in watershed management and also in coastal rehabilitation. We also plan to support wholesome coastal tourism and development.

In our travels, we will share our self-image and self-assertion that the Filipino can do the impossible. By exhibiting and challenging Filipino ingenuity and native survival skills in this modern age with the use of ancient seafaring technology, we aim to rekindle maritime consciousness among our people which colonialism took away.

The Balangay will become the catalyst to stir up historical consciousness among Filipinos today, a sine qua non in transporting our people to our cherished goals. Without that keen knowledge of history, our people will continue to suffer as our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, aptly described, “Ang taong hindi lumilingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa patutunguhan.” With these efforts, we can identify our counterparts in the various Southeast Asian countries through the balangay and its reconstruction for cultural unity, an ongoing identification and traveling of the ancient sea routes of our forefathers, and, more important, partnership with the coastal communities. Indeed, with the balangay and the modern transport and related facilities, together we can make concrete our balangay theme for Southeast Asia: We are one!

-Art Valdez-
from: http://www.balangay-voyage.com

Pausing along the West Rim Trail above Pine Creek Gorge, Pa.

I’m sitting here a few days from a real fine trip to the Catskills with the Appalachian Mountain Club, which is its own source of excitement. Trip report to follow.

I’m also moving with my wife, Alison, to a new house in about a month. We’ve busied ourselves selling old furniture, rooting through storage closets and packing up our stuff. I love it when the U.S. government is going to pay me to buy a house.

Met with our interior designer yesterday morning, and you can believe there’s a future man cave planned with maps and all kinds of adventure décor. Think if Ansel Adams, John Muir, Benton MacKaye, Sir Edmund Hillary and others from the golden age of adventure huddled together to design a modern basement, what would it look like? That’s what I’m going for with our house.

Additionally, I have assignments to complete for a couple of publications. My MacBook buzzes with anticipation.

Posting here at Compass Points will be sporadic for a couple of weeks, but it will be back and better than ever. Some great trips and features planned for this blog. Here’s to hoping you can get out and enjoy splendid September and October weekends with an autumn sky above your head.

Today is the birthday of Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008). We thought we’d share the material we have on NZ On Screen – some lovely footage of this kiwi legend:

Hillary Returns – NFU Short, 1953 – Full length

Sir Edmund Hillary – Encounter – Full length episode from 1976

Holmes – Sir Edmund Hillary – Full length episode from 1996

Also online from NZ History Net is:

On top of the world: Ed Hillary – his life

The dash to the South Pole in 1958

Sir Edmund Hillary and Radiant Living

The Wildest Dream: in the footsteps of Mallory and Irvine

By Mark Mackenzie, £20, John Murray, hb, 248pp, ISBN 978-0-7195-2482-0

One of the greatest mysteries in mountaineering is that surrounding whether George Mallory and his colleague Andrew Irvine got to the top of Mount Everest during their fatal ascent in 1924.

The evidence has been debated for decades, and yet the puzzle has remained steadfastly unsolved. Not until 1999, when the legendary Conrad Anker led a team that found Mallory’s remains, was there sufficient new data to allow more informed opinions. But even these divided the mountaineering community.

Plagued by the desire to know what really happened, Anker decided to reconstruct his predecessors’ expedition to see if the fearsome Second Step that leads to the summit could be ‘free climbed’ in original gear. This at least would pave the way for the possibility that Mallory and Irvine might, just might have done what Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay indisputably achieved in 1953.

And so the 2007 Altitude Everest expedition was born, the experienced Anker in charge with young ‘rock star’ prodigy Leo Houlding part of the final assault team.

The Wildest Dream is the story of all three expeditions published as a precursor to a film of the same name that goes on release this summer. It’s good solid stuff and Mackenzie – an experienced journalist who accompanied the Altitude Everest expedition as far as Base Camp – has done a terrific job in conveying the misery, danger and exhilaration of life on the world’s tallest mountain.

I’m not going to steal Mackenzie’s thunder by blowing the end, but you can be sure that The Wildest Dream is a superb yarn of high adventure. As Mackenzie says towards the end: ‘whether or not they had reached the summit, they had climbed higher on the mountain than anyone before them, with none of the benefits, unreliable oxygen excepted, enjoyed by their modern counterparts.’

Nick Smith is UK editor of the Explorers Journal and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society

‘Wildest Dream’ book review for BBC Focus magazine, by Nick Smith, April 2009]

At 11:30 am on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first human beings to conquer Mount Everest. At 29,028 ft., it is the highest place on earth. They were part of the ninth British Everest Expedition, led by Col. John Hunt.

“By any rational standards, this was no big deal. Aircraft had long before flown over the summit, and within a few decades literally hundreds of other people from many nations would climb Everest too,” wrote Time Magazine, “Geography was not furthered by the achievement, scientific progress was scarcely hastened, and nothing new was discovered.” However, it was the ultimate challenge: between 1920 and 1952 the mountain claimed seven major expeditions had failed and several lives, including that of famed mountaineer George Leigh-Mallory.

As they descended, they became public heroes. As Hillary got closer to his team, he uttered that famous phrase. ‘Well George, we knocked the bastard off!’. Instantly nationalism came into play. They were asked who stepped upon the summit first. In fact, Hillary was the first to reach the summit, but he maintains that this is irrelevant, and that they reached it together.  Of the above Kodachrome photos, he added: “I had carried my camera, loaded with colour film, inside my shirt to keep it warm, so I now produced it and got Tenzing to pose for me on the top, waving his ice-axe on which was a string of flags—British, Nepalese, United Nations, and Indian. Then I turned my attention to the great stretch of country lying below us.”

Two famous Americans who have had U.S. Navy ships named after them were born on May 29th: President John F. Kennedy (1917), and comedian Bob Hope (1903).

Bob Hope’s partner in the “Road” pictures, Bing Crosby (pictured), recorded his biggest hit on this date in 1942. His original version of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was recorded in just 18 minutes.

Edmund Hillary and his guide Tenzing Norgay reached the white, snow-covered summit of Mount Everest on May 29th, 1953. While there is speculation that other climbers reached the summit years before, Hillary claimed credit as the first one to come back from the summit alive.

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves
~ Edmund Hillary

Crisi definita sulla carta: 22 partiti (incluso il Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, allettato dalle offerte di leadership dei maoisti e diviso al suo interno) sono pronti a formare il governo. All’opposizione restano Unified CPN (Maoisti) and Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party (NWPP). Soluzione che non può reggere dati gli interessi contrastanti della coalizione (federalismo, madhesi, centralismo UML, etc.) e le immancabili lotte di potere e spartizioni. I maoisti incazzati faranno il resto.

Nella capitale sono tornati i bus carichi di contadini di Gorkha, Kavre, Sindhuli cooptati dai maoisti. Molti si godono una gita gratis a Kathmandu, incontrano parenti, vendono e acquistano. Le sfilate bloccano la città e sarà un evento ricorrente, come previsto. Intanto i maoisti, malgrado le proteste generali, continuano a impedire i lavori dell’Assemblea Costituente e dunque l’elezione del nuovo governo.In sintesi i maoisti chiedono di non essere esclusi e, sono convinto, sono disposti ad entrare nel nuovo governo se gli concedessero qualche pezzo di potere, che gli altri, invece, vogliono tenere tutto per sé. Soluzione che, ovviamente, non risponde alle priorità del paese: stabilità, pace, costituzione.

In queste condizioni un po’ desolanti è meglio parlare di montagne che rimangono la parte più bella e affascinante del Nepal. E’ bello guardarle quando compaiono dietro le colline della Valle di Kathmandu (se lo smog lo permette), vederle sfilare lontane dai villaggi del Nepal centro-occidentale, quasi toccarle durante le faticose marce nei trekking. Una bella fatica era partire da Pokhara, come si faceva un tempo, salire sul crinale di Naudanda, scendere nella gola di Biretanti e, finalmente, vedere uno scorcio del gruppo dell’Annapurna, dopo e grazie a una faticata di una decina d’ore. Poi risalire come in una pratica yogica gli infiniti scalini di pietra di Ulleri, far scomparire tutti i pensieri nella fatica della salita, pensare al bagno caldo nelle fonti di Tatopani. Sulla sinistra il panettone dell’Annapurna e la splendida coda di pesce del Machapuchari. Intorno riso, grano, mele fino a 3000 metri. Oltre i villaggi Thakali di Marpha, Tukche, che conducono all’immensa e lunare vallata della Kali Gandaki. Negli anni, in questo percorso, che è fra i più popolari, le lodges sono moltiplicate ed ora una strada cerca di salire faticosamente fino al Mustang.

Le strade: da sempre il simbolo di sviluppo per i politici di Kathmandu e, anche per la gente dei villaggi. Oggi, però qualcosa sta cambiando, la strada della Kali Gandaki sta generando più dubbi che speranze. Adesso un centinaio di jeep (per 500 rupie) porta fino a Jomosom (90 chilometri di sterrato da Beni) in poche ore (prima erano tre\quattro giorni a piedi), qualche moto fa lo stesso servizio. L’idea quella di trasportare in bus i turisti (cinesi e pellegrini indiani). Ma la gente si lamenta, vi è stato un calo dei turisti; vi è preoccupazione per l’inquinamento e la perdita di fascino del percorso a piedi. Adesso non è stagione ma in primavera e autunno salivano fra le montagne 15.000 visitatori, la maggioranza pellegrini indiani che si recavano al santuario di Mukthinath e alle 108 sacre fontane.

Anche l’altra area turistica, quella del Khumbu che racchiude l’Everest (Sagarmatha), il Pumori, il Lotshe, il Nuptse e altre tremende e meravigliose montagne non se la passa bene. Qui si stanno sciogliendo i ghiacciai, il clima sta cambiando e segnala l’ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development) una seria organizzazione, che le ragioni stanno a nord dell’Himalaya. China has 14 or so of the most polluted cities in the world. The so-called development activities in Tibet have resulted in more roads on the Tibetan plateau. Added recently in Tibet is a railway and a road up to the base camp of Mt. Everest on the Tibetan side.

L’Everest è, poi, assalito dai pazzi dei record e dei guinness dei primati. Il più vecchio, (Former Foreign Minister Shailendra Kumar Upadhyaya at the age of 80 will attempt to beat the previous world record of scaling Mt Everest (8848m) by the oldest man in the world in order to register his name in the Guinness Book of World Records), il più giovane, la mamma e la figlia, le gemelle, e via discorrendo. Questi pazzi del record fanno la gara con le spedizioni commerciali (USD 30.000 a cranio) che s’accodano sui percorsi alpinistici. Ogni tanto, per la fretta e l’incuria degli organizzatori, succede qualche massacro (ogni anno salgono sulla vetta circa 2000 alpinisti e ne muoiono 200). Appa Sherpa, (48 anni) l’ha scalato (per lavoro 19 volte) e anche lui è un recordmen ma, tante volte, è dovuto salire per riportare indietro incauti alpinisti o montagne di spazzature lasciata fra i ghiacciai. Addirittura, qualche mese, fa con questo raccolto (un tempo usato dagli abitanti dei villaggi per arredare le case con pezzi di bombole, scatolette, pezzi di tenda) è stata fatta una mostra di sculture a Kathmandu, strane e un po’ inquietanti.

Sulla strada per il Campo Base resiste, da una ventina d’anni, la Piramide del CNR italiano. Pochi sanno cosa serve, quanto costa, che intrallazzi la mantengono in piedi. Iniziano a domandarselo anche i nepalesi che, in un recente articolo, hanno sollevato il problema della sua utilità per il paese che la ospita.

Gli originali abitanti, gli Sherpa, se ne impippano. Hanno costruito come pazzi in tutta le regione, accompagnano i turisti su e giù, hanno comprato terra e case a Kathmandu. Sono fra le etnie più ricche del Nepal. When I first visited the Khumbu in 1951 the forests were superb—big trees up to an altitude of 13,000 feet (3,900 meters) and extensive areas of azaleas and juniper shrubs…up to 16,000 feet [4,900 meters],” scriveva  Edmund Hillary. Oggi le foreste sono drasticamente diminuite: un turista consuma cinque volte la media giornaliera di una famiglia sherpa e di turisti ne arrivano, migliaia da decenni (media annua 25.000 trekkers). Malgrado tutto, il Khumbu rimane una meraviglia. Io ricordo la salita affannosa sul Kala Pattar, dalla simil-spiaggia di Gorak Shep, per raggiungere il pianoro prima delle nuvole che stavano coprendo le montagne. Lì c’è da piangere per la bellezza. L’Everest (pur sempre un mito) compare fra le vette immense del Nuptse e Lothse. Intorno una corona di montagne, fra cui l’incredibile cono del Pumori. Malgrado lodges e spedizioni, che bello.

Before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to successfully summit and ascend Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, there were many who said it was not humanly possible to climb Everest, and to the doubters defense many had died trying. Now 56 years later by some accounts there have been over 4000 successful climbs of the mountain.

A year later on May 6, 1954 another thought to be impossible feet occurred when Roger Bannister became the first person to run a sub-4 minute mile, doing so with a time of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. By the end of 1957, 16 runners had logged sub-4-minute miles, and now even high school runners have crossed the 4-minute mile barrier.

It just goes to show that even what is believed to be impossible can and will be done over and over again, and you too can do anything you set your mind to.

“Once the impossible has been done, it becomes possible and in fact sometimes becomes ordinary.” — Forest Fisher — “The Water Ski Guy“

To stay connected with Forest Fisher join his FaceBook network of friends. 

For more information about championship success, business coaching, life coaching, success coaching and mentoring or having Forest Fisher speak to your group about the Gold Medal Mindset and Mastering the Attitude of a Champion visit: http://www.ForestFisher.com or email “Mindset @ Forest Fisher . com” today.

To book Forest Fisher – “The Water Ski Guy” – Six-Time US National Gold Medalist visit http://www.TheWaterSkiGuy.com

South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 3.

Western Cwm between C1 and C2.

Often called the “Valley of Silence,” the Western Cwm (cwm, pronounced coom, is Welsh for a bowl shaped valley/Cirque) is a broad, flat, gently undulating glacial valley basin terminating at the foot of the Lhotse Face of Mount Everest. It is traversed by climbers using the southwest route to the summit of Everest. The central section is cut by massive lateral crevasses which bar entrance into the upper Western Cwm. In this section, climbers must cross to the far right, over to the base of Nuptse to a narrow passageway known as the Nuptse corner. From here, climbers have a stupendous view of the upper 8,000 feet of Everest—the first glimpse of Everest’s upper slopes since arriving at Base Camp. The last 5,000 feet on Everest, including its distinct black pyramid summit, are not visible from Base Camp. Contrary to what most people believe, some of the most difficult days on Everest are in the Western Cwm, when on a windless day it is desperately hot. Temperatures can easily reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38° Celsius).

click to enlarge map

Western Cwm route from camp 1 (top triangle) to camp 2 (bottom triangle) as seen from camp 3 on the Lhotse Face. This area is heavily crevassed and smart teams rope up. It takes about 2-3 hours to walk from C1 (19,500′/5943m) to C2 (21,000′/6400m) and it can be extremely hot.

For many climbers The Cwm is the first “taste” of Everest. While you still cannot actually see Everest until you go another quarter mile up the Western Cwm, you do have a spectacular view of Pumori and other 7000m hills. I have already described climbing the IceFall so here is a description of the last steps to camp 1.

Once you top the ‘Fall there is a large flat expanse of snow. It looks easy but you are tired. Normally climbers take a rest and take some food and water before they continue. You cannot see the actually camp site nor tents from here but you leave anticipating a quick walk. Is always a surprise how meandering the route is since you soon discover that the area is filled with crevasses. This is the end of the Western Cwm and the initial section of the Icefall just before the glacier drops over a steep rock fall to create Khumbu Icefall. Of course all this is hidden by hundreds of feet of ice so all you see is snow, ice and deep cracks.

There are normally five to 8 ladders in this area along with a fixed rope. Climbers are told to always attach themselves to the rope and be extra careful in this area. There is a tendency to relax your guard but now is not the time. The walk has a gradual climb but you soon find yourself breathing hard and looking for the camp. Anywhere from half to a full hour later you make it. The sight of yellow, red or green tents on the pure white snow is amazing. But even more so is the Cwm unfolding in front of you. While not all of it is visible, you can see Nuptse on your right, Lhotse ahead and Everest on your left. Most climbers seem not to notice all this since they are focused on getting into their tents and having a brew and some food. Normally each tent prepares their own food at this camp so it starts to feel like a real climb at last.

Next is the climb to C2 in the Western Cwm.

It is about 2.5 miles from camp 1 to camp 2 with an altitude gain of 1,500′. So it is not far and not that high but … it is hot, very hot. The sun reflects off the walls of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse snow covered slopes making the temperature rise above 100F degrees. Yes, it can get that hot. Then it can be brutally cold if the cloud moves in, the wind picks up and it starts snowing. Out comes the Gortex layers and goggles. Smart teams are roped in groups of three or four so that if someone does fall in a crevasse, they can be easily rescued. Finally, if this is the first time in the Cwm, it is an awe-inspiring experience that opens up all your senses.

* Source : – http://www.alanarnette.com/

** Previous story :

- Everest South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 1. Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Everest South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 2. Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.2. /Version english and polish/

*** see : Mt. Everets web album

- Routes – part 3.Drogi do celu. cz.3. /Version polish and english/

Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.3.

Droga z obozu C1 do C2 czyli Western Cwm.

Mapka na początku pokazuje drogę z obozu C1 (19,500′/5943m) do C2 (21,000′/6400m) poprzez Western Cwm, trasa wiedzie przez Kocioł Zachodni zwany także Doliną Ciszy/Milczenia, bo gdy idzie się Kotłem Zachodnim po dwóch stronach są ściany skalne i jest bezwietrznie. Jest to tylko pozornie prosty etap wspinaczki. W nocy temperatura często spada poniżej zera. W bezwietrzne dni temperatura powietrza, dochodząca do 38°C i palące słońce potrafią być nie do wytrzymania, wielu wspinaczy porównuje to do rozgrzanej patelni. Takie warunki potrafią skutecznie zwolnić tempo marszu u podnóża pokrytej lodowcem ściany Lhotse. Na tej wysokości często zbierają się chmury znad położonych niżej dolin Himalajów. Czasami pojawia się silny wiatr mogący zniszczyć namioty.

Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys, która jako czwarta Polka stanęła na szczycie Świata zdobywając Everest 23 maja 2008 o 5:30, tak opisuję ten etap wspinaczki :

“Drugie wyjście w górę (26-28. kwietnia) – wcale nie było łatwiej, jakoś opadłam z sił. Dwójka znajduje się 300 metrów wyżej niż jedynka (akurat w jej wyprawie takie było położenie obozów -dopisek autora). Idzie się do niej równomiernie w górę po lodowcu w kierunku Ściany Lhotse. Obozy znajdują się na rumowisku skalnym obok mniejszego, choć bardzo aktywnego lodospadu (w nocy schodziły liczne lawiny, a sam lodowiec trzeszczał jak pękające szkło, dostarczając nam dość niezwykłych wrażeń akustycznych). Wszędzie wokół znajdują się fantastyczne formy lodowe. W dzień Kocioł Zachodni rozgrzewa się niemalże do czerwoności, nie na darmo nazywany jest Zachodnim BBQ , a w nocy temperatury spadają do -15°C.”

Wyprawa Agnieszki Kiela-Pałys :

- Everest 2008 – z projektu 7summits.pl : Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys czwarta Polka na szczycie Świata cz.1.

- Everest 2008 – z projektu 7summits.pl : Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys czwarta Polka na szczycie Świata cz.2.

* Źródła : – http://www.7summits.pl/ – http://www.alanarnette.com/

** Zobacz też :

- Everest South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 1. Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Everest South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 2. Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.2. /Version english and polish/

- Routes – part 3.Drogi do celu. cz.3. /Version polish and english/

- Everest marzenie wielu… web album

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

zapraszam do subskrypcji mego bloga

South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 2.

Base Camp up the Ice Fall.

Mt. Everest was first summited by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmond Hillary with a British expedition in 1953. They took the South Col route which is described on this page. At that time the route had only been attempted twice by Swiss teams in the spring and autumn of 1952.They reached 8500m well above the South Col. Of note, Norgay was with the Swiss thus giving him the experience he used on the British expedition. The Swiss return in 1956 to make the second summit of Everest.

Today, hundreds of climbers from around the world use this route to try to stand on top of the world. It is considered slightly more dangerous than the North Ridge Route due primarily to the instability of the Khumbu Icefall. However some considered it slightly easier than the north due to the absence of the ladders and rock climbing on the steep steps of the North Ridge route.

click to enlarge map

Base Camp on the lower left with the initial route up the ice fall as seen from Kala Patar. You can only see a small portion of the Khumbu Ice Fall from this angle.

Everest BC at night.

Khumbu Ice Fall to C1.

click to enlarge map

Seracs are found within an icefall, often in large numbers, or on ice faces on the lower edge of a hanging glacier.

Lower third of the ice fall as seen from base camp. There is still twice as much to climb at the top of this photo. The route changes each day since the glacier is constantly moving. Lhotse’s summit is peeking out on the top right above the icefall.

Khumbu Ice Fall

What is it like to actually climb the Khumbu Icefall?

First you start before sunrise to minimize the movement of the glacier heating up with sunrise and mid-day heat. This means a 3:00AM wake-up call from the Sherpas. The first time you are probably already awake with anticipation or just because you are still not used to sleeping at 17.500′. You get dressed in all your long underwear, warmth layer and finally Gortex to protect you from the wind. You stuff some food into your pack along with an extra pair of gloves if this is just a quick trip to the top. If it is to camp 1 for the night, add your sleeping bag and maybe some extra layers but not too much.
Eat as much as you can and top off your water bottles (not hydration packs since they freeze) and start heading towards the icefall. Depending on where your base camp is located, this can take 10 to 30 minutes to reach the last flat section before the climbing actually starts. At this point a.k.a. Crampon Point, you put your harness on (checking yours and your partner’s webbing to make sure it is doubled back for safety). Attach your crampons to your boots and you can’t help but look up.

The first section is pretty much a continuous climb that ungulates wildly. Sometimes it is a 60 degree climb, others a more gentle 20 degree. After an hour in a “normal” year you reach the first ladder. For most climbers this is a moment of truth. You can prepare, read, talk and dream about this moment but when it comes time to actually placing your cramponed boot on the first rung of a ladder crossing a crevasse that is 100′ deep … well I think you get the idea.

But you did it. And you do it again and again and again since you will make at least 4 round trips on your summit bid – maybe 6. Your breathing is heavy and labored the first couple of trips up. Maybe from the altitude or maybe from the stress but you breath heavily through your mouth and welcome any stalls up front. Even though there is a thin nylon rope that is attached to your harness with a metal carabineers, you think about falling. Most sections of the Icefall are not knife-edged. They are on large expanses of relatively flat snow and ice. But there are these huge seracs that teeter above you threatening to fall at any moment. And then you hear it – a loud crash. Instinctively you lower your shoulders and raise your arms over your head. You just heard an avalanche in the Icefall or maybe one of those towering seracs falling. More than likely it was off your route since the Icefall Doctors are careful to avoid the South side of the Icefall where most of these crashes happen but you just don’t know.

Climb, more climbing and then you reach a flat section known as the football field. A large area of perfectly flat hard packed snow. Take a break, drink some water, slow your breathing and eat something. Congratulations you are about a third of the way up and it has taken at least two hours. You sit on your pack and enjoy the view. It should be sunrise but you are on the West side of the Icefall and the sun does not hit this are until 9:00 at the earliest. It is cold. If the wind is blowing you feel very cold. Pull up your hood, add a down parka if you have one and focus on eating and drinking. Times up, get going. More of the same for another two or three hours. Sherpas are now returning from the previous day of load carrying to the high camps. You have already been passed like you were standing still by Sherpas making carries to camp 1 and camp 2 earlier in the morning. They had loads that made you feel like a wimp. You struggle with your 20lb load and they scoot pass you with their 60lbs. Your respect for these special people grow not because of their strength but because of their completeness.

It took you five or six hours but you made it to the top. The final section always involves steeper ladders and sharper grades so you suck it in and make the climb. And you are there. A completely flat expanse of snow that reveals the Western Cwm. Oh my God, I made it! camp 1 is another half to full hour from here but you are through the Icefall. You cannot help but stop and look back. Even though you can only see a few hundred yards of the ‘Fall you see every step, every ladder, every climb in your mind.

Congratulations you’ve just climbed the Khumbu Icefall on the South side of Mt. Everest. You on your way to the summit!

* Source : – http://www.alanarnette.com/

** Previous story :

- Everest South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 1. Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.1. /Version english and polish/

*** see : Mt. Everets web album

- Routes – part 3.Drogi do celu. cz.3. /Version polish and english/

Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.2.

Droga z obozu bazy przez Ice Fall do C1.

Mapki na początku pokazuje drogę z obozu bazowego, popularnie zwanego BC, poprzez Ice Fall do obozu I zwanego też C1.

Droga ta jest uważana za loteryjną ponieważ warunki atmosferyczne powodują, że lodowiec Khumbu sie zmienia. Wielu uczestników wypraw pokonanie tej drogi porównuje do slalomu z przeszkodami i dużymi zagrożeniami, z których największe to seraki /pokazane na zdjęciu na początku i obok/.

O tym jak loteryjna to droga pisała m.in. Anna Czerwińska w swej książce “Korona Ziemi” Prószyński i S-ka, Warszawa 2000.

Na seraki zwracała też uwagę Martyna Wojciechowska relacjonując Falvit Everest Expedition 2006, przypomnijmy że zdobyła ona jako trzecia  Polka Everest (8848 m n.p.m.).

Na najwyższej górze świata stanęła przedpołudniem (czasu lokalnego) w czwartek, 18 maja 2006r.

Prezentowane obok zdjęcie zostało zrobione właśnie w czasie tej wyprawy.

Innym dużym problemem w pokonaniu tej drogi jest pokonywanie wielu szczelin, głębokich i niebezpiecznych.

Pomocne do tego są drabinki, które są zakładane przez specjalną grupę Sherpów, którym przewodzi Icefall doctor. Jest to bardzo odpowiedzialna praca, można dodać jako ciekawostke ze po sezonie wspinaczkowym ta sama ekipa zbiera sprzet, który zostaje dla nich jako “dodatkowa” zapłata.

Zdęcie zrobione podczas wyprawy Agnieszki Kiela-Pałys.

23 maja o 5:30 Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys stanęła, jako czwarta Polka, na szczycie Świata zdobywając Everest.

O tej wyprawie mozna przeczytać posty :

- Everest 2008 – z projektu 7summits.pl : Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys czwarta Polka na szczycie Świata cz.1.

- Everest 2008 – z projektu 7summits.pl : Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys czwarta Polka na szczycie Świata cz.2.

* Źródło : – http://www.alanarnette.com/

** Zobacz też :

- Everest South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 1. Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Routes – part 3.Drogi do celu. cz.3. /Version polish and english/

- Everest marzenie wielu… web album

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

zapraszam do subskrypcji mego bloga

Mt. Everest has two main climbing routes, the southeast ridge from Nepal and the northeast ridge from Tibet, as well as many other less frequently climbed routes .

South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 1.

Of the two main routes, the southeast ridge is technically easier and is the more frequently-used route. It was  the route used by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 / photo on the right /

With supplemental oxygen, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made their way to the top via the South Col, that became the most used climbing route to the summit.

May 29, 1953: First Summit !!!!

Most of the mountaineers have their dream to reach the summit of Everest in their life time. For many who are mainly trekkers are contended having the good view of it from Kalapatthar, Gokyo Ri or visiting Everest base camp. For many mountaineers successful Everest expedition is the ultimate goal of climbing in Himalayas of Nepal. Everest expedition via the South Col remains the most popular choice among the mountaineers as it gives the most assured means of reaching the top. Time spent over 8000m. is less in the approach to the summit on the south side as the summit is attempted in one push. Furthermore the south route has a good record of success due to the easy access of the route once it is opened by the first summiters of the season.

Everest South Col Route /click to enlarge map/

clickto watch the climbing route map in motion (uses Quicktime)

Elevations and times between camps

• base camp: 17,500′/5334m
• C1: 19,500′/5943m – 4-6 hours
• C2: 21,000′/6400m – 2-3 hours
• C3:23,500′/7162m – 3-6 hours
• Yellow Band – 3 hours
• Geneva Spur – 2 hours
• South Col: 26,300′/8016m – 1 hour or less
• Balcony: 4 – 5 hours
• South Summit : 28500′ – 8690m – 1 to 2 hours
• Hillary Step – 1 hour or less
• Summit: 29,035′ / 8850m – 1 hour or less
• Return to South Col: 6 -7 hours
• Return to C2: 3 hours
• Return to base camp: 4 hours

Typical climb schedule

• March 27 – Leave US
• March 29 – Arrive Kathmandu, Nepal
• March 30,31 – Kathmandu
• April 1 – Fly to Lukla(9200′/2804m)
• April 2-10 – Trek to base camp (17,500′/5334m)
• April 11-13 – Setup BC
• Apr 14 – 29 May – Climbing Period:
  • C1 (19,500′/5943m)
  • C2 (21,000′/6400m)
  • C3 (23,500′/7162m)
  • South Col (26,300′/8016m)
  • Summit (29,035′/8850m)
• May 30 – Disassemble BC
• May 31 – Trek to Lukla
• June 1 – Fly to Kathmandu
• June 2,3,4 – Weather days or Kathmandu
• June 5 – Depart for US

* Source : – http://www.alanarnette.com/

** see : Mt. Everets web album

- Routes – part 3.Drogi do celu. cz.3. /Version polish and english/

Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu cz.1.

Mapka na początku pokazuje drogę jaką pokonali na szczyt jego pierwsi zdobywcy Edmund Hillary i Tenzing Norgay 29 maja 1953 r. Po wielu latach nieudanych prób od północnej , tybetańskiej strony udało się zdobyć Everest od strony Nepalu.
Ta droga na szczyt nazywana jest do dziś drogą klasyczną i w opinii wielu himalaistów jest ona jedną z łatiejszych dróg na szczyt, choć należy pamiętać, że na Everescie NIC nie jest łatwe.
Przypomina o tym książka Wszystko za Everest – Jona Krakauera, w której autor opisuje wielką tragedię jaka wydażyła się na Everescie właśnie na wyprawie chcącej zdobyć Everest od srony Nepalu, kiedy to zgineli tak sławni i doświadczeni himalaiści jak : Scott Fischer i Rob Hall
Drogą tą zdobyła szczyt m.in. Martyna Wojciechowska o czym można przeczytać klikając na link : Everest dla kazdego.. czy to prawda?

Polskie wejścia to :

• Pierwszym Polakiem na szczycie Everestu była Wanda Rutkiewicz, zdobyła go jako pierwsza Europejka i trzecia kobieta na świecie 16 października 1978 roku.

• 17 lutego 1980 Polacy: Leszek Cichy i Krzysztof Wielicki członkowie ekspedycji pod kierownictwem Andrzeja Zawady dokonali pierwszego zimowego wejścia na szczyt. Na szczyt weszli też wiosną Andrzej Czok i Jerzy Kukuczka wytyczając nową drogę południowym filarem.
• 1989 – Eugeniusz Chrobak, Andrzej Marciniak,
• 1993 – Maciej Berbeka,
• 1994 – Ryszard Pawłowski,
• 1995 – ponownie Ryszard Pawłowski, Piotr Pustelnik,
• 1999 – Jacek Masełko, Tadeusz Kudelski, Ryszard Pawłowski – trzecie wejście !!
• 2000 – Anna Czerwińska,
• 2005 – Marcin Miotk – pierwsze polskie wejście bez tlenu.
• 2006 – Janusz Adamski, Tomasz Kobielski, Martyna Wojciechowska, Dariusz Załuski
• 2007 – Marian Hudek, Roman Dzida, Robert Rozmus.
• 2008 – Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.“

Going forward, I’m going to approach the PM Quote of the Day posts more like jottings in a commonplace book (which is where I often note them).  Sometimes I may have something interesting to say.  But unless that “something” comes to mind quickly, I’ll just post the quote.

In 2008, I found myself struggling to come up with a few words to accompany quotes, which stymied posting anything at all.  Stymied no more!

2008 The Year in Review 

January started with a rush. Buyers were plentiful for realistically priced properties.  My first sale of the year resulted from a phenomenon that often occurs around the festive season – “a change of family circumstances”. My Australia-bound family of five decided Auckland was a better option.  Instead of moving over the ditch, they paid $1.25million and moved around the corner to a similar but bigger version of the home I had recently sold for them at auction for $1.3million.  Ironically, bucking recently reported migration trends, the family who bought their home had just returned from an unsuccessful attempt to enjoy life in Brisbane.  On a more poignant note, New Zealand lost the legendary Sir Edmund Hillary.  His state funeral was held in Parnell on January 22^nd.

February is usually one of the busiest months for home sales and 2008 didn’t disappoint.  With the kids back at school and business as usual, I managed to list and sell six properties during what seemed to be a very warm spell.  Things were also hotting up for Remuera residents Bob Bangerter and Mark Bryers as the Commerce Commission and the SFO both announced investigations into their failed Blue Chip group.  Several finance companies had already fallen by February and many more followed as investors understandably fled the sector.

Being the last month of the financial year, March is always a hectic time of year for me.  My family know that I’ll often be home late and that my weekends are focussed on open homes, listing and selling.  Having said that, Easter was earlier this year and we did fit in a nice break at Ruakaka Beach (30 minutes South of Whangarei).

April saw the biggest monthly drop in the number of Auckland homes sold for many years.  Compared with April 2007, Barfoot & Thompson’s sales for the month were down 50%.  For the rest of 2008 sales volumes lagged well behind 2007’s numbers.  These results confirmed that October 2007 was the peak of the latest real estate cycle.  The sale of 44A Armadale Rd marked my 40^th sale in that street.  It was a major milestone and an achievement that I am very proud of.

May is traditionally my month of learning & professional development.  This year I was thrilled to be ranked 16^th of 1000+ salespeople within Barfoot & Thompson.  I was officially recognised by the company at our annual conference.  I was also given the opportunity to share some of my success principles on stage in front of 1500 people as part of a Q&A panel.  A week later I attended an invigorating three day real estate conference in Sydney hosted by one of the industry’s greats, John McGrath.  While there I caught the ferry to Double Bay and picked the brains of Bill Malouf, Australia’s number one real estate salesperson.  His average sale price is about $4.5million more than mine.  I learnt a lot that day!

June was the month in which the Mars Phoenix Lander found ice on Mars.  Despite some jitters in the local real estate market I continued to sell most of my listings and was enjoying my best year ever.  Barfoot & Thompson’s Auckland market share remained as strong as ever, hitting 37%. 

July marked the fifth anniversary of the last time the Reserve Bank of NZ actually reduced the official cash rate.  In July 2003 rates were cut to 5.00%.  In July 2008 they were cut to 8%.  With unprecedented speed, rates were cut again in September, October and December and sat at 5% by year’s end.  Money very quickly became a lot cheaper, but much harder to borrow.  In July Crude Oil hit an all time peak of almost US$150 per barrel.  By year’s end it also was down to about US$40 per barrel.  I started a coaching and mentoring group with the aim of enhancing the careers of selected colleagues within the New Zealand real estate industry.

August was a huge month for me and at one point I had five full page advertisements running in the Central Property Press.  You might think, so what?  The reason I mention this is to illustrate the power of marketing.  These impressive bigger advertisements attracted so much attention that all of the featured properties sold.  In a tighter market environment, I was successfully attracting multiple bidders to all of my auctions and selling them.  It was at this time that I realised that as many “auctions” fail as “for sales” fail.  If people try to tell you that auctions don’t work, it really is a fallacy.  The fear factor makes auctions an easy target for naysayers.  So please, before you judge auction as a method of sale, make sure you talk to someone like me who knows them inside-out.      

September saw the return from Beijing of our successful Olympians.  The team finished 26^th on the medal tally and brought home 3 gold, 1 silver and 5 bronze medals. 

In early October I took the family to our favourite holiday destination, Cairns.  We spent two very relaxing weeks celebrating what was my best year in real estate.  After so many working weekends I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time with Katie 14, Charlotte 5 and Joshua 3.  Upon our return, the global financial crisis was in full swing and home buyers were all of a sudden a lot more cautious.  The exuberance and confidence of the past five years was gone in a heartbeat.  I dusted off the ‘tough market’ strategies gleaned from my experience of the 1998 – 2000 market and got stuck in.   

Politically speaking November was a fascinating month.  The election of Barack Obama was an historic event comparable to the election of Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s President in 1994.  In NZ we said goodbye after nine years to Helen Clark and welcomed John Key as Prime Minister.  By year’s end he appeared to be doing a pretty good job.  Most buyers I spoke to during this period were convinced 2009 was going to be a better time to buy.  Consequently it was my least successful month of the year.

December the 3^rd I auctioned a cute two bedroom cottage at 15 Ventnor Rd Remuera.  Spirited bidding from 7 bidders resulted in a good sale at a figure higher than the owner’s bottom line.  An American buyer who had been in constant email contact with me said I should contact him after the auction.  I wrote back saying that the auction was likely to sell under the hammer and that he should bid.  He didn’t believe that an auction could sell in what he defined as a buyer’s market.  The result proves that the market is always buoyant at the right price.  I finished the year in new territory, recognised as Barfoot’s number one salesperson in Remuera. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout 2008.  My hope for you is that 2009 will be a year of abundance and opportunity.  Some people will struggle financially this year.  For those who do, I believe it is prudent to belt-tighten and learn from past mistakes.  Concentrate on saving and investing, rather than consuming.  And when the tough times seem like a distant memory, as they will, avoid the consumption mentality of the past 15 years, keep saving and investing!  

If you or anyone you know needs real estate help and advice this year I’d be thrilled to hear from you.

Aan het einde van het jaar duik ik altijd in de necrologieen. Ik vraag me wel af waarom ik dit doe, want normaliter hebben de overlijdensadvertenties in de krant niet mijn bijzondere belangstelling. Een reden is wellicht om een een aantal mensen een soortement van laatste eer te bewijzen. Daarnaast wil ik me er van gewissen dat ik niet een belangrijk sterfgeval heb gemist, bijv. tijdens vakanties.

Helaas staat het rijtje overleden personen door bezuinigingen niet meer opgesomd op NOS-teletekst. Gelukkig is er op wikipedia in gebroederlijkheid een niet gering overzicht bijgehouden van wie ons ontvallen is. Van gesneuvelde militairen in Afghanistan tot aan de laatste oorlogsveteranen uit WOI, van onbekende buitenlandse voetballers tot roemruchte koningen; niemand ontgaat ons zonder dat dat ons ontgaat.

Hierbij namens de secretaris een kort eerbetoon aan:

Yma Sumac – Luttele weken na mijn blog over de Indische waterlelies in de Efteling, waarin ik haar ‘ontdekte’, liet deze Peruviaanse stemkunstenares op 86-jarige leeftijd het leven in een verpleeghuis in Los Angeles.

Derrick ofwel Horst Tappert  (85) – Leukste politieserie aller tijden, lekker jaren ‘80 ook. Sterk geprotocolleerde krimi , maar daarom misschien wel ijzersterk. Gelukkig is er in Utrecht een uitgaansgelegenheid naar hem vernoemd, alwaar de secretaris en voorzitter enkele jaren geleden tot aan het ochtendgloren op de dansvloer stonden.

Derrick en assistent Klein, bron: www.ioff.de

Sir Edmund Hillary (88) – Verantwoordelijk voor een van de opmerkelijkste en benijdenswaardigste prestaties van de 20e eeuw. Samen met sherpa Tenzing Norgay beklom hij als eerste de top van de Mount Everest op 29 mei 1953.

Herman Kuiphof (89) – De vader aller sportcommentatoren ontviel ons op respectabele leeftijd. Zijn uitspraak ‘zijn we er toch ingetuind” na de beslissende goal van de Duitsers in de WK-finale van 1974 staat in ons collectieve geheugen gegrift.

Met dank aan wikipedia voor het overzicht.