One Giant Leap

At the crack of dawn on 15 April, we set off for our 2nd acclimatization cycle, which brought us to Camps 1 (6,100m) and 2 (6,500m). This was the first time on this climb that we’d be reaching an altitude of 6,500m. We had with us our Sherpas, Kami, Jamling and Dawa. We headed up the Khumbu Icefall at 5.30am, traveling through the giant blocks of ice in semi-darkness. Climbing in the morning also meant having to endure low temperatures, and it was through this blanket of sub-zero coldness that we journeyed through multiple crevasses and vertical sections with the use of ladders.

The sun hit us around 9am in the icefall, and the sun’s rays started taking a toll on our energy. We had to stop every now and then to hydrate and consume food. We also had to remove the warmer pieces of clothing on us to help with our ventilation system.

Camp 1 is rather exposed to the elements and we stayed in our tents mostly to stay out of the howling winds. The next day, we moved off around 7am for an acclimatization hike up to lower Camp 2. That helped us stay active at altitude which is an important factor in our acclimatization cycle.

We climbed up to Camp 2 the following day, up the Western Cwm. Temperatures are known to be blazing hot in the cwm because we’re traveling through the basin of a valley, where most of the heat gets trapped and reflected. Therefore we started early in the morning around 6am to avoid the heat. Even though the terrain wasn’t particularly steep, every step we took was draining because of the high altitude. We arrived at Camp 2 in time for an early lunch, and helped set up the tents which we would call ‘home’ for the next 3 nights.

From Camp 2, we were able to behold the magnificent Lhotse Face, which we will be climbing up to reach Camp 3 (7,400m) on our next acclimatization cycle. We’re heading up to Camp 3 within the next week, and we hope to bring you more updates when we return from Camp 3 in about a week’s time!

After weeks of anticipation, we were greeted by members of the NATAS-SWET Support Trek on 14 April. They were in good condition, having made their way from Gorak Shep (5,150m) to Kalapattar (5,500m) before coming to Everest Base Camp. Back in Singapore, we had given them a trek briefing at Campers Corner which helped prepare them for this journey. Having trained hard for about 2 months, they reaped the fruits of their labor when they finally made it to EBC. We were especially proud that ALL of them made to EBC, which is highly commendable.

The NATAS-SWET Support Trek not only aims to let the participants be a part of our journey, it also exposes them to a slice of life in the Himalayas. They had the unique opportunity to spend one night at EBC itself which is something not all EBC trekkers get to experience.

When they arrived, all the trekkers were in cheery moods, and we were especially touched by their thoughtfulness – they actually brought us Singaporean goodies such as BBQ pork, chocolates, ikan bilis, etc. These are all food we sorely miss! We’ll be treasuring these goodies over the next few weeks here.

The trekkers’ arrival coincided with our rest day before we head up to Camp 1 and 2 for our acclimatization cycle, which would bring us away from EBC for 5 nights in a row. The morning after they’ve arrived, we departed for Camp 1 while Kim Boon, our Base Camp Manager, showed them around our campsite and also the rest of the Base Camp.

We are proud of each member of our support trek:

Jack Chen (Trek Leader)
Leo Yunn Wenn
Norman Hodapp
Silke Hodapp
Yeo Seow Thong
Klaus Kaiser
Lee Chay Hwa Joanne
Goh Kim Yong
Aaron Lim Boon Teck

Besides our EBC trekkers, others from Singapore also dropped by our campsite when they came to EBC. We’re encouraged by the visits from Albert King, Calvin Tay, Soho, Wong Yew Hong, Ang Kin Peng, Wong Yew Choon, Agnes and Rin Leow. The team would like to thank their efforts in coming to visit us and cheer us on!

As we stay at Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5,300m, it’s amazing that we are able to keep in touch with sponsors, family and friends in Singapore. Thanks to SingTel, our link back home remains strong via internet connection and satellite phone communication.

Before we came here, helpful SingTel staff spent a day with us to explain how to use the Immarsat BGAN Wideye Saber 1 system which allows us to get online via satellite connection. This means we’re able to access the internet right here from Everest Base Camp! The BGAN system proved to be very easy to use, and every morning, we spend less than 5mins setting it up before internet connection is ready.

Another great thing about the BGAN system is that it consumes very little power. With the limited amount of sunlight we get here (since weather is always erratic), it is still sufficient as a power source for the system to work.

Iridium satellite phones are another means of communication we rely on for connection back home. Hearing voices from back home proves to be a real source of support for us here at Everest Base Camp, and it’s also a great source of comfort for our families and friends.

The winds howled at 5am, the time we were supposed to wake up to get ready for our first practice climb on the Khumbu Icefall. Amidst the cold winds, we peeled ourselves out of our sleeping bags and strapped on our boots and backpacks. After a quick breakfast, we started out in the greyish darkness of dawn, towards the infamous Khumbu Icefall.

The Khumbu Icefall is the first section of the Everest climb, where large blocks of ice form an ever-moving glacier (see video). This proves to be one of the trickiest bits of the climb before climbers even reach Camp 1 (6,100m). Before our summit bid, we would’ve climbed through the Khumbu Icefall at least 5 times for acclimatization purposes.

With the sun’s rays hidden, we moved in the cold of the dawn, feeling like tiny ants among these giant ice blocks. We chose to climb through the Icefall before the sun rose because the heat from the sun would cause the ice blocks to melt and shift, therefore posing a potential hazard to our movements.

The route seemed never-ending. Every ice block we overcome leads to another, and about an hour into the climb, we got to the fixed rope section where we clipped on our ascending devices and continued climbing. We navigated through horizontal and vertical ladders to cross crevasses, as well as front-pointed up certain sections with our crampons. After close to 3 hours, we reached our goal for the day, and decided to turn back towards Base Camp before the heat turned up.

We will be heading up towards Camp 1 when the Icefall is ready approximately a week from now. Currently, the Ice Doctors (local experts on the Icefall) are fixing the complete route up to Camp 1 and they’re in the midst of finding the safest way up. Meantime, we’ll be occupied with technical practices and acclimatization walks while we wait with bated breath for the climb ahead.

Just as we were finishing our lunch today, there was a knock on our dining tent door. To our pleasant surprise, we found ourselves face to face with students and teachers from Christ Church Secondary School! They had come a long way, beginning their journey from Gorak Shep to visit us. The students and teachers were in good spirits as we hosted them in our dining tent. This journey was meant to inspire and instill confidence in the students and as a gesture of encouragement to the team.

We were immensely touched and inspired by their visit. Each of the students adopted a member of the team as a mentor, and we were presented with littles notes they wrote for us throughout their journey here. We were very encouraged by this and impressed by the strength and perseverance they have displayed in making their way here. Their notes were written on song sheets which contained songs we’ve learnt as students in Singapore. They said that this was their little way of reminding us of Singapore, but to us, their presence has already brought ‘home’ to us, right here in the Himalayas.

It’s been 3 days since we’ve arrived at EBC. At a height of 5,300m, it is higher than the summits of most mountains in the European Alps. We are glad that we are settling down comfortably and have managed to carve out a cosy corner which we will call ‘home’ for the next 2 months.

The ‘Puja’ ceremony was conducted on the second day of our arrival and it is a religious ritual performed by a lama and the Sherpas to ensure safe passage up Everest. As a gesture of respect, we also participated in the ceremony which included food offerings and prayers.

The weather patterns here are expectedly extreme. We usually have bright sunshine in the mornings until about 3pm when snow starts falling, bringing temperatures down to about -15 degree Celsius. Our tents will be snowed in and we usually huddle in the dining tent for warmth. Thanks to SingTel, we have successfully set up a communications platform which we are currently using to bring you updates from base camp.

We will be staying here for the next couple of days before we head up for our next acclimatization cycle where we will spend a day at Camp 1 (6,100m).

We’re currently at Everest Base Camp (5300m) as we bring you this update. After close to 5 years of preparation, we’re finally here!

First off, let’s conclude on the Lobuche climb we mentioned in our last update. We reached Lobuche high camp (5,200m) in good shape on 2^nd April, stayed for a night and set off for our summit push the next day at 5am in the darkness. The first part of the climb was mainly on rocks and boulders and it wasn’t long before the sun’s rays hit us. Although we were glad for the warmth, the heat proved to be draining as well and we had to stop halfway to remove our outer layers of clothing. To make our way to the summit, we had to rope up for safety reasons, as well as clear multiple steep and icy sections with the use of fixed ropes. After about 6 hours of climbing, all of us finally reached the summit (6,000m) around 10.30am.

The Lobuche climb completes the first phase of our acclimatization and we look forward to the next acclimatization cycle up on Everest.