Hello cyberfolks,
It's 9:30 am and finally we are able to talk to the team! What a relief! Moving our antenna to point toward Nuptse seems to be doing the trick. So here it is: the summit team is just coming up to the South Summit. Lakpa says everyone is doing well. They will probably take a bit of a break and get something to eat and drink before continuing on to the real summit. After a cold night, Lakpa reports that they are roasting. Their down suits are way too hot and everyone is sweating up the last steep slope to the South Summit. After wishing the wind would go away, now they are hoping for a little breeze.
I also talked to Willi, who is headed down to the South Col with Jeff. Our congratulations to Jeff for making one of the most intelligent and difficult mountaineering decisions there is to make - realizing that he didn't have the strength and energy to make it to the top and still be able to make it back down safely. Willi says he is also having a bit of an off day so the two of them are making their way slowly back down to the South Col. All the Sherpas are still with the summit team. When I talked to Willi, he and Jeff were a little bit above the triangular face. Sounds like Dorjee is poised to take juice out to them when they get a little closer to Camp IV. So we'll be keeping our eye on them as they work their way down.
More as it happens.
— Ellie Henke, Alpine Ascents International Guide and MountainZone.com Correspondent