-
hired
-Jon Krakauer gets a call from outside magazine asking him to write about the increase in commercialization of Everest and join a commercial expidition
-the intent wasn't for Jon Krakauer to climb Everest
- Jon Krakauer asked Mark Bryant the editor of outside magazine to delay the story for 12 months to train for Everest and if they would cover the $65,000
-Bryant called back and said the was not prepared to shell out $65,000 dollars but it was an important story and they would make it happen -
flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu
-2 hours into Thai Air flight 311 he looked out the starboard side window to see the jagged incisor of the Himalaya
-40 minutes later he was on the ground in Kathmandu as he cleared customs -
leaving Namche Towards base camp
-20 minutes on the hike Jon Krakauer arrived at a breathtaking overlook "Two thousand feet bellow' slicing a deep crease through the surrounding bedrock, the Dudh Kosi appeared as a crooked strand of silver glinting shadows.
-the Ama Dablam shadow casting over the valley which was the icy thrust of Mount Everest and the summit "horizontal plume of condensation steamed from the summit like frozen smoke
-he looked at the peak for 30 minutes wondering what it would be like to stand there -
Tengboche
-Chhongba Sherpa the base camp cook arranged for Jon's group to meet with Rimpoche the head Lama of Nepal who had just ended 3 months of silent meditation the day before
-Jon paid Chhongba 100 rupees for a kata( Sacred silk scarf) to present to Rimpoche
-"Seated cross-legged on a brocade pillow, wrapped in burgundy robes, was a short, rotund man with a shiny pate. He looked very old and very tired.
-the Rimpoche blessed the members of Jon's group placing the katas around their necks -
Stop In Lobuje
-They reach the village and sought refuge from the wind in a Filthy lodge
-Crowded with Sherpa and climbers from 12 other expeditions
-Every half dozen lodges were completely full
-Tent were side by side
-Three of the four toilet were overflowing with excrement
-Later that night a Sherpa from Jon Krakauer's expedition fell in a crevasse
- Rob Hall the expedition leader said to Jon's Group to stay in Lobuje until the situation is under control -
To base camp One
-At 2 am Jon Krakauer was woken up by Andy and Jon asked "are you O.K.?"
-A couple Moments later Andy's head and torso was out of the tent and Andy threw up
-They packed up their stuff at 9 am
-He walked with Andy and Helen
-they walked by the Khumbu glacier
-In the mid after Noon they reached the Ice pinnacles
-they walked a couple more miles and reached a motley city of nylon domes
-they spent 20 minutes looking for their tents -
Jon Krakauer's 42nd birthday and prep for mountain climbing
-Jon Krakauer 42nd birthday
-they spent the afternoon preparing their climbing equipment -the camp looked like an expensive yard sale because they spread their Gear out -
Period: to
Acclimatizing #1 and #2
-at 4:45 pm April 13 at the Icefall waiting for Hall then at 8:30 Jon reached the top of the icefall at 10 am they went back down to base camp
-on the 16th the 2nd acclimatization Jon reached camp 1 at 9 am he spent 2 days there and went to Camp 2 spending 3 days then back
-on the 18th he climbed to Camp 2 it was brutally cold starting the trek up the Western Cwm then the sun rays hit creating a solar oven causing Jon to strip down to long underwear
-he arrived to base camp on 22nd -
Jon Krakauer Wife Calls him on Everest
-Helen Yelled "Jon! Telephone! It's Linda!"
-It costed $5/min
- she also mentioned how 18 days earlier returning home from the airport she was crying
- Jon lied at first saying it was good pay and he would only climb to base camp one
-Linda sensed Jon's desire to climb Everest and it scared her She said" if You get killed " she argued "its not just you Who'll pay the price.I'll have to pay, too,you know, for the rest of my life Doesn't that matter to you?" -
Camp 2
-he awoke at 4:00 am he had been awake most of the night struggling to breathe the meagre air
-they will head up to camp 3 at 4:45 sharp
-for the next 2 hour, they climbed the main body of the Glacier
-as he climbed it got colder and colder
-after Jon Krakauer reached 23000 feet he waited for the guide
- 15 minutes later the guide called up and yelled to Jon "Rob wants everybody to go down" because of the cold and barbarous winds
-Jon made it back to the camp 2 by noon -
ascending to camp 3
-Jon krakauer climbed a Nylon rope towards camp 3 the higher he got the more slower he moved eventually Jon Krakauer had to stop and desperately suck in 2 lung fulls of air he did this climb for 3 hours straight
-he reached camp 3 late in the morning which is basically a trio of small yellow tents
- two Sherpa's were hard at work chopping ice for a forth tent so Jon took of his pack and helped them but only managed 7-8 blows before pausing for a minute to take deep breaths it took an hour -
leaving camp 3 for camp 2
-he left camp 3 at 4:30 am to descend to camp 2
-Jon was Plagued by the heat on the western Cwn
-Jon constantly stuffed snow in his hat and moved as fast as his legs and lungs could carry him
-as the morning dragged on Jon's tongue began to swell so much so that it made it harder to breathe and for Jon to think clearly as well
-Jon and Andy Harris dragged into camp 2 at 10:30 am
when he arrived Jon guzzled 2 liters of Gatorade\ -
leaving camp 3 for camp 4
-by the time he left his tent most of his group were already ascending to camp 4
-he looked down to see 50 other climbers coming his way so he picked up his pace he was disengaging from the rope to Leapfrogging other climbers
- he work his way to the front of the queue for climbing the Lhotse face
-he arrived at the south Col at 1:00 am
-when he walked into camp 4 six Sherpa were struggling to set up Jon's tent so he helped then he ducked into the tent
-the weather in the afternoon -
Descent form the Summit
-Jon ran into Beck on his way down to camp 4 and asked why he was standing their
-"come down with me", Jon implored. It will be at least two or three hours before Rob shows up. I'll be your eyes. I'll get you down, no problem
-Beck said "I think I will just wait for Mike .He's got a rope; he'll be able to short-rope me down."
-Jon was relived to not have to get beck down the problematic slope
-wanting to remove his trash from the mountain Jon grabbed a spent oxygen he stashed earlier -
Summit of Everest
-He reached the summit of Everest in the afternoon
-he had not slept for 57 hours
-he didn't have the energy to care
-he was only on the summit for 5 minutes
-he started his decent at 1:17
-"I found Myself atop a slender wedge of Ice adorned with a discarded oxygen cylinder and a battered aluminum survey pole, with Nowhere left to climb. Buddhist prayer flags snapped furiously in the wind
- all congratulatory impulses were put out by the long dangerous descent down Everest -
Ascending to the summit Everest part 1
-they started climbing in the predawn hours and those at the front of the group had to stop for the slower members
-at 3:45 Jon had to stop and wait again because mike said they were too far ahead
-at 4:15 they were told they could start ascending again
-Jon reached the southeast ridge at 5:30 am Jon waited for Hall and Beck
-at 7:10 Rob gave Jon the okay to start climbing again
-by 4:00 or 5:00 everyone oxygen would be out -
Ascending to the summit of Everest part 2
-Jon stopped every ponderous step and would draw 3-4 breaths
-Jon felt drugged and disengaged and he had to remind himself that everything was at steak
-Jon's 1st oxygen canister ran out at 7 am
-Jon assumed his 2nd canister would allow plenty of time to reach the summit
-Jon was having serious doubts he shared his concern with a guide asking if he minded if he pushed to the summit the guide replied "go for it"
-Plodding slowly to the summit -
Descent from summit part 2
-he descended from the balcony a few hundred feet down a broad snow gully without incident
-the route was covered with 6 inches of fresh snow. Negotiating the terrain required unceasing concentration
-Jon had difficulty finding the correct route because wind erased the other climbers foot prints
-Jon kept on talking out loud saying "keep it together"
-he heard a boom thinking it was an avalanche he looked around then realized it was thunder by 6 pm the storm turned into a full blizzard -
Descent from the summit part 3 Arriving at camp 4
-Jon came to 600 feet above the col he realized the tempest was rising and he passed the trickiest part just in the nick of time
-he felt like he was suffocation and learned his oxygen was out so he took of his mask
-6:30 the sun set and he was 200 vertical feet above base camp
-Jon just stopped and rested on top of a steep slope
-Jon climbed down the slope and walked into camp 4
-Jon got in a tent and sprawled on the frost covered floor realizing he was the most exhausted he had ever been -
Camp 2 to base camp
-at 8 am Jon searched for a suitable site
Cotter told him over the radio that the helicopter was on its way
- a member from the IMAX crew found a landing zone
-the helicopter took down both frostbitten victims
-he finally arrived to the bottom of the Khumbu ice-fall to find Ang, Guy and Caroline waiting
-Guy handed him a beer and Caroline hugged Jon
-then Jon sat on the Ice face and started crying because he was grateful to be alive and for his companions who perished
-Jon flew back on 19
