Trouble, trouble, trouble...

As we arrived at ABC a Japanese informed me that the 2 guys from Kazakhstan had had some problems getting down after making the top. They had together made it down to C3 (7900 MSL), but without any food/water a night at C3 had almost been too much. A Sherpa from a South African expedition had discovered one of the guys lying out in the snow, unable to communicate, but conscious, while the other guy was cold an exhausted. With help from other expeditions, they were brought down to ABC. The minute they arrived to camp I was giving them my medical assistant. I examined them both for frost injuries, but they both seemed fine. One of the guys was unwilling and hard to examine. He complained about chest pain and had slimy caught, but being non-cooperative made it a challenge. We had him under observation over night in case something happened, and I have been available over radio contact throughout the night with the South African expedition.
Away from all the drama, Discovery Channel have been at camp filming all day. I have been filmed and interviewed, which will later be showed on TV.

C1 next….

Making it to the top....

As we tried to reach Intermediate Camp (5900 MSL) yesterday, I was met by a Russian contact. He could tell me that 2 guys from Kazakhstan had reached the top of Mt Everest (8848 MSL). And by that being the first ever from Kazakhstan to reach the top without the use of any supplementary oxygen.
The weather is nice and we have now left for Advanced Base Camp (6400 MSL). We will stay there for one night before continuing on to C1 (7060 MSL).

Keepin' it real...

Yak

Brutus 4 Life....

We are now being delayed even further. Due to heavy snow and wind we are stuck here at Base Camp for some more days. According to the weather forecast we might be able to leave for Intermediate Camp on Monday where we will stay for one night before heading for ABC and then C1.
Today was the first time I had a chance to take a look at myself in a mirror, and I have to admit my beard looks massive. It seems like the high altitude makes it grow faster than usual...hehehe
All in all, this day has been a day where hygiene has been main focus. Cleaned myself, changed underwear, admired my full grown beard and relaxed.

Kick off for continuing climbing on Monday, I hope....

Still doing fine...

A few days have past since you have heard from me now. I am now back at Base Camp after a night at Advanced Base Camp. Getting down from there seemed long but interesting. As I walked down the mountainside, I stumbled over a lost yak. I brought him with me, and gave him the name "Yngve".
There is still a huge demand and willingness to participate in the project, and I spend hours and hours of collecting data.
Since I am all by myself, other expeditions are extremely forthcoming and I have been invited to several dinners. Last night I had dinner with two guys from Kazakhstan. They served me a traditional Kazakhstan plate consisting of goat genitals. Today I have had dinner with a group of Frenchmen, all really nice. They served up a beautiful dish of creamy soup, sausage and some exclusive cheeses.
So far, I have been given my medical assistance to several guys in need, but my biggest deed yet has been helping an old Japanese guy. He was having some breathing problems, but with my help he was up and running in no time. I later found out, without anything confirmed, he's trying to set a new world record, "The oldest guy on Everest". At an age of 73, I can see that being true.
I am staying here at Base Camp for a few more days before trekking up to C1 and maybe higher, if possible, to do additional research.

Feeling good in beautiful Himalayas...

Camp 1 (7060 MSL)...

Today the weather was a lot better and we could now begin climbing towards Camp 1 (7060 MSL). Getting to C1 was harder then I had thought and we had to use climbing equipment to reach our target. Up until now there hasn’t been any need to use that sort of gear, but it defiantly made the hike more interesting and challenging. As we got closer to C1 it began to snow hard, but we were able to complete our job of establishing a temporarily camp for usage at a later point in the expedition.
On our way back to Advanced Base Camp I had to make several stops to throw up. All in all, the climb to C1 took about 12 hours. After dinner I taught my Sherpa’s how to play Yatzy. They loved the game and one of them became the lucky winner of a “Freia” milk chocolate.
We are scheduled to head back to Base Camp 5200 MSL in a few days. Lower altitude is needed to fully charge our human bodies.

Another day completed…