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Jagged Globe

The climbers who used the new masks yesterday described them as a “major improvement” over the Poisk masks. Both Tore and Fred climbed from 7,000m to 7,700m on a flow rate of 2 litres per minute in just 4 and a half hours. That’s pretty good going for that kind of altitude and they said that the masks were comfortable, with no problems.
Interestingly, the guys who went to 7,700m did so on oxygen. More news on that to follow, but as the Jagged Globe team has lots of oxygen (approximately 6 × 3L bottles + 3 × 4L bottles per member) and newly designed masks, which are more comfortable and should deliver the oxygen more effeciently (compare the two photos), one tactic may be to climb on oxygen all the way from the North Col.

N.B. Jagged Globe teams on both the South and North sides of Everest are using brand new masks, designed by Ted Atkins and based on a Tornado fighter pilot mask.

Jagged Globe News

Good things come to those who wait…

As the first flakes of monsoon snow begin to fall on Mount Everest, both our South Col and North Ridge teams are back in Kathmandu, where they will celebrate their climbs with a party tonight at the Summit Hotel.

Spring will be remembered as one of the worst weather years in memory on Everest. Our South Col team had completed their acclimatisation by 28 April, with a night sleeping at 7,300m. On the same day on the other side of the mountain, members from our North Ridge team reached 7,700m whilst testing our new oxygen masks. They had climbed from the North Col at 7,000m to 7,700m on a flow rate of 2 litres per minute in just 4 and a half hours. We were beginning to feel very positive as the reports came through that team members were feeling strong, the sherpa team were starting to stock the top camps and the weather was still okay.

When we had a call from David the following day, we expected it to come from Advance Base Camp, it was from the top camp at 8,400m! Team member, Tore Rasmussen joked over the Satellite phone “We are having a jolly good time here, brewing up, talking and enjoying ourselves.” The other half of the group had moved to what was left of camp 3. Over the next two days, in clear conditions, with very little wind, the team’s patience finally paid off and 8 out of the 11 original members summited. They did so quickly, with both groups topping out by 7.30am. On his descent, Ian Parnell commented that they had so much oxygen in the top camp, they were able to descend on a flow rate of 3 litres per minute.

So that’s another Everest season over. These were the 9th and 10th Everest expeditions that Jagged Globe has organised and the 8th and 9th that have put members on the summit, making us the most experienced and successful British company on either side of the mountain. This year, a total of 12 out of a possible 17 members (leaders and climbers) topped out, despite the bad weather. This outstanding result is a testament to each team’s patience, commitment and hard work, as well as just a little luck!

We continue to run our expeditions with a clear ethos – to make sure that team members are well prepared and to make our expeditions as well resourced as any on the mountain. Crucially, that means the very best oxygen system and lots of it to spare, a high level of Sherpa support, the best equipment and expert leadership. On Everest, that’s what counts.