Karma Sherpa - PART 1

                        Experience of Karma Sherpa (The climbing Sherpa)   

Date: 2011/6/1

We left south Cole at around 8:00 pm on the 19th of May. We were all together five of us: (1) GuruHajur (Master), (2) Me,Karma, (3) CM, the Cameraman (4), Pasang and (5) Danuru. We were about and half hour late from our schedule as we had planne to leave at 7:00 pm.

Anyway, with the speed of GuruHajur, we left our team members behind: CM and Pasang. Moreover, we continued our journey overtaking all the climbers on our way to the Everest. At a time, I used to think, wow! In my long climbing career (work) I had never experienced such an easiness and comfortable in climbing. But this time, I was not feeling tiredness or difficulties but feeling really lighter and exciting. I honestly think that this time of climbing was the easiest one I have ever experienced throughout my climbing careers, events and procedures.

From the Top of the WORLD

Guruhajur left us a bit behind saying that he was going to pray for all living creatures from the Top of the world before anybody reaches on the top that day: the 20th of May. Thus, Master left us. I felt quite relief since I did not have to climb in the speed of Master from then. Of course, it was easy and triumphant feelings rather than tiresome, intrication and complication but still climbing (not walking) with the speed of Master was of grant challenging.

Anyway, with the speed of climbing that nobody was in, nor anybody could be, Guruhajur reached the top at exactly 4: 33 am. Followed by Tibetans from Tibetan route, and Me and Danuru, in third, from Nepal route sometimes after 25 minutes or so.

According to the friends and other sources, no group had reached the top until at least 7: 30 am…. from the first group to the last one till the 20th of May. To the point that some people reached the Top after 3:00 pm only. How could you know, would be a question? To answer this hypothetical curiosity let me bring a small fact-scenario. There in the base camp, we every climbing team has the same culture that once the members of the related team reach the top the members in the base camp start making sound out of the plates, pots, etc by hitting them. During our staying at base camp alone, we had heard that a lot of people biting the plates and pots at around 3:00. pm..........

But I would also like to inform you that the late reaching the top is really dangerous. You have no idea what time the wind or snow will hit the Everest. Of course, every team has to follow up the trustworthy weather forecast as to what date and what time would be accompanied by the favourable weather, but still sometimes weather forecast fails to match up the accuracy of the weather on the Gigantically standing the tallest THING in the world.

The fact is that according to my climbing experience and knowledge that I have collected so far, after 4 to 5 pm the weather is always adverse on the Top of the world no matter what. Thus, it is always risky to be there after this timeline. While talking about the timeline and weather adversity, to my shocking, WOW! I am taken back to a picture, the picture that nobody could imagine of happening or being possible: GuruHajur on the top not at 4 or 5 pm but whole night and day. Not one day but nearly two days on the Top of the world ! Where the oxygen is nowhere to be found. Where death is just near 5 minutes. The fact is, the wind can come in a matter of 5 minutes, in the speed of 60 to 90 hr. or more - which can blow out even the stones let alone wiping out any being if it was at that time and place! As we probably all aware of the incidents that have occurred on the Everest - many people have been wiped away by the wind from the time of Edmund Hillary and Tenjing Sherpa to this day.