Thursday 17 May – Day 49 : Everest

With my Team Nevagivin Ironman racing team flag 

And I flew the Ulster flag at Everest Summit   Fourth female from Northern Ireland to reach the top of the world 

Some of the views from the worlds roof top  Me and Ang Gelu  I’m on the right lol

We’ve been climbing steadily a couple of hours up towards the balcony which is where we hit the ‘corner’ of Everest and make a right turn all along the ridge line.
We were moving well until a bit before hitting the balcony and we got caught up in a line of slow movers. We stop a long time between each step but there are too many people to overtake and in the dark it’s too dangerous, you can’t see the edges much, just the central focal point of the headlamp torch. I do a sort of lunge thing often with intermittent knee out front and bend forward resting on the knee out front with the other leg behind. When we reach the balcony, there is a very small flat bit where we have a drink of water and I put new batteries in my heated insoles in my boots. We took that long that in two hours the first ones died on me.
We make our way along the ridge line and I know there is a massive drop to the left of me but now I’m glad I’m climbing in the dark. I just keep moving up steadily. We are making better progress now. As we climb, the hours pass and I can see the orange line on the horizon. The sun is coming.
As daylight creeps over us we are approaching the south summit. I’ve read a lot about Everest and the general feeling is that if you make the south summit then you’re going to summit. I don’t allow myself to get carried away yet. There are major steps to overcome yet. I keep checking myself, toes feel ok, fingers feel alright, I’m warm enough and I’m moving well.
At the Hillary step, they’re a lot of rock to crampon over. It’s more difficult than tramping in the snow but it’s nowhere near as steep as it used to be so it’s alright.
I’m at the summit ridge now and the drops on either side are toe curlingly horrifying. I try and focus on the tiny narrow ridge line in front of me. I’m aware I’m missing amazing views underneath my feet but I don’t like the fact that this is seriously dangerous. I continue along the summit ridge and every time I get over another bump I think is that the summit ahead? Only to find it’s another rise to climb. For about an hour we scramble out way along this knife edge and finally I can see the summit with the prayer flags and a little golden or bronze statue of a man with his finger up. It’s a little weird lol but I think something to do with the King.
By now I’m so relieved more than anything else to reach the summit. It’s 7:48am and we’ve been climbing now for almost 9 hours. It hasn’t been done in any kind of style this past hour and in fact if I could have seen myself it was probably rather funny. I teach the summit with Ang Gelu and we hug. Sonam and Nima are also with us just behind. All three of our Sherpas have summited. For Ang Gelu, it’s lucky number seven, for Nima it’s his second summit but first one from the south side having previously summited the north side and for Sonam it’s also his first Everest Summit. We take out banners and flags out and take photos. Our Sherpas are fantastic but their photography skills could use a little help lol. Ang Gelu appears to be the only one who knows how to take a photograph.
We are on the summit for about half an hour. Then the horrifying realisation I have to go back down the summit ridge. Oh my days. It’s even worse going this way now descending instead of climbing up. I’m breathing really hard and I think it’s anxiety. Now I just can’t wait to get down. After the sunmit ridge the descending is really steep but I don’t mind this. I’m off the bloody ridge line. We roach the balcony and stop for a drink of water. Sonam notices that my oxygen has run out. Okay, so this now explains why I was so breathless on the summit ridge.
We get another one attached and wow I can breathe again. Now I can relax a little bit. It’s just straight forward descending down although I can’t believe how steep it is, I’m pleased all over again we did this bit in the dark.
The orange tents look ahead and it’s so good to be back at the south Col. I remove my crampons and crawl into the tent. I sort myself out and remove boots and get into the sleeping bag. Ang Gelu appears after about 20 minutes and leaving his feet and crampons outside the tent he sits just inside, lies back and promptly falls asleep. I try and zip the inner around him lol to keep the cold air out.
After some time we recover, eat, drink and try and sleep a little.
We have a conversation about Lhotse. I ask Ang Gelu if the summit ridge is anything like Everest. He says no, that the Japanese couloir is steep but there’s not rock climbing like Everest. I am undecided what to do. I’m so happy that I climbed Everest and I feel I can go home with my head held high. But on the other hand how will I live with myself if I don’t try. I will forever be thinking ,’ what if I climbed Lhotse too’.
I’m in position, I’m acclimatised and I decide we’re going to give it a go. Also Ang Gelu promised he would drink a beer with me if I climbed it. That swung it lol.
We plan to leave about 3am.