Army On Everest Update
The British Army Team attempting the difficult West Ridge of Everest has been pushing the route out using siege-style tactics along the narrow ridge section of the route.
Posted: 9 May 2006
by Jon
Following on from yesterday's update on the British Army Everest
West Ridge team, a quick further bulletin.
The Team is now across the actual West Ridge section of the route which finishes at Camp 4 and,
to quote their press release 'are now face-to-face with the stretch
of mountain that is set to see them into the record books'.
The west ridge is statistically the most dangerous section of the route, with the narrow ridge crest
flanked by sheer drops and exposed to the potential dangers of 100
mph plus jet stream winds. The next aim for the team, who've just
established Camp 4 at 7600, is to stock it as fully as possible and move
along the ridge before placing Camp 5 at 8,000 metres before making
the final 850-metre, estimated 30-odd hour journey up the Hornbein Couloir and back, hopefully, placing the
first ever British climber on the summit by this difficult route.
The traverse across from the ridge to the Hornbein Couloir is the most technically demanding section of the route and at an altitude of almost 8000 metres, will be desperately hard climbing.
The attempt is timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the
first Army Mountaineering Association's summit of Everest and has
been a mammoth effort.
More details, blogs, video footage, pictures and more at www.armyoneverest.mod.uk
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