Everest Update - Conan Summit Confirmed

Just a quick round-up from Everest where numerous climbers have summited over the last week or so including OUTDOORSmagic member Conan Harrod.

The British Army team attempting the difficult West Ridge in a Bonington-style siege operation has ground to a halt when the summit team encountered serious avalanche danger in the Hornbein Couloir, high on the route.

The team's site reports:

'About 200 metres into the (Hornbein) Couloir, John and his team encountered 'wind slab'. This is a hard crust of snow which sits on a much softer layer. On such a sharp slope, the slabs are prone to crack and slide down over the snow underneath. Faced with such dangerous avalanche conditions, John felt it would be unwise to continue. He took his team down and trekked back across the West Ridge to Camp 4.'

The entire team has now dropped down to their base camp while they decide what the next step is, taking into account weather, conditions, the physical state of the climbers and so on.

It's a big blow for the expedition which was hoping to put men on the summit over the weekend. In one of the team blogs, Malcolm Russell says:

'The reason the team were feeling down was not the lack of John's team's success, but the fact that the snow is unlikely to change in the immediate future and so a significant change in tactics may be needed...

'On a positive front, all the ground-work has been done. Camps and equipment are in place and another attempt would need some food, fuel and oxygen but not the monstrous loads that have already been carried up there. Also, the weather is due to remain stable for at least five days and there is no sign of the monsoon yet (early signs would still give up 2-3 weeks warning).'

So, frustrating times for the Army, more at www.armyoneverest.mod.uk.

As we told you last week, OMer Conan Harrod has successfully summited Everest at the second attempt, no mean feat as the first time, back in 2003, resulted in a survival epic with Conan crawling down the upper reaches of the mountain after an American climber fell on him leading to a broken leg.

There's a summit shot of Conan over at www.adventurepeaks.com. He should be safely back at base by now despite wife Lindsay's report that he picked up a stomach bug on the way down the mountain and was 'weak and wobbly'.

More too on the Christies web site - www.christies.org - you can make a contribution at www.justgiving.com/everest.

British climber Kenton Cool has become the first Briton to summit Everest three times. Mountain Hardwear-sponsored Kenton was the leader of the 2006 Jagged Globe expedition on the South Col route and reached the highest point on earth last Wednesday, 17 May.

He previously climbed the mountain in spring 2004, then again in spring 2005, so it's becoming a bit of a habit for him. Londoner Kenton is best known for some serious fast and light alpine ascents in the Alps, Himalaya and, particularly, Alaska. He's also a fully-qualified IFMGA mountain guide.

On the same expedition, 19-year-old Rhys Jones became the youngest person to climb all of the Seven Summits. See his summit day report on the JG web site.

Finally and very sadly, a reminder that while Everest may be climbed frequently these days, it's still a lethally dangerous mountain with the news of the death of Teeside climber David Sharp, 34, from Guisborough, reportedly during his descent from the summit after a solo ascent. More at news.bbc.co.uk.