Photos and a Q&A

Hi All, Walid here. Here are some photos of the 7800M Camp, the view down to the North Col, the climb to High Camp, the view from High Camp and my frozen face. Enjoy

Also here are some questions from John O’Meara, Max’s dad with my answers below.


Some questions that people have been asking:
• Is there any way to prove someone gets to the summit other than their word?
• Can they go down the mountain quicker than going up from an acclimatization point of view?
• What’s the temperature at the 25,000 + level? The summit?
• Max mentioned in one of the blogs that the temp got to 115 degrees during the day at base camp – can that be??
• Many questions about how they go to the bathroom on the trek to the summit, or on the practice run to the North Col for example?

Here are some answers:
• The best way to prove is through a photo. However, these days photos can be doctored to prove that I have been to the moon. the gps helps for sure. On a busy mountain like Everest these days it is almost impossible to lie about summiting. If you go into the far Tien Shan or some place like that with no people there can often be controversy about a climb. In Max's case its nearly impossible.
• Going down does not require acclimatization because you are descending into an oxygen rich environment. They can descend as fast as their legs can carry them.
• The temps are approximately -40--50 at night and -20--30 during the day. It is colder with the wind. On my summit day it was minus 40 at night with three people in a two man tent. Its really, really cold, but they are prepared and have the right equipment.
• Yes, the UV at that altitude is so strong you can't believe it. I remember sitting out shirtless one day while the temp was in the 20s. Once the sun hits the tent it becomes like a sauna.
• Going to the bathroom #2 can be a disaster. Firstly, you have to expose some fragile bits, which, luckily, hide away with the cold. Then you have to get your harness off, take off a glove, get everything out of the way, go and clean up. The one piece of advice I forgot to give him, and I hope the others did, is to take Imodium prior to the summit attempt. You are eating so little that it does not make you sick, but does prevent your having to go. There is no practice for that sort of thing and doing it in the wind is horrible. It is also very tiring.
• Max should be on his way to high camp tonight and to the summit tomorrow. We will all be watching with bated breath.