Everest Update–Bye-Bye Berg: Well, that’s the way it goes sometimes. After climbing to the South Summit in near-perfect conditions, Wally Berg and his team were greeted by a sudden and dramatic increase in wind speed. Berg then made a tough, disciplined, decision. He ordered everyone to turn around and head back down the mountain. Berg explains:

“Now think about that, the South Summit is higher than K2. That’s where we all were today. The South Summit of Everest is only about 400 or 500 feet lower than the summit of Everest. Of course to traverse you cross quite an exposed ridge, including the Hillary Step. I was almost shocked, although I probably shouldn’t have been–Michael Fagin told me, “You’d better be careful, those winds might pick up on the 2nd.” They certainly did. So with mixed emotions we turned around. It was definitely the call. The clock was running against me. I had a turn around time of 10 hours, 10 hours from the South Col to the Summit. That’s a 300 foot ascent rate if you want to talk in feet. It took us nine hours to get the entire group to the South Summit. In the conditions we had this morning, we wouldn’t have been out there in one hour. We would have been out there in two hours or more. And that was a factor. But those winds really clinched it for us.”

It must have been a major disappointment after all the months of planning and acclimitization. But that’s how you live to climb another day. Berg will be headed to Antarctica next, late in the month. Does is this guy ever take a break?



Heading Home: Everest Wins the Final Round…..

(Photo: Berg Adventures International)