Everest Roundup…: Now that there are two Everest expeditions (The Russians on the North Face wall and the climbing sleuths trying to unearth Sandy Irvine’s frozen corpse) in the Wetass zone there’s more action, more of the time. The Mallory/Irvine climbers have left advanced base camp and are headed up the mountain. Okay, that’s not very exciting news. But what is interesting is the thinking behind their expedition. Click here to start in on the history and theories behind the deaths of Mallory and Irvine. It’s as good as any suspense novel you’ll ever find….

Meanwhile, up on the North Face, the Russians are back at work on the wall. One team went up to 7200 meters, pulling the fixed ropes out of the snow, and rebuilding the tent site. They then pushed up to the limit of the fixed ropes at 7750 meters, while another climbing team worked to set up a tent at 7550. The weather is holding for the moment, so could be time for a big push. “Not one step back,” as Stalin ordered his troops when the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union (though he used to shoot them if they disobeyed)…



Everest’s North Face: Just a reminder of what these bastards are actually climbing…