We set off 6.00 am back across the glacier to the Bergschund that sits across the bottom of the Lhotse face. Whilst our pace didn't seem fast we didn't take any breaks arriving there in approximately two hours.
Next came the jumaring up the fixed ropes as they zig zigzagged their way across the face and finally to Camp Three. Amazingly I made it in five hours some three hours quicker than last time.
It was obvious that some people had be sleeping in our tent! It was just like Goldie locks and the three bears except that we ever found out who they were. I thought some of my food that I had left had gone but when Brett arrived he said that most of his food plus four pairs of handwarmers had been taken. Now nobody objects to someone using a tent in an emergency but they could easily have radioed us to say what has happened and to us to bring some more food up.
I put on my cannula to get some additional oxygen inside me to try and help me recover and to also give me an appetite (it failed!).
There was lots of jolly banter between the team members and tents probably buoyed by our good time. The ledge was so small the tents had been pitched very close together by neccesity.
The weather report still sounded good and I was certainly looking forward to stepping foot on what was to be new territory.
The afternoon was spent rehydrating and filling water bottles ready for the morning.
Showing posts with label Camp Three. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camp Three. Show all posts
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Rescue from Camp Three
In line with my policy of delaying bad news by 48 hours the events below took place in the early hours of Thursday morning 17 May and I wrote the post that afternoon.
I was woken by David at 5.50am and told to get dressed and meet him in the comms tent. I could tell by his voice that there was a sense of urgency.
Once there,which didn't take long, he told me that unfortunately one of our Sherpas had been hit by a serac fall close to Camp Three. Because of my mountain rescue training he wanted me to man the radio and to co-ordinate radio traffic between the rescuers, our base camp and the HRA doctors (whose work ive already spoken about) also at BC.
I had heard an avalanche/rockfall earlier at about 5.00am from the Lhotse face but thought nothing of it.
The first call was made at 6.03am and the last to say that the casualty was on his way to Kathmandu at 12.47pm.
Initial reports from the sherpas spoke of two leg injuries, an arm and a head injury.
This is a shortened version.
David left with Adele (the Lhotse leader) at roughly 6.45am taking our extensive medical kit and also picking up some morphine and IV fluids on the way up to the bergschund.
Pasang had left Camp Two immediately on hearing the news and had taken a Sked (portable type of stretcher) up to the casualty.
Apparently the serac fall happened just 50 m from our Camp Three tents and has unfortunately wiped out an number of other teams tents. Thankfully as far as we currently know nobody was sleeping in them at the time.
The sherpa rescue team reached the bottom of the Lhotse face at about 8.45 am where the Sherpa was given some morphine.
Meanwhile we had been liasing with other teams to provide additional man power, Sherpas and medical resources. In the end everybody from our team contributed in some way.
Thankfully certain helicopters can fly to/from Camp Two so we were able to have one on standby at Lukla from around 7.30am. Unfortunately by the time we got the eta of the causality at Camp Two it had been called to another job.
There are no air ambulances here in Nepal and for the helicppter companies 'time is money'. We later learnt that it had gone off to pick up a trekker with non life threatening injuries.
So plan B swung into operation which was to clear a mess tent near the helipad to receive and hopefully stabilise the casualty until the helicopter could arrive. The casualty arrived in camp at 10.30 roughly five and a half hours after the incident.
With the help of a couple of JG team members we found a Dutch doctor and an Indian paramedic in camp who both kindly agreed to assist.
Time was not on our side with the weather as the typical afternoon cloud was beginning to bubble up.
Eventually he was evacuated at 12.24pm back to BC where the doctors assessed him. Whilst this was happening the pilot returned a second time to pick up another Sherpa who was also caught in the serac fall although he had slightly less serious injuries.
The last radio call was to say that the casualty was on his way to Katmandu.
As of now, Thursday lunchtime, we understand that our Sherpa's injuries are a broken left leg, broken left arm and some superficial head injuries. Our concern is of course for any internal injuries.
Our thanks go out to all those who helped in the rescue and we hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.
There is also a quick personal message to the Dartmoor Rescue Group Ashburton section: a really big thank you for all of those hours of training you all put for the benefit of others. Rob now I know what it feels to like in the control vehicle (yes I had a thermos)! To Richard & Tas thanks for the Casulty Care course. Whilst I wasn't hands on (hence much more chance of the casualty surviving) it was great to be able to make some informed suggestions as to the casualty's welfare.
Ps please can I be excused radio relay for a couple of evenings!
I was woken by David at 5.50am and told to get dressed and meet him in the comms tent. I could tell by his voice that there was a sense of urgency.
Once there,which didn't take long, he told me that unfortunately one of our Sherpas had been hit by a serac fall close to Camp Three. Because of my mountain rescue training he wanted me to man the radio and to co-ordinate radio traffic between the rescuers, our base camp and the HRA doctors (whose work ive already spoken about) also at BC.
I had heard an avalanche/rockfall earlier at about 5.00am from the Lhotse face but thought nothing of it.
The first call was made at 6.03am and the last to say that the casualty was on his way to Kathmandu at 12.47pm.
Initial reports from the sherpas spoke of two leg injuries, an arm and a head injury.
This is a shortened version.
David left with Adele (the Lhotse leader) at roughly 6.45am taking our extensive medical kit and also picking up some morphine and IV fluids on the way up to the bergschund.
Pasang had left Camp Two immediately on hearing the news and had taken a Sked (portable type of stretcher) up to the casualty.
Apparently the serac fall happened just 50 m from our Camp Three tents and has unfortunately wiped out an number of other teams tents. Thankfully as far as we currently know nobody was sleeping in them at the time.
The sherpa rescue team reached the bottom of the Lhotse face at about 8.45 am where the Sherpa was given some morphine.
Meanwhile we had been liasing with other teams to provide additional man power, Sherpas and medical resources. In the end everybody from our team contributed in some way.
Thankfully certain helicopters can fly to/from Camp Two so we were able to have one on standby at Lukla from around 7.30am. Unfortunately by the time we got the eta of the causality at Camp Two it had been called to another job.
There are no air ambulances here in Nepal and for the helicppter companies 'time is money'. We later learnt that it had gone off to pick up a trekker with non life threatening injuries.
So plan B swung into operation which was to clear a mess tent near the helipad to receive and hopefully stabilise the casualty until the helicopter could arrive. The casualty arrived in camp at 10.30 roughly five and a half hours after the incident.
With the help of a couple of JG team members we found a Dutch doctor and an Indian paramedic in camp who both kindly agreed to assist.
Time was not on our side with the weather as the typical afternoon cloud was beginning to bubble up.
Eventually he was evacuated at 12.24pm back to BC where the doctors assessed him. Whilst this was happening the pilot returned a second time to pick up another Sherpa who was also caught in the serac fall although he had slightly less serious injuries.
The last radio call was to say that the casualty was on his way to Katmandu.
As of now, Thursday lunchtime, we understand that our Sherpa's injuries are a broken left leg, broken left arm and some superficial head injuries. Our concern is of course for any internal injuries.
Our thanks go out to all those who helped in the rescue and we hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.
There is also a quick personal message to the Dartmoor Rescue Group Ashburton section: a really big thank you for all of those hours of training you all put for the benefit of others. Rob now I know what it feels to like in the control vehicle (yes I had a thermos)! To Richard & Tas thanks for the Casulty Care course. Whilst I wasn't hands on (hence much more chance of the casualty surviving) it was great to be able to make some informed suggestions as to the casualty's welfare.
Ps please can I be excused radio relay for a couple of evenings!
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Up to Camp Three - what a slog!
Mother nature smiled on us this morning as after yesterday afternoon's snow and the forecast of more this morning we were convinced we would be returning to BC.
We woke to a cloud free morning and after much discussion about clothing I decided to put on my down suit. Adele and Pasang had theirs on so I took my lead from them. I immediately felt much warmer but would pay the price of being far too warm once the sun hit the Lhotse face.
Our route up the glacier was initially the same as before but then it swung right beneath the the Lhotse face. After about fours hours we were directly underneath the start of the new route. No wonder the sherpas didn't like it. It started with 30 m of 80 degree ice!!!
The route zig zagged it's way up and we were just going slower and slower in the heat ( we'll that's what I like to blame - it wasn' t). We just found it impossibly hard with the lack of oxygen. One foot up and a short rest. If I tried to take five or six consequetive paces I'd slouch over knees for three of four minutes - probably longer. This wasn't a good advert for our suitability for a summit attempt!
To give you a idea about how keen we were to conserve energy I don't think anybody took any pictures on this section of the route!
It took us 8 hours to reach Camp Three, two hours longer than planned. Ok we could be generous and say the new route added an hour. As for the other hour, we just were not fit enough at the altitude.
Since we got here we have desperately being trying to rehydrate. Brett and I are trying to get three litres each down us before we go to sleep. We are also trying to eat abit of food although to be honest our appetites are severely depressed.
Tonight is the first night we will also be sleeping on oxygen. Not much just half a litre a minute.
I've got a slight headache so I'm going to take an Acetazolamide as well.
Perhaps that's why I feeling so exhausted my pulse is 65 but my SpO2 is 52. Respiratory rate 28, height 7150m. That should give the docs something to think about!! Good job we will be back on base camp in 42 hours.
It now 18.30pm and we've just finished boiling up some more water. A litre each for the night - mine's at the end of my sleeping bag along with some inner mitts so that they have some warmth in the morning. We've also filled a litre thermos so that we don't have to bother lighting a stove and melting snow in the morning.
Tonight I'll be sharing my sleeping bag with two pairs of outer gloves, a pair of inner gloves shoved down between my long johns and my underwear whilst across my chest are my thick wool socks which I hope wil be dry in the morning. It's now wonder I had difficulty finding a wife!!
I'm also wearing a balaclava and a hat. The balaclava will hopefully keep the cannula ( plastic tube delivering oxygen) attached to the bottom of nose.
Apologies if there are more spelling errors than usual I'm whacked!
We woke to a cloud free morning and after much discussion about clothing I decided to put on my down suit. Adele and Pasang had theirs on so I took my lead from them. I immediately felt much warmer but would pay the price of being far too warm once the sun hit the Lhotse face.
Our route up the glacier was initially the same as before but then it swung right beneath the the Lhotse face. After about fours hours we were directly underneath the start of the new route. No wonder the sherpas didn't like it. It started with 30 m of 80 degree ice!!!
The route zig zagged it's way up and we were just going slower and slower in the heat ( we'll that's what I like to blame - it wasn' t). We just found it impossibly hard with the lack of oxygen. One foot up and a short rest. If I tried to take five or six consequetive paces I'd slouch over knees for three of four minutes - probably longer. This wasn't a good advert for our suitability for a summit attempt!
To give you a idea about how keen we were to conserve energy I don't think anybody took any pictures on this section of the route!
It took us 8 hours to reach Camp Three, two hours longer than planned. Ok we could be generous and say the new route added an hour. As for the other hour, we just were not fit enough at the altitude.
Since we got here we have desperately being trying to rehydrate. Brett and I are trying to get three litres each down us before we go to sleep. We are also trying to eat abit of food although to be honest our appetites are severely depressed.
Tonight is the first night we will also be sleeping on oxygen. Not much just half a litre a minute.
I've got a slight headache so I'm going to take an Acetazolamide as well.
Perhaps that's why I feeling so exhausted my pulse is 65 but my SpO2 is 52. Respiratory rate 28, height 7150m. That should give the docs something to think about!! Good job we will be back on base camp in 42 hours.
It now 18.30pm and we've just finished boiling up some more water. A litre each for the night - mine's at the end of my sleeping bag along with some inner mitts so that they have some warmth in the morning. We've also filled a litre thermos so that we don't have to bother lighting a stove and melting snow in the morning.
Tonight I'll be sharing my sleeping bag with two pairs of outer gloves, a pair of inner gloves shoved down between my long johns and my underwear whilst across my chest are my thick wool socks which I hope wil be dry in the morning. It's now wonder I had difficulty finding a wife!!
I'm also wearing a balaclava and a hat. The balaclava will hopefully keep the cannula ( plastic tube delivering oxygen) attached to the bottom of nose.
Apologies if there are more spelling errors than usual I'm whacked!
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