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A Must Read Story
An Amazing Story Of Mike Hurry, Our Fenwick Volvo Customer since 1984!
Mike has been the Executive Director of Big Brothers of Sarnia-Lambton since 1980 and a Volvo customer since 1984. This event was the best fund- raiser ever for Big -Brothers locally. In total the trekkers raised $290,000 for agency programs and services. Everest is the second in a series of adventure fund – raisers for Big Brothers of Sarnia – Lambton. What do you do next after climbing Everest?
Over the past 3 years Mike Hurry has climbed mountains on five continents around he world. His climbs have included Kilimankaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mt. McKinley in Alaska and Aconcagua in Argentina which at 22,800 feet is not only the highest mountain in South America but the highest in the world outside of SE Asia. All these climbs helped to prepare him for the ultimate climb earlier this year, Mount Everest.
Here is Mike’s Amazing Story :
In March 2011, along with other 42 Sarnians I flew to Nepal in SE Asia. Forty had signed up to trek to base camp on Everest and three of us, Dave Hill, Greg Mellon and I, stayed in Nepal for ten weeks to summit Mount Everest, The highest Mountain in the world at 29,035 feet. All of us were there raising money for Big Brother of Sarnia – Lambton.
Once we reached base camp (17,600 feet) our friends and fellow trekkers that we had spent the first two weeks with, headed back down to Kathmandu while we prepared for the next eight weeks at base camp or above. The departure was an emotional one for all of us, those staying and those going down.
Our camp staff had been at base camp a month when we arrived and had secured a great spot. The site was located at the foot of Khumbu Icefall surrounded on three sides by a wall of ice that acted as a protective barrier between us and the rest of base camp. Base camp at its height housed 1,500 people; Climbers, Sherpa, Cooks, Porters and Doctors. All existing on an ever moving glacier. At night you could hear the ice cracking around your tent and at times this was drowned out by avalanche.
Once we were settled in at base camp our Sherpa along with those from other expeditions gathered to assist with the building of both the hospita tent an the helipad. Both saw a significant amount of business in the eight weeks we were there. This year while building helipad, the perfectly intact body of an American Trekker who disappeared in 2005 was discovered in the ice. They were able to identify him by the tattoo on his leg and by doing so brought some closure for his family back inn the States. This wasn’t the only discovery at base camp this year. On other occasion, a rest day, we noticed a large group out on the ice near our tents. Dave went to investigate only to learn they had found the lower torso of a man, Last year they had discovered the upper headless body and now all that was missing was the head. The body obviously froze in the glacier and once frozen the ice had shifted tearing the body into three parts.
Death is a regular occurence on Everest, well on any mountain and a constant reminder of how dangerous climbing can be. The year 2011 was no exception. In all there were eight deaths this year several on the north (Tibet) side and several on the south (Nepal) side of the mountain where we were climbing. The first, a 37 year old journalist from England, tripped at camp 3 and not clipped into a fixed line cart wheeled down the Lhotse face, a 50 degree slope and into a crevasse at the bottom. A couple of people had heart attacks, a former Minister in the Nepalese government collapsed and died in the Khumbu Icefall and the most notable a Japenese climber who was reported to have gone crazy and attacked his personal Sherpa just before collapsing. Rarely do they bring the bodies, of those that die on Everest above camp 4, off the mountain. It is just too difficult, you’re lucky to get yourself off the mountain. In the case of the Japenese Climber his family desperately wanted his remains sent home and reportedly paid $25,000 to bring the body down to camp 2 where a helicopter could fly him to Kathmandu and then on to Japan. That is an incredible amount of money in a country where the average annual income is $400. We saw and actually photographed them bringing the body down. That sounds a bit morbid and hopefully as a result, safer.
The Sherpa won’t climb Everest until a Lama performs a Puja Ceremony to bless the mountain and ask the mountain to allow the team safe passage. Everest is the most sacred mountain to the Buddhists. This year we were the first westeners to climb out of base camp through the Khumbu Icefall because we were the first to have a Puja Ceremony. The first climb through the Icefall took us seven hours up and five hours to get back down. We didn’t even reach camp one (19,500 feet) on that first trip.
Each stage of the climb from base camp is unique. The Khumbu Icefall is comprised of massive pieces of ice, some the size of city buses that routinely break off and collapse. each trip through the Icefall is different from the last. One trip down we encountered a section the size of half a city block that had collapsed 50 feet. where previously we had climbed down we now needed to rappel.
The section of the mountain above camp 1 is the Western Cwm. A valley surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the world. The temperature here can range from -35 C in the early morning to +40 C when the sun rises and starts to reflect off the snow and ice.. Most of the time spent in the Western Cwm I wore a long sleeved white t-shirt because it was too hot.
The Lhotse Face is a steep climb that for most of the way averages 50 degrees but at times you climb over outcroppings as steep as 80 degrees. Part way up the Lhotse Face is camp 3 (23,000 feet) which is literally carved into the snow on the side on the mountain. There are at least three ledges that at best allow enough room for tents to be erected in a row with about 18 inches spare to get in and out of the tent. Camp 3 is where you start to use supplemental oxygen. At night the flow of oxygen is set at abt .5 litres but while climbing it could be as high as 3 litres per minute. In this area you always want to be clipped into a fixed line. They not only runs fixed lines up the Lhotse Face they also run lines across to the tents on each of the ledges.
The night you sleep at camp 3 is when you’re on your way to the summit. Getting up at camp 3 early in the morning for your summit attempt, it takes three hours to dress and eat. The climb up the balance of the Lhotse Face is followed by a traverse across the face of the mountain. It was part way across I noticed I’d slowed to a crawl and my team was starting to pull away. Extremely fatigued, I wasn’t sure why as to this point I’d been feeling and moving quite well. It wasn’t until a Sherpa from another team came up and asked me whether I knew I was out of oxygen that it all made sense. Above 25,000 feet is known as the death zone. Here the percentage of oxygen found in the atmosphere is about 30% of what is found at sea level. No wonder I was so tired. Now wonder I was moving at a snail’s pace. By the time I was able too signal one of our Sherpa and he was able to reach me with a fresh oxygen bottle I was a half to three quarters of an hour without oxygen and I was sick.
On the way to camp 4 (26,000 feet) Lopsang said you’re not going to the summit and I agreed. Exhausted, I just wanted to get to camp 4 where I would rest while the team headed up. By the time I stumbled into the tent where Gavin and Dave were awaiting my arrival I was starting to feel a bit better and with their encouragement started to think I should attempt the last push. When I realizes that the ten hour time difference between Sarnia and Nepal meant it was morning drive time in Sarnia I borrowed the satellite phone to call Sara and George on the radio styation. Sara answered and within a matter of seconds we were conduction an on – air interview, Sara in Sarnia and me at camp 4, 26,000 feet up the highest mountain in the world. The main reason for the call was really to boost my resolve that I was at least going to take a shot at the summit.
Originally, the plan had been to leave camp 4 about 8p.m. but the team agreed to delay an hour to allow me that little extra rest time. Starting off we were part of a long line of climbers, all with their head lamps on and all hoping to reach the summit. The night was almost perfect about -25 C and practically no wind. It was May 20th and this was the night that saw the largest numbers to attempt the summit.
The climb from the camp 4 upto the balcony was unbelievably slow. Many in the long procession were getting frustrated with the pace and some even unclipped from the fixed line and went around climbers.
Finally we reached the balcony. At the Balcony we changed out our oxygen bottles for new ones. Unfortunately for me I started to get physically sick again. After a short period of climbing from the balcony and sick again I finally decided I was pushing it too far and indicated my Sherpa it was time to head down. Officially I made it to 8,500 metres just 348 metres (1,410 feet) from the summit.
There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think about that last 348 metres. That I don’t wonder would I have made it if I hadn’t run out of oxygen. If I had reached the summit I would have been the second oldest Canadian ever to stand at the top of the world.
Would I go back? In a heartbeat, Will I go back? I just need about $50,000 and another ten weeks off. This time I would climb from Tibet. Might as well make it a bit different and from what I’ve read a bit more challenging than the climb I’d just attempted from the south (Nepal) side.
Mike Hurry
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