Day 25 -- October 22 => Island Peak (Imja Tse)

With the ice boots, crampons, ice axe, carabiners, figure-8, jumar, gates and helmet added to the pack weight, it was probably the heaviest pack I have ever carried in my life.

Sarah, Modesto, Pemba, Lal and myself left camp around 2:40am under a full moon. I had initially started with my headlamp on but I turned it off after about 30 minutes as the moonlight provided ample light. We traversed around on the right side to the more southerly slopes of Island Peak before beginning the ascent up numerous switchbacks. I'm not sure what the temperature was but I suspect around -10C/15F. Fortunately, there was only a slight breeze so windchill wasn't a factor. A high ridge was on our left so at around 4am, we lost the setting moon behind the ridge. We reached high camp (~5400m/17,700') around 5:30am. There were a few tents here with some activity.

Modesto decided he had reached his limit so he stayed near high camp while the rest of us continued on, with hints of first light in the eastern sky. About 10 minutes above high camp, we reached some minor rocks bands which required some brief stints of moderate scrambling.

At this point, I was not feeling the altitude as much as Sarah so Pemba and I paired up to go a bit ahead while Lal paired up with Sarah. The route did a couple of zig zaps around some steep rock bands with a bit of exposure as we gradually (well, me gradually while Pemba quickly!) made our way up to some white rocks.

Sometime around 7am, we all stopped for a rest and some coconut cookies (my apologies to Chris). The skies were clear and we basked in the early morning sun as it started to have a significant warming effect. We were probably around 18,500'/5640m at this point.

As I neared the top of the white rocks, a thin layer of hard snow slowed my progress a bit as I carefully made my way up. After topping out, the glacier popped into view. A slow, careful traverse over hard packed snow on a narrow section (arete) brought us to the technical climbing section at 8am, with the sun shining brightly down on us. We managed to ascend about 2500' in 5 hours. Definitely not my usual ascent rate but the altitude was definitely having an effect and I took it slowly so as not to jeopardize my continuing on. I had a slight headache but was feeling pretty good for the most part.

It took about 45 minutes for us to don our ice climbing boots, crampons, harness and rope up. I was paired with Pemba while Lal roped up to Sarah. We left our hiking boots here to reduce some weight. This was also the point where the main top buckle on my pack broke when it simply hit the hard snow when I put my pack on it.

The first section was gradual uphill for the most part as we traversed around some of the higher sections. There were no real dangers from crevasses from what I could see but I had the utmost confidence in Pemba and Lal to safely guide us to our objective. The major problem I ran into was that my crampons fell off several times. Lal tried a first repair to my left crampon but it eventually fell off again after about ten minutes. I hobbled to a flat section where we sat down and contemplated what to do next. Neither Pemba or Lal had a wrench with them to adjust the crampons as this had been done back in Kathmandu. I pulled out some more thin nylon rope that I always keep in my pack. After about twenty more minutes, Lal and Pemba performed a successful repair job to my crampons using the nylon rope to secure them. I did not have any further problems with the crampons after that. However, we probably lost about 45 minutes due to the crampons problem, which would cost me later.

The steep snow/ice slope we had practiced for in Dingboche ten days ago was now in sight and we could see a team of climbers, who had passed us earlier in the morning around high camp, making their way up on fixed ropes. Sadly at this point however, Sarah decided she had to go back down. She was really feeling the effects of altitude and she later told me that it was quite a struggle getting back down. I also did not find it easy getting back down, but more on that later. So as Lal and Sarah began their descent, Pemba and I carried on.

Perhaps around 10:45am, about two minutes before reaching the fixed ropes set by the team that was already on the summit ridge, we dropped our packs. I put my camera, a snickers bar (from Kathmandu!), and an energy bar into my pockets. As I was closing up my pack, I knocked one of my water bottles over and it went careening down the slope. Fortunately, it stopped on a level section of the glacier and we would pick it up on the way down. I jokingly asked Pemba if he would go down and get it for me right now!

With ice axe in hand, we made our way up to the start of the fixed ropes. Although Pemba and Lal had brought sufficient rope for them to setup our own fixed ropes, we no longer had sufficient quantity since Lal had gone down with Sarah. However, Pemba assured me that it was okay for us to use the fixed ropes as he was fairly certain he knew the climbing sirdar. I attached the jumar to the rope and began the arduous task of making it up my first snow/ice slope on crampons above 19,700'/6000m. I started the ascent using my ice axe as well but found that it threw off the timing so I handed it to Pemba. Granted, this meant that self arrest would be extremely difficult if not impossible but the jumar was designed only to release its grip when you forcefully moved the locking mechanism in a certain direction. The jumar was also designed only to allow upwards motion and would not travel down the rope. I had started on the ropes as two people were coming down. As I approached the first running belay point, they had to wait about five minutes for me to reach them. After that, I had the rope to myself. Pemba watched my progress as I slowly reached the second running belay point. I was really starting to tire at this point and the angle got a bit steeper. Once I was past the last running belay on the slope, Pemba simply bounded up to the top of the slope using my ice axe and holding on to the rope. Pemba has been to the south col (7900m/25,900') on Mt. Everest so this slope was a mere walk in the park to him. For me, on the other hand, it was an energy draining experience. I finally topped out at 11:27am, revealing a truly magnificent panaroma, standing at around 6106m/20,033', the highest point I have ever climbed to in my life.

My high point on Island Peak, 20,030'/6106m	My guide, Pemba Sherpa

Pemba contacted Chris at base camp, informing him of our success. I talked to Chris for a few minutes, exchanging congratulatory remarks. I then took about a dozen pictures from my unforgettable vantage point. Pemba took a few photos of me and I took two photos of him. After a mere 20 minutes on top, we began the descent. The other team was coming down to our position so it was of utmost courtesy that I be down off the ropes before they needed them.

At the top and at each running rappel point, Pemba setup the figure-8 descender for me. While the descent was no where near as draining as the ascent, it still took a fair amount of energy to do proper braking. It only took about 15 minutes for me to reach the end of the fixed rope where the ascent had taken about three times as long. As I was detaching myself from the rope, Pemba lost control of my other water bottle and it went for a ride down the slope. Fortunately, it didn't slide too far past our packs below. As we left the ropes, the other team of climbers had already begun their descent.

A cautious descent down to our packs below for some water and a treat: Pemba produced a tube of salami! After a short ten minute break, we roped up again to begin our descent down the rest of the glacier, picking up my other water bottle along the way. Pemba was moving at a pretty good clip and I was struggling a bit to keep up. The fixed rope section had taken a lot of energy out of me. We reached the end of the technical section around 12:30pm where we removed crampons, boots, harness and helmet and switched back to hiking boots.

The snowy section at the end of the glacier had gotten very icy at this point due to the strong sunshine. I moved very slowly and cautiously through this section as there was a fair bit of exposure. After a minor slip, I decided that I had to stop for a long rest. Pemba had quickly descended a couple more hundred feet below me at this point. I ate my Snickers bar (~19,000') and rested until about 1:20pm. Due to fatigue, increasing dehydration and mindful of my knees, I slowly made my way down. Pemba had gotten way ahead of me at this point and he briefly appeared to me a few more times. I had a pretty good headache on the descent and was rationing my meager water supply. Fortunately, the excellent weather was holding and there were only a few clouds . I finally made it down to the trail above the rocks bands, about 500' above high camp. I stopped for a rest and a study of the route. Pemba then re-appeared to re-assure me of my route selection. He then disappeared and that was the last I saw of him that day. I made my way down the rock bands (brief moderate scrambling) and to the left of high camp.

A few minutes below high camp as the trail began to change from broken rock to scree, a member of our kitchen staff greeted me with a bottle of juice. After some fluids intake and a rest, he took my pack and we continued the descent on switchbacks. We reached the bottom and it was about a ten minute walk back to base camp, arriving at 3:30pm, almost 13 hours after I had started from it.

I was totally exhausted but it is one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It would have been even more wonderful if I had been joined by the other four climbers who had attempted Island Peak, especially Sarah who had gotten within sight of the top.

Will I go back to Imja Tse one day to reach the true summit? Perhaps...

Day 24 - Chhukung to Island Peak Day 26 - Island Peak to Dingboche

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Created: February 4, 2003. Revised: March 1, 2003.

©2002 Photographic images by Craig Knelsen. All rights reserved.