Retreat to base camp

After sitting it out at high camp for two nights, waiting in vain for the weather and conditions to improve and steadily making our way through our now dwindling food supply, we made the call to bail and descended back to base camp on the 25^th. The descent was an adventure within itself as it snowed continuously all day. Making for treacherous going underfoot – especially as we had decided to leave our boots at high camp and make the descent in our approach shoes. But thanks largely to a now well established trail of cairns we were able to work our way down in near whiteout conditions back to the security and comfort of base camp.

Retreating from high camp in deteriorating conditions.

Then followed another two days spent idle at base camp, resting and watching with ever decreasing morale as more and more snow continued to fall causing conditions on the face to further deteriorate. With our proposed departure date of the 2^nd of May fast approaching – to make the flight from Lukla on the 3^rd – we were now forced to reassess our options. To safely attempt our proposed direct line on the face we would require a sustained period of settled clear weather; first to allow the avalanche risk to reduce and for the face to become clear of snow and then to provide us with a suitable climbing window. With the current weather patterns we were experiencing this would in all likelihood require an extension to our trip – which thankfully we had allowed the possibility for by setting back our flights out of Kathmandu. Or alternatively we could change our objective to better suit the prevailing conditions or as a last resort make the call to retreat. This final option was one that I dreaded and it would be a heartbreaking decision to make, after coming such a long way to leave without even having set foot on the face itself would be a tough pill to swallow.

Ploughing through fresh snow on the return up to high camp.

The tent at high camp partially buried after the recent heavy snowfalls.

Thankfully the morning of the 28^th dawned fine and with the promise of more fine weather to come we set off back up the hill for high camp under a clear sky and beaming sunshine. As to be expected when the sun and increased temperatures hit the surrounding upper slopes the accumulation of snow from the previous days was released in a series of massive avalanches. And it quickly became apparent that to attempt the proposed direct line would be bordering on suicidal as the lower gully section acted to funnel avalanche debris from the upper face – which itself was still holding a concerning amount of snow over steep rock slabs. So it was with considerable disappointed that the decision was made to abandon our current camp and make preparations for an attempt further left on the face in an effort to gain the upper Northwest ridge and from there make a bid for the summit.

As we waited at high camp the entire Southwest face was awash with avalanches.

View up the lefthand side of the face - the line we climbed followed the righthand most of the three prominent rock ribs.