Professor Chris Imray
Ten sherpas and five climbers had set off from the South Col (7950m) at 9.30 pm on 22nd May. In a bitterly cold wind we had crossed the South Col Glacier, and steep climbing had led to the 40 degree Triangular Face. The spindrift driven by the strong winds had filled in the previous steps, so breaking trail was hard work. We arrived at the Balcony in good time and took a short break, but a combination of the cold, the dark and the wind meant it was better to be moving.
The cold clear starlight night silhouetted the South Ridge, which lead through a loose rocky section up towards the South Summit. The head-torches of our party twinkled above us as we tackled the steep rock. After climbing through the night, the red glow of dawn filled the sky over Makalu. With each breathless step we had climbed higher until we crested the South Summit; beyond lay the Hilary Step and the summit of Everest. An Xtreme dream was about to be realised.
I turned the flow rate on my oxygen cylinder from 2 to 3.5 litres per minute for the final hour of the climb. The route twists and turns along a knife edge ridge to reach the Hilary Step. This short steep segment was adorned with a mass of rope, mostly old and tatty but there was at least one in reasonable condition. Having surmounted the Step, a further 2-300m of relatively flat ground led to the summit of Everest, the highest point on earth.
At last it was possible to climb no higher. There was a mass of prayer flags fluttering in the bitterly cold and strong wind. It was so cold that we spent the shortest possible time on the summit. Initially there was an enormous feeling of elation shared with Mike, Sundeep, Dan and Nigel, and huge thanks to Tashi, the sherpa, who had shadowed me for the entire climb. Then a few private moments were taken to contemplate the effort and commitment that was required to get to the highest point on earth. There was also time to remember the support and prayers of those nearest and dearest, and then it was time to leave before the penetrating cold and hypoxia endangered a safe return, focusing on each and every step of the return journey.
