Flag Craft International Managing Director, Tony A Hampson-Tindale is departing South Africa on March 28 2010 to climb Mount Everest, 8848 m / 29029’. Pending a summit of Mount Everest, Vincent Massif, 4892 m / 16050’, Antarctica is targeted for November / December 2010 or 2011, to complete his quest to climb the seven highest continental summits in the world. To date only 275 climbers have achieved this goal.

Tony’s continental summits to date are:

1. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Africa, 5895 m / 19340’ - 2005.
2. Elbrus, Russia, Europe 5642 m / 18510’ - 2007.
3. Denali, Alaska, North America, 6195 m / 20320’ - 2008.
4. Aconcagua, Argentina, South America, 6962 m / 22840’ - 2008.
5. Carstensz Pyramid, Indonesia, Asia, 4884 m / 16024’ - 2009.

The purpose of this website is to provide a daily chronicle of progress, however postings will likely be only every three to four or up to ten day intervals, on account of the lack of access to the email facilities at Base Camp. Pending adequate acclimatisation to the high altitude, the summit bid will in all probability, take place between May 10 – 26 2010, during an opening of an appropriate weather window. At an altitude of nearly 9 km high, that is five and a half miles, the weather tends to be a trifle fickle.

Day 1: Sunday, March 28

Left Johannesburg on Singapore Airlines en route to Kathmandu via Singapore..
In accord with the Singapore Airlines Group policy of supporting nominated sporting pursuits, they had kindly provided me with an additional 25kg baggage allowance.

Day 2: Monday, March 29

Arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal midday after a five hour flight over, firstly, the greenery of South East Asia, followed by the progressively brown and yellow of the Indian sub-continent. Collected by New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants lead guide Mike Roberts and transported to the Shanker Hotel.
Explored the adjacent city areas in the later afternoon.

Day 3: Tuesday, March 30

Met remainder of climbing team:
- Mandy Ramsden, from South Africa, for whom an Everest summit would represent the attainment of the goal to summit all of the world's 7 continental eminences;
- Vanessa O'Brien, an American, also a banker, but now living in Hong Kong, whose objective was to climb to Camp 2;
- James Haydock, a Britton living in Ireland, with a property vocation and a successful summiting of several of the continental summits behind him; and
- myself, for whom a topping out of Everest would only leave Vinson Massif in Antarctica to complete the personal goal of climbing the 7 summits.

Spent the rest of the day sorting a few items in Thamel, the main tourist district.

Day 4: Wednesday, March 31

Did the touristy thing of visiting some of the more prominent Buddhist temples and monasteries. Fortunately, a threatened city-wide strike by the Maoists was averted, which would have otherwise caused a major disruption. The Nepalese are particularly friendly and courteous and, despite the dusty roads, the city is clean and acceptably orderly.

Days 5 to 13: Thursday, April 1

Up at 03h30 for 08h30 forty minute flight to Lukla, high in the Himalaya.

Flew over forests on very steep snow-capped mountain sides. On landing, had lunch at the picturesque Paradise Tea House, followed by a 3-hour trek to Phakding. In most places the route was steep to very steep, with heavy traffic of laden shaggy-haired yaks and small-in-stature porters carrying impressively heavy loads. In one case, typical of many, I saw a porter weighing 50 kgs at best carrying 4 climbing kit bags, whose combined weight would probably have been close to 80 kgs. These people are tough!

After lunch we, being the 4 climbers together with 13 trekkers who were walking into Base Camp, climbed 200 metres up an adjacent mountain side to visit a monastery and gained the benefit of the additional altitude for acclimatisation. The old mountain adage of climbing high and sleeping low is vital to avoid AMS, i.e acute mountain sickness, which manifests as HACE i.e. High Altitude Cerebral Oedema, where the brain cells fill with fluid and burst and/or HAPE i.e. High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema, where the lungs of the hapless climber become fluid-saturated and the victim literally drowns. To be avoided!

It took 10 days to climb to Base Camp at 5300m. Initially the lodges in which we stayed were basic, with ablution facilities attached to the sleeping quaters. By the time our last overnight was reached at Lobuche, pit latrines were the order of the day, with no washing facilities. As we left the vegetation zone, building construction changed from wood to fitted stone blocks with corrugated iron roofs. In this environment, functionality is the key and keeping warm is vital, such that interior ventilation is non-existant.This produces an ideal environment for respiratory ailments which are collectively known as the Khumbu cough, a dry wracking cough, which will likely last the length of the trip.

To avoid the KC, I wore surgical masks to minimise the ingress of dust and dry molecules of yak dung and pedestrian spit. During meal times, I similarlly wore a masak and, at date of writing, April 17, was the only one of our contingent to avoid contracting a snuffly cold. Watch this space.

From Lukla, the steep wooded trails gave way to more gentle inclines completely devoid of significant vegetation, above of which towered the most magnificent mountain peaks on this planet. One simply runs out of superlatives to try, unsuccessfully, to describe them. The size, grandeur, height and profile do, in reality, leave you feeling as though you are entering the realm of God.

Several times during the trek in, we sought the blessings and prayers of the Lamas en route. These elderly robed men, with tanned, lined faces radiated wisdom and a degree of peace and serenity so noticeably absent from the world in which I live. These visits were typified by introductions, chanting, the burning of incense, the throwing of rice and, finally, the tying of a red silken chord around one's neck and the issue of a special written prayer to keep us safe. Collectively, a very sobering experience.

Day 14: Saturday, April 10

Arrived BC at midday, after a 4.5 hour trek up the Khumbu valley, which is a boulder-strewn, near waterless space between the surrounding peaks. BC is located on the residual moraine at the bottom of the receding Khumbu icefall, a 700m vertical tangle of giant ice blocks moving at the rate of a metre per day, which makes it the most life-consuming portion of the climb to the top. If you can imagine a nuked building site, populated by a couple of hundred multi-coloured variant sized and shaped expedition tents, where the horizontal plane changes on a daily basis as the underlying fractured ice sheet melts, you'll have an image of my home for the next two months.

Day 15 sunday April 11
Rest day

Day 16 Monday April 12
Sunny no wind.Practiced ice climbing skills on a 15m high serac at the edge of the Khumbu Icefall -climbing on jumars and technical ice axes;and abseiling with and without tools. Our sherpers have begun tocary gear to c1 and c11 Snowed during the night with periodic thunder and lightening.

Day 18 Wednesday April 14
Further day of practicing ice climbing skills.

Day 19 Thursday April 15
Up 02H15 and left Base Camp at 03H45 for 350 m vertical climb up the Khumbu icefall aka The Dragons Lair, a series of jumbling, fractured ice blocks some 600 m in total height consisting of seracs the size of houses, crevasses and vertical ice walls. Reached our objective at 08H00 and after a 15 min rest and relaxation break started down, two of our team stayed back in a safe spot and narrowly missed a nearby avalanche ..... Icefalls are great places to get through quickly.
The return to Base Camp was incredibly hot on account of the strong sunlight being refracted off the multifaceted ice faces. The round trip took 8.25 hours, however one of the team was adversely affected by the temperature and took an additional hour. She was subsequently diagnosed with potential pulmonary oedema.

Day 20 Friday April 16
Rest day. Visited photographic exhibition of 5 time Everest summiter and professional photographer David Breshears. Several avalanches during the night.

Day 21 Saturday April 16
Rest day due to all team members, except myself, having colds.

Day 22 Sunday April 18
Rest day. Team member suffering from potential pulmonary oedema has been persuaded by the team doctor to abort the expedition.
Packed for early morning departure for Camp 1 at the top of the Khumbu icefall.

Day 23 Monday April 19
Up 01H45 away 03H00 and arrived at Camp 1 having climbed the complete Khumbu icefall. Several 25 m ice walls were climbed, some on ropes and others on vertical ladders ice scewed to the ice faces. Weather good. Had lunch, kipped till dinner.
Rest then slept for twelve hours.

Day 24 Tuesday April 20
Left Camp at 07H15 and climbed to just below Camp 2, which is a fractured glacier with generally small crevasses – south west ridge of Everest on the left and Lotse on the right. Cannot really believe I am actually here. Returned to Camp after absence of 3.5 hours. Sunny with snow in afternoon with moderate wind in bursts.

Day 25 Wednesday April 21
Left camp and climbed to Camp 2 at the upper end of the Western CWM – copious crevasses, ladder crossings. Elevations moderate. Slept all afternoon.

Day 26 Thursday April 22
Up at 08H00 and away 09H30 for 2.25 hour climb to top of Western CWM above of which a combination of the climbing companies’ staff were fixing ropes up the Lotse face – looks like a solid wall of blue glass for the next 700 m to Camp 3. Returned to Camp 2 after acclimatisation break, lunch and slept for most of rest of the afternoon.

Day 27 Friday April 23
Up at 08H00 away at 09H45 for two hour climb to bergschrund at bottom of Lotse face elevation 6750 m. Two stunning, enormous Dragon caves at the base. Had 15 minute break then 45 minute return to Camp 2. Sherpa’s still installing ropes up Lotse Face. Intermittent cloud / clear with moderate temperatures. Set up gear for early ± 5 hour return to Base Camp. The ambiance is stunning.

Day 28 Saturday April 24
Up at 03H45 left Camp 2 at 04H25 and arrived at Base Camp at 10H25. Five hours being the expected transit time. Met sick Adventure Consultant Sherpa on way up who we brought down to Base Camp. Weather clear. Ice fall had taken massive avalanche, which had to be reroped by icefall doctors – good as avalanche created tension release. Notwithstanding the volatility of the icefall the climb is both demanding and fun – very beautiful with the blue of the ice melding through to white. Three rest days in Base Camp before return up the icefall, Camp 1, Camp 2 followed by a single night at Camp 3 700 m up the Lotse face.

Day 29 Sunday April 25
Rest day. Washed clothes and hung out to dry. Within 20 minutes the water had drained to the bottom and formed icicles. Typically at Base Camp mid to late morning, temperatures will be in the early 20 ° C, which drop to – 25 at night. Diurnal fluctuations of in excess are common. During the night an avalanche wiped out part of the tested route up the icefall – an expected occurrence given the 1 m flow rate of the glacier.
It is 16H00 and a chopper had just casavacced out a climber with a broken leg – really tough luck. It has started to snow again, which graphically highlights the relief of the surrounding mountains.

Day 30 Monday April 26
Rest day. Wrote up journal in the morning and slept in the afternoon. Weather clear in morning, cold with light snow in afternoon.

Day 31 Tuesday April 27
Packed gear in preparation for early departure for Camp 3 tomorrow. Expect one night at Camp 1, one night at Camp 2 depending on weather and one night at Camp 3 at 7350 m, one night at Camp 2 and then return to Base Camp. 60 cm snow forecast for tomorrow. Can expect next communication on May 4.