First Team Arrives at Camp 1: April 18, 2009 | National Geographic

so here we are at camp one at just under

so here we are at camp one at just under 20,000 feet and we’re actually camp now

20,000 feet and we’re actually camp now

20,000 feet and we’re actually camp now on the khumbu glacier and we’re in the

on the khumbu glacier and we’re in the

on the khumbu glacier and we’re in the Western combe or Valley we’re surrounded

Western combe or Valley we’re surrounded

Western combe or Valley we’re surrounded by the three peaks Everest load seat

by the three peaks Everest load seat

by the three peaks Everest load seat oopsy it’s kind of a dead-ended valley

oopsy it’s kind of a dead-ended valley

oopsy it’s kind of a dead-ended valley and this massive movement of ice is now

and this massive movement of ice is now

and this massive movement of ice is now slowly moving down being pulled by

slowly moving down being pulled by

slowly moving down being pulled by gravity and as it goes down over this

gravity and as it goes down over this

gravity and as it goes down over this cliff down below us it creates the

cliff down below us it creates the

cliff down below us it creates the Khumbu Icefall about 5am here we’re

Khumbu Icefall about 5am here we’re

Khumbu Icefall about 5am here we’re headed up to the Icefall stopped right

headed up to the Icefall stopped right

headed up to the Icefall stopped right here below what we call the popcorn a

here below what we call the popcorn a

here below what we call the popcorn a lot of Big Sur acts ice blocks that can

lot of Big Sur acts ice blocks that can

lot of Big Sur acts ice blocks that can move this is the last place we can

move this is the last place we can

move this is the last place we can really stop safely we’re up to the

really stop safely we’re up to the

really stop safely we’re up to the popcorn we’re probably close to 19,000

popcorn we’re probably close to 19,000

popcorn we’re probably close to 19,000 feet here this ice fall it’s a glacier

feet here this ice fall it’s a glacier

feet here this ice fall it’s a glacier and it’s a living moving thing it never

and it’s a living moving thing it never

and it’s a living moving thing it never stopped it’s actually flowing slowly

stopped it’s actually flowing slowly

stopped it’s actually flowing slowly three or four feet per day over

three or four feet per day over

three or four feet per day over difficult and steep bedrock and that’s

difficult and steep bedrock and that’s

difficult and steep bedrock and that’s what creates these crevasses and that’s

what creates these crevasses and that’s

what creates these crevasses and that’s what creates this chaos of ice blocks

what creates this chaos of ice blocks

what creates this chaos of ice blocks called Cyrax and it’s constantly moving

called Cyrax and it’s constantly moving

called Cyrax and it’s constantly moving and that’s why we want to move through

and that’s why we want to move through

and that’s why we want to move through the ice ball very very quickly we’re at

the ice ball very very quickly we’re at

the ice ball very very quickly we’re at the top of the football field here just

the top of the football field here just

the top of the football field here just took a quick break but some fairly large

took a quick break but some fairly large

took a quick break but some fairly large sir acts up above once we’re through

sir acts up above once we’re through

sir acts up above once we’re through that we’re home free up on top and into

that we’re home free up on top and into

that we’re home free up on top and into camp one

camp one

camp one so right ahead at the end of the valley

so right ahead at the end of the valley

so right ahead at the end of the valley here we can see the peak load seat and

here we can see the peak load seat and

here we can see the peak load seat and this is where the glacier begins you can

this is where the glacier begins you can

this is where the glacier begins you can see a series of frozen waves as the

see a series of frozen waves as the

see a series of frozen waves as the glacier now is slowly moving down the

glacier now is slowly moving down the

glacier now is slowly moving down the valley and you can see the striations or

valley and you can see the striations or

valley and you can see the striations or the layers of annual snowfall in the

the layers of annual snowfall in the

the layers of annual snowfall in the sections of the racks that we can see

sections of the racks that we can see

sections of the racks that we can see exposed we’re going to spend one night

exposed we’re going to spend one night

exposed we’re going to spend one night here at Camp one and tomorrow we’re

here at Camp one and tomorrow we’re

here at Camp one and tomorrow we’re going to get up early move to camp two

going to get up early move to camp two

going to get up early move to camp two and hopefully spent two or three nights

and hopefully spent two or three nights

and hopefully spent two or three nights there and it’s really great to be out of

there and it’s really great to be out of

there and it’s really great to be out of base camp that’s for sure