Retracing History
Four of the most accomplished climbers in the world—Ed Viesturs, Peter Whittaker, Dave Hahn, and Melissa Arnot—had just one thing on their minds: conquering Mount Everest—again. Learn about the 2009 First Ascent-sponsored expedition in videos, dispatches, and maps.
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Milk River
Photograph by Jake Norton
The Dudh Kosi (Milk River) courses past the mountain hamlet of Phakding, first overnight on trek.
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Kangtega Summit
Photograph by Jake Norton
The mighty summit of Kangtega, one of the most stunning and impossible-looking peaks in the Khumbu
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Sunrise on Everest and Lhotse Peaks
Photograph by Jake Norton
Sunrise on the high peaks as seen from a vantage point above Namche Bazaar. Everest is on the left and Lhotse on the right.
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Bodhanath Stupa
Photograph by Jake Norton
Pigeons scatter in front of the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha at Bodhanath Stupa in Kathmandu.
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Buddhist Prayer Wheels
Photograph by Jake Norton
En route to Phak Ding, climbers Melissa Arnot and Peter Whittaker pause to spin Tibetan Buddhist prayer wheels. According to tradition, spinning a prayer wheel is believed to have the same positive effect as orally reciting the prayer engraved upon the wheel.
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Porters
Photograph by Jake Norton
Porters make the final push toward Everest Base Camp on April 9, 2009.
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Tenzing Norgay Memorial Chorten
Photograph by Jake Norton
En route from Namche Bazaar to Deboche, climbers Melissa Arnot, Ed Viesturs, and Peter Whittaker visit the Tenzing Norgay Memorial Chorten. Norgay was a member of Sir Edmund Hillary's 1953 expedition team and was with Hillary on May 29, 1953, when they became the first individuals to successfully reach Everest's summit. The massive south face of Lhotse and the summit of Everest can be seen in the background.
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Gorak Shep
Photograph by Jake Norton
A porter carries equipment across a desolate landscape toward the tiny hamlet of Gorak Shep, the final overnight stop on the way to Everest Base Camp. The summits of Pumori and Lingtren pierce the sky in the background.
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Prayer Flags at Thok La
Photograph by Jake Norton
Remembrance chortens covered with prayer flags at Thok La. The stone monuments were erected over the years as memorials to climbers who have died.
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Basecamp
Photograph by Jake Norton
A busy night in Base Camp as evidenced by trails of headlamps coursing through tents along the Khumbu Glacier. The West Shoulder, Khumbu Icefall, and Nuptse rise behind.
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Puja Ceremony
Photograph by Jake Norton
Peter Whittaker throws tsampa, or buckwheat flour, into the air along with the lamas conducting the puja ceremony for the expedition.
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Khumbu Icefall
Photograph by Jake Norton
The jagged summits of Lhotse rise in the distance over the top of the Khumbu Icefall, all bathed in the light of a full moon from Khumbu Base Camp.
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Everest Crevasse
Photograph by Jake Norton
Jake's point of view while crossing a crevasse on the Khumbu Icefall
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Upper Khumbu Icefall
Photograph by Jake Norton
Climbers pick their way through the upper Khumbu Icefall at sunrise.
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First Ascent Advanced Basecamp
Photograph by Jake Norton
The First Ascent Advanced Base Camp—21,200 feet (6,460 meters) above sea level
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Ed Viesturs
Photograph by Jake Norton
Ed Viesturs descending from his first visit to Camp 3.
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Avalanche on Everest
Photograph by Jake Norton
A massive avalanche on the morning of May 7, 2009, engulfs the route through the Khumbu Icefall. Two climbers and the Sherpa working with them were caught in the slide, prompting a multi-team rescue effort from both Base Camp and the route above.
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Rescue Crew
Photograph by Jake Norton
A rescue crew comprising members from nearly every team at Base Camp searches the avalanche debris for victims. Two climbers were rescued from a crevasse into which they had been pushed by the slide. Tragically, however, the rescue team was unable to find the Sherpa that had been working with the two climbers, despite an extensive search.
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South Summit
Photograph by Jake Norton
The rising sun bathes Everest in beautiful light as Peter Whittaker approaches the South Summit during the team's successful summit attempt on May 19, 2009.
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Hillary Step
Photograph by Jake Norton
Climbers approach the Hillary Step—a 40-foot (12-meter) vertical section of snow and rock named after Sir Edmund Hillary that represents the final major technical hurdle that a climber must overcome before reaching the summit of Everest.
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Oxygen at the Top
Photograph by Jake Norton
Peter Whittaker breathes supplemental oxygen as he approaches the 29,035-foot (8,850-meter) summit of Everest on the morning of May 19, 2009.
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Icefall Ascent
Photograph by Jake Norton
Evening light filtered through clouds on the Khumbu Icefall. Dave Hahn braved the Icefall ascent one more time on May 21 en route to Advanced Base Camp and a rendezvous with Melissa Arnot, Seth Greenberg, and Kent Harvey at Camp 4 on the South Col the following day. At midnight on May 23, the team set out on their final ascent and successfully reached the summit of Everest later that morning.
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Successful Summit
Photograph by Jake Norton
Erica Dohring gives Seth Waterfall a congratulatory hug at Base Camp after his successful summit climb. Waterfall and the rest of the second summit team—Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot, and Kent Harvey—arrived back at Base Camp on May 24, signaling a successful end to the 2009 Return to Everest campaign.
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