원정 개요

Hahn's team were one of the earliest to get to BC and therefore were able to pitch their camp not far below the Khumbu Icefall, when the the earthquake triggered avalanching suddenly descended on the BC area on 25 April, their BC was in "a good spot and just got dusted by the enormous slides off of Pumori." No one on this expedition was killed or seriously injured. It was the middle third of the mile-long area of various camps that was devastated by the quake.

At the time of the quake, all RMI members except Seaton, who had various health problems, and all climbing Sherpas were in C1 at 6000m. They had reached C1 on the 23rd, and during the period 24-26 April the seven members and 11 Sherpas who were in C1 rotated higher and "touched" C2 at 6500m. But the day after the quake it was clear that it was "hopeless" to try climb Everest, and the decision to abandon the expedition was taken on the 28th.

The people in C2 spent a total of four nights there, then flew by helicopter to BC and left on the 30th. By this time no one was going to attempt the mountain: the Icefall doctors, who install the fix ropes all the way to C2, had fled. No member had set food above C2; there were no fixed lines above there, and the whole area was still shaking days after the quake.

Hahn is not keen to climb Everest again. He has summited it 15 times and made five other attempts. It is much too crowded nowadays; he would enjoy climbing alone, but not in the massive crowds that Everest attracts.