GOLDWIN is an official supplier of the Miura Everest 2013 Project and provides the team with The North Face climbing wear and gear. The members left South Col (Camp 4) at 8:30 am on May 22, and arrived at Camp 5, the last camp at an altitude of 8,500 m before the summit, at 2:20 pm on the same day.
During this leg of the journey the weather deteriorated around 11 am into a blizzard with a maximum wind velocity of 20 m/s and poor visibility, making the climb extremely difficult. According to the satellite phone conversation with the team at 6 pm (9:15 pm Japan time), the members are exhausted, but otherwise doing well.
Comments by Yuichiro Miura:
“After getting some oxygen and rest, I got my strength back a little. The climb from South Col to C5 was a real test. The blizzard started around 11, with the wind at about 20 m/s and the visibility so bad I could hardly see the member right in front of me. We were climbing at a 60-degree angle, with snow dragging us down. It was almost like climbing a quicksand, moving up 50 cm, slipping down 30 cm, and so forth. We were completely wiped out by the time we got to C5.
“We finally took a breather with green tea and some sweets—yokan from Toraya. At around 1 am tomorrow morning we’ll assess the weather and wind speed, and start around 1:30 if it looks feasible. We’ll give everything we’ve got to aim for the summit around sunrise.”
According to the forecast, the strong wind is to ease off at sunrise, but there is a possibility of snow in the afternoon. The team plans to make a climb to the summit in about 7 hours after leaving C5, weather pending.
Photos show the team just before leaving South Col, and having tea at C5.
For information about The North Face support wear, visit:
https://corp.goldwin.co.jp/page-5650
