Thread by @smullerz

Last preparations are underway. Takeoff from Zurich to Kathmandu via Doha is tomorrow morning.

Just a tiny challenge to fit all this and stay within the airlines luggage restrictions 😅

#Boardroom2Everest

3)So, the luggage worked out and after some sleep... she's off! Susanne's flight departed on time: fr24.com/QTR8TL/10ed578c

Next: She will have a stop over in #Doha from 3pm (CET) until around midnight (CET) and then continue on to #Kathmandu. More 2 follow on #Boardroom2Everest

4) Safe arrival in #Doha. Possibly more Swiss chocolate there than in Zurich 🤔 Last work emails are being answered. Flight to #Kathmandu departs in around 3 hours.

5) Touchdown at Kathmandu International Airport 🛬

Now off to meet the rest of the expedition and expedition leader Henry at the Java Café for breakfast 🥞 ☕️

#Boardroom2Everest

6) After a days rest, Susanne and her expediton will fly from #Kathmandu to #Lukla today. Those of you who haven't heard of that place yet, here is a video. And yes, thats a runway on a slope: youtube.com/watch?v=OMiXZq…

7) Susanne has safely landed #Lukla. From here the expedition will now treck for approx 3h to #Monjo.

#Boardroom2Everest

8) After trecking through pouring rain, they have now arrived at their lodge for the night.

They’re now 13km north of Lukla, near the entrance of #Sagarmatha National Park. Im hoping that I can update you with a map early next week.

9) It is still raining a lot but the expedition is in good spirits and continuing north for about 6km to #Namche

10) Susannes expedition has now passed #Panboche and is on its way to #Dingboche, 7km to the NE.

The weather has luckily cleared. Picture taken en route shows Mnt. Kusum Kanguru (6,367m), first climbed in 1981 by 🇳🇿 Bill Denz.

11) As promised, here’s a map to give you some overview of the expeditions treck. Arrival in #Lukla in the SW (bottom left), #Everest Base Camp is the blue tag, summit the pink tag in the NE (top right) of the map. Yellow tags mark the expeditions progress.

#Boardroom2Everest

12) As you can see on the map:

Today the expedition is conducting a practice hike from #Dingboche to the base camp of Mnt. Ama Dablam (6,814m). The camp is at 4,576m. From their arrival in Lukla four days ago (2,860m) they have gained 1,716m in altitude.

#Boardroom2Everest

13) Picture of the arrival at the base camp (4,576m) of Mnt. Ama Dablam (6,814m). Only one expedition there at the moment.

I have a feeling that #Everest base camp will be a little more busy 😎

#Boardroom2Everest

14) Today the expedition is back in #Dingboche.

Picture shows Susanne with Pasang Dawa Sherpa, the same #Sherpa who guided her to the top of Mnt. Cho Oyu (8,202m). Happy to know she’s in good hands 🙌🏻

15) Now nothing can go wrong anymore 😊 Every member of the expedition was blessed by the Lama of Pengboche.

They will continue on their treck towards #Everest base camp today. Arrival is currently scheduled for the 16th of April.

#Boardroom2Everest

After a few days of interrupted phone service, here is a new #Boardroom2Everest update:

The expedition continued for about 7km to the NE from Pangboche to Dingboche and set up camp there.

They then climbed up to Nangkar Tsang, currently at an altitude of 5,000m

17) From Dingboche, Susannes expedition continued to #Lobuche, roughly 17km to the North.

Highlight of the day was crossing the Khumbu glacier, flowing down from #Everest. Susanne is impressed: “Giant rocks, flowing down like plastic toys, swallowed up by huge caves-fantastic!”

18) The arrival in #Everest base camp is scheduled for today. It’s only a four hour treck away from their current position.

En route, Susanne managed to take a picture with “her” #Yak, which shortly after the photo was taken got angry and chased her away 😂

#Boardroom2Everest

19) They’re in good spirits, coping well with the altitude but it seems to be very cold.

They managed to wash laundry, which froze stiff when they put it up for drying. A little morning gymnastics helps warm the bones before a long days work 🏔🧗🏼‍♀️

#Boardroom2Everest

20) Update: The expedition has now arrived at #Everest base camp ⛺️

Susanne writes: “lots of familiar faces!”

#Boardroom2Everest

21) While we're waiting for pictures & further updates, do check out Susannes blog posts on @CEO_positions website. She writes them on the go & sends them in bursts whenever she has service. They offer a bit more detail on her trip:
ceo-positions.com/inspiration/?e…

#Boardroom2Everest

22) Here it is! Mount #Everest base camp! Currently 380 climbers from around the world are camped here, waiting for their window to climb the highest mountain in the world (8,848m). Base camp is at 5,364m. The team is now settling in and testing equiptment.

#Boardroom2Everest

23) Susanne sent a selfie from her base camp “hotel”. She says the difference in air pressure isn’t just making her face swell but also the wet wipes 😅 Seems to be in good spirits.

She set up solar panels and started repairing and prepping equipment.

#Bordroom2Everest

24) Apparently the Khumbu glacier between base camp and #Everest is closed today. An eerie reminder of the avalanche that killed 19-24 people there in 2015. The exact number is still unknown: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Moun… …

#Boardroom2Everest

25) There he is! Looking up at Mount #Everest.

#Boardroom2Everest

26) The weather has luckily picked up and the team is now out on practice walks on Khumbu glacier. Next few days will be spent working their way up to the Khumbu ice falls.

#Boardroom2Everest

27) Phone call from #Everest base camp! Camera failed but more updates coming soon!

#Boardroom2Everest

28) Update: The team has spent the last three days working their way up Khumbu glacier, through the ice falls. They slept in C1 and ascended to C2. Now everybody is back at BC, exhausted but happy.

They’ll do this at least 3 more times...

#Boardroom2Everest

29) After two days of rest, the team has started on their second rotation today. Practice makes perfect 😊

#Boardroom2Everest

30) Update: The team is back at base camp from their second rotation and is now looking forward to two days rest.

Susanne says altitude was less of a problem this time around and she is starting to “like” the ice falls in Khumbu glacier.

#Boardroom2Everest

31) The second rotation took five days and the team ascended up to C2 where they spent one night before turning around.

Picture shows C1, seen from above.

#Boardroom2Everest

32) This picture shows the mess tent in C2. Inside one can relax and play cards. Sounds like this is the one warm place up there. The sleeping tents are a cosy -18*C 🤧

#Boardroom2Everest

33) For the next two days Susanne and the others will rest a little and come back to strength. On the 3rd of May the expedition will start on a third rotation up Lhotse wall to C3.

#Boardroom2Everest

34) Change of plans: Sadly the weather is turning, with winds picking up and reaching 75km/h on the coming weekend.

The team will start the third rotation early, hoping to reach C2 before the weekend and come back to BC when the winds come.

#Boardroom2Everest

Update: The team is sitting out strong winds in base camp and gathering strength for the coming climbs. They’re in a good mood, waiting for the winds to calm.

#Boardroom2Everest

A couple of days ago, an avalanche went down near #Everest base camp but it didn’t reach very far, so nothing bad happened. Susanne captchured this photo of the avalanche disappearing in a ravine.

#Boardroom2Everest

Update: The winds have ceased and the first teams of the season have taken advantage and reached the summit this past weekend while fixing ropes for following expeditions, including Susannes: ndtv.com/world-news/fir…

#Boardroom2Everest

38) Susannes team also launched their first summit attempt and left BC on Sunday night. Family and friends have their fingers crossed! Weather looking good at the moment.

The picture shows a previous team fixing ropes (while being filmed by a camera team).

#Boardroom2Everest

39) You can follow Susannes expeditions progress (exp. leader is Henry Todd) under the following link:
alanarnette.com/blog/2018/05/0…

Weather and strength permitting, they will reach the top on 16/17/18 of May. 🤞🏻

#Boardroom2Everest

40) This being only their first attempt at the summit, they have the time and resources to try again should they not reach the top this time.

Have to say though: we all want this to work out now and are hoping Susannes gets the reward for her hard work!

#Boardroom2Everest

41) Weather is looking good for a summit attempt on the 16th and 17th but we have no reliable news on the expeditions progress. Time wise they should be in or around C2.

#Boardroom2Everest

42) So, we have confirmation that Susannes team has reached C2 and is continuing on to C3 currently. Weather is holding and is looking very good indeed (from a safe distance 😅). Keep your fingers crossed!

#Boardroom2Everest

43) !!!!!!SHE MADE IT!!!!!!

Susanne reached the top of Mount #Everest (8,848m) this morning and is currently resting in C4. Descent continues later today.

Bursting with pride and happiness!!

#Boardroom2Everest

44) Turns out Susanne is the 3rd oldest woman ever to reach the top of #Everest. She is the oldest European woman 🇪🇺 and oldest German 🇩🇪 to ever do so.

#Boardroom2Everest

45) And I'm not sure if she'll be pleased that I am writing about her age... :D

#Boardroom2Everest

46) Update: Descent going well. Team has reached C2 and is expected back at base camp tomorrow.

#Boardroom2Everest

47) Susanne and her team are back at base camp. Absolutely elated. She writes the last leg from C4 to summit felt like stars were below her.

#Boardroom2Everest

48) Waiting for the helicopter ride from #Everest base camp back to #Kathmandu 🚁

#Boardroom2Everest

49) And she’s off! Leaving behind #Everest base camp by helo. By now Susanne has landed safely in Kathmandu.

Even though the journey is drawing to a close, I will update this thread with more pictures as they’re coming in.

#Boardroom2Everest

50) Here is the team (ltr): Dan 🇬🇧, Roman 🇧🇷, Susanne 🇩🇪 and Lucie 🇬🇧. All of them summited #Everest on the morning of the 17th of May 🏔

#Boardroom2Everest

51) And here is a photo from the final push. Looking up from C4, towards Hillary Step and the summit. So close to the stars.

#Boardroom2Everest

52) Susanne is resting up at her hotel in Kathmandu. For all those waiting for the summit photo: it’s on the Sherpas phone and he’s back at Everest for his second climb this season with limited service 🤷🏼‍♀️

#Boardroom2Everest

53) The summit photo has finally arrived! Taken at 7:30am on the 17th of May.

#Boardroom2Everest

54) And some other pictures are coming in too. Here Susanne is climbing the wall towards camp 2. And she’s still smiling - incredible!

#Boardroom2Everest

55) And here she is earlier that day having lunch at camp 1.

#Boardroom2Everest