The Joyce L. Maul Foundation
| Elevation | 8,848 Meters 29,029 Feet |
Longitude | 86/55'40" E | Latitude | 27/59'16" N |
| Tibetan Name | Chomolungma | Nepal Name | Sagarmatha | ||
| In 1841 | Sir George Everest records the first recorded location. | In 1953 | The very first summit is recorded by the famed team that included Sir Edmund Hillary | In its latest recorded history | nearly 2600 summits and close to 200 deaths |
In 2007 I began my actual mountain training, having spent time on the great ranges in the state of Colorado, while furthering my experience on the Swiss Alps. And in the spring of 2009, I was blessed to experience the Himalayas where I benefited from actual climb time, having partnered with an organization that has provided guided expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest for the past twenty-five years. The next embarkation date for Mt. Everest will be announced in the coming weeks.
As the journey commences, I will travel to Nepal to connect with my expedition team and to re-connect with my great Nepali and Sherpa friends. I also look forward to seeing the beautiful ancient nation of Nepal and experiencing once again, the wonderful customs of the humble and warm people there." - Mekael L. Shane, Founder.
Please support the Mission to the Mountain by making a donation on the Home page.
Days 0 - 05 | Event
Arrive in Kathmandu, where I will be met by my Nepali guide. We will then travel to
the District of Thamel to meet up with the rest of the expedition team. There, we will confirm
our plans, and then the journey begins.
Days 06 - 15 | Event
We will fly from Kathmandu to Lukla, and from Lukla, we'll trek up to Namche Bazaar, where we'll rest for the night.
After leaving Namche Bazaar, we'll ascend up to Base Camp I, stopping along the way in the hamlets of Tengboche,
Pheriche and Lobuche. These stops are designed to begin the acclimatization process, readying our bodies for the
extreme conditions that we'll face from Base Camp I upward.
Days 16 - 20 | Event
We will arrive at Base Camp I, where we'll rest our bodies and continue the acclimatization process. We'll also confirm our
plans and the route condition while there, before moving onwards towards Base Camp II. It is also during these days that we'll
come face to face with the notorious Khumbu Icefall.
Days 21 - 25 | Event
We will have arrived at Base Camp II, where we'll continue to rest and acclimatize. By this time, we'll be just under 6.500 meters.
It's here that we'll start to depend heavily on our experience, and the experience and knowledge of our Sherpa guides. From here
we'll ascend up to Advanced Base Camp.
Days 26 - 35| Event
Advanced Base Camp, and it's time to rest and acclimatize for a few days. Here at ABC, conditions have become more extreme
and strong. At this point, we'll begin to more routinely check on the health and condition of each team member. After ABC, the presence
of medical support and rescue is minimalized. From this point upward, the team will rely on each other strongly.
Days 36 - 45 | Event
While continuing to rest and acclimatize at Advanced Base Camp, we'll confirm our summit plan before executing the first summit attempt. Around
day 45, we will make the first push for the summit.
Days 46 - 55 | Event
Summit Time! The "Summit Window" is tenuous and is invariably affected by many issues, mainly the weather, health and condition of the team
and the temperament of the mountain herself. The Sherpa believes that, "No one conquers the Goddess mountain, she allows climbers a brief audience. But beware, there are times when she can be unforgiving while allowing that audience."
Days 56 - 70 | Event
After making our push for the summit, prayerfully a successful push for the summit, we'll begin to make our descent, de-climatizing along the way. During the descent, we'll be intentional about cleaning up the areas along the ascent route, showing the proper respect and appreciation to the Goddess mountain for granting us a successful audience. We'll then return to Kathmandu and rest for a few days, before departing for home.