Dead Lucky (43 page)

Retention of fluid in the brain, an often fatal malfunction of the metabolism due to the lack of oxygen and low air pressure at high altitude. Can generally be avoided by careful, gradual acclimatization.

The north peak of Mount Everest, which is separated from the main peak by the North Col. At 25,870 feet, it is an impressive mountain, offering challenging climbing, but it is overshadowed by Everest and practically ignored by climbers.

The world's sixth-highest mountain (26,906 feet). It lies on the border between Nepal and Tibet, west of Mount Everest, with ascents invariably made from the Tibetan side of the mountain.

A small wayside Buddhist shrine constructed of stones.

A high pass.

An overhanging lip of ice, formed by wind on the crest of a ridge.

A major mountain gully, usually with a base of snow or ice and often providing the easiest route through steep rock, but also subject to rock- and ice-fall.

Lightweight alloy frames with twelve spikes that are strapped or clipped to mountaineering boots to enable the boots to grip on ice. Two points protruding horizontally from the front of the boot make climbing steep ice possible.

A fissure or deep cleft in the ice of a glacier, frequently hidden beneath a surface crust of snow, forming a considerable hazard.

A Welsh word (pronounced
coomb
) meaning “high valley.”

A small metal device for rappeling. The descender regulates the speed of the slide by increasing the friction between the climber and the rope.

A substance, either natural or synthetic, that increases the formation of urine. Used at high altitude to regulate fluid retention.

See CEREBRAL EDEMA and PULMONARY EDEMA.

There are fourteen peaks in the world that are over 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) above sea level. Climbing all fourteen is far more challenging than the Seven Summits.

Fixing rope on a mountain can be compared to building a railway line. It permits quick and safe ascents and descents between camps on the mountain. The different sections of the route need only be climbed once—after that they are surmounted by ascending the fixed rope. Rope-fixing is a laborious and expensive procedure, so the method is usually restricted to big mountains—mainly those of the Himalaya.

Extreme cold causes the minor blood vessels to constrict and, at the same time, ice crystals to form between cells. This leads to a reduction in the oxygen supply to the cells and their consequent deterioration. It particularly affects extremities—fingers, toes, ears, nose, lips. Badly frostbitten members may have to be amputated.

In the event of a fall, a waist harness with leg loops (to which the climbing rope is tied) is much safer and more comfortable than a rope around the waist. Harnesses are used for rappeling and ascending fixed ropes.

A series of mountain ranges running from Bhutan in the east, through the Indian province of Sikkim, westward along the northern border of Nepal, into the Indian provinces of Garhwal and Uttar Pradesh, then tapering into the alpine ranges of Kashmir.

Subnormal body temperature. When exposed to extreme cold, the human body cannot maintain a constant core temperature. The hypothermia which occurs is fatal unless the person is rapidly rewarmed.

Lack of oxygen; the state of being deprived of oxygen.

The essential mountaineering tool, used for climbing and belaying, and as a brake when a climber slips.

The enormous crevasses and pinnacles formed when a glacier falls over a steep declivity and the ice fractures. Because of the downward movement of the glacier, an icefall is unstable and consequently dangerous.

The third-highest mountain in the world at 28,169 feet, it lies on the border of Nepal and the Indian province of Sikkim.

The great Central Asian mountain range, this northwestern sister of the Himalaya extends from India, through Pakistan to Afghanistan, and is bordered by Chinese territory on its north.

A Tibetan Buddhist monk.

The western peak of Everest, separated from the main summit by the South Col and, at 27,940 feet, the fourth-highest peak in the world.

The fifth-highest peak in the world at 27,765 feet, located fifteen miles east of Everest.

At 26,781 feet, Manaslu is the world's eighth-highest peak. It is situated in central Nepal.

A hand which contains no winning card but which, in the card game of Five Hundred, allows the misère player to win.

The mass of boulders, gravel, sand, and clay carried on or deposited by a glacier.

For extremely cold conditions, a light felt or synthetic boot is worn inside a large outer boot, usually with an insulated gaiter attached externally.

An area of accumulated snow at the head of a glacier.

At 23,200 feet, the North Col forms the low point on the ridge between Changtse and Everest. This is where expeditions climbing Everest's Northeast Ridge set their first camp on the mountain proper (as opposed to Advance Base Camp and Intermediate Camp, which are on the East Rongbuk Glacier).

A cylinder of oxygen gas equipped with regulators and a face mask for counteracting oxygen deficiency at high altitude.

A piece of angular aluminum, about two feet in length, which is hammered into hard snow to provide an anchor for ropes.

The act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals.

An acute form of altitude sickness in which water accumulates on the linings of the lungs. Retreat to lower altitudes usually results in complete recovery, but failure to descend is generally fatal.

Method of descent by sliding down a rope. The amount of friction between the climber and the rope determines the speed of descent. If the rope is doubled, it can be retrieved after the rappel by pulling one of the ends. A descender is a small metal device clipped to a climber's harness that provides the same degree of friction in a more secure and easily controllable fashion. Descenders are generally used when descending fixed ropes.

Climbing rope is used most frequently in lengths of 165 feet. Modern rope is designed to stretch, in order to absorb the force generated by a falling climber. Ropes used for rappeling and ascending are called static ropes and have less stretch.

A steep mass of broken rock on the side of a mountain.

An isolated block of ice formed where the glacier surface is fractured. Seracs pose a threat to climbers because they are sometimes unstable and can topple over at any time. Falling seracs on steep glaciers can trigger avalanches.

A race of people, Tibetan in origin, which settled in the Solu Khumbu area near Everest and other high valleys in Nepal, though many Sherpas now live in Darjeeling, Kathmandu, and North America.

A Nepali word meaning “boss,” applied to the foreman, guide, and employer of a group of porters.

Used as insulation when camping on snow. There are two basic types: closed-cell foam and thin self-inflating mats such as Thermarest®. They are warmer and lighter than airbeds.

Temporary blindness caused in a matter of hours by the glare from a glacier or snow field. The condition is very painful and recovery can take days. Goggles and sunglasses are worn to prevent snow blindness.

A Buddhist shrine, generally with a solid dome as a base and a rectangular tower on top.

A sloping mass of rocky fragments at the base of a cliff. Common usage classifies the talus rock fragments as being larger than those of scree.

Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Mahayana Buddhism, with an element of animism, that is practiced in Tibet, Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Mongolia, and is derived from the confluence of Buddhism and yoga.

An organization that appoints Liaison Officers to monitor the behavior of expeditions and travelers in politically sensitive areas. Usually, two or more Liaison Officers are stationed at Everest Base Camp during the climbing seasons.

A person who herds yaks or uses them for transport.

Abramov, Alex

farewell meeting with Sherpas

leadsummits-Club expedition

plans Lincoln's rescue

talks Lincoln down summit

welcomes Lincoln to camp

Abramov, Luda

acclimatization

climb high, sleep low process

East Rongbuk Glacier hike

Adamson, Peter

Advance Base Camp

Adventure West

alcove

altered sense of reality

altitude.
See also
high-altitude

extreme

gain

sickness

American Ski Expedition website

anchor points

Ang Karma Sherpa

meets Lincoln in Kathmandu

performs Tibetan Buddhist ceremony

Ang Phinjo

Ang Temba

Ang Tshering Sherpa

animism

Anker, Conrad

Annapurna

Antarctica

ascender clamp

Asian Trekking

Astori, Marco

A-Team

Athol Hall

Auden, W. H.

Augello, Kevin

Australian Himalayan Foundation

Australian School of Mountaineering

avalanches

awareness, heightened

backpack

Badyari, Susie

balance

Balderstone, Simon

Lincoln's funeral preparations

media inquiries of

meets Lincoln in Kathmandu

banditry

Bartram, Geof

Base Camp

Beatty, Ken

Beeba Sherpa

Beijing, China

Berghaus pack

Bhote Kosi gorge

Bierling, Billi

bird species

Bishnu Gurung

Black Diamond gauntlets

Blue Mountains (Austr.)

Bond, Peter

Borneo

bottlenecks

Boudhanath (stupa)

Bousselaire, Vince

Boys, Cameron

Boys, Clinton

Boys, Tina

brain function

Brash, Andrew

Brash, Jennifer

breathing

Brevik, Johnny

Brice, Russell

on David Sharp's death

joins Lincoln in Zhangmu

meets Lincoln in Base Camp

Bridges, Dave

Bridges, Michael

B-Team

Buddhism

Cambodian amputees

Camp One

Camp Three (High Camp)

Camp Two

carabiner

Carstensz Pyramid

cerebral edema

Changtse

China

Base Camp

Cultural Revolution in

Maoists

Tibet invasion

Chistyakov, Sergey

Chomolungma

Cho Oyu

Christopher's Climb (website)

CIWEC Clinic Travel Medicine Center

Clark, Trish

Clarke, Joey

Clarke, Julie

Clarke, Robbie

Clarke, Roley

Clay, Michael

climate

Base Camp

climbing

clothing for

descent

equipment for

guided

high, sleep low process

season for

successful

technical

training for

cloak symbolism

clothing

Cocks, Elaine

Cocks, Rowan

cold (extreme)

Collin, Milan

commercial expeditions

confusion

conscious mind

core temperature

Cornford, Phil

Coulton, John

Crampton, Phil

Cristaudo, Jan

C-Team

Cultural Revolution

curfews

Dablam, Ama

Dalai Lama

dangers

Darragh, Adam

Dateline
(TV show)

Dawa Tenzing

Advance Base Camp

on deaths on Everest

snow blindness of

summit approach

summit descent

death

deaths (Everest)