12/05/2025
Short But Powerful: Returning to Camp Two on Everest
After so many years away, stepping back into the Khumbu Icefall felt like flipping open a worn book—pages filled with memories, both triumphant and tragic. But this year, the Icefall is a new chapter altogether.
The entrance has shifted far to the right—so far, in fact, that in the past, this line would have been considered suicidal. Now, it cuts across what we call the “Soccer Field,” then bends left again, crawling beneath the ominous hanging seracs of the Horseshoe Glacier. That section has taken lives before—heavy ones. And yet, paradoxically, this year’s route may be the fastest I’ve seen in the last 15 years. Efficient, but laced with quiet menace.
What’s most alarming, though, is the heat. The Khumbu Glacier is melting at terrifying speed. I used to think the stories of midnight climbs were just high-altitude folklore. Not anymore. This season, it’s the only way to stay ahead of the melt. Just last night, our Sherpa team left Camp Two at 9 PM to push to the South Col—Camp Four. In my earlier years, that would’ve meant frostbite and bitter winds. Now, it’s survival strategy.
Reaching the Valley of Silence brought a different kind of intensity—an emotional one. There’s a stillness in that place that always leaves me breathless, and not from altitude. I felt old there. But I also felt strong. Not in the way I used to be—reckless, fast—but in a seasoned, rooted way.
Seeing Damian’s Camp Two setup (that he chose a few years ago) from above—strategically perched on a granite dome—was inspiring. From there, you get a panoramic view of the entire camp and the route beyond. He’s carved out something special up there, and you can feel it.
This rotation was short, yes—but it carried the weight of years. Changes in the Icefall. Changes in climate. Changes in us.
We’ll rest now. But we’ll return. And when we do, we’ll carry these truths with us: The mountain changes. The glacier shifts. But the spirit—that deep, raw pull that brought us here in the first place—endures.
