Everest Rotation 2 Log — April 2025

After the first rotation via Lobuche Peak, I was ready for the real deal — the classic Everest south side route. This second rotation would take us through the mighty Khumbu Icefall and into the high-altitude world of Camps 1, 2, and 3. With the ropes still being fixed higher up, this would be both a critical acclimatization push and a test of the mental and physical grit.

April 21, 2025 — Base Camp to Camp 1

We started our rotation under the stars — leaving Base Camp at 1:30 AM after a short and heartfelt pooja ceremony to ask the mountain for safety and strength. 

The Khumbu Icefall was as dramatic and eerie as ever: frozen ladders, yawning crevasses, shifting seracs. It demanded patience, focus, and respect.

However, from the base camp it doesn't look as intimidating. It looks deceptively serene — like a frozen river caught mid-flow. But don't let the view fool you. Up close, it's a maze of seracs, crevasses, and shifting ice. It’s one of the most dangerous sections of the entire climb — and you only understand its true nature when you're in it, roped up and listening to the groans of the glacier beneath your feet.

On return journey to base camp we saw the ice fall doctors monitoring the landscape for safety for the hikers.

Temporary path being made with ladder for the hikers.

After a long and careful climb, we arrived at Camp 1 (~6,065 m) later that morning and settled in for the night. Camp 1 felt eerily quiet — far less populated than Base Camp. Just a scattering of some tents clinging to the snow.

April 22, 2025 — Camp 1 to Camp 2

Morning came with golden light reflecting off Everest’s icy flanks. We packed up and made the relatively flat but oxygen-thin journey through the Western Cwm to reach Camp 2 (~6,400 m). This is where the climb starts to feel real — you're right beneath the Lhotse Face now, and the magnitude of what lies ahead starts to set in.

We spent the night at Camp 2, hydrating and letting our bodies adjust.

April 23, 2025 — Tagging Camp 3

On the third day, we climbed up the steep Lhotse Face using fixed ropes toward Camp 3 (~7,200 m) — a steep ice wall that demands crampon precision and strong lungs. With rope-fixing teams still working their way up the mountain, we reached a safe turnaround point near Camp 3, then descended back to Camp 2 to sleep. It was a long, intense day — exactly what we needed to prepare our bodies for the final summit push in the coming weeks.

April 24, 2025 — Camp 2 to Base Camp

We left Camp 2 at 4:00 AM to make our way back through the Western Cwm, down the Icefall, and finally reached Base Camp at 11:15 AM. Tired, relieved, and full of gratitude. One step closer.

The Route to the Top: A Visual in Words

Base Camp (5,364 m) — Our launchpad and shelter, tucked into the foot of the Icefall
Camp 1 (~6,065 m) — A ghostly flatland above the chaos of the Icefall, silent but alive with avalanches
Camp 3 (~7,200 m) — Pitched on the steep Lhotse Face, where oxygen thins and every step is calculated
Camp 4 / South Col (~7,920 m) — The edge of the Death Zone. Cold, wind-scoured, and exposed
The Summit (8,850 m) — The roof of the world. Just sky and space above

The Calm Before the Push

For now, we're holding steady at Base Camp — waiting 7–10 days for the weather gods to open that narrow summit window. This is a time of rest, recalibration, and readiness. Gear checks, oxygen planning, weather tracking, and yes — a little soul-searching. The mountain decides when it’s time.

Until then, we prepare. Because when that summit window opens, it’s go time.