Dead Lucky
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CRAMPONS
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.
CREVASSE
A fissure or deep cleft in the ice of a glacier, frequently hidden beneath a surface crust of snow, forming a considerable hazard.
CWM
A Welsh word (pronounced coomb) meaning “high valley.”
DESCENDER
A small metal device for rappeling. The descender regulates the speed of the slide by increasing the friction between the climber and the rope.
DIURETIC
A substance, either natural or synthetic, that increases the formation of urine. Used at high altitude to regulate fluid retention.
EDEMA
See CEREBRAL EDEMA and PULMONARY EDEMA.
EIGHT-THOUSANDERS / 8000ers
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.
FIXED ROPE
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.
FROSTBITE
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.
HARNESS
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.
HIMALAYA
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.
HYPOTHERMIA
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.
HYPOXIA
Lack of oxygen; the state of being deprived of oxygen.
ICE AXE
The essential mountaineering tool, used for climbing and belaying, and as a brake when a climber slips.
ICEFALL
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.
KANCHENJUNGA
The third-highest mountain in the world at 28,169 feet, it lies on the border of Nepal and the Indian province of Sikkim.
KARAKORAM
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.
LAMA
A Tibetan Buddhist monk.
LHOTSE
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.
MAKALU
The fifth-highest peak in the world at 27,765 feet, located fifteen miles east of Everest.
MANASLU
At 26,781 feet, Manaslu is the world’s eighth-highest peak. It is situated in central Nepal.
MISÈRE
A hand which contains no winning card but which, in the card game of Five Hundred, allows the misère player to win.
MORAINE
The mass of boulders, gravel, sand, and clay carried on or deposited by a glacier.
MOUNTAINEERING BOOTS
For extremely cold conditions, a light felt or synthetic boot is worn inside a large outer boot, usually with an insulated gaiter attached externally.
NÉVÉ
An area of accumulated snow at the head of a glacier.
NORTH COL
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).
OXYGEN EQUIPMENT
A cylinder of oxygen gas equipped with regulators and a face mask for counteracting oxygen deficiency at high altitude.
PICKET
A piece of angular aluminum, about two feet in length, which is hammered into hard snow to provide an anchor for ropes.
PUJA
The act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals.
PULMONARY EDEMA
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.
RAPPEL
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.
ROPE
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.
SCREE
A steep mass of broken rock on the side of a mountain.
SERAC
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.
SHERPA
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.
SIRDAR
A Nepali word meaning “boss,” applied to the foreman, guide, and employer of a group of porters.
SLEEPING MATS
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.
SNOW BLINDNESS
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.
STUPA
A Buddhist shrine, generally with a solid dome as a base and a rectangular tower on top.
TALUS
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
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.
TIBETAN MOUNTAINEERING ASSOCIATION (TMA)
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.
YAKPA
&n
bsp; A person who herds yaks or uses them for transport.
Index
A
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
B
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
C
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
chorten
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
Cordyceps sinensis
core temperature
Cornford, Phil
Coulton, John
Crampton, Phil
Cristaudo, Jan
C-Team
Cultural Revolution
curfews
D
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)
death zone
de Comogne, Roland De Bare
dehydration
descent
Dharamsala
Diamox (drug)
Dick Smith Foods
Dillon, Mike
in Advance Base Camp
Lincoln’s reminiscences on
meets Lincoln in Kathmandu
reaction to Lincoln’s “death,”
talks Lincoln down summit
Dingboche
disorientation
Doole, Phil
Dorje Sherpa
deaths on Everest
summit approach
summit descent
dried fruit
Dudh Kosi River
E
Eastern European climbers
East Rongbuk Glacier
East Rongbuk River
East Rongbuk Valley
edema
Egan, Dawn
energy gels
energy needs
equipment
erratic behavior
ether, Eastern concept of
Exit Cracks
expeditions. See also individual expeditions
commercial
diet for
funding for
maiden
serviced
size of
staff of
extreme altitude
eye problems
Ezidri Snackmaker
F
fatigue
fat reserves
fear
Fear, Grahame
Fear, Sue
death of
memorial service for
Fear No Boundary (Fear and Hall)
figure-descender
film tent
Finlay, Iain
First Step
Fischer, Scott
fixed ropes
flaxseed oil
Freaney, Paddy
freeze-dried meals
Friendship Bridgefrostbite
treatment for
G
garbage removal
Gariano, Giuseppe
Gariano, Lorenzo
gauntlets
Gee, Christine
Gibbs, Sam
Gilewsky, Norbert
Ginkgo biloba
glacier ice
glaciers
glossary
glucosamine sulfate
Gorak Shep
Granheim, Tormod
gravity
Great Couloir
“Green Boots,”
Greive, Bradley Trevor
Groom, Michael
guided climbs
gullies
Gyachung Kang
H
Hall, Al
Hall, Barbara
call from Lincoln on Everest
learns Lincoln is alive
Lincoln’s “death,”
meets Lincoln in Kathmandu
return to Sydney
trip to New York City
Hall, Dorje
father’s “death,”
learns that father is alive
welcome Lincoln home
Hall, Dylan
father’s “death,”
/>
welcome Lincoln home
Hall, Julia
greets Lincoln in Sydney
learns that Lincoln is alive
Hall, Lincoln
at Advance Base Camp
arrives in Zhangmu
calls home from summit
“death” of
ondeaths on Everest
descent from summit
on East Rongbuk Glacier
Everestclimb
found alive
on Himalayas
in Kathmandu
life in Singapore ()
night on summit
North Col descent
pre-summit setbacks
reaction to “death” of
recovery of
return to Australia
return to Everest
Sherpa rescue of
summit approach
Hall, Lincoln (continued)
summits Everest
survival notes
Tibetan Base Camp
trip to New York City
Hall, Michele
Hall, Rob
hallucinations
Hamilton, Margie
Hanna, Noel
Harbour Bridge
harness
Harris, Cheryl
Harris, Christopher
drops out
reaction to Lincoln’s “death,”
as youngest Everest climber
Harris, Richard
deaths on Everest
Everestclimb
learns that Lincoln is alive
reaction to Lincoln’s “death,”
talks Lincoln down summit
Hawke, Bob
Hawley, Elizabeth
heat-exchange breath-warmer
Henderson, Andy
high-altitude. See also hallucinations
banditry at
and cerebral edema
climbing at
and confusion
deaths from
and insomnia
lack of oxygen at
meditating at
and pulmonary edema
routine tasks in
sickness from
sleeping in
success in
High Camp
Hillary, Sir Edmund
Himalayan Experience (Himex)
Base Camp
season
Himalayas
Hindus
Høgset, Frode
Horton-Hames, Lois
Horton-James, David
Horton-James, Peter
Hunter, Jenny
hypothermia
hypoxia
I
ice axe
immune system modulator
Indian Army Expedition
Indian Himalayas
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Expedition
Inglis, Mark
inner voice
insurance
Intermediate Camp
International Clinic
Into Thin Air (Krakauer)
Irian Jaya
Irvine, Andrew
isolation
J
Jangbu Sherpa
finds Lincoln alive
Joseph, Glen
Joseph, Jonathan
Journet, Freddy