Cian O'Brolchain
This guy has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest!!
Inspiring!
Yesterday David and I enjoyed a very cool evening in the Base Camp store on Middle Abbey Street.
We attended a talk and slide presentation by Cian O'Brolchain all about his expedition to Everest in 2012.
David had been following Cian on facebook and when he saw the event he immediately said it to me would we go. While David has always had ambitions of trekking mountains in Nepal, for me mountain trekking or climbing is not something that appeals. BUT saying that, I love hearing about, and reading about, mountain climbs. I find the climbers stories and what they go through just incredibly awe inspiring.
Last year David and I went to a talk by Doug Scott - an intrepid British mountaineer most famous for his climbs during the 1970's. I enjoyed comparing Doug Scott's story of climbing Everest in 1975 with Cian's story of his climb in 2012.
Cian began his story telling us all about his climbing in Ireland and the training and climbs he completed to build his physical and mental fitness. He then moved on to describe his climbs in Alaska and Nepal. Alaska was scary! Alot of snow and ice and alot of geting up at 4am to dig your tent out of the snow.
And finally he arrived at his story of Everest. He set up camp in Base Camp two months(!!!) before his intended summit ascent. Over the next two months his team and their sherpas did 4 or 5 rotations between Base Camp to points on the mountain and to Camps 1,2,3 and 4.*Until finally during the second weather window in May finally crossing up and over the Hilary Step and making their way to the TOP OF THE WORLD!!
Well done Team Ireland/Cian!
*Ps. The above has massively summarised Cian's record of events. During his time on Everest it was not without alot of danger and excitement. He showed us lots of photographs of Crevasses that just opened up and they had to trek around them or climb across them on a ladder. There was also the risk of avalanche at all times and in fact one of their sherpa was badly injured by avalanche and Cian and the whole team were involved in a rescue to get him down the mountain alive. He was lucky to make it and Cian has just heard that he will be back on the mountain this year after a long recovery period.
Cian presenting
A good attendance
Base Camp - they sponsored a lot of Cian's climbing gear and clothes
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