Suze Kelly and Sherpa Kami Rita on the summit of Everest.

CAROLINE HARKER

Wanaka’s Suze Kelly, 47, has become the sixth Kiwi woman to summit Mount Everest (8,850m), treading on the "hallowed ground” of the world’s highest peak, after many visits to the region (as general manager for Adventure Consultants) and one earlier attempt to summit.

Summiting wasn’t on Suze’s wishlist until she climbed Lhotse [8,516m] in 2013.

"Climbing Lhotse you take the same route as if you were climbing Everest all the way to Camp Three. From the Lhotse summit you are looking across at Everest.”

The big one is 300m higher than Lhotse - a significant difference at that altitude - and definitely a tougher climb. Suze said she learnt a lot climbing Lhotse that was useful for her Everest attempts, in particular when to step back from being the company GM, leave the logistics and organising to someone else, and focus on being a climbing team member and look after herself in preparation for climbing.

Suze attempted Everest in 2015 and was at Camp One with partner Guy Cotter (Adventure Consultants CEO) and a group of climbers when the April 25 earthquake struck. As soon as it happened, Suze knew their summit attempt was over. What became important was the fate of their staff and clients, and their families.

Two years later she was ready to try again.

This time the Adventure Consultants group included seven climbers - three women and four men. One man had to drop out after breaking his wrist, another had problems with asthma, and a third had acclimatisation problems, which left one man and three women for the final summit attempt. One of the women had to turn back but the other three made it to the top, along with another woman who was one of three AC clients on private expeditions. It’s the first time more female clients than men have summitted.

"Adventure Consultants had 30 [Everest] summits this year, including guides and sherpas, which is the most we have ever had.” Suze didn’t mention that she and her climbing partner, Sherpa Kami Rita, were the first to summit on May 22, but was happy to point out that Guy Cotter and another AC party summitted Dhaulagiri (8,167m) the same day.

After 21 years working for Adventure Consultants, Suze’s Everest climb was a mixture of poignant memories and new experiences.

"It was amazing to see Nepal getting back on its feet after the 2015 earthquake. The ongoing rebuild and the resilience of the people is amazing.”

At Base Camp they were joined by Jan Arnold, the widow of Rob Hall, who founded Adventure Consultants and died in the 1996 Everest disaster. Jan summited Everest with Rob in 1993, becoming the second Kiwi woman to do so. The others include Hawea-based mountain guide Lydia Bradey (who did it in 1988 without oxygen), mountain guide Penny Goddard, Chris Burke and Rochelle Rafferty.

Suze said a Kiwi summiting Everest doesn’t get much attention in New Zealand these days.

"In New Zealand, we have one mountaineer who has climbed Everest and that is Ed Hillary.”

Guy Cotter, who has summitted four times, agrees. "Our overseas clients who summit get huge publicity when they get home, especially Americans. They’re always on television. Here, you are just another climber who’s done it.”

For Suze, arriving at Base Camp also brought back memories of the April 18, 2014 avalanche which claimed the lives of 16 mountain workers on the Khumbu Icefall.

"Out of respect for the dead no-one does anything on Everest on April 18. Everyone stays put, and remembers those who died.”

Going through the icefall reminded Suze not only of those who have lost their lives there, but also of her own crossings in 2013 while climbing Lhotse and in 2015 when she was attempting Everest.

"It’s mental in there. Everything is moving and changing. There’s such a level of chaos with ice going in every direction and the sounds of it creaking and banging. Once you are in there there’s nothing you can do except focus on getting through. It takes a long time.” The need to acclimatise means Everest climbers go up and down the icefall three times, once to Camp One, once to Camp Two, and a third time to attempt the summit.

"The second and third times you can go faster so it’s less of a hazard,” Suze said. Sherpas cross the icefall many times, taking oxygen, gas, tents and food up to the higher camps. In the words of AC mountain guide Mike Roberts, "This is one hell of a way to earn a living. Without these stoic efforts of our Sherpas, we wouldn’t have a summit attempt.”

For some years AC has lobbied for the Nepalese government to give them permission to helicopter equipment over the icefall to minimize the danger to the Sherpas. So far they have managed to get permission to helicopter fixed lines across, but not other equipment.

Further up the mountain at Camp One Suze was reminded of the 2015 earthquake again. This is where she was when the earthquake struck. Higher still, Suze thought about her Lhotse climb, and her first climb at altitude - Island Peak in Nepal (2008).

Suze said while she notices the effects of being older, climbing at altitude has become easier with experience.

"You learn so much each time. It’s all about pacing. You need to measure out your energy over long days. Mental and physical energy. And do lots of training beforehand.”

"Going up into the Western Cwm was phenomenal, even for the second time. It’s an amazing place. Everything is ‘Everest-sized’. Everything above Camp Four is hallowed ground. There’s so much history with it, and it’s really beautiful going up.”

For the summit push, Suze and her party left camp at 9pm. She and Sherpa Kami Rita reached the summit at 4.20am, May 22, in time to watch the sunrise. It was Kami Rita’s 16th summit, and for expedition leader (Wanaka-based) Mike Roberts it was his ninth.

It was a busy day at the top of the world, Suze said. Adventure Consultants had 16 people on the summit that day (including guides and sherpas), and 30 this season - a record for the company.

Now that Suze is down and back in Wanaka, she’s busy back at ACs organising ski touring and ice climbing trips locally, and Northern Hemisphere trips for later in the year.

Personally, she is keen on more high altitude climbing, but hasn’t decided where just yet. ACs offers clients the chance to conquer the "Seven Summits” - the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Now Suze can add Everest to her tally which already includes Kilimanjaro (which she guides) and Aconcagua, she wouldn’t mind adding one or two more. Options include Elbrus (Russia), Carstensz Pyramid (West Papua), Delani (Alaska) and Vinson Massif (Antarctica).

"Everest was an amazing journey. It’s a great relief to actually have made it to the summit after all we’ve been through. I’m not sure which will be the next one. The main thing is being in those wild environments.”

Photo: Supplied