Author: Grant ‘Axe’ Rawlinson
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Climbing for the Taranaki Community Helicopter Rescue Trust
With only 12 days till I leave for Everest, I am very happy to announce that my climb will be in support of the Taranaki Community Helicopter Rescue Trust. This is the service which helped to save my sister Debra’s life after her horrific car accident on the 24th February, 2012. You can read more about…
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Malte Brun West Ridge – trip report
Together with Alan Silva we travelled to New Zealand in February 2012 to climb Malte Brun, New Zealand’s 6th highest peak at 3196m. Malte Brun is located directly east of Mt Cook (New Zealand’s highest peak), separated by the mighty Tasman glacier. Alan and I attempted a route known as the Full West Ridge in…
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Why do bad things happen to good people?
On Friday night I returned home to Taranaki in New Zealand to visit my family for the weekend. It was a whirlwind visit to say goodbye before leaving for Everest in 30 days time. My mother picked me up from the airport and drove me home. As we reached home and I walked in the…
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Video post of Malte Brun Climb
See the attached short video with a photo composition of our recent climb on Malte Brun. I will write a full trip report over the next few days also as usual. Please enjoy!
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Malte Brun – The return
There is only 40 days left until I leave for Everest. On Tuesday I will leave Singapore for a training climb on a peak called Malte Brun. Malte Brun is a large mountain located in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, right opposite Mt Cook (New Zealand’s highest peak). Standing at 3198m, Malte Brun is…
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Expedition title sponsor – John Foord
Climbing Everest by any means is an expensive operation. By the time you add up all the expenses such as: climbing insurance, air travel, training expenses, overland travel, personal climbing gear, communications equipment, climbing permits, expedition logistical fee’s, high altitude food, etc… the bottom line starts to look very daunting. To put it into perspective…
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What I will do differently this time
They say practise makes perfect. I have given a great deal of thought to the things I will be changing from Everest 2011 for my upcoming attempt in 2012. A number of people have also asked me what I will be doing differently so I have decided to write a post on the subject. If…
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Interview with Alan Arnette
This Wednesday (18th February) Alan Arnette posted an interview on his website which he recently conducted with me on my Everest climb for 2012. Alan is a speaker, mountaineer and a committed advocate for Alzheimer’s individuals and their families. He is based in Colorado and summitted Everest last season from the South side. For some years he has…
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Axe on Everest 2012
Happy New Year to you all! It’s my 38th birthday today so a good day to announce my plans to return to Everest in 2012! In April and May, I will once again head to Tibet and make an attempt on the North Ridge. I had an epic expedition in 2011, fighting tooth abscesses, high…
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June 8th – The real world??
Well here I am back in Singapore, back in the real world someone told me…! A statement which is making me quite confused. Is this land of concrete buildings, shopping malls and air-conditioned comforts the real world? Or is the world I spent the last two months in, a world of rock, ice and snow…
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Day 50 – May 30th – The final post
Firstly a very big thank you to David Lim for posting dispatch’s on my behalf over the last few days while I have been high up on the mountain. If I had realised he had been re-printing my fumbled, hypoxic, freezing finger created text messages from my Sat phone word for word I would have…
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Day 49, May 29 – What may be happening right now….
May 29th was the date that Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary climbed Mt Everest in 1953. There have been no updates from Grant. I assume he is packing up at ABC and taking the hike down to BC into warmer climes and thicker air. This should take a leisurely 6-8 hours for him in good…
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Day 48; May 28 – Late update
Via Twitter feed: Kenneth Koh summitted everest on May 27th at 0940hrs. This makes him the 2nd Singaporean to do so from the North Ridge NB:Unknown: where he is exactly ( probably North Col) or about his condition and reported snowblindness From Grant: Came down today to ABC, exhausted. The mountain looks deserted. Rest of…
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Day 48 – Breaking News on Grant’s Descent. May 28th
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE TOTALLY, PHYSICALLY WIPED OUT – READ ON 1215am, Singapore time, Just in from Grant on his satphone: ” Just got into North Col campsite with 3 other members.We are exhausted beyond words. Had to help a team member who was too exhausted to handle the fixed rope or abseil…
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Day 47 – New update on Grant’s Summit Day
Some SMS exchanges Between 1059 am and 1241pm SIngapore time: 1329pm – 310pm Nepal time David: C3 is no place to rest unless you got enough spare 02 to rest on. Get down to ABC today unless u got gas to relax with at C2. Everyday up high,your body goes downhill Grant: Ken Koh is still…
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Day 47- Summit Day Pullback
From a few SMS from Grant this morning: ” Pulled out of summit bid at 1am due to the cold. Other team members still heading up in strong winds” Then another shortly after ” All team members turned back from the summit in strong winds not forecast in the weather reports. Very cold here. Strong…
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Day 46-47 – SUMMIT DAY (#47) CLIMB! Go Grant!
( through David Lim): Received this from Grant aroun 2100hrs Singapore time – which is about 2330hrs Nepal/Tibet time: “Arrived at Camp 3 ( 8300m) tired and cold. Will try for the summit in a few hours” David’s Note: My pal Jim WIlliams from Exploradus, has a team going for the summit. The news from…
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Day 45- May 25th: Freezing Crap, and Tough, Tough Climb to Camp 2
(via Thuraya SMS) Had diarrhea last night. Not nice getting out of tent to go into the darkness and -20 degree winds and snow outside for a freezing crap. No sleep at all last night. Felt very weak in the morning and got going at 830am – reached the campsite at 7600m on the top…
Grant 'Axe' Rawlinson 