a winter ascent of Island Peak at “Sherpa speed” by Chan Joon Yee, dedicated to the late Jason Ho

The Challenger
Name: Chan Joon Yee
Nationality: Singaporean
Born: 1-3-1964
Alpine Experience: climbed Mera Peak (6476m) in 10 days, descended into Hongu Valley, crossed Amphu Laptsa (5845m) into Khumbu Valley, trekked to Kala Patar and returned to Lukla [...]

The airport and its surroundings didn’t seem to have changed very much over the years. My last visit was in 2003. It was still the brick walled building, the bronze decor, nothing obviously added or subtracted. Even though it was midday when I arrived, it was not particularly warm. This was winter after all.
Once I [...]