Soldiers To The Summit: Success on Labouche

A few weeks back I wrote about a team of injured vets who were trekking and climbing in the Himalaya. Dubbed the Soldiers to the Summit expedition, the 12 men, each of whom had suffered an injury in service to their country, were being led by a group of former Everest summitteers, including Erik Weihenmayer. The plan was for the solider to either trek to the summit of the 18,512 foot tall Kala Patar or make the more challenging, technical climb to the summit of the 20,075-foot tall Labouche.

While I was away last week the team accomplished their goals with some of the men going up Kala Patar, where they were treated to spectacular views of Everest, while others made the climb up Labouche. You can read a full account of that climb by clicking here, but essentially the vets were separated into two groups, Team Alpha and Team Bravo, who went up the mountain at different times to account for their different speeds. The two teams set out from High Camp at 1:15AM and 2:00AM local time on October 13th, with the first climbers topping out around 9:00AM that morning.

It was a long and exhausting climb but a rewarding one for these soldiers who have long dreamed about going on a Himalayan adventure. According to their most recent dispatches, the team is now back in Lukla, and awaiting a flight to Kathmandu. It sounds like it was a highly successful trek for everyone involved, and congratulate everyone for chasing their dreams and passions without letting their injuries slow them down or become an excuse. Each of you is an inspiration to those of us back home.

Check out the video below to learn the climbers' thoughts on Summit Day. Good stuff!