Everest's Shadow at Sunrise
Everest's South Summit, 28,750 Feet
After two expeditions to the mountain - and two failed attempts on the summit - I was hired in the Spring of 2002 to shoot images for Discovery and the 2002 American Women's No Boundaries expedition.
It was a great trip, climbing with my good friends from International Mountain Guides, and it was my first expedition to the Southeast Ridge...quite a treat!
On the morning of May 18, my teammate Karma Rita Sherpa and I broke trail through fresh snow above the Balcony. We continued climbing ahead of the group so I could take photos of them from above. At about 5:45 AM, we crested the 28,750 foot South Summit...and I got a view I had been waiting for for a long, long time. It was the shadow of Everest itself stretching to the western horizon as the sun rose behind me to the east. I captured some images and continued climbing...We reached the summit 40 minutes later, but that little patch of snow in no way compared to the stunning view we had below.
