Johann Peries braves freezing temperatures to reach halfway up Mt. Everest

As the nation waits with bated breath for news about Johann Peries as he attempts to scale Mount Everest, there are some exciting updates. In the latest update on his adventurous journey, Johann is approximately halfway through the expedition to scale Mount Everest. 

He commenced his journey by flying from Kathmandu to Lukla, from where he hiked for 10 days to reach Everest Base Camp (EBC). The base camp will be his adopted home for approximately five weeks. Keeping him warm amidst the freezing weather in the Himalayas is the wonderful response to the ‘Climb Everest with Johann’ campaign, which invites Sri Lankans to sponsor each step that Johann takes on the mountain for Rs. 100 to participate in this exhilarating climb to the summit. An Everest expedition requires a large financial commitment and every step sponsored goes towards financing the expedition. Johann has dedicated this expedition to all Sri Lankans. 

Using the camp as his base, Johann will perform a series of climbing rotations. A rotation is a climbing exercise in which the climber climbs to a higher altitude, rests and then returns back to the base. With each successive rotation, the climber climbs to a higher altitude and so far Johann has completed the rotation to Lobuche Peak which is 6,119 metres high. 

This is a particularly difficult climb after which he required rest and then a series of ladder training exercises to prepare him for the next rotation through the famous Khumbu Icefall - a treacherous series of glaciers which have to be crossed with ladders. 

Currently, Johann is on a rotation through the Khumbu Icefall up to Camp 1 from where he will proceed to Camp 2 and then back down again. The complete rotation will take five days and he is expected to return to the Everest Base Camp at the end of this week.  

Having been in training since December 2016, Johann is technically equipped to undertake this expedition. He is no stranger to this act of courage. Johann Peries and Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala were the first Sri Lankans to attempt to summit the peak of 8,848 metres above sea level in April 2016. Johann managed to reach a height of 8,400 metres, a mere 448 metres short of reaching the summit, before technical difficulties forced him to descend.