Irish mountaineer and expedition leader Jason Black has announced that his team will begin their summit push on Mount Everest tonight, with a planned summit attempt scheduled for May 19.
Speaking from Base Camp, the Donegal adventurer described on a recent Instagram post the constantly changing nature of the mountain, explaining that conditions on Everest can shift “day by day, minute by minute, hour by hour.”
After days of closely monitoring forecasts and consulting trusted contacts across the mountaineering world, Black says the team believes they have found a viable summit window.
“We think we have a perfect window on the 19th,” he said.
The team plans to move to Camp 2 on May 16, Camp 3 on May 17, and Camp 4 on the South Col on May 18 before launching their summit bid in the early hours of May 19.
Black shared detailed weather expectations for the climb, with temperatures expected to drop to between minus 20 and minus 22 degrees Celsius on summit day, alongside winds of 20 to 30 knots.
While still extremely serious conditions, Black suggested the forecast sits within a manageable range for an Everest summit attempt.
The Irish climber also explained that remaining in Base Camp during recent jet stream instability may have helped the team conserve energy and stay properly hydrated ahead of the push.
“I’m grateful to have had a spot to eat the jet stream situation early and been able to stay in Base Camp, stay warm, stay hydrated, stay better prepared,” he said.
For Black, the planned summit date carries personal significance. He first summited Mount Everest on May 19 during a previous expedition, something he described as “a great omen.”
“As a pure mountaineer, it’s game on,” he said.
The expedition leader also spoke emotionally about carrying both the Donegal flag and the Irish flag during the climb.
“That’s something that means a lot to us guys,” he said. “We’re carrying that hope. We’re carrying that aspiration.”
If successful, the team expects to descend back to Base Camp on May 20 before Black immediately begins travelling towards his next expedition in Scotland.
Closing his message, Black urged supporters at home to keep the team in their thoughts as they head into the most dangerous phase of the expedition.
“It’s a serious situation up here. We’re not taking it lightly. We’re going to give it our all.”
