Local Mountain Guide Kurt Wedberg is off in Nepal right now attempting to climb Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world.

The peak had been closed to climbers to allow a Chinese team to bring the Olympic Torch to the summit. The peak is now open again and Kurt’s father, John Wedberg of Bishop reports that Kurt has acclimatized and is ready to make an attempt on the summit.

Kurt Wedberg has climbed Everest before by the Tibetan side of the mountain, but has not summited from the Nepali side. He started with a client, but a doctor told the client not to continue after the individual came down with a respiratory illness.

Climbers on these huge peaks usually head up and down the lower slopes of the mountain a few times to ‘get used to the altitude. John says that Kurt has been to their high camp at 26,000 feet, and has been back to base camp at 18,000. The plan is to head back up to the high camps on Monday and try for the 29,028 foot summit Wednesday or Thursday.

John Wedberg says that Kurt is scheduled to check in by satellite phone when he returns to Base Camp. Well keep you posted.

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