Everest Climber Comments
“I would like to end with thanks and acknowledgement. Wally Berg organized and led a top-notch expedition. I would recommend him without reservation to anyone thinking of taking a trek or climb. Wally has been operating here for 30 years, and his knowledge and safety record are unrivalled We basically climbed the mountain by ourselves, moving in our small group free of the traffic that takes away so much of the experience from the larger groups. Wally keeps the group size low and the quality high, using the best Sherpas and cooks that can be found. It has been an honor to climb under his leadership, and it is an honor to consider him my friend.”
“There are many people that helped me get to the top. Some like my wife who came to base camp and then returned to Canada, remained with me in spirit throughout the entire climb. Others like our expedition leader Wally Berg arose when needed and kept everything moving with the base camp manager Ang Temba Sherpa and the entire Berg Adventures staff behind the scenes. The logistics of the climb are enormous and our team never had to worry that things were in order.
Moreover, beyond logistics Wally who stayed at base camp as Expedition Leader kept us grounded. Wally has climbed Everest 4 times and has been in the Khumbu each climbing season for decades. He knew just what to say and when to say things to keep us motivated and to ally our concerns. Often over the radio as reassurance Wally would tell us ”you are right where you need to be”. He was never wrong.
Enough cannot be said about the lead climbing sherpa: Dawa (Danuru) Sherpa. Dawa and I worked together throughout the climb and without him at my side I do not think I could of touched the top. It was struggle to fight up through the storm and we supported each other the whole way up, working as team towards the ultimate goal. Dawa now has 16 Everest summits, and he is an instructor in the Khumbu Climbing School. He is by far current the top climbing Sherpa.
Last but not least there were many people that ensured the communications I was able to send via sat phone dispatch or from the internet hot spot (located out in the middle of glacier) actually got up onto the sites and to the people following. Leila Silveira at Berg adventures kept the information flowing to Shayne Sereduik who made sure everything went up timely. More importantly on summit day Leila kept our loved ones informed of our progress up and down the mountain.”
“Berg Adventures International runs one of the most professional expedition services in the world. Wally's long successful history in the business is a testament to the high standard of expedition planning and execution. Without his expertise, patience and knowledge, we would never have been able to pull off our 2006 ski descent of Everest. His team's hands on approach and intense attention to detail set the bar in the industry.”