Climbing the North Ridge of Everest (8850m./ 29,035 ft.)

Expedition Overview

This will be Himalayan Experience's 6th expedition to Mt. Everest. Russell Brice, the expedition leader, has twice summited Everest via this route, and has participated in eight Everest trips in the past. Himalayan Experience's team of seasoned Sherpas and guides will be leading a team of eight climbers and five trekkers.

The North Ridge of Everest lays wholly within the country of Tibet. This is the route pioneered by the British in the 1920's and 30's. It was the sight of the great Mallory and Irvine epic of 1924, and was first climbed to the summit in 1974 by a team of Chinese climbers.

The North Ridge differs greatly from Nepal's South Col route. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully ascended the South Col route in 1953. Since then, the South Col route has been ascended by over 800 climbers. The North Ridge has had fewer than 200 successful ascents.

Base camp will be located on the Rongbuk glacier at 5,200 meters. From here, a rocky trail leads to an Interim Camp and on to Advanced Base Camp at 6,400 meters. Luckily, most of our gear can be carried the 22 km from BC to ABC by yaks.

ABC will be our base of operations for the upper mountain. This collection of tents, complete with our supplies of communication equipment, climbing gear, oxygen bottles and food, is the center of our expedition's logistical operations.

The first two thirds of the expedition will be spent organizing these and the higher camps. Teams of Sherpas and climbers will shuttle gear ever higher on the peak, establishing camps at 7000 m., 7500 m., 7900 m. and 8300m.

Fixed lines (ropes strung along the route and anchored in place) will connect the camps and lead towards the summit. The fixed lines are a critical part of the safety system we use. Heavily laden climbers use the ropes to scale the steeper slopes and weary climbers rely on them to guide their descent. Even in a storm, a climber attached to the fixed lines, can find their way to the next camp.

Once the camps are established, we can begin to dream of the summit. A combination of events are critical to a successful summit day. The weather must be perfect, light winds and clear skies. And the climbers have to be acclimatized (the process by which the body adjusts to the altitude) and healthy.

The North Ridge's primary challenge comes on summit day. The route from high camp at 8,300 meters climbs through the twisted and blocky yellow band and onto the crest of the ridge, just below the First Step. Following the ridge line, up and over the three steps and onto the summit snow slopes is an airy experience. The Second Step, a 5.8 corner system, is ascended via a ladder placed there by the Chinese during the first ascent in 1974. Traversing the ridge, you are treated to spectacular views of the Kangshung face, which dives for over 3000 meters beneath your crampons.

The final climb to the summit takes you up a classic pyramid of snow, slowly flattening at the top. The summit ridge undulates towards the South Summit and the route rising from the South Col. We are all hoping to snap photos of ourselves, with this view behind us.

The Team

The Guides:

Russell Brice (expedition leader). Owner of Himalayan Experience and Chamonix Experience guide services. A New Zealander living in Chamonix, France, Russell is a U.I.A.G.M. certified guide, with over 25 years of professional experience. Highlights include 9 seasons on Everest, twice to the top via the North Ridge. Speed records on the SW Ridge of Ama Dablam and the Tichy route on Cho Oyo. He has participated in over 35 Himalayan expeditions. Russell is a founding member of IGO8000, a professional organization which is working to improve the quality of commercial expeditions to the world's highest peaks. While not guiding, he devotes himself to organizing the logistics of extreme balloon trips (ballooning over Everest, the circumnavigation of the globe, and a trip to the stratosphere).

Andy Lapkass ( Breckenridge, Colorado,USA). Andy has been climbing in the Himalaya since 1984, with over 27 expeditions in Pakistan, Tibet and Nepal. He has summited Everest twice, both via the South Col (1990 & 1999). Other summits include: Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyo, Ama Dablam & Pumori. He has 15 years of experience as a guide. Andy is also a physician's assistant, providing valuable medical training to the team.

Chris Warner (Ellicott City, Maryland, USA). Owner of Earth Treks' Climbing Center and an A.M.G.A. certified Alpine Guide. Chris has guided over 60 international expeditions. Highlights include new routes on Ama Dablam and Shivling and ascents of Cho Oyo and over one hundred 6,000 meter peaks.

Mark Whetu (Queenstown, New Zealand). Owner of Mountain Works, a guide service and gear shop on the South Island. Mark has climbed over two dozen peaks in the Himalaya. He has twice summited Everest via the North Ridge. Other highlights include: Cho Oyo, Shishapangma (2x), and Island Peak (5x). Mark is a very accomplished high altitude cinematographer and will be filming the expedition.

The Climbers:

Jean Clemenson (Argentiere, France). Jean is a certified U.I.A.G.M. guide who has been climbing in the Alps for over 50 years. He has put up new routes close to home and has been to the Himalayas more than 25 times. He has climbed Cho Oyo, Ama Dablam (3x), Pumori, Shishapangma, and many others. Jean is 62 years old and hopes to be the oldest to reach the summit. He has the experience to pull it off: after all, this will be his fifth expedition to Everest.

Daniel Surchat (Rome, Italy). Daniel, 41, is a mathematician. He has been on expeditions to Cho Oyo where he reached 7,800 meters. In the Alps he has climbed such classics as the North Face of Les Courtes, Ag. Argentiere, Mt. Blanc du Tacul and many others.

Tony Kelly (Surrey, England). Tony turns 45 on this expedition. By day he is an engineer but on his holidays he has journeyed to all corners of the world. He has been to 7,400 meters on Cho Oyo. In the Alps he has climbed extensively in the Chamonix region: the Viper, winter traverse of the Briethorn, etc.

Kin Man Chung (Kowloon, Hong Kong). Chung, 47, owns a handful of climbing shops in Hong Kong. He was the chief instructor of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Training Center and chairman of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union. In the Himalaya he has been on expeditions to Mustagh Ata, Shishapangma, Changtse, Everest (2x). Further afield he has climbed Aconcagua, Elbrus, Vinson, Carstens Pyramid, McKinley and Kilimanjaro. Hopefully this year he will be able to conclude his seven summits quest with a successful climb of Everest.

Ivan Laredo-Vidal (Ecatepec, Mexico). Ivan, 32, has climbed extensively in the Himalaya. He has been on expeditions to Makalu, Lhotse, Broad Peak (summited), Cho Oyo (summited) and Everest. Last year he gave up his summit bid to allow his wife to reach the summit. This will be his second attempt on the North Ridge of Everest.

David Sullivan (Glasgow, Scotland). David, 43, is a financial manager. He reached 5,000 meters on McKinley, where his team was battered by storms. He has extensive experience in the Alps and in the Scottish Highlands. This is his first trip to the Himalaya.

Kieron MacKenzie (Saline, United Kingdom). Kieron, 40, is a managing director for Packard Bell. His climbing bio includes Island Peak (5x), Ama Dablam, Mt. McKinley, Mt. Kenya, Kilimanjaro, and Mt. Blanc.

Graham Hoyland (Chapel-en-le-Frith, England). Graham, 42, is a television director. He has been to Everest 3x and has summited via the South Col in 1993. He has also climbed Himalchuli, during his 12 trips to the Himalaya. Graham has also summited Mt. McKinley.

In addition to those listed above, there are 5 folks trekking with us to base camp. Our team of Sherpas is second to none. Most of these guys have climbed to the summit of Everest 2 or 3 times. It is their power and compassion that fuels our expeditions success.

April 1, 2000 Departing for Lhasa

The last few days have been exciting. Team members have trickled into Kathmandu from all corners of the globe. Each has brought enough gear to outfit a climbing store. Combined with the group gear, over 100 garbage can sized plastic barrels, brimming with gear, are stacked into a pyramid nearly as tall as Everest. We are now ready to depart.

The climbers and trekkers are headed to Lhasa, Tibet by plane. Our group will begin our process of acclimatizing, by visiting the famed sites of this ancient city. On April 4th, we will leave the city and set out across the Tibetan plateau in a fleet of jeeps.

Russell and the Sherpas will be traveling overland with two trucks worth of equipment and food. At the Tibetan border, they will transfer the gear into four smaller trucks provided by the Tibetan Mountaineering Association, our hosts in Tibet. Their journey will take them up and onto the Tibetan plateau.

We will all meet up in the village of Tingri, jumping off place for expeditions to Cho Oyo and Everest. On the 8th of April we will all gather at Base Camp.

As you can imagine we are excited and a bit apprehensive. Everyone knows that we are about to leave the comforts of Kathmandu, with its selection of restaurants, clean hotels w/ showers, and warmth. Some cold nights await us.

Chris Warner

A Traveler's Guide to the Airports of China

Delayed by two hours, we lifted off the tarmac in Kathmandu and soared up amongst the highest peaks in this region of the Himalayas. The SW face of Shishapangma (14th tallest peak in the world) was just off our wingtip. Brad Johnson and I had hoped to climb that face last October, but arrived in the middle of a week of bad weather. On our first morning in base camp, the snow stopped for a few hours, but quickly resumed. At 8 that night a Sherpa rushed into our tent with the news that an avalanche claimed the lives of Alex Lowe and Dave Bridges. They were traversing the glacier at the base of the face, when a slab let loose, 5000 feet above them. Their death and the continuing bad weather convinced us to return to Kathmandu. Flying past it stirred a mixture of emotions. It was depressing to think of Alex and Dave, yet I still badly wanted to climb that beautiful face.

The next 8000 meter peak on the horizon was Cho Oyu (6th tallest), which Brad and I had climbed last September. Of the 12 climbers on our expedition, 5 of us had summited this peak and two others had climbed it to above 7,400 meters. We were all excited to see the sun shining on the summit.

Everest, viewed from the south, was the next big peak. At first we could we see the top of the North Ridge, but it soon disappeared. A plume of snow was blowing off the top, racing towards the east. The South Col and the upper reaches of the Lhotse face were in full view. And the great horseshoe formed by Everest, Lhotse (4th tallest) and Nuptse lay beneath us.

We banked north between the summits of Makalu (5th tallest) and Kanchenjunga (3rd) and turned to see the Kangshung Face of Everest. As we flew further north the whole of the North-Northeast Ridge of Everest and then the North Col and North Ridge came into view. We could see every bit of our route, from the Rongbuk Glacier to the North Col and upwards to the First, Second and Third Steps and finally to the summit snow pyramid.

There were two Everest expeditions on the flight. Together with the tourists, we were yelling and screaming. As a peak crested the horizon on the left, everyone rushed to that side of the plane, good-naturedly crushing the person in the window seat. Then a giant peak would pop up on the right and we'd all shift to that side.

We were all quite friendly with each other, the whole plane in a party mood, when the pilot announced that we were being diverted to Chengdu, a city in the center of China. High winds had closed the Lhasa airport.

Well, the Chinese customs officers had no idea what to do with us. A plane load of tourists, with Tibetan, not Chinese visas descended upon their desks. The officials were obviously taught to not make decisions. Lethargic attempts at creating a solution were met with anger by the 150 disappointed and now saddle soar passengers.

Finally they loaded us on some airport shuttle buses and deposited us in a local hotel. 8 hours, two bus rides and a malfunctioning plane later, we were finally seated on a plane that could fly. We taxied down the runway and lifted off for Lhasa.

Chris Warner

April 3, 2000 Searching for the Dalai Lama

We ate an early breakfast. For some crazy reason all of China is on Beijing time. Breakfast was served at 7:30 a.m. which was 5:30 a.m. according to our internal clocks and the sun's ability to crest the horizon. We were a groggy lot, but excited to visit the Potala and some of the other important sights in Lhasa.

The Potala is an enormous building, or better yet, a collection of buildings all tumbling and pushing up against each other. From the streets below it looks like one huge place, but inside it is a maze of old Tibetan government offices, cells, chapels, monasteries and the bedrooms and tombs of the Dalai Lamas. The Potala, once the bustling center of Tibetan life, is now a museum. Ever since the Chinese arrived and the Dalai Lama fled, the building has been emptied of life.

Amazingly the Chinese did not destroy the Potala. In 1959 they lobbed a few bombs at it, but little was damaged. It is still full of golden Buddhas, cubbies of prayer books, and sculptures of the Dalai Lamas sitting on altars. We wandered through the mazes, up and down narrow stairways and on to the roof tops.

After visiting the Potala, we headed to the Jokhang, the most important religious structure in Tibet. Here narrow streets and twisting alleyways circle this sprawling collection of monasteries. Hundreds of pilgrims were circling the buildings, all walking clockwise. I fell in with a group of older women, most with weathered faces, and each of them spinning a prayer wheel in their hands.

We circled the building and then broke from the others to enter a narrow passageway. I ducked into a courtyard and there were over 300 old Buddhists, chanting "ohm mani padme ohm."

I have a necklace made of a dzi stone and Tibetan corrals and turquoise. It is a necklace common in the Himalayas. The dzi stone is a remarkable semi precious stone, with a history ripe with fiction. Some belief they are the petrified vertebrae of snakes. Other belief that they were created by witch doctors using an alchemic process (like spinning gold from straw). No one knows how they were formed and no one can recreate the process. All real dzi stones are hundreds of years old and are passed from generation to generation. They are valued at thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. I bought mine from a Tibetan pilgrim, traveling through Nepal on his way to see the Dalai Lama in exile in India. I traded him a watch and $240 for the stone.

The women in the courtyard spotted the dzi stone hanging from my neck. Pushing and shoving each other, they would reach out for it and then begin to smile and blush. They giggled as they dug among their shirt necks for their own dzi stones. It was a moment in life when a six foot four inch white guy and one hundred, four foot ten inch Tibetan women were all on the same plane. We were all smiling like a bunch of school girls.

Tonight we were the guests of the Tibetan Mountaineering Association. They threw a big party for us and the Dutch Everest team. They had a Tibetan musical group, even elaborate Karaoke displays with accompanying videos on a 13 inch screen at the far end of the room. The head of the TMA gave a speech in Tibetan, the translation was inspiring though. We were draped in silk scarves, called "katas" and given nifty key chains with Mt. Everest inscribed in it.

As the night closes upon our intrepid adventures, the whiskey and espressos slide past our tongues. It may be a long night. The trekkers are corrupting the climbers, keeping morale at an all time high.

Chris Warner

April 7, 2000 Tingri, Tibet

Tingri, Tibet is no Mayberry. Despite the impending arrival of spring, winter still clings to this village, situated at 14,000 ft. above sea level. Not a single flower is willing to sprout, much less bloom, as long as each afternoon brings gusting winds and lashing sands.

We are laying on our bunks, in a 8'x12' room with a packed earth floor. We've covered the cracks in the doors with an old blanket. Dust, thick enough to write our initials on our books or glasses, settles about us.

"Yeah....Two more months of suffering like this," sighs Andy.

"At least its not snowing," I reply.

"Yet."

We both roll over and flip the pages of our books.

Tingri is the jumping off place for the base camps of Everest and Cho Oyu. The team of climbers and trekkers who flew to Lhasa has met up with Russell Brice and the Himalayan Experience Sherpas here. While we were being rerouted to Chengdu, China and later visiting the Potala and other monasteries in Lhasa, they were combating landslides that shut the road a number of times. Russell and the gang were forced to shuttle loads between trucks and work through the night. Even then, they arrived 24 hours behind schedule.

It was great to be a big group again, knowing that it was only a matter of 36 hours before we would be in base camp.

At this point in the journey, everyone is healthy and excited. The trekkers continue to add a lot excitement to the team. Their enthusiasm is contagious. We have a very diverse group. Luckily each person has been sharing good stories and useless trivia to our social mix. While it is probably unfair to talk about having favorites, I have been greatly enjoying the stories Mark Vallance (founder of Wild Country, a climbing gear manufacturer) has been telling. He seems to have met just about everyone in the climbing industry and is a real bridge between generations. Together with Graham Hoyland, who is an Everest history buff, we are all learning a great deal about what's happened on Everest in the past.

Now it is time to write our own piece of history.

Chris Warner

Base Camp Here We Come

April 8, 2000 Everest Base Camp Tibet 17,200 ft.

The Sherpas, Russell Brice and Mark Whetu, had left Tingri early on the morning of the 7th for base camp. They were going to arrive there a day ahead of us to set up camp and begin the process of prepping loads for the upper mountain. The rest of us set out early this morning from Tingri, up at 3:45 a.m. and on the road by 4:30 a.m. The drive to base was spectacular. At first the sky was capped with thousands of stars, the milky way streaking over our heads, while Orion, the Dippers and Scorpio lazed on the horizon. As dawn approached, the Tibetan landscape revealed itself.

Plains of sandy soil stretched across the valley bottom. Towers of eroding sandstone lined the sides. When we left the "Friendship Highway" the road began a rapid ascent, cresting the Pang La (pass) at 17,000 ft.

Everest rose above us. It was spectacular. From the summit a plume of snow blew more than 20 miles to the east. On the left was Makalu (world's 5th highest peak) and to the right was Cho Oyu (6th). The sky was perfectly clear, and at 6:30 a.m. the temperatures were far below freezing. We were all running around, snapping pictures and digging through our bags for hats
and gloves.

From this pass, the road dropped rapidly into a series of valleys, each leading us closer to Everest. We passed through tiny villages in which the people subsisted solely on farming and herding yaks for Everest expeditions. It was obvious that life here is difficult. The children looked wild, haven't seen a bath in years. It is said that a rural Tibetan bathes three times in their life: the days they are born, marry and die.

Finally we saw the Rongbuk Monastery and the tents of base camp. Russell and the Sherpas have chosen a sheltered nook, and most of the tents were up before we arrived. Everest stands right above us. The view from my tent door is fantastic. We can't wait for the climbing to begin.

Chris Warner

April 11, 2000 Everest base camp, Tibet

Climbing Mt. Everest is a feat of logistics. The strongest climbers would never summit if there wasn't a tidal wave of gear and food pushing them upward. Well, we have one of the best piles I've ever seen. Here's a brief list:
Over 10 tons of gear has been transported to base camp, in 5 jeeps and two trucks.
We have nearly 2,000 eggs. Each egg was wrapped in newspaper prior to being stored in specially made cages.
We have almost 1,000 pounds of vegetables. These have to be kept from freezing. Each cabbage and tomato, eggplant and head of lettuce is wrapped in paper and packed in a straw lined basket. The baskets are stored in a 12' x 12' family camping tent.
We have 45 high altitude tents and 9 family camping tents.
We have almost 10,000 ft of rope, with which to fix lines on the mountain. We have over 100 bottles of oxygen.
We have 20 pounds of coffee (Mt. Everest Blend from the Riverside Roastery), thousands of tea bags, ten cases of beer and a garbage can sized barrel full of booze. There are even 7 cans of whipped cream to sweeten the hot chocolates or top off the Irish coffees.
I couldn't begin to count the barrels of potato chips and chocolate bars.

All of these items, from the luxurious to the bare essentials, play a critical role in the formula we've created for success. Climbing Everest is a brutal game. The storms, the dangers, the lack of oxygen and the personality clashes all conspire to keep you from summiting. We need this mountain of gear to get us up the hill at the end of our valley.

But before we can even set foot above base camp, the Sherpas, who are Buddhists, and the rest of the team undergo a puja ceremony. A puja is a blessing. Yesterday we gathered at a giant chorten (sculpted pile of rocks) and made our offerings and received our blessings from the mountain spirits. We were lead in prayer by the Sherpas.

We raised a pole strung with prayer flags, stretching the four strings of flags in the four directions.
It was a beautiful day. Everest stood above us, with no wind blowing snow from the summit snow slopes. It was a good omen.
The ceremony lasted for over two hours, with much chanting, the throwing of rice and flour, the burning of incense and juniper branches and the blessing of our ice axes. Like a celebration at home, it was ended with a big meal and hearty toasts.

Late in the afternoon, the yak men arrived with their sixty yaks. They set up there tents all around us. It was a two day journey from their village to base camp. They greeted us with toothy grins and the news that they needed a day's rest before going higher. Our plans for the 14th were scrapped. We had hoped to begin to move gear towards advanced base camp today. It is a three day journey to ABC, and we need to make this journey with three trains of 60 yaks each.
This morning intensive negotiations broke out between Russell and the yak men. It is ritualistic this last minute bargaining. The yak men complain that the loads are too heavy and Russell must stand firm on the agreement made by the Tibetan Mountaineering Association and the expedition. In the end, the yak men caved in. They have but one chance each year to earn cash. They can't be too greedy.

Tomorrow the first loads, along with Russell and a handful of Sherpas will begin the two day journey to ABC. The rest of us will move up in four days. We will be spending the next few days sorting out our personal gear and scaling the local peaks in an effort to get better acclimated.

Chris Warner

Advanced Base Camp (ABC) is Established

April 13, 2000 Everest Base Camp, Tibet

Russell, Mark, four Sherpas, twelve yak men and sixty yaks, loaded with 120 plastic drums, left base camp yesterday morning. It was quite a chorus of yak bells, Tibetan "giddy-ups", and the hoots and hollers of the Sherpas. It is easy to be impatient with the yak men, sometimes a lot of yelling is needed to get them moving.

The trail to ABC, goes up alongside the Rongbuk Glacier and the huge terminal moraine it has piled up. In a few hours, the route ascends a side valley along the the East Rongbuk Glacier. An interim camp is placed in this valley, about 8 miles from base camp. From this camp, it is another 4 to 5 hours, steadily uphill to advanced base camp. This camp is placed just below the North Col, at 21,500 ft.

Russell, and the gang, arrived at ABC this afternoon. They are establishing camp today, tomorrow and the next day. The first group of climbers and trekkers will leave for ABC on the 15th, arriving there on the 17th. The last of us, myself included, depart for ABC on the 16th. There will be three yak trains, carrying our gear to ABC. 180 yaks each carrying 110 to 125 pounds.

So in the meantime, we've all been climbing the local hills, in an effort to acclimate to the thin air. Today Andy and I climbed a 21,000 foot peak that rises directly above base camp. I did wear short gaiters over my sneakers, kept the sand out. It is amazing to think that you can climb a 21,000 ft. mountain anywhere in the world, wearing only sneakers. it took us about 3.5 hours to reach the top, climbing nearly 4,000 ft. in the process.

Most of the skies were clouded, but the views we did get were great. Everest darted in and out of the clouds. Our clearest view was of Gyachung Kang, a peak that is about 50 feet short of being 8,000 meters.

The team is doing great. Everyone seems to be strong and healthy. And by popular vote, the famed world traveler, David Eaton, has been voted best dressed trekker. With that going for us, we are bound to be a happy bunch.

Chris Warner

Leaving Camp, Finally

April 16th, 2000

While most of the crew and gear have departed for ABC already, seven of us climbers are just packing now. The last of us have been at base camp for eight days. It has actually been good for our bodies and the team effort, to laze around at this lower altitude. We've climbed more of the local hills (up to 21,000 ft. high), wandered up and down the Rongbuk valley, and have been able to stuff our tummies for the cold nights ahead.

Meanwhile, the Sherpas, Mark Whetu and Russell have been able to establish a posh ABC for us. They've had a few hard days of building tent platforms and erecting tents. ABC is high, 21,500 ft. It sits atop a pile of rocks, underlain by a glacier. Each year, as the glacier slides down hill, it destroys the old camp sites. A lot of work is involved with rebuilding the sites each spring.

Our team isn't the only one at ABC. There is a group of Dutch climbers and a Russian group camped there. The Dutch and I flew into Kathmandu together and we have been enjoying each other's company for the entire trip. We'd turn our backs in Lhasa and they would be there. Their base camp is about 100 feet from ours.

The Russians are trying hard to reinvent the rules of high altitude climbing. Since arriving a day or two behind us, they have rushed up to 7,000 meters already. Now they are laying around ABC, some trying to retreat to base camp. They whipped themselves senseless, climbing too high too fast. Rumor has it that they are trying to beat all the climbers, including those on the south side, to the summit. (Traditionally the climbing conditions allow for earlier ascents on the south side, often two weeks earlier.) Seems like some people are into this idea of being first in the millennium.

The millennium has brought out some other interesting teams. Camped next to us at base camp is a huge Chinese TV team. Over 20 Sherpas are trying to get one Chinese climber to the summit. They will then broadcast live on Chinese TV.

I read in the Kathmandu paper that an orchestra was planning on summiting via the south side and then playing a 24 hour concert on top. I hope I reach the top to the subtle sounds of the tuba section playing "When the Saints Come Marching In."

Not quite finishing the string of interesting teams on Everest, a Spanish group is planning on climbing in 1920's period clothing (tweed jackets, knickers, etc.). They've made it to base camp, but their truck, loaded with hemp rope and cotton tents, is lost somewhere on the Tibetan Plateau. Didn't the Spaniards know that there were no roads in Tibet in the 1920's.

Well, it is time to put my own two feet into action.

Chris Warner

Advanced Base Camp (ABC) Everest Tibet

April 20, 2000
A lot has happened since I last sent the dispatch. Normally, I would be cranking them out, but the hard drive on the laptop has died. So far, three computers on this expedition have died. We are hoping to have a fourth computer on-line by tomorrow evening.

I want to catch you up on a few elements of the expedition. First, all of our team members are now based at ABC – our 21,500 ft camp. Thirteen other expeditions are at ABC. There must be over 200 tents spread along this narrow moraine band. We have fixed ropes and established a route to Camp One at 23,000 feet. We now have at least 2,000 pounds of gear up there. All but four of us have been to Camp One at least once. It will be about a week before we begin to sleep there. Tomorrow our sherpas and Andy Lapkass will start to string ropes to Camp Two, while I go up to Camp One to organize it.

What’ s the weather been like? At night temperatures dip below 0° at ABC. We eat our breakfast and dinners in down jackets and insulated pants. But during the day, while temperatures barely creep above 32° F, we might be sweating while we ferry loads up the fixed lines to Camp One at the North Col. It has snowed every day since we’ve been at ABC, but the high winds blow the snow away. This promises to be one of the coldest seasons on Everest.

If computer number four doesn’t freeze solid, we should be sending regular dispatches again.

Chris Warner

From a different perspective

Dispatch covering 15th April to 21st April Days 19 through 25

Correspondent: Climber Tony Kelly of Surrey, England

From Base Camp (BC) through Interim Camp to Advance Base Camp (ABC) and the storming of the North Col @ 7060m.

As I start to write some of this dispatch (on 19th April) I'm unsure of how its going to reach you since in the last few days although the expedition is making outstanding progress on the mountain we have experienced severe technical problems with the computing technology supporting the dispatch of text and digital imagery and the receipt of incoming personal mail and also the extremely important weather data. In a matter of days we have had two hard disks go down and a screen failure which has taken out 3 of our 5 computers. We are now back on line but a couple of mails have been lost and there has been delay in outbound dispatches. Please bear with us, although the human elements of this expedition are handling the minus 20degC to plus zero temperature swings very well, the computing hard ware is a little more temperamental.

15th April
We are moving up from BC to Interim camp and then on to ABC in two groups. This will ease the logistics pressure on Russ and the Sherpa team who have moved ahead to establish these camps. The trekking members on the team will go in the first wave since they have a tighter deadline. So David Sayer, David Eaton and Natalia will be in the first wave. They had a long slog in mediocre weather taking 7.5hrs to reach interim with Natalia feeling the effects of altitude badly. Meantime down in BC the second wave were stripping tents in winds gusting 40mph which was fun. BC will remain in basic form with a store, comms. and cook tent so that we can retreat there during the expedition as needed and it is manned with radio cover in the safe hands of Rom, one of the sherpa team..

16th April
Group 1 pull out of Interim camp to make for ABC at the same time as Group 2 head out of BC for Interim. Natalia has wisely decided that the AMS (acute mountain sickness) she is suffering due to altitude will best be treated by descent and group 2 pass her enroute. Group 2 makes Interim in 5.5hrs feeling in good shape having put on 300m to 6000m. Group 1 having left Interim early in the morning makes ABC in 7hrs or so. All are well apart from the expected minor headaches. David Sayer and David Eaton do particularly well in maintaining a good pace. David Eaton is particularly thrilled as the oldest member of the team he achieves a life’s ambition of trekking to both sides of Mount Everest.

17th April
The second group heads up for ABC and completes the 22km hike from BC cruising in 5hrs. Its a hard 2 day slog from BC but we would expect the climbing team to be doing it in one day as fitness and acclimatization improves over the next months. Enroute up the Rongbuk we have passed amazing penitentes ice formations caused by the effects of wind and sun leaving 60ft high ice fins marching up the glacier with the 7000m plus Changste on our right.
On rounding the last bend in the glacier and approaching the north col nothing prepares you for the awesome towering walls of the north ridge and the north east pinnacles of Everest first climbed by Russell Brice our expedition leader. Even though we are still some 2 hours hike away from the ice face leading up to the North Col you have to crane your neck back at 45deg. to see the summit.
Russ and the Sherpas have done an amazing job leveling the moraine rock fields to create a platform for a cook tent, store tent, mess tent and comms. tent and space for 16 individual tents and a toilet. Its back breaking work.

18th April
A ropey night for most with little sleep and minor AMS headaches are the order of the day and to be expected having reached ABC at 6460m. It is a busy day today which includes a puja, the trekkers departing, Russ and the team heading for the north col and the climbers establishing themselves at ABC. The puja went very well with good weather and fine views of the summit of Mt. Everest. The sherpas led the celebrations and rice and tsampa was duly thrown and the prayer flags were raised on their pole. Our ice axes were blessed with yak butter and juniper smoke and safe passage was requested on the mountain. We were immediately blessed with the good luck of two blackbirds landing on top of the prayer flags. David Eaton and David Sayer pulled out for their 10hr hike down to BC. It was a bit of an emotional departure as they had brought great colour and humour to the expedition (and not a little amount of whisky drinking!) Russ and the Sherpas had a fantastically successful day putting in the basic route to the North Col at 7060m.

19th April
The morning was spent tuning up climbing gear, reducing weight were possible and setting leashes on ascendeurs to the optimal length. This is in preparation for some the climbing team making a first push to the North Col. Russ also gives us a full briefing on fixed rope technique which is very different to Alpine rope techniques and it is essential for the safety of the whole expedition that we all use the same methods.

As mentioned at the introduction to this dispatch today was the day that our computing problems escalated to the loss of 3 out of our 5 computers. Tony worked to solve the problems but in this case they were insurmountable at this altitude without technical back up. The fall back is to bring up the Base Camp computer. Meantime Andy (one of the professional mountain guides on the team) and the sherpas do a load carry to the North Col. Andy is immensely strong and we suspect he is part yak and part sherpa. A small drama over dinner reminds us that this is a serious game we play. Indeed this is the second time in a few days that the Himex infrastructure has been called upon to render assistance to others in difficulty. Whilst at Interim camp our radio facilities where needed to help arrange the evacuation of a sherpa member of a French Canadian expedition. This evening, a cook with a Japanese expedition needs treatment in our Gammow bag to counter the effects of HAPE (high altitude pulmonary oedema). The gammow bag is a double skinned inflatable plastic chamber that a climber can be placed in so that when the bag is pressurized the effect is to reduce the apparent altitude by several thousand feet. The Japanese team do not have a gammow bag whereas we have two.
As the expedition proceeds it becomes apparent that most other expeditions recognize that the Himalayan Experience infrastructure for communications, safety and medical cover is the best there is on the mountain. The problem is that some expeditions count on it and consequently come under resourced and also put pressure on our resources.
This problem will manifest itself again with respect to the installation of fixed rope but more later.

20th April
Chris Warner leads a team of Tony, Jean, Graham, Daniel and Mark Whettu to push to the North Col with a sub 5 hour target. Although ambient temperatures are about zero or less there is little wind and consequently when they get onto the ice and ropes on the slopes of the north col its necessary to peel off goretex down to fleece and then again down to thermal tops. Only to reverse the process as we gained height and the wind strength increased. Its a very hard sustained drive through snow fields, ice cliffs, traversing around seracs and crossing crevasses (which we feel will later need ladders as the warmer weather causes them to open.). We crest the col in 4.5hrs @ 7060m some 23,000ft feeling very satisfied with our progress and celebrate with some hot tea. The weather started to turn almost immediately so we dropped the loads of sleeping bags and gas we were carrying and headed for a 1hr 45min. descent back to the relative comfort of ABC.

Those that remained in ABC took a hike up to the bottom of the fixed rope starting up the north col. A couple of the guys are a bit under the weather. Dave is suffering a little with altitude and Ivan is on medication for a chest infection but not serious. Overall the expedition is performing extremely well and we have the best infrastructure with the strongest sherpa team.

21st April
A relatively quiet day for the climbing team with yesterdays north col crew resting their legs. The sherpa's set off to put in the initial route from camp 1 to camp 2 at 7500m on the north ridge. Tony spent the morning thrashing around with the computer systems. We are now fully back on line.
Everybody makes use of the time to wash smelly kit and smelly bodies in the laundry with the best view in the world. Don't be getting any ideas there are washing machines up here. A wash is an outdoor splash in a bowl in subzero ambient temps. The trick of the day is managing to wash your hair with frozen shampoo and then somehow get the hair dry before it freezes and you may as well snap it off!
Latchu our ABC cook has got the flu and will have to go down to BC but Korbardu still manages to throw together egg, beans and bacon for breakfast (although some of us did detect a few icicles in the beans, no worries.)
We have been adopted by a small bird (sort of fat bullfinch) who hops around cheekily close. We also get visits from the odd packrat (looks like a small hamster). I chased one out of the comms. tent the other day - he was looking to nest amongst the wires. Also whilst passing Jeans tent and closing it up to prevent snow blowing in, one jumped out of his sleeping bag and shot between my legs before I could inquire as to its intentions. We all now check out sleeping bags before thrusting our feet in - not wanting a furry surprise (well not this early in the expedition anyway!).
The packrats looking for warm places and wastage on our computer gear is all down to the same thing - its damn cold! In fact its unseasonably cold with night time temps dropping to more than 20degC below zero. Our latest weather forecast from the Met. Office in Bracknell, UK tells us the jet stream temps. on top of the mountain are lower than minus 35degC. The wind is getting up and the snow is starting to fall hard - it promises to be a cold and buffeted night.
And we're all here of our own free will. Sane or what?

That's all for now folks
more to follow in the next few days
Tony Kelly

Pinned down in Advance Base Camp @ 6460m.

22nd April - day 26

We're socked in by bad weather. It was very windy overnight and heavy snow fall has kept us at ABC. Its a day of wrapping up warm in down gear and drinking lots of tea in the mess tent, telling tall stories of daring do.

Around mid aft. a serious game of minus 10degC (14ºF) Frozen Finger Scrabble begins aided by excellent English cheese and the remains of a box of wine. The combatants try to get all sorts of words through the judges depending on their origin: English (plain outrageous spelling), New Zealand (plain bad), Tibetan (smart American), etc. The debate raged on into the night.


23rd April - Day 27

It looked like the weather would hold for the morning and then break in the afternoon so no work was possible in fixing camps on the mountain. But most of the climbing team took a 3hr. recci. across the Rongbuk glacier to the Rapiu La, a pass of 6548m at the base of the huge buttress that is the north east ridge of mount Everest. Although the weather was not brilliant we did get a flash view between the clouds of the awesome Kangshung Face and the terrifying corniced ridge line of the N.E. ridge leading up to the Pinnacles (first climbed by Russell Brice our leader).


24th April - Day 28

Last night was strange. It started off perfectly clear with a thick star soup of a jet black sky. When we were turning in (which is typically around 9:00pm) the periodic flash of lightening illuminated the Rapui La pass south east of ABC. Some time later in the middle of the night all of us (we later agreed) sat bolt up right in our tents expecting the worst as a awful sound of a rock avalanche thundered towards us. It was in fact the thunder associated with the earlier lightening and we were in the middle of a howler of a storm.

Pinned in camp again the plan we had had for the north col. is shelved and the forecast says more of this for a couple of days. We resign ourselves to a waiting game and break out the Monopoly board. 3 hours later Russell has wiped the floor with all comers in a merciless display of the ruthless landlord.

Most folk turn in early this evening. Everyone has their own regime but for me it includes:-
Straight into the sleeping bag with all the down kit on, drinking water bottle (filled with hot water from the mess tent earlier) straight into the bottom of the sleeping bag and warming icy toes, do teeth, take out contacts, take bulk store of contacts out of fleece and place between legs to continue non freeze situation, put pee bottle in sleep bag (for use later and better warm than cold), suntan cream into sleep bag (it'll freeze otherwise), camera into sleep bag for same reason, head torch is on head at moment but will later join rest of paraphernalia in sleeping bag. Now peel off down kit top and bottom and fleeces etc. and zip up and seal sleep bag around neck and then around face. Prepare for -10degC to -20degC night and wish longingly that you were curled up with your girlfriend who you miss desperately.

A few hours of sleep later you wake up needing to pee because you've been drinking like a fish to avoid dehydration which is a real problem at these altitudes. You battle to find the head torch and sort out the pee bottle. Do the business and before resealing the sleeping bag wack down a third of litre of water from the drinking bottle (do not make a bottle ID mistake at this stage).

25th April - Day 29

Still pinned down in ABC by bad weather. High winds up above the North Col make it impossible to work on fixing rope and installing camps. We're hopeful the weather will improve tomorrow. In the meantime the team uses small gaps in the weather to do short hikes to keep legs and lungs working.

David, Ivan, Chung and Kieron, who had all been held back a little by various ailments and so have yet to make the North Col are all getting stronger and so the next plan is to get the entire team to the N. Col. which will be a good psychological boost.

During the last days of time pinned in ABC Russell has been negotiating with the other teams here since we have put the route in to the north col. and the fixed rope on that route is ours. The other teams will want to use it and when our sherpa's forge ahead on the north ridge the other teams will want to follow also. Russell takes the lead in pulling together a supply of rope from all the teams and a combined sherpa force to work together high on the mountain. As the weather clears over the next few days the results of the these negotiations and our own climbing team pushing up the north ridge should bear fruit.

more in few days

Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

  Winnie-the-Pooh Would have been Proud of Us.

April 26, 2000
We had been battered around for the last few days, snow showers and high winds keeping us close to ABC. Of course we had been keeping ourselves entertained, but our ambitions were being pushed aside. We wanted to be climbing, not playing Scrabble. (Can you believe they wouldn't let me play the word "om," the most universal of words, the essence of all things, the sound that each object makes as it vibrates? Om is the most sacred word in Buddhism and here we are in a Buddhist country.)

Needless to say, Scrabble wasn't bonding us and the mountain wasn't being climbed. We needed a crisp and clear morning.

On April 26th, the sun crested the range of peaks to our east. Sunbeams pierced the tent walls and the temperature quickly rose from below freezing to nearly freezing. We dashed about, grabbing crampons and harnesses and slinging our packs across our shoulders. We were bound for the North Col.

We left in small groups. For some of us it was the first journey to the col. Others had been there about 5 or 6 days ago. The Sherpas, Andy Lapkass, Russell Brice and Mark Whetu had been there at least twice before.

The route to the North Col, begins at ABC, following that moraine for 30-45 minutes to the edge of the glacier. Strapping on crampons, we cross a flat glacier to the base of a thousand foot headwall. Fixed lines guide us up this steep wall, the route varying from nearly flat to 60 degrees.

We all arrived at the North Col by 1 pm, taking between 2.5 hours and 5.5 hours. We flattened the snow, and spread a feast upon a tarp. It was a perfect picnic. Nineteen of us (8 climbers, 4 guides, 6 high altitude Sherpas, and a Tibetan Yak herder) gathered together in the sun and snacked on peaches, soup, candy bars and beef jerky.

The most gratifying part was not the picnic, but the accomplishment of getting all of our team to the 7,100 meter North Col, at the same time. Each of us felt the message: this is a strong and motivated team.

Karsang, the yak herder, has been dreaming of climbing Everest since he was a boy. Very few Tibetan yak herders share his dream, they think we are all nuts. The risks and the discomforts are too great. Karsang lives on a ridge top with views of both Cho Oyu and Everest.A few years ago, his climbing interests distinguished him from the other yak men. He soon began working for Himalayan Experience, assisting at base and advanced base camps. Russell and the Sherpas are helping Karsang realize his dream. The climb to the North Col was a step along the way. Karsang and I climbed further along the ridge line today, and I got some great photos of him looking toward the summit. He was so excited, perhaps the highest a yak man has ever climbed.

Chris Warner

Screaming Winds of the North Ridge

27th April to 29th April 23,000ft plus

27th April - day 30

Yesterday was a raging success of placing the entire Himex Everest 2000 team (all 19 of us) on the North Col at 7060m (circa. 23,000ft) which, as far as we know, is a first in expedition mountaineering on Everest.

Today Russ, Andy and the Sherpa's mounted a courageous thrust up the north ridge from the north col to complete rope placement and establish camp 2. The wind just rose and rose as we watched on the telescope from ABC as they pushed up the ridge, dots silhouetted against the skyline and occasionally disappearing in spindrift (wind blown powder snow). Eventually they were beaten back only metres from their goal. It was an amazing effort and a great show for us down in ABC sitting out on mats with scopes and binoculars, drinking tea and listening to Pink Floyds "wish you were here".

28th April - Day 31

Although the forecast is for high winds above the North Col the ascent to the col is sheltered from westerly winds and so the team set about 2 activities. A load carry to the col of all personal high altitude gear (down suits, gloves, etc.) and some of the team will remain there to sleep and then attempt the north ridge in the morning.

Kieron, performing very strongly, and Ivan and David all successfully dropped loads at our camp 1 - the col. Chung got with in some 80m but turned back due to problems with his jumar just below the final ice cliff leading to the Col. Tony had down climbed to assist but Chung called it a day.

Jean had elected to stay in ABC today conserving energy for later efforts. None of us can dispute the sense of this call. At 62 and aiming to be the oldest summitteer he has all our respect. Chris Warner, mountain guide and self confessed popcorn addict; Mark Whettu, mountain guide and high altitude cameraman, Tony and Daniel all settled in for a chilly and windy night at 23,000ft plus. The high winds have already trashed some poorly erected tents of other expeditions. We check our own meticulously. The evening meal is boil in the bag chili and a brew of tea hurriedly prepared as the sun goes and the temperatures crash to minus 25degC (-13ºF)with the wind chill reducing that impressive number even further.


29th April - Day 32

At the North Col Chris, Mark, Tony and Daniel reluctantly stir from their sleeping bags at around 5:30am. The hoar frost from the condensation on the inside of the tent is a good enough alarm as it drips in your face.

Several brews of tea are essential or in the case of Chris and Mark's tent some of the specially blended Everest ground coffee (an inspired addition to the team stores by Chris) gets them kick started and its not long before the first smart ass comment floats across the col "pass me one of those doughnuts Mark". It was getting windy at around 7:30am when we set out in full down gear up the north ridge. A warning of things to come.

The North ridge is a bleak exposed inhospitable windswept snow field that rises up 500m and takes around 5hrs of climbing to the rocks of camp 2. Its heavily corniced on the east side and drops away steeply into the Rongbuk on the west side. Either way 2000ft drops. The safe area is a few metres wide which would be fine but for the wind trying to lift you bodily into the East Rongbuk.

The reward it offers is jaw dropping views of Pumori, Cho Oyu, Gaurishankar, Cholatse, Tawache and others. The wind strength started to increase the moment we started on the ridge line. Tony had led out of camp and was soon wrestling with a rope that had got buried in the cornice overhanging the East Rongbuk by a 2000ft. Chris arrived in a few moments and with his added strength it was soon clear. Another 30mins. push up the ridge it increasingly difficult winds making standing upright an issue saw Chris cresting a small rise and another 10mph rise in wind speed put our estimate at around 45 to 50mph with gusts to over 60mph. This was no place to be in increasingly more dangerous conditions and the executive decision was a no brainer.

Chris called a retreat but not before grabbing some stunning photo's which we will try and send back with this dispatch to post on the websites.

The rest of the team had a relatively relaxing day at ABC although at least some of the time was given over to checking and rechecking the security of our tents since anything up to 100mph winds are expected over the next 3 days.

more in a few days
Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

Dispatch covering 30th April to 2nd May

Days 32 through 34
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber

Tent Destroyed & Blown off North Col & Snow storms sock in Advanced Base Camp (ABC)

30th April - day 32

Ivan, David, Chung and Kieron all head up early to the North Col to spend a night for acclimatization. Chris leads them up in this endeavor (it is suspected that his full pack is due to several kilo's of Everest blend ground coffee being load carried, in addition to his cravings for popcorn Chris has come out of the closet regarding his coffee fixation - we're all trying to be sympathetic and help with his personal battles). (A little side note from the home web team - The "Everest Blend" ground coffee that you keep hearing about, has been specially blended by our sponsor Riverside Roastery.)

Soon after they had set off Lhopsang radioed down from the Col saying that one of our tents had gone. Blown away we suspected in the severe wind of the night before. After some discussion it was realized that it was the tent that Tony and Daniel had been using the night before. This was a little disturbing for them but a more immediate problem was the loss with the tent of all their high altitude climbing equipment stored in the tent.

A search and rescue would have to be mounted but it could be anywhere from a local crevasse on the east face of the north col or several miles down the east rongbuk glacier. Later in the morning as our other climbing members where reaching the col successfully Lhopsang radioed again to say they had found the tent and it look like it was smashed up but intact as far as contents. It was down a difficult to access crevasse some 80m (262.48 ft) down the east face of the north col. Some extra gear would be needed for extraction and so it was planned for tomorrow morning.

1st May - Day 33

The climbers at the north col had a reasonable night although a little windy. Ivan has a severe cough and so it was rough for him and anyone trying to sleep in the vicinity. As they descended early in the morning they passed the tent rescue team in the form of Russ and Andy as they set up the rope needed to abseil into the crevasse. Tony had followed Russ and Andy up the mountain to record the event with photo's. Daniel was coming up behind to fit in with a plan for Russ, Andy, Tony, Daniel and the Sherpa's to spend the night at the Col again and hope for a weather window to get up the North Ridge and tag camp 2 at 7500m (24,607). Also Graham was on the way up to the Col with a view to another acclimatization night.

The rescue was a struggle but successful and by late morning the kit was extracted by Russ and Andy with assistance from Chris from above and Tony lent a hand in carrying gear back up to the North Col. By late afternoon it was snowing heavily and the prospects of moving up the North Ridge where beginning to fade.

Probably the most disturbing discovery of the day was the evidence of the securing ropes on the tent that had gone into the crevasse being cut. This is an almost inconceivable occurrence with the potential consequences being horrendous. Russ thinks he knows who may be behind this grotesque event but of course there is no proof. Its a difficult enough undertaking climbing the mountain without having to worry about some headcase loose on the hill.

2nd May - Day 34

The night at the North Col had been relatively windless but the snow had fallen several feet deep. We awoke at 5:00am to check out the conditions. We hung on for a couple of hours to see if it stopped. It was falling thick and fast and the decision to bale out back to ABC was obvious. We needed to make the descent quite quickly since although the risk of avalanche was slight it was no place to hang about.

Meantime the crew back at ABC, Kieron, Ivan, Dave, Chung, in addition to a planned departure to BC for a rest had cooked up a plan to pull out further than BC and try and organize a 4x4 to Xigatse to get some nights in a comfortable hotel.

Its snowing heavily at ABC and likely to be snowing at BC. The team that has just come off the mountain may well go down to BC since the next 4 days are forecast bad weather. However the way the weather is looking the heavy snow may well pin us in ABC.

The decision of some of the guys to try and get out to Xigatse (assuming they can organize the jeep for the 12hr journey, which won't be easy) has caused some internal debate in the team regarding style, attitude, focus, commitment etc. and rationale since although a warm bath and bed may be available it is no significant reduction in altitude which should be the primary driver for any retreat from ABC. Needless to say there are two distinctly polarized views of this move.

We have been working closely from the start of the expedition with our good friends on the UK Territorial Army Expedition Ian Andersen and Dan White and remarkably it turns out that Anna Powell (a Cap Gemini staff member) is intimately involved with Dan's brother-in-law. Even more remarkable is that the TA Expedition would like to record its indebtedness for technical advice on high altitude mountaineering to Anna who is an expert in this field having recently returned from scaling Machupichari.

Close of play today is heavily falling snow at ABC. Russell recalls from his 9 expeditions to the North side of Mount Everest that these are the coldest conditions he can remember. The small team remaining at ABC of Russell, Andy, Chris, Mark, Tony, Graham and Daniel enjoy a good meal cooked by Latchu who is back from a spell at BC to recover from a chest infection. We all retire to our subzero bedrooms to dive into sleeping bags shared with anything we don't want to freeze with at least our tummies happy - Christmas pudding and Custard was the desert - mmmm, yummy.

more in a few days
Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m (21,195 ft)
Everest 2000 - North Side

Dispatch covering May 3 to 5, 2000

Days 35 through 37
Correspondent: Chris Warner

Pushing the route to 7,900 meters (25,920 ft)

3 May - day 35

With the sun shining, Tony, Daniel, Andy, Mark and Graham, set off from ABC for a few nights of R&R in base camp. In total we are a team of 23 climbers and support staff. Now there are but 9 of us at ABC and boy is it lonely without the constant hypoxic comments and debaucherous behavior of our supposedly educated team mates.

Russell and I set our minds to bigger tasks, like figuring out how to prep the mountain for our summit attempts. We would like to have camps 2&3 in place by the time our team returns to ABC. That would allow them to accelerate their acclimatization and familiarization with the route.

Normally, there is an attempt at sharing the responsibilities of fixing the ropes, with all of the other teams on the mountain. After all, everyone uses the ropes. The trouble is that carrying spools of rope (6 kilos- 13 lbs. each) to the high point and then fixing the ropes, by anchoring them to pitons, rock outcrops, ice screws or snow pickets, is really exhausting work. It is easier for everyone to wait for another team to do all of the hard work.

Excepting for three hundred feet, at the very start of the route, we've put in all of the fixed line on the mountain so far, miles of it. We've been trying to organize a meeting of all the teams, in an effort to finish the task of fixing ropes, but so far it has been too easy for teams to avoid meeting.

Anyway...the hard work will only be done by the most aggressive and ambitious team. Seems like that's us.

4 May - Day 36

I slept through my alarm, waking to Russ' call at 4:30 a.m. The two of us, along with our five climbing Sherpas, have agreed to take control of the fixed line situation. We can't be held back by the 20+ other teams that all mean well, but can't seem to get anything besides candy bars into their packs.

We set off from ABC (21,500 ft. - 6450 m.) at 5 a.m. It is light enough to allow us to climb without flashlights and we set off at a record breaking pace. We arrive at Camp 1 (the North Col) at 7 a.m. and quickly change into our down suits, One Sport boots, Carrera goggles and bulky mittens. We shove 400 meters of rope in our packs. And we are off.

From Camp 1 (23,000 ft. - 7060 m.) we clip into the ropes heading to camp 2 (24,750 ft. - 7500 m.) I struggle to keep up with these guys. I've never climbed with a faster group. Normally it takes climbers 4 to 5 hours to get to Camp 2 from the col. We do it in just over 2.5 hours, stopping near the top to fill our packs with gear they've stashed on an earlier attempt to reach Camp 2.

We've got work to do. Digging a platform for our tents and arranging all of our gear, before heading even higher. Within 30 minutes of arriving at Camp 2 we are on our way.

The route from here to Camp 3 is mostly on rock. In our packs are the heavier 11mm static ropes, brought to the peak by the British Army group, but carried from Camp 1 by us. It is like carrying a lead weight at this altitude. Each rope is 60 meters long and we stretch them from point to point. It takes about 30 minutes to secure each rope and we are a pretty efficient team. Phurba, perhaps our strongest Sherpa, leads out with one Sherpa feeding the rope and the rest of us organizing the route and tying off the mid points. As soon as the rope is strung, one of us gladly takes a rope from our pack and preps it for the next section.

By 3 p.m. we made it to our Camp 3 at (26,070 ft. - 7900 m.). We had been climbing for 11 hours, gaining 4,570 ft - 1450 m. I've got to tell you, it was an impressive day, climbing that hard, accomplishing that much, at that altitude. I sat down on a rock, and checked out the summit. It seemed so close, although it was still a long way away.

It was on the descent that I realized how tired I was. While it took under two hours to descend to Camp 1 at the North Col, every part of me was exhausted. Dawa, one of our Sherpas, descended about an hour before us and had tea waiting. I drank two big bowls worth and crawled into a tent. While I made a nest for myself with 4 sleeping bags, Russ pushed on to ABC. I envied him the chance to sleep in his own sleeping bag, but hadn't the leg strength to descend any further.

The Sherpas, always impressing us, chose to sleep at Camp 1 as well. They wanted to ferry a load to Camp 2 the next morning.

5th May - Day 37

I slowly came to life, as the sun rose. It was 5 a.m. and my internal alarm clock was ringing. I was dehydrated, hungry and yearning for a cup of coffee. Since my night at Camp 1 was unplanned, I didn't bring any of that good old Everest Blend with me. (An aside: when I showed up in Kathmandu with nearly 25 pounds of the Riverside Roastery's Everest Blend coffee, everyone was a skeptic: How could we possibly drink that much? Well now that they are all junkies, the jugs are less than 1/2 full. I think a crisis is looming. For you coffee lovers: hi altitude Mexican blended with Sumatra and French Roasted. Gets your faint heart going.)

I crawled out of the tent before 6 a.m. and the Sherpas were already dressed and organizing loads. It was impressive. Here I was heading to ABC for breakfast and they were climbing to Camp 2.

Luckily, today was a perfect day, perhaps the best we've had since arriving. I was back in ABC in 40 minutes, cradling a cup of coffee. The sherpas zoomed up to Camp 2 and were back in ABC for late lunch.

The last two days have been significant for us. Camp 2 is up. The fixed lines stretch to Camp 3. The climbers are resting and recuperating at base. Given a week of good weather, as forecasted, and the help of some other teams with the fixed rope, and our side of the hill will be prepared for our summit attempts.

Chris Warner
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m (21,195)
Everest 2000 - North Side

Dispatch covering May 6 & 7 Days 38 & 39

Correspondent: Chris Warner (guide)

A little bit of cooperation and she still sings the blues
May 6

The sun rose early and strong, chasing us out of our tents and allowing us to sip our coffee and tea on the patio in front of our tents. It is the second glorious day and our aching bones are loving it. Most of the group is still in base camp, resting up from the early pushes and fattening up for the next round.

At 10 a.m. the patio fills with leaders of most of the 24 teams and their climbing sherpas. The meeting is about fixed ropes and garbage, two hot topics. As I indicated in the last journal entry, fixed ropes are a political nightmare here. Good climbers think they'll never use them so don't want to put them in or pay for them. The Sherpas love them, knowing that they make their job much easier. And the majority of climbers want them desperately, but can't seem to figure out how to support their placement and upkeep.

In a storm or during a rescue, fixed ropes are critical to saving lives. Tired climbers use them to maintain control on the steeper sections. Without a doubt, not one climber on Everest this year will avoid using the ropes. So if everyone uses them, shouldn't everyone be responsible for them?

The consensus of the meeting was that everyone would pay $25 (US) towards the ropes. The money is collected by a sirdar of a Japanese team and distributed as bonuses to the people who carry and anchor the fixed ropes. There is a scale, in which sections down low get a lower rate then those up high.

With this system, I've earned about $50. I think I'll put it towards a beach blanket.

This year, a Japanese team is here, collecting garbage. This is a great addition to the scurrying about that is taking place on the hill. Ken Naguchi, the leader of the team climbed Everest with Himalayan Experience a few years back. Now he has raised enough funds to bring 22 Sherpas with him. They'll clean up to the highest camp, at 8300 meters (27,232 ft).

So they've brought in a huge tent to serve as a garbage collection site for all of the teams. Unfortunately, they've erected this tent in plain view of our patio. It ain't easy being an environmentalist!!!!!

We all went to bed, filled with good feelings about the cooperative nature of the teams gathered on Everest this year.

May 7

I woke up to Chomolungma singing the blues. Stratus clouds, steel gray, blanketed the skyline. The sun couldn't penetrate. By 7 a.m. the snow was falling in thick flakes. The wind howled through the seracs on the glacier, filling the air with the plaintive wailing of a blind sax player.

The day was spent beneath the covers, reading books. Three times I got up. On a mountain full of dreamers there was little hope.

The climbers are all huddled in their tents. Sherpas are playing cards. A few brave souls have visited us. When you've got a propane heater, your more popular than most. Mallory and Irvine, or at least the Spanish climbers playing those roles on the TV production being filmed here, stopped by for a visit. It was a cheery cup of tea, shared with the two climbers who died here 76 years ago.

Chomolungma loves her blues.

(Chomolungma is the Tibetan name for Everest.)

more in a few days
Chris Warner
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

Dispatch covering 3rd May to 11th May

Days 35 through 43
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber

Rest Up at Base Camp - Where zero degrees is luxury compared to the Mountain

note: since Chris was in ABC and I was in BC some of these dispatch dates overlap but its all part of the story and different perspectives - so here goes

3rd May - day 35

Daniel, Tony, Graham, Andy and Mark all headed out of ABC via a cup of tea at Interim camp for the 22km hike down the glaciers to BC for a well earned rest. They were joining Dave, Ivan, Kieron and Chung already there. Although in places the penitentes on the glacier are spectacular for the most part its a long slog down an undulating boulder and moraine trail (only beaten in the slog ratings by the slog back up). We decided to put the heat on and managed it in a creditable 5hrs dead including 40mins for tea at Interim.

Arrival at interim confirmed the intentions of Kieron, Dave and Ivan to pull out for Xigatse the following morning. Speculation is rife as to whether the strategy of resting in BC or going to the fleshpots of Xigatse is the right plan. Russell's vote is dead against the Xigatse plan. The rest of us decide that 12hrs each way in the 4x4, a nice bed and a shower, Chinese food and the worry of tummy bugs with no significant height reduction benefit when weighed against Ram and Korbadu's Base Camp cooking extravaganza, keeping in touch with the mountain, staying fit knocking off 6000m peaks - is no contest. Who knows who is right maybe both.

The other discovery at BC was that the Sat. phone had been the subject of prying fingers that didn't know what they where doing. The result - a dead phone. TK will set to the task tomorrow to try and undo the problem. Up to then we are cut off from comms. at BC.

4th May - Day 36

Kieron, David and Ivan leave early in the jeep to Xigatse. The rest of the team all plan lazy starts. First task for Graham and Tony is to fix up the rudimentary shower at BC which is a caravan pump pulling water from one of the gear barrels filled with water heated in the kitchen tent. This contraption delivers several minutes of bliss. But since the water has to be carried about a kilometre on the backs of Ram and Korbardu from a glacial river this is not a frequent occurrence. Most shave off 4 weeks of growth and Tony even goes for a haircut. This amounts to looking in a mirror and slicing off everything above the eyebrows with his Leatherman tool.

On the mountain the sherpas are pushing hard to get ropes in place as high as 7900m. Meantime the Dutch expedition is even considering an early push to the summit. Our view is this is risky since its still very early and very very cold and the weather is not stable. In fact the weather is unseasonably cold and unpredictable which is a worry for us.
Tony arranges assistance on our Sat. Phone by contacting the USA on the British Army's Sat. phone.

5th May - Day 37

A quiet day in BC with the team doing exactly what is required - Resting, eating, drinking lots of fluids and sleeping. We need to regain strength, put back some body mass wasted after 2 weeks or so at ABC and above. The body is designed to work well at 6000m plus and muscle wastes, fat reserves are eaten up and various minor running irritations take their toll.

Its also big laundry day today with underwear that's spent the last few weeks close to its owners vitals under some stressful situations getting a bit of a shock being exposed to sunlight and then plunged into hot water.

Up on the mountain the sherpa's have been doing some consolidating at Camp 2 but then returned to ABC for rest.

We think we may have been graced with a visit in BC by Fifi (our name) the incredible climbing dog. Ever since recent claims by Stevie Haston (the self proclaimed greatest climber in the world) when he said the climbing Mt. Everest is so easy a dog could climb it, there have been rumours of sightings. I believe history records that Mr Haston singularly failed to get above the North Ridge but perhaps the less said about that the better. Whereas Fifi has been reported as spending a leisurely night acclimatizing at the North Col before descending to BC for a rest prior to a summit push. As part of her detailed preparations she knicked off with a large piece of yak meat from our store tent.

6th May - Day 38

Forty-five years ago today I'm sure that the last thing on the young Kelly's mind was Mount Everest. But celebrating his 45th at Base Camp in the year 2000 is certainly imprinted on his mind for the rest of his life. The team made a great effort with a manufactured card, Ram and Korbardu baked a cake which even had icing and some pretty dodgily spelled greetings, a bottle of scotch was given a good pasting, ABC radioed down their best wishes and the British Army's sat. phone provided contact with loved ones at home and and excellent event slipped into the dispatches.

For the most part that day had been quiet at BC. A few folk took short hikes but otherwise a day of recharging.

7th May - Day 39

A grey, snowy, windy day and folk in BC are starting to get a bit board and restless and want to be back up the mountain. Graham and Tony visit an ancient cave down the valley near the Rongbuk monastery. It is reputed that a monk was deliberately walled in by his colleagues along with the monasteries treasures at the time of the Chinese invasion. The trip into the cave was a slightly unexpected potholing adventure since it winds up and down through narrow passage ways. There was not much evidence of former habitation other than some wall writings and an old hearth. Late this evening Kieron, Dave and Ivan arrived back from Xigatse. The breakdown of activity seems to have been Kieron got clean, ate and walked a lot, Dave got clean, ate and slept a lot and Ivan got clean, ate and sauna'd a lot. As far as concerns about focus on the mountain and splitting the team it would seem worries were unfounded and certainly no one has returned with a tummy bug which was a major concern. Indeed Kieron is dead keen and is off up to ABC ahead of the pack tomorrow.

8th May - Day 40

Kieron left early with a plan to stop over at Interim camp half way up the glacier. Its a grey day but otherwise not too cold at BC (i.e. around zero.). The rest of the team are getting even more restless and Tony and Daniel put in place a plan to move up to ABC setting off tomorrow. The mountain is taking its toll on the expeditions here and already there have been over 30 people gone home with medical problems ranging from stomach upsets that refuse to respond to treatment, serious chest infections that won't be budged by antibiotics, retinal hemorrhaging (which is a fairly common problem but his had seriously affected his vision), a couple of rabies bites, pulmonary edema (leakage of fluid across the membranes in the lungs - a killer if not promptly treated by descent) and cerebral edema (leakage of fluid across the membrane in the brain - a killer if not promptly treated by descent).

Our own team has had its minor ailments but generally we're holding up very well. A few chest infections and colds but nothing we couldn't handle with our medical kit and certainly nothing too serious, even Tony's broken finger is healing well albeit not pointing in the original direction.

We can put our general well being down to better food in cleaner conditions and having a healthier infrastructure in our expedition. For example: prior to every meal we all wash hands in a bucket of hot disinfected water outside the mess tent. Bugs rip through a team like wild fire so we take the route of pre-emptive strike.

On the mountain our own sherpa team is consolidating camps and the Dutch have a man going for an early summit without oxygen.

9th May - Day 41

Yesterday, Kieron, travelling alone got all the way to Interim camp on the east rongbuk glacier only to have Chuldrim refuse him entrance to the tent and turn him away. The last time Chuldrim had seen Kieron he was scruffy and unshaven and now the squeaky clean shaven, sweet smelling version looked unfamiliar and highly suscpicious. Also Kieron didn't have any expedition ID on him. But after reciting all 19 members and sherpas names off pat Chuldrim figured he was a nice chap and invited him in for tea.

Daniel and Tony are ploughing up today through grim grey weather and snow fall. The debate rages on in BC about the weather, the condition of the mountain and the right time to go back to ABC. For Graham and Mark the timing is driven by their BBC Mallory and Irvine Search Project. For the others it probably means a few more days in BC until the strategy and timing is right.

10th May - Day 42

After a very pleasant night with Chuldrim at Interim Tony and Daniel roll into ABC in time for a good lunch. The last 11km had been covered in strange conditions with very bright sunlight and yet falling snow making everything sparkle like is was jewel encrusted. It couldn't last and the last 2km was just heavy snow clag. Russ and the Sherpas had just come off the mountain having been working very hard between 7900m (25,920 ft) and 8300m (27,232 ft) putting in equipment stashes. They had to battle back down through knee deep fresh snow and decided that enough was enough and they would pull out for a BC rest that next day having spent nearly a month above 6000m (19,686 ft).

Hans the Dutch leader who was attempting a solo without oxygen summit bid has also come down having pulled out at 8500m (27,888). Hans's hands and of course his toes are all intact thank goodness.

11th May - Day 43
Andy is coming up today from BC to ABC in one 22km hit. While he's on his way Russ and the Sherpas head down for several days in BC. Tony, Daniel and Kieron plot their next assault on the mountain. The plan is that whilst Andy is working up at 7900m (25,920 ft) they will go to the North Col, stay over, then climb the North Ridge and stay at Camp 2 and then push on to 7900m before returning to ABC. Of course this is all subject to weather. The weather window looks ok but not great. The good news is the winds should be light, however there may be some snow.

more in a few days
Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

May, 12-14, 2000 days 44-46

May 12, 2000 day 44
He's looking old, folks!!

Graham Hoyland woke up, wishing this dream was over. It was his birthday.
Forty three years old and still not smart enough to give up climbing for golf. This is actually his second birthday on Everest. How foolish can you get?

The rest of us had plenty of fun at his expense. Russell and the Sherpas were with us in base camp and it didn't take long before the pop tops were pulled on a few Pabst Blue Ribbons. We pulled the tables into the sun, served hors d'oeuvres and invited a bunch of British and Dutch climbers over for a party.
Russell gave Graham some pieces of a tent and some kind of old food tin, excavated from a camp site at 7,900 meters (25,920 ft.). These scraps of canvas and the sections of tent pole were from the 1924 British Expedition. Graham's uncle was one of the climbers on that team. We've been kidding Graham for weeks about setting up a big canvas tent on his front lawn, stocking it with old climbing gear and calling it a museum. Well, he's on his way to a curatorship now.

Keiron, Tony and Daniel were climbing from ABC to the North Col, missing the party. Luckily for them, as the British Army didn't finish drinking our beer until long after midnight.

High on the mountain, the Japanese clean up expedition pitched in, again, carrying and fixing ropes from 7900 meters (25,920 ft.) to 8300 meters (27,232 ft). This has really opened the doors to summit, allowing teams laden with gear to establish their high camps. Still no ropes are fixed above 8300 meters and the snow is so deep up there, old ropes aren't to be found. It will still take either a bold or a strong team to push for the top.

May 13 Day 45

Moses would love the walk from base camp to ABC. He'd be chuckling to himself. Imagine, his Red Sea trick being repeated in Tibet. The glacier seems to be tossed upward. Towers of ice, 45 feet tall, border a gravel pathway. It is such an easy and beautiful trail. And the ice is sculpted by the sun and winds into thousands of different shapes.

Early in the a.m., Jean, Mark, Graham and I left base camp for the 22 kilometer hike to ABC. It was a cloudless day. Not even a slight breeze shifted the snow on Everest. Every feature stood out. Remarkable.

It was a good omen. Tony, Daniel and Keiron were headed for the 7,500 meter camp. The climber half of our expedition was pushing itself upward again. We could all sense the shift in momentum.

The crystal clear skies were shifting a lot of the other teams into gear. The trail to ABC was getting crowded. The fixed lines leading to the col were being yanked and tugged on. Rumors of summit attempts were in the air. In fact, Nima, the Tibetan Laison Officer was moving up to the 8300 meter camp along with a few strong Spanish climbers.

On the South Side, climbers pushed upwards from the South Col, only to be turned back by the deep snow.

It is a rough season on Everest. A train of yaks and a handful of porters carried a few climber's hopes off the mountain yesterday. In fact, a number of teams have already ordered yaks to arrive at ABC on the 22nd of May. They are counting down the days and making bold pushes upward right now.

May 14 day 46

It was light at 4:30 a.m. and the heat of the sun at 6 a.m. drove me from my tent. During the five nights I've been away from ABC, a major shift has happened. I think its Spring. Purple finches are sitting on the rocks, singing to each other. I can drink my coffee in a light vest, instead of a bulky down parka.

We spoke with the boys at the 7,500 meter camp and they were dressed in their down suits, and pushing upwards by 7 a.m. Their goal was to climb to the 7,900 meter camp, in an effort to get better acclimated and familiar with that section of the route.

Despite the relatively warm temps and low winds, Daniel had some problems with cold feet. When they did finally warm up, thanks to pouring a thermos of hot tea on them, he cruised ahead of the others. Keiron climbed to 7,700 meters and having his feet chewed by his boots, decided to head back down and limit the erosion of his toes. It was so warm he said that he had his down suit tied around his waist and wore only a T shirt!!!!! Tony and Daniel pushed on, tagging the 7,900 meter camp around noon.

While they toiled on the hill, most of us enjoyed a rest day. Chung and Chuldim made there way up from base today. All 8 clients are now back at ABC.

The Tibetan- Spanish teams that were poised at the 8300 meter camp turned back. Another summit hope put on hold.

Despite running low on coffee, our team's morale is really high right now. With our climbers now cruising up and down the hill, with our gear in position and the weather being so stable for once, all talk is of summit attempts. We still have a week of work ahead of us, but it seems so manageable. And most importantly we have plenty of time and potato chips.

Chris Warner

May 15-17, 2000

Days 47 through 49
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber

The Penultimate Push to 7900m (25,675ft) Camp 3 and The Plan for the Final Push

15th May - Day 47

Tony, Daniel and Kieron are on a well earned rest day having successfully nailed 7900m (25,675ft) and Camp 3. This is the last hurdle before planning a summit attempt for them. It was a long hard slog with constant negotiation required between Mind (Desire) and Body (Pain).
The effort started at Camp1 on the North Col when on arrival it needed 2 hours of digging to clear the tents of snow. The North Ridge is a 5 hour almost continuous angle snow slope to Camp 2 and is best tackled by getting into a rhythm and not looking up (otherwise you get the impression of not getting any closer.) The ridge can be a killer if the wind his high but on that day it was the scorching heat baking through down suits that was withering. The 14th's climb up to Camp 3 and then descent all the way down to ABC was a grueling 12hr. day but incredibly satisfying to have cleared the final hurdle.

Day 47, the 15th was spent with binoculars and telescopes trained on the summit as a very hard Russian team pushed through very cold conditions to successfully tag the summit late in the morning and become the first team in 2000 to top out and the first time in years that the north side has summited before the south. (Henry Todd's team on the south side having been beaten back by snow and cold twice in the last week.). Whilst watching the action on the mountain we all jumped a mile when a yak went a little load crazy and squewered a tent. A Swiss attempt failed at 8300m and a Catalan attempt via the Norton Couloir failed. Also Ang Baboo Sherpa failed at the South Summit on the south side in his attempt to break the 15 hour barrier.

Tony had found a piece of telegraph wire used in the 1924 Mallory Irvine ascent and donated this to Graham Hoyland's growing pile of bits n'pieces from that expedition. The '24 expedition had a telegraph set up between the North Col and ABC and occasionally sections of the wire appear lower down the glacier. Ivan and Dave all headed up to the North Col with a view to sleeping and then moving on to Camp 2 and eventually Camp 3 at 7900m to put Ivan and Dave in a position for a summit attempt. Chris was planning to catch up with them in the morning.

16th May - Day 48

An early start for Ivan and Dave didn't quite come off since they slept in and Chris woke them as he passed through Camp 1 having started from ABC at around 5:00am. Dave got away around 7:30am and Ivan was way late at around 9:30am. However this was reversed when Ivan passed Dave a couple of hours later. Dave subsequently pulled out at around 7200m having made it just short of half way up the North Ridge. He withdrew back to Camp 1 at the Col to consider his options.

Meantime Chung was storming up to the North Col with a plan to move up to Camp 2 a day behind Chris and Ivan and get back on the summit program. Chuldrim our Camp Sirdar was in accompaniment for assistance. Chris made Camp 2 having gone straight through from ABC in double quick time and several hours later was joined by Ivan for a cozy night at 7500m.

Meantime Russ and the Sherpas were returning from their rest at BC to start the final push. They were just too late for an amazing high altitude Potato Salad professionally tossed together by Kieron who was assisting Latchu in the kitchen today. Not a morsel was left. Kieron is now stand-in cook should anything happen to Latchu or Rom.

While Chris was reporting a couple of rock strikes on Camp 2 (one of which penetrated a tent) Graham was ignoring the messages since he was in the comms. tent having his finger lanced by Andy to release the biggest tidal wave of infected mess you don't want to know about. Grahams finger is now in contest with Tony's broken finger for first place in the injury stakes. Not to be outdone, Tony now has an infected little finger on his other hand and Andy is rapidly becoming the most expert medic in high altitude finger injuries.

17th May - Day 49

Fingers have been raised into the wind, weather forecast consulted, the medicine men have done their stuff, the Nepali and Tibetan religious calendars have been checked (you think I'm joking this is all true) and the 24th is the auspicious day. Course all that may change day to day but for now that's it. This means the "A" team of Tony, Daniel, Kieron, Jean accompanied by Andy and Chris and Lhopsang, Pulbar and Khasang will be heading out on 20th for their summit bid. The "B" team is Ivan with Russ, Mark, Dawa and Garseng. Where are Dave and Chung - well? Dave came down this morning from the North Col and is virtually decided he will not be going back up. Chung also pulled out after a lousy night at the North Col and it looks like his attempt is over.

This morning was a briefing by Russ for the summit bid teams on preparation work and kit and also a rerun and practice session with the oxygen breathing equipment we will use above 8300m. Although Jean (who has a few years on the rest of us will probably use oxy. from Camp 1 at the North Col.

The rest of the morning was spent looking through the scopes as some 30 climbers attempted the north side in a rush to get up before their climbing permits expire. Its still early and very cold and by mid morning the wind had doubled in strength. It's not known how many were successful at this stage but probably less than 20.

The pressure and excitement is on now as the summit teams prepare.

more in a few days
Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

May 19 - Day 51

Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber

The First Summit Bid departs 20th May

Folks,
Just to confirm that the "A" Team of Tony, Daniel, Kieron, Jean and Chris, Andy, Lhopsang, Phulbar, Kharsang (Web Team Note:Kharsang is yak herder mentioned in Journal of 4/26) head out for their summit bid attempt tomorrow 20th May. We will be moving between camps a day at a time and therefore should be in position at top camp 8300m (27,232 ft) on 23rd afternoon for our final push up the north east ridge tackling the first, second and third steps on our way to the final summit slopes on the 24th.

We will be using oxygen to sleep on at 7900m (25,920 ft) and for climbing from 8300m with the exception of Jean who is attempting to be the oldest person to climb the mountain at 62. He will be using oxygen from the north col at 7010m (23,000 ft).

The "B" team of Ivan accompanied by Russ and Mark, with Gelzen and Dawa will set off a day later. Chung is also back in the game and will tag the "B" team through with Chuldrim as a partner, initially looking for a high point performance and if all goes well, then will join the "B" team. In addition to supporting Ivan; Russ, Mark, Gelzen and Dawa are part of Graham Hoylands BBC Sandy Irvine search team. They will be pursuing that agenda as soon as possible.

Ok, more and fuller details of the run up to our summit bid and the exciting details of our attempt to conquer the highest point on earth will follow around the 26th May on our return to Advanced Base Camp.

In the meantime keep us in your thoughts and wish us luck.(Web Team Note: Keep them in prayer too!)

more in a few days
Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

Dispatch covering May 20 to 21

Written by: Chris Warner

May 20, 2000

On four of the five last days, climbers have reached the summit of Everest via the North Ridge. We're guessing that nearly 60 people have summited, so many more than any season before. It is really amazing to watch, as a stream of people top out on the ridge and cut across the prominent summit snow field. At times its like a catepillar, stretching and contracting, as the climbers inch upward towards the top.

As you can imagine, everybody is getting excited. Between 8 a.m. and noon, as base camp radios crackle with calls from the top, different groups let loose with cheers. It is contagious: a group of Japanese, then an even louder cheer from the Ukrainians, followed an hour later by a rolling cheer for a Sherpani who summits via the North Ridge.

Today, though, is a bit different. A lenticular cloud is hanging over the summit and everything above 8,000 meters looks nasty. We know that the winds are high and rumor has it that most of today's hopeful summiters are climbing without oxygen. The radios are crackling, but there are no cheers. Instead, Everest is being Everest, chasing climbers from the ridge and back to the safety of the tents.

Thousands of feet below, we're getting caught up in our own excitement. Kieron, Tony, Daniel and Jean are organizing their backpacks, while the video cameras are rolling. It is sunny one minute, light snow falls the next. By 10 a.m. they are on their way to Camp 1. The long process of climbing to the summit has begun.

Things are happening quickly. An hour and a half later, and Jean Clemenson has returned from his summit bid. He is our 62 year old climber, and his body isn't cranking like it should be. He's removed himself from the summit team. We are all feeling a bit depressed by this, but respect Jean and his decision making skills. Afterall, he is one the more experienced mountaineers on the mountain. (A 62 year old Japanese man has summited via the North Ridge a few days ago.)

Jean's departure opens a spot in the team and Ivan moves into place. He packs and heads for Camp 1 later in the afternoon. We now have four clients (of the original 7) that are capable of making a summit bid. Russell, Mark, Andy and I spend the afternoon shuffling things around. There will be one summit team. Ivan, Tony, Kieron and Daniel, with all five Sherpas and Andy and I as guides. Quite a ratio (7:4) and a really powerful team.

The strongest of the climbers who were caught up high today are making their way back to ABC. No one climbed much above the second step because of the winds and sub zero temps. Normally powerful climbers are limping through the camp site. Several are being lead by friends or Sherpas. They are exhausted. Some have minor frost bite.

Despite all the climbers who have summited, or have attempted to, there is still very little fixed rope above high camp. They've been pulling on tattered old ropes and traversing knife edge ridges without any form of protection. The risks people are willing to accept seems too high to me. It would be so simple for each of these climbers to carry 5 pounds of rope and anchor it where needed. By now, the route would be so much safer and the risks of fatalities dramatically reduced.

In my opinion, the narrow focus of the summiters is so short sighted. Any single one of those folks could develop snow blindness, cerebral edema or simply push too hard and suffer from exhaustion. A few more fixed lines on the ridge would save their lives. If you're strong enough to go for the summit, your strong enough to carry the rope. And if you're smart enough to raise the cash, you're wise enough to value the fixed lines. After all, the North Ridge or South Col routes on Everest are the trade routes, the paths of least resistance. They are not intended to be the battle grounds of technical extremism. The community of climbers on these routes should be banding together to make the routes safer.

Maybe, the shear numbers of climbers (300 or so) has given people a false sense of security? Climbing Everest is just a chapter in my book, exciting sure, but not worth dying for. I'm really glad I'm part of a team that is willing to work a bit harder to improve our margin of safety. Weather forecasts, properly stocked camps, a smart acclimatization schedule and fixing lines are all part of the formula.

We received a new weather forecast at 6 p.m. Originally, the 24th of May was supposed to be the magic day, with clear skies and light winds. Now, a small trough of low pressure is pushing towards us. The 25th is now the day. Russell calls the guys at Camp 1 and tells them to sleep in.


May 21, 2000

As I sip my coffee, a band of wind is scouring the summit and everything down to 7400 meters. A small, powdery avalanche streams down the north east face. I'm glad we've decided to stay put. Otherwise the four climbers at Camp 1 and I would be battling our way up to Camp 2. While we would have made it, it would have been exhausting.

At least two climbers were spotted on the summit snow slopes this morning. I imagine that the wind speeds must be exceeding 35 knots. Good luck to them. I'm glad I'll be rolled up in my sleeping bag, reading a book, instead of crawling to the summit in these conditions.

Despite the bad weather, our team is really fired up. We've been having so much fun. Each of us has pulled all sorts of flags, photos, and other memorabilia from our duffels and shoved them in our packs. It's going to be "show and tell" on the summit.

While no one's trinket is better than the next, I've got to tell you about a special one I've been given. The year 2000 is really important to the Catholic Church. 2000 years ago, Christ was born. This year has been named the "Jubilee Year" and so many special events have been planned. Now, being a retired altar boy, having a mother creatively placed in the Archdiocese of Newark, and a grandmother who was a saint on earth, it has become my duty to place a Crucifix on the summit. Sister Sandy chose this particular Crucifix and is hard at work praying for our success.

The source of our enthusiasm and confidence is pretty solid.

OK...in the early morning I'm heading off to Camp 2. While we are on the hill, we've made arrangements for a guest writer to fill you folks in on our adventures.

May your beds be warm and your showers hot.
Chris Warner

THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!!!!

Dispatch covering May 22 - May 24
Two different perspectives on the days of our Summit Bid - from BC and the Hill

Correspondents:
Anon (acting Advanced Base Camp Manager) and
Tony Kelly - Climber

Day 52 of Expedition
May 20th
Day 1 Summit Bid

Tony Kelly writes:
We'd been fine tuning our packs for a couple of days so you might have thought it would be a smooth get away this morning. Last minute food decisions got in the way and also various cameramen wanted interview footage including in one case a shot with the camera inside the rucsac looking out at the climber! Still we only missed the target departure time by 10mins. at 10:10am.

Jean headed out leading off Kieron, Daniel and Tony. Chris and Andy and the sherpas will join us by missing out to Camp 1 at the N. Col. tomorrow and picking us up at Camp 2.

Little did we know that within hours the whole game plan would change. It was breathlessly still and hot on the glacier approaching the Col. Kieron had a real stride on with Tony following and Daniel and Jean behind. The first sign of the days upheavals came when looking back down the face we saw Jean sitting on his pack at the bottom of the fixed rope. Jean is attempting to be the oldest summitteer at 62 and this was his final chance. Within 10mins. he was walking back to ABC and none of us knew why.

The weather had deteriorated somewhat and we all continued up to the sound of avalanches roaring down the face of the north col. to the east of us.

The next problem was when Kieron radioed ABC 6.5hrs after leaving to say there was no sign of Tony who had been passed by Daniel and was moving slowly. Poor old Tony had been sick twice on the way up and was now seriously dehydrated and what should have been a 4hr climb had gone wrong. Tony clambered onto the north col exhausted as Kieron was radioing Russ. Lots and lots of sweet tea was the immediate medicine. By then Jean was back in ABC and the word was he had pulled the pin. Russ quickly mobilized Ivan in the "B" team with the intention of consolidating both groups. Ivan left ABC around 4 and climbed the last 100m's in the dark to Camp 1.

The 20th had one more twist for us. Russ had received the latest weather forecast and our target of the 24th now looked like it had a rival in the 25th. So we decided that the additional day in the program was best spent as low as possible and planned to spread the food ration to cover a second night at 7100m on the North Col.

Also, most of us had picked up on news from passing climbers that someone had taken a fatal fall somewhere in the region of the traverse between steps 1 and 2. This was a sombre note to close the day on.

Day 53 of Expedition

May 21st
Day 2 Summit Bid

Tony Kelly writes:

A day at the north col. Not a lot to say except plenty of tea and soup and trying to get food down. Dozing to conserve energy and once again tuning packs. There's always something you can throw out to get the weight down.

Lots of teams are coming off the mountain. The Dutch staggered into Camp 1 exhausted after a failed summit attempt due to high wind and one of their members suffering from HACE (high altitude cerebral edema). A sherpa came into camp having been assisted down by a Russian climber, he was behaving in an odd manner. Tony spoke to him and made sure that he went into a tent for shelter.
The search continues to establish the identity of the fatal faller yesterday. Russell is heavily involved in this at ABC and Tony is interviewing climbers as they pass through the north col. and radioing the details of any observations to Russ to try and build up a picture. Eventually the partner of the dead climber comes into Camp 1 and Tony speaks to him and relays the information to Russ who is able to coordinate activity in ABC. Its a grim task and reminds us all that this is a serious mountaineering undertaking and a venture into an environment where all time is borrowed time. The human body is not designed to survive above 6500m and all time in the upper reaches of Mount Everest is time in the "The Death Zone".

Day 54 of Expedition

May 22nd
Day 3 Summit Bid

ABC Manager writes:

22.5.00 Chris Warner leaves ABC at 0530 hrs, thinking he's on his summit bid at last. He climbs the North Col, and picks up Tony, Daniel, Ivan and Kieron at 0745 from the tents at Camp 1. They plod up the slopes towards Camp 2, but the weather clamps in with high winds and swirling snow. They all arrive eventually, and crawl into the safety of the tents after a grueling day. Unfortunately the appalling weather this season is not going to let them go that easily.

Meanwhile, Mark Whetu leaves ABC after lunch and heads for the North Col into the same weather and holes up in a tent at Camp 1 on the Col. He's hoping to film, and is not impressed with the conditions.

Down at ABC a Sherpa working for the Chinese TV team, who has nearly died at the top camp has been brought down to Russell's camp. All the rescues on this side seem to be coordinated by Russell Brice, part of his "Mayor of Rongbuk" persona- this will be the 14th life he's had a hand in saving on this side of Everest. We clear our dining tent down to a field-hospital, and Dr. Walter Pfeihofer joins us from a Swiss expedition to deal with the casualty. The 53 year-old Sherpa arrives on a stretcher carried by his friends. He was with a Chinese climber who was being filmed by a regional Chinese TV station, but no one knows where the climber is. I feel that the Sherpa is too old to be working at over 27,000 for several days, and he's in a bad way with cerebral edema a potentially fatal swelling of the brain stem. He looks half-dead as he's brought in. But it's wonderful to see how everyone gathers around to help him. He's given IV fluids, Dextamethazone, oxygen and eventually hot drinks. He spends the night with us, using oxygen and it looks as if he'll live.


Tony Kelly Writes:

Driving hard up the north ridge. A day of 2 halves - no wind and clear blue skies heralded a hot climb with down suits rolled around waists a real problem with dehydration. Chris had come up from ABC in a blistering few hours to join us around halfway up the ridge. He had picked up some of Daniel's load in passing since he had to heavy a pack which was slowing him down.

Ivan was off the hill like a tank and Tony and Kieron where slower than usual. In Tony's case still weakened after his sickness going up the col. Kieron had had a bad night - 7100m is no place to hang around relaxing.

Shortly after midday a front came through and turned the conditions on their head. Full down kit was needed to cope with the 20knot wind, driving snow and ice and near zero visibility. There was a near 20degC swing in temperatures. Tony and Kieron's slower pace caught them hard and the last 200m of height was plugging new steps in fresh loose snow. A foot up and six inches back is tiring and it wasn't helped when they where hit by a small slab avalanche. No harm done but a 5hr climb took 7.5hrs.

Clambering into Camp 2 tents at 7500m was no fun. First problem was the tents were buried and had to be dug out. Hot brews were needed fast before tackling the job of organizing the tent, cleaning out the spindrift, trying not to get ice down the back of your neck if your head touches the roof of the tent and keeping the sleeping bag dry. You don't feel like food but you've got to eat something and melt enough snow to fill your water bottle to last through the night.

Meantime the tent feels like its trying to take off into the Rongbuk but its not just down, it has extra rope over it and so should be secure. It's a restless night, waking up half a dozen times. Somewhere in the night your realize that you've got drifts blocking each end of the tent and you shove a ski pole out to make a breathing air hole through the snow. Suffocation is an irritating problem and should be avoided. Nobody has a particularly good night. Chris and Daniel are in one tent, Ivan and Kieron in another and Tony on his own in a tent in between. Tony has chest infection which is irritated by the high altitude cough that pretty much everyone has and he is sick again in the night. Both Kieron and Tony have bruised ribs due to the extreme nature of their coughing - its not unusual to break ribs this way but they've both got away with it so far - just one of the many spin off benefits of this altitude game.

Day 55 of Expedition

May 23rd
Day 4 Summit Bid

ABC Manager writes:

23.5.00 Andy and Russell leave at 0530 for North Col. The weather is still bad. Our invalid is sleeping like a baby when I quietly look in at him around 0630. Quite honestly, this is the best thing I've seen on this whole expedition. At 1000 a party of Sherpas arrive with a single rucksack frame. They load him onto it and one big strong Sherpas picks it up and staggers down the moraine with him. Apparently they'll swap every ten minutes. We hear later that he reached Base Camp safely and was evacuated to Zhangmu the next day. I'm aware that this rescue has used $1000 of Russell's oxygen, and I wonder if he'll ever get it back. I'm also aware that this happens every year.

Up the hill everybody is pinned down in their tents by high winds and drifting snow. What do you do? After exhausting your tent-mate's life story there's nothing to do. I was stuck in a blizzard for several days in 1989 and we had one large book- "Rivals" by Jilly Cooper. We cut it up into four pieces, and one poor unfortunate had to read it in the order D, A, B and C, being utterly confused by plot, characters and denouement.


Tony Kelly writes:

Dawn brings a relaxation in the wind but not a cessation. Its been battering us at around 40 to 45 knots consistently and gusting to 50knots. Hard to stand up and that's pinning us in the tents. We expect much difficulty plugging up the exposed ridge to 7900m Camp 3. Just as we're getting ready to go Russ radio's from the north col. (he's on his way up as back up) to recommend that we sit out the bad weather at 7500m Camp 2 and then go with a revised date of 26th for the summit. Whilst this makes sense in light of a new forecast another day spent at 7500m is a tough call in this very bad weather on the edge of the death zone.

Dawn for Tony also brought conditions inside the tent like the aftermath of the chicken wars. A repair in the bottom of his down suit had failed in the night and there was goose down every where sticking to the condensation on the inside of the tent and all the equipment. The day passes trying to make the tent more comfortable and forcing fluids and limited food down in spite of no appetite. The tent is constantly rattled and flapped by the severed winds. The wind tugs at it and it tugs at your nerves with its incessant cracking, crashing and rustling. Occasionally to relieve the boredom but like a spike to your nervous system a lump of ice or snow or rock will bounce off the roof as it crashes on its journey down the mountain.

Two futile attempts to get completely kitted out in down gear and get out and dig out the drifts now covering both ends and more than half the tent only result in importing buckets of spindrift into the tent and getting very cold. Two hours later the tent is buried again. The wind strength is increasing its going to be a wild night. I clamber into the sleeping bag and make sure all the kit around me is prepared to cope with the massive condensation problems there will be in the morning.

Day 56 of Expedition

May 24th
Day 5 Summit Bid

ABC Manager writes:

24.5.00 The two teams awake at Camps 1 and 2 to find the weather worse, if anything. At the higher camp they have to crawl out to dig away the snow. The wind is gusting up to 50 knots. What do you do? Stick it out for another day? Or descend? If the latter, will you have the strength to climb back up again if the weather comes right? If the former, will your strength survive another day of minimal food and water?
I'm writing this as it happens- it's 1145 now- so I'm as anxious as they must be.


Tony Kelly writes:

This is about as much fun as being told to sleep in a deep freezer for the night whilst the freezer is shaken violently from the outside and then in the morning you get woken up by someone spraying your face with ice cold water. He's cracked up and it only took 5 days.
No this is normal procedure for a windy night in the mountains. Well sub zero temps. are normal and whilst making your last evenings brews all the steam was freezing on the inside of the tent, that together with your own moisture laden breath freezing over night and the result is that shortly after the light hits the tent in the morning it all melts and showers down on everything.

Now this is where "mountain money" comes in - toilet paper. In addition to its conventional use, it is used as tissue for noses, cleaning the eating bowl and spoon (there's only one per person for all drinks and meals), cleaning up sick (a personal favorite), wiping up snow, ice and spindrift from the tent floor when you move in and trying to get the condensation and ice before it gets you (and if you fail then moping up). Valuable the old T.P.

We are three tents at Camp 2 at 7500m. The tents are perched on a shelf cut into the snow at the top of the long snow slope of the north ridge. There is about a 10 inch ledge on the outer edge of this shelf and then the north ridge drops away for a couple of kilometers. One slip moving around here and the next stop would be ABC over 3000ft below without stopping at Camp 1 enroute. Take care when you step out here.

We had hoped to get away up to Camp 3 this morning but the weather is horrendous. The wind is hammering us down with 50 knot blowing continuously. The snow is being driven like knives into your flesh. The tents are being buried persistently in spite of battling to dig them out. Tony's tent gets socked in completely because of its position in the line. He has to make breathing holes through the drifts by poking out a ski pole regularly.

It was this idea that allowed him to burrow a hole from his tent to Kieron and Ivan's tent to pass them the emergency radio. The radio was passed over on the end of a ski pole in bag. Chris has the main radio and Tony's lonely spot had been relieved by listening to radio schedules. But Kieron and Ivan had been feeling a little cut off from communications and news. Tony had been trying to relay information by yelling across the six foot gap but the Everest wind was just whipping the words away into the Rongbuk.

Food was running low by now due to the two extra days at altitude and the bad weather was worrying everyone with respect to the program. Russ was so concerned he went down from the Col to ABC got a further weather update and the news was not good. In the early afternoon he radioed Camp 2 and pulled the plug. We had approx. 5hrs of daylight to descend to Camp 1, dump all the down gear and rerig with goretex to drop down to ABC. There wasn't much time for debate but everyone was wrestling with the psychological impact - does this mean our summit attempts are over or is there time for another attempt. Even if there is time for another attempt will our bodies have any reserve left to deliver it? This is a nightmare. Surely its not all over.

May 26

Note from the web team:

Earth Treks has received a phone call from Chris. They had a tough time, but now everyone is safe at Advanced Base Camp and spirits are very high! Their weather reports indicate that on Monday or Tuesday conditions should be good, and they will make another attempt for the summit. Everyone is excited and anxious to go. We will, of course, continue to keep you informed.

Dispatch of May 28 and 29, 2000

Correspondent: Chris Warner


May 28, 2000
Day 60 of expedition

When we last wrote, on May 24th, we were busy escaping two nights of high winds and a whole lot of disappointment at Camp 2. Our summit bid was over, blown away by a weather forecast that didn't predict the severity of a low pressure system. Now, high on the mountain, having spent a lot of emotional and physical energy, many of us began to suffer doubts about our ability to try again. These doubts followed us down hill. As the soreness in our legs and backs took root on the 25th, the doubts grew.

Challenging these doubts were two powerful anecdotes: a weather report that was promising better climbing conditions on the 1st and 2nd of June; and the shear weight of the effort each of us had put into the climb so far. After nearly two months and thousands of dollars invested, walking away just isn't an easy option. A few days rest, in which our bodies snapped back and our minds wrestled with the dilemma and everyone was ready for another try.

Everest gets under your skin. Despite the amount of torture it inflicts, it is so hard to walk away from the challenge it presents. Its siren like draw demands the highest discipline from climbers. You need to set your own limits and stick to them. And you need to be strong enough to set safety standards and work to apply them.

There have been two deaths on the North Ridge this year. In addition, one man survived a night bivouacking above 8500 meters (27,888ft). Each of these horrible events could have been prevented. A lack of fixed rope, too much ambition and inadequate safety systems contributed in each case.

An illusion has floated through many of the camps: that lightning fast ascents, often w/o oxygen, are the cool method of climbing Everest. As a result, there has been no community wide attempt at establishing fixed lines above high camp. A few climbers have strung little sections, but the route on the whole is still not fixed. And with each accident, it has become suddenly clear that the team members of the victims don't have proper radios, sherpa support, etc. Our communications tent has become the center of activity, with Russell making most of the arrangements and absorbing the painful emotions of the helpless team mates.

I can go on and on about the naivete of many of the climbers here. While it is sad to witness the pain and fear of the teams that have been caught up in the dark side of Everest, it is also heartening to know that we are strong enough and responsible enough to help them.

So....today (while most of the other expeditions are heading home) Keiron, Daniel, Ivan and Tony are heading to Camp 1 on the North Col. On the 29th, I'll buzz out of ABC at 5 a.m. and meet the team as they ascend the North Ridge to Camp 2. Andy will go to the North Col late in the day, meeting us at camp 3 on the 30th. On the 31st, the Sherpas join us and we move to Camp 4, at 8300 meters (27,232ft). The action begins hours later, with a 1:30 a.m. departure on June 1st.

We're moving upward at full strength. We will have a team of five Sherpas and two guides, with the four clients. We'll be fixing rope as we go, and carrying extra oxygen as a back up. Russell and Mark will be at Camp 4 as we climb to the summit. If anything goes wrong, they will be there to help out.

I am really psyched about the level of support we have for our summit push. This is how a team climbs Everest. Let's just pray that the weather cooperates. After two months of effort, we all deserve a whole lot of satisfaction.

Chris Warner Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

May 29, 2000

Day 61 of expedition

Boy, a lot has happened in the last 24 hours. Yesterday, the four climbers headed off to Camp 1 on the North Col, arriving in the late afternoon. Once there, they crawled into the tents for the night. My plan was to wake up at 4 a.m. and meet the guys on the North Col. However, a stomach bug rocketed me from the tent at 2 a.m. In that state there was no way I could climb. This ended up being a blessing.

Around midnight it started to snow and 15 hours later, it is still snowing. This mild snow storm has dropped a foot or more of snow at the North Col. The snow blanketed the enthusiasm of three of the four climbers. After spending two nights trapped at Camp 2 last week, just about any bad weather at this stage proved overwhelming.

While we counseled patience, Keiron and Ivan packed up and headed for home. Tony and Daniel tested the conditions on the North Ridge and correctly decided to return to the tents at Camp 1. Shortly afterwards, Daniel packed it in as well. As the retreating climbers headed down, Andy headed up to Camp 1. The snow was soft and the tracks of small slides were every where. He and Tony Kelly will be spending the night at Camp 1.

While I laid in my sleeping bag, tossing back antibiotics, this drama unfolded. I was grateful to miss it all: the climb in the storm, the sad realization that the team was rapidly eroding and the uncomfortableness of spending a night at Camp 1 while all my gear is stashed at Camp 2.

Well we are far from done on Everest. Tony Kelly still wants to push on. In addition we have four fully stocked camps on the mountain. We will definitely be making a summit attempt, either on June 1 or 2. I'll be heading up to Camp 2 early tomorrow.

At this stage in the expedition, things are happening quite rapidly. While the climbers were assessing their chances, Russell was trying to solve a different kind of dilemma.

There are about 6 expeditions left on the hill. Three of these are packing up to return to base camp. Well, the route down is now nearly blocked off by a glacial lake that keeps growing and growing. In the last week, we've been able to carve paths around the rising water. This morning the lake rose so fast that it was impossible to traverse around the steep, loose sides. A few yaks and yak men were able to wade across at one spot, soaking all of the Spaniards gear. But as the waters rose, this ford became 60 feet wide and nearly 20 feet deep.

At least two expeditions are trapped at ABC. Our best hope is that the damn of ice and gravel bursts by the time we need to leave. However, with acres of water trapped behind the damn, its destruction could be deadly. Anyone caught in that flash flood's path would certainly be swept away.

A few more interesting things: The yak men and Everest veterans are calling this the coldest and highest precipitation season they've ever seen. The Japanese clean up expedition was among the first to leave, marking their accomplishment by leaving sacks of garbage on the North Col. Ironic, eh???

Well, we are in need of some sunny days.
Chris Warner

Dispatch covering 25th May to 29th May

Days 57 through 61
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber

Subtitle:
Rethinking the Plan, setting up a 2nd Summit Attempt, the Off.


25th May - Day 57

Back in ABC for recovery, sleep, food and rethink the plan. We don't have much time left and already Russ is beginning to be occupied with the logistics of leaving. We had expected to be pulling off the mountain around June 2nd with the Yaks arriving on the 1st. We all desperately want one more shot and know we have a good chance if the weather is right.

A new forecast from the Met. Office in Bracknell, UK especially prepared for us suggests a possible summit day at the end of May. But this would mean altering all the logistics of departure, yaks, jeeps, hotels, flights, etc.

Russ called in a favor from an old friend who had been the meteorologist on the Cable & Wireless Round the World Balloon Race attempt.. Martin's information combined with the Met. Office in the UK suggested that if we could move the departure logistics back, then a potential good summit day was 1st June with the 2nd June as an option. Both these days looked liked low wind at 30thou. ft. days. Two problems the intervening days where not that good (windy and snowy) and the certainty level of the prediction was modest since this was several days hence.

We grabbed it, decided we were prepared to take some punishment on the way up to get in position. The new plan says we go on the 28th.


26th May - Day 58

As if Russ hasn't got enough on his plate news reaches us that a glacial lake has filled in behind us about a quarter of the way between ABC and BC. This means that yak trains cannot get through. Russ leads a team of 15 to go down and dig a meter wide yak trail skirting the lake for several hundred yards to give safe passage. The worry is that the water will continue to rise too fast!

The Chinese team who are withdrawing have left us some tents at the top camp and also some extra oxygen. This removes the need for a load carry and also we can consider using the extra oxygen earlier to offset some of the tiredness remaining from our first attempt. This is a great bonus and another positive step forward - we are becoming hopeful.


27th May - Day 59

A clear crisp day and time to start full preparations for tomorrow's departure. Repacking sac's, gathering food and essentials. Most of us had left our personal gear at Camp 1 and Camp 2 being somehow confident we'd get another attempt in. Daniel had not, being despondent about the chances and was faced with a load carry.


28th May - Day 60 - Day 1 of Summit Attempt 2.

Tony, Kieron, Daniel and Ivan left camp around 9:30, the heat in the bowl below the North Col was intense but snow was forecast later and we went for it. Nobody was moving particularly fast and apart from 4.5hrs for Daniel the others took 5/6hrs and Tony ground in on the 7hr. mark. The last few hours had been in heavy snow. The snow settled in for the night which was not a good sign for a swift ascent of the ridge.

Meantime down in ABC Russ wrestles with the lake at the Changste glacier which has got worse and has now swamped the new trail and is still filling. We hadn't thought of bringing a boat on the expedition inventory! Russ coordinates with the Tibetan Mountaineering Association and the British Army on a solution.

The Spanish team member who had summitted a couple of days ago and then got lost on the way down and spent the night out had eventually staggered into camp and was today being helped down to ABC by his colleagues who we passed on the ropes to the Col as we ascended. He will suffer frostbite damage but is lucky to be alive.

It is believed the sighting of a body about 150m down from the summit snow slope is the lone Chinese climber with the six figure TV budget following him. His location is inaccessible and so his body will remain for now at least.


29th May - Day 61 - Day 2 of Summit Attempt 2.

Zero visibility, snowing very heavily, little wind. This did not look good. Something like 10" to 12" of snow had fallen at the Col and at least on the lower North Ridge over night. It was also relatively warm so the snow was wet and heavy and tended to ball on the soles of boots etc.

At Camp 1 (north col) we spoke to Russ on the radio and decided to wait until 9:00am or so hoping for an improvement before venturing out.

By 9:00 there was no improvement and Kieron and Ivan had been debating whether to carry on or not to pull the pin themselves. Tony was persuading Daniel that they should rig up for the Ridge and go and do a reconnaissance further out onto the Col to see if the Ridge was even remotely on since time was critical.

At 10:00 Kieron and Ivan packed and left for ABC, the conditions had tipped the balance and this was the end of their expedition. Daniel was still not ready to do the reconnaissance and so Tony tentatively set out on his own. The conditions where atrocious with deep snow and complete white out. The Col is crevassed and moving from the tent out into the mid Col where it narrows was a precarious business. The Col is also heavily corniced on one side and has a steep fall off for several thousand feet on the other. At one point the usual trail goes within a few meters of the corniced edge and a meter error here could be the last step taken in this white soup. The rope anchors were all buried and there was no indication of safe passage. After an hour of very careful maneuvering Tony was concerned that Daniel was not with him, although he knew Daniel would follow in his tracks on the basis that they where the safest place to be unless they suddenly stopped at the edge of a hole! Daniel caught up but it was only to say that it was too bad for him and that he was going down and finishing his expedition.

This left me alone on the Col, somewhat dismayed and surprised that the rest of the climbing members had walked out. Now what, were they right and was I crazy for wanting to stick at it to the last. How was the professional and sherpa team and Russ going to react. Was I even going to get the chance to carry on or not?

Andy was on his way up to the Col to meet up with "us" to start the assault up the ridge.

Russ advised the reconnaissance was a gallant effort but it was too dangerous given the conditions and I should go back to the tent and await the arrival of Andy and rediscuss the plan.

Andy was steaming angry when he arrived having been passed by the others going down and he was working real hard through deep snow to join what he thought was a team of 4. Chris and the Sherpas where due to catch up with us by going straight through from ABC to Camp 2.

With me being the only climber prepared to battle on, Andy wanted convincing that I was committed and wouldn't bail on them later since it was going to get more dangerous and harder work. I thought long and hard for an hour and then gave him my pitch which admitted tiredness and less than 100% physical peak but bursting with will and spirit and desire for the top. Andy was won and the attempt was still on. Its going to be extremely tough with deep snow and forecast moderate winds until the target day when they should drop. The basic plan stands with Andy, Chris, all 5 climbing sherpas and myself except we agree that in order to keep the pace up and help with the terrible conditions I will use supplemental oxygen since we have the spare donated by the Chinese.

Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side

Log Update No.19

Live Dictated over Radio at Camp 2 25,000ft to ABC Manager for onward transmission -

"NOTE FROM ABC MANAGER: DUE TO COMMS. PROBLEMS, EXACERBATED BY THE WORST WEATHER FOR SEVERAL YEARS THIS MESSAGE IS UNLIKELY TO BE FORWARDED FOR SEVERAL DAYS, APOLOGIES."

"Himalayan Experience Everest 2000 Expedition 2nd Summit Attempt aborted at 25,000ft (7500m) Camp 2. The team is pinned down at Camp 2 in horrendous wind and snow and can neither go up or down."

31st May

Day 62
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber

Subtitle:
The Summit Attempt is aborted but we have a very serious predicament to extract ourselves from, what next?


31st May - Day 62 - Day 3 of 2nd Summit Attempt.

We are being buffeted in our reasonably sheltered spot by 45kt winds and blizzard conditions. The wind speed is twice what was forecast. Around the corner and upwards on our ascent route Chris did a recce and estimates the wind speeds at twice that again (65-85kts). We couldn't stand properly let alone make progress and the risk of frostbite is in the close to certainty range.

We are Chris and myself in one tent, the sherpas Lhopsang, Phulbar, Kharsang, Geltzen and Dawa in 2 other tents and Andy in a small tent some 30ft down the hill in a slightly more exposed position where his tent is near collapse.

Two sherpas have already tried to leave this morning and got only a 100m or so down the north ridge before being avalanched and needing assistance to get back to Camp 2 and relative safety. To descend further at this stage is out of the question. To go up is impossible.

The route up the north ridge yesterday had been difficult and very hard work. Andy's plan for the ridge was for all to move together like a snow train plugging steps. I would use oxygen to keep my pace up and conserve strength. This worked pretty well for half the slope whilst we had set off on a crisp blue sky morning but then the wind increased and it started to snow heavily. Fairly quickly I dropped back and found myself alone in near zero vis. plugging away up the ridge making my own steps since the ones from the team had filled in completely in less than the fifteen minute gap that had opened between us. For the snow train it was a 3.5hr plough, for me it was a mildly brutal 6hr grind. But I arrived pleased to have done it in 2hrs less than the last attempt in similar bad conditions. But also I was feeling reasonably sharp and not worn out.

Well, back to today. A long radio debate had ensued between Russ, Chris, Andy, Lhopsang (our climbing sirdar) and myself. The problem was even if we wait a night and the wind drops in the morning there is a dangerous amount of snow loading in some critical places above us. We still have to fix some rope as we go and there was no suggestion the conditions where going to get better.

Russ took the expedition leaders decision and called a halt and that our primary objective was now to find a way of getting down safely by looking for a narrow (few hours) reduction in wind strength to allow us to get out of C2 and down to the C1 and from there we could mount our retreat to ABC. In order to achieve this safely with the snow loading as it was then Andy would belay Chris down the slope where he would attempt to deliberately trigger any avalanche risk.

I'm in the company of the finest high altitude sherpas in the world and two of the greatest mountain guides you could hope to meet, together with Russ (the "creme de la creme of expedition leaders" (as quoted: Eric Simonson) on the end of the Radio. If you had to be in a "bit of an epic" this is the team to be with.

We'd all shed tears when the decision was made to retreat - there was too much build up, energy and emotion pumped into getting to this point with our sights upward for there not to be tears.

Now we must concentrate on getting off this hill. In our dash for safety we will probably have to leave $20,000 to $30,000 worth of gear behind. Its just too dangerous to retrieve and in some cases impossible. Russ will dig it out next year since he's very careful about rubbish on the mountain but almost certainly a good portion of it will be unusable.

Tony Kelly Pinned down at Camp 2, 7500m, 25,000ft Mount Everest

Dispatch covering 31st May to 3rd June

Days 62 through 65
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber

Subtitle:
Safe Retreat from the Camp 2 trap, ABC, BC and departing for Kathmandu. The Expedition has come to a close.


3rd June - Day 65

Written today looking back retrospectively from the relative comfort of BC on the last couple of days of the expedition.

Earlier Comms. problems are now resolved and we are back up with our generator, computer, satellite phone combination. Sorry for the delay and lack of continuity.


31st May - Day 62

On the 31st we grabbed a slight lull in the wind strength at around 2:30pm and bailed out of Camp 2 at 25,000ft on the North Ridge. We drove hard all the way down to Camp 1 on the North Col but our progress was limited by the speed at which Andy could belay Chris down as a human avalanche trigger. A great job done ploughing the road by the guys. We were all carrying large packs with as much of the equipment as we could save as possible. Its fair to say that although my load was heavy it was not in the block of flats category that the sherpas and Andy and Chris were packing.

It was getting towards twilight as we hit the Col having had no major avalanche incident thanks to Chris the human avalanche bomb. I had left a tiny gap between the top of my goggles and my balacalva and the warm sting of wind burn was apparent. But luckily no frost nip.

It was a long slog down from the Col and as we reached the glacier, full darkness fell meaning a couple of hours return across the glacier and down the moraine fields to ABC was a torch light affair (not as romantic as it sounds I'm afraid, especially after the adrenaline pumping, exhaustion making escapades of the day).

We staggered into camp (at least I did I'm pretty sure everyone else walked in normally) with my at the end of the line at 9:00pm on the evening of the 31st.
Safe!


1st June - Day 63

There was only one thing on the agenda for me and that was rest with major rehydration. On the 2nd we have the 22km hike down to BC and it promises to be a killer slog especially with legs still like jelly from recent meandering.

Whilst we had been successfully wrestling with life and death on the mountain and Russ was worrying about getting us off he was also wrestling with the huge glacial lake that had developed at the meeting of the Rongbuk and Changste glaciers.

The solution was a real boyscout special with 4 oil drums and planks and rope. Bit of a lash up, not really, highly effective if a little unstable with Six Foot plus climbers on it. Of course its still means several tons of ABC has to be manually portered down to the lake and pulled across since convincing yaks to stand still on the raft has not proved successful.


2nd June - Day 64

Chris, Andy, Graham and myself make the long hike down to BC and relative comfort. Certainly there's more oxygen down here and its at least 10-15degC warmer, though still unseasonably chilly. Still better than the freezing conditions still prevailing at ABC.

3rd June - Day 65

The four of us get cleaned up and pack ready for a 2 day 4x4 drive starting at 6:00am tomorrow through Tingri, Nyalam to Xangmu (stop over, its a hell hole) and then across the border into Nepal at the Friendship Bridge an on to Kodari and then Kathmandu, arriving the 5th June.

Its been outstanding and at times a nightmare, its always been interesting, great mountaineering, meeting great people (and some weird ones!), travelling through new and fascinating terrain in new countries, sometimes its been depressing but mostly its been exciting.

Was it a success? Well we didn't reach the top, in spite of two valiant attempts. But if that is the only criteria then we failed. But you can't go through all we went through and all we achieved with this great bunch of guys and call it a failure. We had an amazing and wonderful adventure and some of us may be back to complete unfinished business in the not too distant future.
Fantastic.

Tony Kelly
Base Camp - 5300m
The Rongbuk
Everest 2000 - North Side

May 30 through 31, 2000

Dispatch by Chris Warner

On the 30th of May five Sherpas, Andy, Tony and I climbed to camp 2 at 25,000 feet in a blizzard. We crawled into 4 tents and spent the night. Fighting the snow with shovels, trying to keep the tents from collapsing.

At 6am on the 31st Andy crawled from his tent into another. He had been a bit lower on the slope and his tent was destroyed by the 50mph strong winds.

This was the second storm I had endured at Camp 2. If you are a professional shoveler, this is heaven. But for us, with ambitions of climbing to the summit, the 18 hours of snow fall and the 50-60mph winds make Camp 2 a living hell.

In the back of my mind, I knew the summit chances were being torn to shreds by the high winds. If we couldn't move up on the 31st, we would never have the chance to summit.

We kept the radios buzzing all morning, making and breaking plans. It was a brittle string that held our hopes.

I dozed off around Noon lulled into a hypoxic sleep. The sounds of Andy and Russell talking on the radio woke me up. The message took a few seconds to make sense.

I was crying within seconds. Tony had one glove over each eye. Only because his breathing was erratic and pained did I know he too was listening.

The brittle string had broken. Our climb was over, the reasons obvious. It was physically impossible to move up or even down the mountain.

But even obvious reasons aren't easy to accept. At the moment I realized that our summit bid was over I also realized how badly I wanted to climb Everest. The tears were spontaneous and instantaneous. The disappointment was so powerful.

The winds continued to rage and all thoughts turned to retreating. On our first attempt, two of the Sherpas started down the fixed lines along the North Ridge. They triggered an avalanche, which carried them down for 100 feet. Covered in snow and scared, they climbed back to Camp 2.

At 4 pm the winds decreased to 25 miles per hour. We quickly packed our gear. Assuming more avalanches, I led off, belayed by Andy. We had little choice but to trigger the avalanches as we descended.

Luckily we reached the North Col without incident, meeting up with Russell for the decent to ABC.

June 1, 2000

Dispatch by Chris Warner

This morning the winds are ripping across the North Ridge at even greater speeds than yesterday. We are so glad we are not clutching tent poles and being buried by spindrifts at Camp 2.

While we are packing up, the Sherpas are trying to rescue gear from higher on the mountain. Karsang and Phurba have been trapped in an abandoned tent at 7800 meters for the last hour. It is desperate on Everest.

Tomorrow four of us will hike to Base Camp and will get back to Katmandu on June 6th. The journey is far from over.

With temperatures hovering near freezing I am looking forward to the warm summer months. I will need plenty of time to look back on my Everest experience and put the high and low points into better perspective. One thing I've learned (and you have to keep this a secret from my mom) is that I will be coming back to Mount Everest.

Friday June 2, 2000

Chris Warner from Base Camp

Dear folks,

We have returned to base camp, the expedition winding to a close. Thanks for all of your support. We are, of course, a bit sad to be leaving without reaching the summit. But we are looking forward to long hot showers, steak dinners and our loving families. The order is deliberate: our families might reject us upon first smell and our wives and girlfriends would be shocked by our emaciated bodies.

I apologize for the scarcity of photos and the rapid demise of our ability to send videos. While the camera and sat. phone worked flawlessly, the laptops were a miserable selection. I had the top of the line (brand) laptop and it's harddrive froze on the first night I was at ABC. Russell had a great (brand) which also had its harddrive freeze. Then his other (brand) suffered from a frozen screen. What we were left with is an old (brand) that wasn't capable of handling the software and hardware we need to run the video stuff or hook up the faster modem.

So we ordered a laptop from Kathmandu. They in turn tried to get it from Singapore. It eventually landed in Nepal, but was held captive in a Customs officer's strike. It appears that the Nepali government fired some customs employees following the recent Air India hijacking. Their co workers chose to go on strike in May, stopping the import of all goods via the airport. Our laptop is still in customs in Kathmandu.

Life is full of challenges.
Chris Warner

PS I leave for Kathmandu on the 4th, early in the a.m.