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2000
Himalayan Experience Everest Expedition Climbing the North Ridge of
Everest (8850m./ 29,035 ft.)
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Approximate
time line:
April
1 Fly to Lhasa, Tibet.
April 8 Arrive in Base Camp.
April 12-13 Sherpas establish Interim and ABC
April 15 Members arrive at ABC
April 20-May 20 Stock the higher camps
May 20-30 Summit attempts
June 7 Return to Kathmandu |
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Dispatch
covering 31st May to 3rd June
Days 65 through 68
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber
Safe Retreat from the Camp 2 trap, ABC, BC and departing for Kathmandu.
The Expedition has come to a close.
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For
further information and different perspectives on our expedition see
coverage also at:
- capgemini.co.uk/everest2000
- mountainzone.com
- earthtreksclimbing.com
(a perspective from Chris Warner, mountain guide)
3rd
June - Day 68
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 65
On the 31st we grabbed a slight lull in the wind strength at around
2:30pm and bailed out of C2 at 25,000ft on the North Ridge. We drove
hard all the way down to C1 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 adrenalin 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 me at the end of the line at 9:00pm on the
evening of the 31st.
Safe!
1st June - Day 66
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 meanderings.
Whilst we had been successfully wrestling with life and death on the
mountain and Russ was worrrying 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 tonnes 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 67
Chris, Andy, Graham and myself make the long hike down to BC and relative
comfort. Certainly there's more oxygent 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 68
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, inspite 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
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Expeditions
