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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 25th May to 29th May
Days 59 through 63
Correspondent: Tony Kelly - Climber
Subtitle: Rethinking the Plan, setting up a 2nd Summit Attempt, the
Off.
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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)
25th
May - Day 59
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 occuppied with
the logistics of leaving. We had expected to be pulling off the mountain
around June 2nd with the Yaks arriviing 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
calls in a favour from an old friend who was the meterorologist on the
Cable & Wireless "Round the World Balloon Race" attempt. Martin's information
combined with the Met. Office in the UK suggests that, if we can move
the departure logisitics back, then a potential good summit day is 1st
June with the 2nd June as an option. On both these days low wind at
30,000 ft. days is indicated. Two problems;
the intervening days are not that good (windy and snowy) and the certainty
level of the prediction is modest since this is several days hence.
We grabb it, decide we are 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 60
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 metre 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 61
A clear crisp day and time to start full preperations for tomorrows
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 is faced with a load carry.
28th May - Day 62 - D1 of Summit Attempt 2.
Tony, Kieron, Daniel and Ivan leave camp around 09:30 the heat in the
bowl below the North Col was intense but snow was forecast later so
we go for it. Nobody is moving particularly fast and apart from 4.5hrs
for Daniel the others took 5/6hrs and Tony grinds in on the 7hr. mark.
The last few hours had been in heavy snow. The snow settles in for the
night which is not a good sign for a swift ascent of the ridge.
Meantime down in ABC Russ wrestles with the lake at the Changtse glacier
which is worse, is now swamping 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 summittted a couple of days ago, then got
lost on the way down and spent the night out, eventually staggered into
camp and i being helped down to ABC by his colleagues who we pass on
the ropes to the Col as we ascend. He will suffer frostbite damage but
is lucky to be alive.
t 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 63 - D2 of Summit Attempt 2.
Zero visibility, snowing very heavily, little wind. This does not look
good. Something like 10" to 12" of snow has fallen at the Col and at
least that on the lower North Ridge over night. It was also relatively
warm so the snow is wet and heavy and tends to ball on the soles of
boots etc. At Camp 1 (north col) we speak to Russ on the radio and decide
to wait until 09:00 or so hoping for an improvement before venturing
out.
By 09:00 there is no improvement and Kieron and Ivan have been debating
whether to carry on or to pull the pin themselves. Tony is persuading
Daniel that they should rig up for the Ridge and go and do a reconnaisence
further out onto the Col to see if the Ridge is even remotely "on" since
time is critical.
At 10:00 Kieron and Ivan pack and leave for ABC the conditions have
tipped the balance and this is the end of their expedition. Daniel is
still not ready to do the reconnaisence and so Tony tentatively set
out on his own. The conditions are 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 is 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 several of metres
of the corniced edge and a metre error here could be the last step taken
in this white soup. The rope anchors are all buried and there is no
indication of safe passage. After an hour of very careful manoevuring
Tony is concerned that Daniel is not with him, although he knows Daniel
will follow in his tracks on the basis that they are the safest place
to be, unless they suddenly stop at the edge of a hole! Daniel catches
up but it is only to say that it is too bad for him and that he is going
down and finishing his expedition.
This leaves Tony alone on the Col, somewhat dismayed and surprised that
the rest of the climbing members had walked out. Now what, are they
right and is he crazy for wanting to stick at it to the last. How is
the professional and sherpa team and Russ going to react? Was he even
going to get the chance to carry on or not? Andy is on his way up to
the Col to meet up with them to start the assault up the ridge.
Russ advises the reconnaisance is a galant effort but it was too dangerous
given the conditions and Tony should go back to the tent and await the
arrival of Andy and rediscuss the plan.
Andy is steaming angry when he arrives having been passed by the others
going down and he is working real hard through deep snow to join what
he thinks is a team of 4. Chris and the Sherpas are due to catch up
with the rest by going straight through from ABC to C2.
With Tony being the only climber prepared to battle on, Andy needs convincing
that he is committed and wouldn't bail on them later since it is going
to get more dangerous and harder work. Tony thinks long and hard for
an hour and then gives him a pitch which admits tiredness and less than
100% physical peak but bursting with will, spirit and desire for the
top. Andy is won and the attempt is 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 Tony except we agree that, in order to keep the
pace up and help with the terrible conditions, Tony will use supplemental
oxygen since we have the spare donated by the Chinese.
Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side
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