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)

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 37
Daniel, Tony, Graham, Andy and Mark all head out of ABC via a cup of tea at Interim camp and a 22km hike down the glaciers to BC for a well earned rest. They join 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 decide to put the heat on and manage it in a creditable 5hrs dead, including 40 mins 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 try to undo the problem tomorrow. Until then we have no comms at BC.

4th May - Day 38
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 barrells 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, 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 39
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. A body works hard at 6000m plus, muscle wastes, fat reserves are eaten up and various minor running irritions take their tole.
Its also big laundry day today. Underwear that has spent the last few weeks close to its owners vitals in some stressful situations, gets a bit of a shock when exposed to sunlight and then plunged into hot water.
Up on the mountain, the sherpa's do some consolidating at Camp 2 but then return to ABC for rest.
We think we may have been graced with a visit at BC by Fifi (our name) the incredible climbing dog. Since recent claims by Stevie Haston (the self proclaimed, "greatest climber in the world") that, "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 spending a leisurely night acclimatising 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 40
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 make 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 is given a good pasting, ABC radio down their best wishes and the British Army's sat. phone providesd contact with loved ones at home. An excellent event slips into the dispatches.
For the most part, the day is been quiet at BC. A few folk take short hikes but otherwise its a day of recharging.

7th May - Day 41
A grey, snowy, windy day and folk in BC are starting to get bored and restless and want to be back up the mountain. Graham and Tony visit an ancient cave down the valley near the Rongbuk monastry. It is reputed that a monk was deliberately walled in by his colleagues along with the monastry's treasures at the time of the chinese invasion. The trip into the cave is a slightly unexpected potholing adventure since it winds up and down through narrow passage ways. There is not much evidence of former habitation other than some wall writings and an old hearth. Late evening Kieron, Dave and Ivan arrive 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 at 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 are unfounded and certainly no one has returned with a tummy bug. This was a major concern. Indeed, Kieron is dead keen and is off up to ABC ahead of the pack tomorrow.

8th May - Day 42
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 (ie. around zero). The rest of the team are getting even more restless. 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 heamoraging (which is a fairly common problem but in this caswe treh patients vision is seriously affected), a couple of rabies bites, pulmonary oedema (leakage of fluid across the membranes in the lungs - a killer if not promptly treated by descent) and cerebral oedema (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 can'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 43
Yesterday, Kieron, travelling alone gets 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 looks unfamiliar and highly suscpicious. Also Kieron doesn't have any expeditioin 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 at 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 44
After a very pleasant night with Chuldrim at Interim, Tony and Daniel roll into ABC in time for a good lunch. The last 11km is cover in strange conditions; very bright sunlight and yet falling snow. This makes everything sparkle like is it jewel encrusted. It couldn't last and the last 2km is just heavy snow clag. Russ and the Sherpas have just come off the mountain having been working very hard between 7900m and 8300m putting in equipment stashes. They battle back down through knee deep fresh snow and decide that enough was enough and they will pull out for a BC rest the next day having spent nearly a month above 6000m.
Hans, the Dutch leader, who was attempting a solo without oxygen summit bid, comes down having pulled out at 8500m. Hans's hands toes are all intact thank goodness.

11th May - Day 45
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, 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 few days
Tony Kelly
Advanced Base Camp - 6460m
Everest 2000 - North Side