The four member team is leaving Germany for Kathmandu on March 15, 2004. The climbers Martin Nuess, Norbert Linz and Alexander Schwinn, led by Mr. Angiolo Laviziano along with one climbing sherpa will try the normal route (south wall/south-east ridge) which  includes the set up of three high camps (ABC, C1, C2). They won’t be accompanied by any high porters once they have left basecamp. As this expedition is private and low budget we won’t unfortunately hear anything from them above Namche Bazaar.

Source Ulrich Sure, Germany

Dispatch 1: March 16, 2004: The team has arrived in Kathmandu after a quiet flight with one stopover in Sharjah, UAE. They were picked up at the airport by the agency and checked in at the Hotel Nurbu Linka in Thamel. The afternoon they spent with strolling through busy Thamel, looking around and checking the vast variety of goods offered by the shops there. At the moment they are about to have dinner before they will rest at the hotel after the long exhausting flight and their first exciting day in Kathmandu.

Besides Pumori the team is planning to climb Lobuche East, a quite technical so called trekking peak, 6.119 meters high. That's it for now. More news to come. Ulrich Sure, Germany

Dispatch 2: March 17, 2004: The team's second day in Kathmandu. After a nutritious breakfast at the hotel they set off for some sightseeing. At 2pm they visited Miss Elizabeth Hawley, the famous mountaineering chronicler. Afterwards Angiolo and Alex together with Rinchen Sherpa, Managing Director of South Asia Treks (SAT), met with the Ministry of Tourism to sign the climbing permit. They also paid their garbage deposit, which all expeditions are required to pay. In addition to our four members an English climber joined the permit. This guy is trying to solo Ama Dablam and Pumori in a row (!). He is expected to arrive in Kathmandu on April 04, so it is most likely that they won't see each other. Tomorrow it is time to take the gloves off. The team will have an early start. Departure time for the Lukla flight is 7am - there will be a lot of packing going on tonight.

So far Rinchen Sherpa (SAT) arranged everything highly professional.

A part of the group equipment has already been shipped to Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu. That's also the place where the Climbing Sherpa is awaiting the expedition team. Everybody is feeling fit and healthy. The tension is rising.

More news from Namche Bazar in a few days.

Ulrich Sure, Germany

Dispatch 3: March 19, 2004: Today the team arrived in Namche Bazar (appr. 3.500 m), the spiritual and commercial center of the Khumbu. It seems that some members were hit by a small stomach bug. But that’s a part of the game and shouldn’t cause major problems at this stage of the trip. The weather could be better up there they complain. The cloudy sky doesn’t allow any view on the surrounding snow covered peaks. Tomorrow on Saturday is market day in Namche. The climbers don’t want to miss this colourful spectacle. An acclimatization hike is scheduled for tomorrow as well. By now nobody of the team is suffering from the altitude. Everything is working out at the moment. The agency (SAT) is providing them with delicious food. The staff is nice and friendly and the equipment (tents, ropes etc.) which has been shipped to Lukla in advance is of good quality.

That’s it for now. Probably they will send over another update tomorrow. Regards on behalf of Martin, Angiolo, Norbert and Alex.

Ulrich Sure, Germany

Dispatch 4: March 20, 2004: Namaste, this is unfortunately and definitely their last update for the next weeks due to the fact that they don't carry any communication devices with them. As everybody of the team is feeling fit and strong they have decided to walk on to Tengboche (at appr. 3.800 m) instead of resting another day in Namche in order to accelerate the acclimatization process up there. Today's weather is brilliant - sun and blue sky. This is another reason why they continue to Tengboche. The plateau offers stunning views of the high Himalayan peaks, especially of beautiful Ama Dablam. At the famous Tengboche monastery the climbers plan to buy prayer flags and want to have them sanctified as well. Friday night everybody enjoyed the great food offered by the bakeries and restaurants in Namche; sort of recharging their batteries for the forthcoming challenges. Before leaving today they are going to see the market.

All in all they are happy that everything is working out perfect and the team is doing well. This is the way they want to go on. As soon as there is the possibility they will be in touch again. Wish them luck. Thank you from Ulrich Sure on behalf of the European Pumori 2004 Team.

"European Pumori Expedition 2004, Dispatch 5: Dispatch 5: April 13, 2004: Good and bad news from the European Pumori Expedition 2004. The good one first: The team (Angiolo, Martin, Norbert & Alex) is back in Namche Bazar, most of them healthy. Norbert is recovering from a cold he caught on the mountain and Martin is suffering from a sort of frost nip, one of his fingertips is numb. Nothing serious at all. The bad one - especially for them: They did not reach the summit. The last couple of days the weather was rather bad. It snowed a lot. They stayed 4 nights in camp 1 (6.200 m). On the fifth day as the schedule got tight the climbers tried to get higher but heavy snowfall stopped them on their way up. That was the moment they decided with heavy heart to leave Pumori. They experienced their hardest descent ever. Remember: The team wasn't supported by high porters, just the obligatory climbing sherpa accompanied them.

Today in Namche they are enjoying all the delicious products of the German bakery - Yummy Yummy. If the current situation allows it they will be back in Kathmandu in 2 or 3 days.

Thank you on behalf of the whole expedition team. Ulrich Sure, Germany"

A picture of the camps on the Pumori normal route.