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 SummitClimb Pumori 2004: Dispatch Nine | ||||||||||||||||
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Tomorrow we plan to finalize the route to camp 2 and get the tents set up. We are fixing 8 millimetre rope as we go, having now strung more than 1500 metres, 37 pickets and 24 ice screws. The weather continues to be what one might describe as perfect. It has not snowed appreciably since our arrival, winds have been light from 0 to 10 kilometres per hour. Mornings have been sunny and warm generally ranging from -7c to +25c. Each afternoon, clouds roll in, then dissipate by morning, with a few mists and flakes blowing about, but never really snowing. It seems one could only describe this as a drought, and we are watching the snowpack on the mountainsides steadily disappear. There never was any snow around basecamp. Most of our ropes from previous year's expeditions are exposed (we have been diligently cutting them away and removing them as we go), and we now find ourselves climbing on rubble and rocks up to 5940 metres, when we finally step onto old snow, and make the final ridge climb and traverse into a gorgeous camp 1, located in a beautiful snowy and protected bowl, sheltered at 6150 metres. Just above camp 1, we found a 4.5 metre wide crevasse/unconsolidated area, so we walked down to Gorak Shep and rented 4 ladders to bridge the zone, and these have now been carried up, rigged, and safely established. The following Sherpas have made fantastic progress for our team, and we are deeply indebted to them: Jangbu Sherpa, Lakpa Kongle Sherpa, Tenzing Sherpa, Phurba Tamang, Gyalu Sherpa, Shera Sherpa, Maya Sherpa, (attempting to become the first Nepalese woman to reach the summit), Pemba Sherpa, Tsapte Sherpa, Temba Sherpa, Nanda Kumar Lama (Krishna). The following foreign members have slept in camp 1, and are planning to try for the summit in the next few days: Phil Aikman, Marion Joncheres (attempting to become the second French woman to reach the summit), Michael Long (attempting to be the first Irish person to reach the summit), Daniel Marino, Daniel Mazur (summited twice before), Jay Reilly (was he the first Australian to summit the peak in 2003?), Kirsti Sampson. We are very sad to have to say goodbye to Rex Dougherty, a dear friend who left basecamp to trek down the other day, having decided his lungs were not coping well with the altitude. He was accompanied by Laxmi Rai, a member of our kitchen staff. We imagine he will fly back to Kathamandu today. Only today, Bridget Rossiter has chosen to head down valley for some rest, together with Bahadur, one of our kitchen staff, who is carrying her kit bag. We wish her good recovery. Ray Dolamore is keeping track of basecamp, as well as the lower reaches of the mountain, and Aidan Forde and Steve Hysko are convalescing in basecamp. We received an email from Richard Lees, who has been gone a week or so now, and he said he was on his way to some beach-y destination, away from Nepal. Thanks again for your attention and support to climbing the high Himalaya! Yours Sincerely, from Daniel Mazur and all of us at SummitClimb.com
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