SKi8000 expedition 2004: Update 6

Update 6: We have finally arrived in Cho Oyu basecamp! We are happy to be here, although part of our equipment is still in Old Chinese Basecamp (2 days walk from here). We partly solved the yak issue. We hope to welcome the last yak shift tomorrow (Thursday).

Basecamp will be our home for the next month. The coming days we'll spend our energy to build a comfortable base from where we'll work our way up the mountain. We are early in the season and the first team to arrive in basecamp this year. The Cho Oyu looks impressive from close by. High on the mountain, we still need some more snow for a continuous ski descent from the summit. Luckily it's snowing right now!

Our basecamp is situated at 5715 m above seal level, still 2486 m to go! The temperature at night is -20 degrees Celsius. The air pressure is currently 504 hPa, (half the pressure at sea level). Apart from some breathless awakenings at night (Joost), minor headaches (Greg) and some episodes of diarrhea (Herman), we feel great!

This weekend we plan our first climb up the mountain to carry the first loads to camp 1 at 6400 m.

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Dispatches

 

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

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