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©EverestNews.com |
Update 5/3/2006: Dan Mazur reports in.... (click
here to listen) and part 2 (click
here to listen)
Update 5/01/2006: Dan Mazur reports in.... (click
here to listen)
Update 4/29/2006: Dan Mazur reports in.... (click
here to listen)
Update: Dan called with snow (click
here to listen)
Update: Dan Mazur called. Sat phone notice, so
here it goes... The Everest group plans to climb up to the North col carrying
a load and then come back to ABC to rest. Then we will move up into the North
col area and set ready to start working toward camp 2.
Earlier Update: Hi
EverestNews.com, thanks for telling our story of climbing in the
Himalaya. Before getting started with our dispatch, we would like to send our
condolences to those people who lost such fine sherpas in the accident
in the Khumbu icefall yesterday. Arnold sent us a message when it had just
happens, and we are very saddened and send our sorrow to the families, loved
ones, friends, colleagues, and employers of all involved. We know what it is
like to experience loss, and send our deepest condolences and support. If
there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to ask. we also
heard a Sherpa died on this side of the mountain a few weeks ago, and we
also extend our condolences and support to him and his significant others.
Thank you very much.
Now, to today's
dispatch.
This is Andrew Brash sitting in one of the Tibetan tea houses below BC this
evening, acclimatising with the assistance of Lhasa beer. Our own basecamp
dining tent over the hill is cheery and warm, but we needed to come down here
for a bit of atmospheric gloom before casting off up the mountain again.
This will be our last glass of beer for quite some time. We're sitting under
some heavy, well used blankets, a single, dingy lightbulb running off a car
battery illuminating our cold corner and cutting a vague path of light
through the dung-smoke filled room. Unfortunately, on Sunday, we will force
ourselves to leave this place and resume our attempt to sneak up Mt. Everest,
and we have plans to reach as far up as is reasonable, but will be aiming for
the 8000m mark. If the weather was especially good and everything and every
sherpa was perfectly in place, would we go for the summit? ... That is not the
official plan at any rate. The past few days of rest following our trip to the
North Col have been largely heavenly, and we have taken every opportunity to
do nothing. There have been notable exceptions to the do nothing rule, of
course. A movie night in BC was hugely successful, everyone enjoying many a
laugh at the expense of a 40 year old virgin, thanks to John and Bill, who
brought the dvd from Kathmandu (Neil Wells has christened those two
great guys from Maine Bill and Ted's excellent adventure by the way)...
Otherwise, activity has been restricted largely to those of a sloth.
So, we will be
on our way up in the morning, planning to sleep at Interim Camp, ABC,
the North Col, and camp 2 at 7.900 metres, before returning here to Basecamp
for another week of rest, before trying for the summit. Wish us luck, thanks
for watching, and talk to us soon.
Updates
Foreign
Climbers:
Mr. JOHN
BAGNULO, climbing member, New Vineyard, Maine;
Mr.
ANDREW BRASH, climbing member, Calgary, Canada;
Mr. PHIL
CRAMPTON. expedition manager, Nottingham, England, and Texas;
Mr.
HECTOR GARCIA, climbing member, Cali, Columbia, and London, England;
Mr. DENO
HEWSON, climbing member, New Zealand and Japan;
Mr.
MARTIN LETZTER, climbing member; Taby, Sweden;
Mr. DAN
MAZUR, Everest leader, Bristol, England, and Seattle, Washington;
Mr. JUAN
PABLO MILANA, climbing member, San Juan, Argentina;
Mr. MYLES
OSBORNE, climbing member, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Southampton,
England;
Mr. COLIN
PACEY, climbing member, Sydney, Australia;
Mr. KEN
STALTER, climbing member, Franklin, New York;
Mr. OLOF
SUNDSTROM, climbing member, Stockholm, Sweden;
Mr. MON
TINDALE, climbing member, Workington, Cumbria, England
Mr. NEIL
WELLS, climbing member, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England;
Mr. BILL
YEO, climbing member, Durham, Maine;
Climbing
Staff:
Mr. ADEN,
climber, Tibet;
Mr.
DEECHEN NARJUP, climber, Pasum Zom, Tibet;
Mr.
LORCHUN, climber, Tibet;
Mr. NORBU
ZHANDU, climbing leader, Tibet;
Mr. DAWA
SHERPA, climbing sherpa, Kari Khola, Nepal;
Mr.
JANGBU SHERPA, climbing leader, Okhaldunga, Nepal;
Mr.
YANDAN, climber, Tibet;
Cooking
Staff:
Mr.
CHAMPA, assistant cook, Tibet;
Mr.
DANZIG, assistant cook, Tibet;
Mr. GORU,
assistant cook, Tibet;
Mr. DORJE
LAMA, assistant cook, Nepal:
Mr. KIPA
SHERPA, chief cook, Nepal.
Thanks
again for all of your help in telling the story of Himalayan
climbing.
-Yours
Sincerely, from all of us at SummitClimb.com
-Dan
Updates
Background:
Everest and K2 summiter Dan Mazur leads the SummitClimb 2006 Everest
Expedition on the Tibet side of the Mountain...
Introduction: Climb Everest (8,848 Metres) by Dan Mazur Everest is perhaps the
most coveted mountain in the world. The north (Tibetan) side is the
least expensive way to climb it, and the dates we have chosen feature
the best weather of the year. Our proposed schedule allows for two
possible summit attempts and two full descents to the Chinese basecamp
at 5200 metres. Our style of climbing is cautious and careful, with
excellent leadership, organization, Sherpa climbers, cooks and waiters,
tasty food, the best equipment, two full kitchens and basecamp plus
advanced basecamp, 6 camps on the mountain, 1000s of metres of fixed
line, hundreds of rock ice and snow anchors, top-quality high altitude
tents and high altitude stoves, expedition mix gas, and full safety
equipment: medical oxygen, gamow bag, and extensive medical kit.
This expedition to
Everest maximizes many years of accumulated wisdom of the high Himalaya,
a strong record of reaching the top of 8,000ers: Everest, K2,
Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, Shishapangma, and many other
8,000 metre summits, in addition to more than 25 Himalayan expeditions,
in all safety, along with an intimate knowledge of the Tibetan and
Chinese officials who regulate the permit system. This is our 14th
expedition to Tibet since 1986, and we know all of the bureaucratic
officials, liason officers, yak drivers, and hoteliers/restaurateurs
personally.

The monkey temple makes
a nice training walk in Kathmandu (. Try to go at dawn when
the pollution is not so bad. A local woman leaving an offering at a
temple (Ryan Waters).
Detailed Description
The trip begins in the
ancient and colorful city of Kathmandu (you could also start in
Beijing). You stay in a comfortable, simple, clean, hot-water hotel, at
minimal cost (single rooms at: $15, £9.50, €14) (double rooms at $20,
£13, €19) and sample some of the very reasonably-priced tasty Nepalese,
Tibetan and Western-Style cuisine, available at the hundreds of local
restaurants. During your free days in Kathmandu, while your Chinese
visa is being processed, you shall finalize arrangements, purchase and
hire the bits of equipment you might be missing at the hundreds of
mountain-climbing and trekking equipment shops in the neighborhood (with
low prices, as well), and take time out for trinket hunting, with
suggested visits to explore the 17th century splendors of the Monkey
Temple, the Durbar Square and old Kings Palace, as well as the ancient
cities of Patan, and Bakhtapur. We also have several member and training
sessions during these days, where our leaders spend time with you
reviewing climbing techniques and equipment, going over medical and
safety procedures, etcetera. If you are concerned about the altitude and
have purchased Diamox (acetylzolamide), which is inexpensively available
with no doctor's prescription in Kathmandu, this might be the time to
begin taking it.
After the finalization
of your Chinese visa, we set out very early in a bus for the 4 hour
drive to the last Nepal town of Kodari at 1,770 meters. We clear
Nepalese customs and immigration, then hire local porters and vehicles
to carry your bags across the Bota Kosi River on the Friendship Bridge,
to Zhangmu, the gateway town in Tibet.

On the Friendship
Bridge, border Crossing between Nepal and Tibet (Bruce Manning).
Upon entering Tibet,
the clocks immediately go forward by 2 ¼ hours. Our secondary
government liason officer will meet us in Zhangmu. After clearing
Tibetan customs and immigration, a Chinese bus takes us up the windy
road through the rolling hills to Nyalam town at 3,750 meters, and a
basic "hotel". The smaller towns in Tibet are generally simple and
rustic places, and this one is no exception. The topography here is
quite interesting in that we are perched in the transitional zone where
the Tibetan plateau rams into the Himalaya, then drops into the forested
valleys and jungles of Nepal, and finally out into the Gangetic plain of
the Terai and India. We stay over one extra night in Nyalam, to help
adjust to the altitude, and during our "rest-day" in Nyalam, we take
advantage of the interesting surroundings to walk to the top of local
hills and savor the first glimpses of the Himalayan Giants.

Bouldering in Nyalam on
our rest day (Felix Berg). On the road to Tingri, Himalayan Giants in
the background (DL Mazur). Our sturdy Tibetan trucks carry the
equipment, here being loaded by our Sherpas (Tim Spear).
In the morning we
continue our bus-ascent into the Tibetan plateau, to the town of Tingri
at 4,342 meters. There are superb views of Shishapangma, Cho-Oyu, and
Everest as we drive into Tingri. The town itself is a very basic
one-street hamlet surrounded by the tents of nomadic Tibetans. About ½
of all ethnic Tibetans living in Tibet are nomadic or semi-nomadic. Our
extremely rustic little hotel has an adequate restaurant, and it will be
interesting to see if the high altitude has quelled our appetites for
tasty fresh food. There are the ruins of an old fortress on a rise above
town, and from here we can see the finest views of Everest, Lhotse,
Cho-Oyu, and Shishapangma.

A stop along the road
near Tingri. There is a simply developed hot springs here. Only the very
brave are able to tempt fate by entering the dirty water (Bruce
Manning).
The following morning,
after what for many is a relatively sleep-free night, we drive the 70
kilometers to Everest base camp at around 5,200 meters. The drive
follows a dirt road along the Rongbuk Valley and has spectacular views
of the Himalaya. Chinese base camp is located just near the medieval
and active Rongbuk Monastery.
We will spend another
day resting, acclimatising, and organizing equipment into Yak loads at
Chinese base.

Preparing our yak loads
at Chinese basecamp (Bruce Manning). Blue mountain sheep in the cliffs
above basecamp (Felix Berg).
We then spend two days
moving up to the "interim camp", which is located at 5800 metres and
halfway to the "advanced basecamp (ABC)".

Yak train heading up to
interim camp (Bruce Manning). Interim Camp at 5800 metres, where we
acclimate for a day or two before heading up to ABC (Tim Spear).
Next, we spend two days
working our way up to ABC. 6,400 meters, ABC must be the highest
basecamp in the world. It is located on a rocky moraine next to the
Rongbuk Glacier.

Franck walking up the
Rongbuk to ABC (Tim Spear). Our comfortable ABC at 6400 metres, A view
of the mountain at sunset from ABC (Ryan Waters).
Upon reaching ABC, we
will take another rest and acclimatization day, this time going over our
equipment, safety procedures, climbing techniques, cooking and camping
methods, and working to form ourselves into a more cohesive team.
After resting and
completing our training, we will begin our climb of Everest.

Climbers approaching
the North Col at 6800 metres. Lines are fixed here for safety. Our tents
at the North Col at 7000 metres, also known as camp 1. Climbers Walking
up to the 7500 metre camp, also known as camp 2. You can see the tents
in the North Col in the background (Ryan Waters). At the 7500 metre camp
(Ken Stalter).
On the way up to camp 3
at 8300 metres, which lies up and to the right in the photo (Ryan
Waters). Camp 3. Andre Bredenkamp and Chris Drummond in Camp 3 .

Distant view of the
second step at 8500 metres, ladders on right . On the
second step at 8500 metres. We fixed 300 metres of rope here. Looking at
the summit from 8400 metres. Climbing the second step. (Ryan Waters).

The third and final
step onto the summit. Ryan on the Summit. (Ryan Waters). A sunburned Felix back in ABC after summitting.
Through the following
weeks, we will climb up and down the mountain, according to the schedule
suggested below, exploring the route, establishing camps, and building
our acclimatization and strength levels. We will also descend to the
Chinese basecamp several times, in order to rest well. Following the
proposed itinerary below should give us the best chance to ascend in
safety and maximize our opportunity to reach the summit during the
"weather windows" which open in May. |
SUGGESTED DAY-BY-DAY
ITINERARY FOR EVEREST CLIMB
1. |
4 April, |
Arrive Kathmandu (1,300
meters). |
2. |
5 April |
In Kathmandu - Bring
Passport to Chinese Embassy, for Visa. Logistics, training, purchasing,
packing, training, visit temples, city tour, shopping. Hotel and meals
at members minimal cost. |
3. |
6 April |
In Kathmandu - while visa
is being processed, logistics, training purchasing, packing, training,
visit temples, city tour, shopping. Hotel. |
4. |
7 April |
In Kathmandu - Pick up
passport from Chinese Embassy. Logistics, training, purchasing, packing,
training, visit temples, city tour, shopping. Hotel. |
5. |
8 April |
Bus to Tibet; drive to
Nyalam (3,750 meters). Hotel and meals at organizer's expense. |
6. |
9 April |
Rest in Nyalam (3,750
meters). Walk around the local hills. Hotel. |
7. |
10 April |
Bus to Tingri (4,342
meters). Hotel. |
8. |
11 April |
Rest in Tingri. |
9. |
12 April |
Drive to Chinese Basecamp
(5200meters). Camp. |
10. |
13 April |
Rest in Chinese base.
Organize equipment and supplies. Camp. |
11. |
14 April |
Walk gently in the hills
surrounding Chinese base. |
12. |
15 April |
Rest in Chinese base.
Organize equipment and supplies. Camp. |
13. |
16 April |
Walk with the yaks halfway
to advanced base to interim camp (5,800meters). Camp. |
14. |
17 April |
Rest in interim camp. |
15. |
18 April |
Rest in interim camp. |
16. |
19 April |
Walk with the yaks to
advanced base (ABC) at 6400 metres. Camp. |
17. |
20 April |
Rest in Advanced base.
Extensive training. Organize supplies. |
18. |
21 April |
Rest in Advanced base.
Extensive training. Organize supplies. |
19. |
22 April |
Walk to Camp 1 North Col
(7000m). Return to ABC. |
20. |
23 April |
Rest in ABC. |
21. |
24 April |
Walk to Camp 1. Sleep
there. |
22. |
25 April |
Explore route to Camp 2
(7500m), return to ABC. |
23. |
26 April |
Walk back down to Chinese
base. |
24. |
27 April |
Rest in Chinese base. |
25. |
28 April |
Rest in Chinese base. |
26. |
29 April |
Rest in Chinese base. |
27. |
30 April |
Walk up to interim camp. |
28. |
1 May |
Walk up to ABC. |
29. |
2 May |
Walk to Camp 1, sleep
there. |
30. |
3 May |
Walk to Camp 2, sleep
there. |
31. |
4 May |
Explore route to Camp 3
(8300 metres), return to camp 2, sleep there. |
32. |
5 May |
Walk Down to ABC. |
33. |
6 May |
Walk back down to Chinese
base. |
34. |
7 May |
Rest in Chinese base. |
35. |
8 May |
Rest in Chinese base. |
36. |
9 May |
Rest in Chinese base. |
37. |
10 May |
Walk up to interim camp. |
38. |
11 May |
Walk up to ABC. |
39. |
12 May |
Walk to Camp 1. Sleep
there. |
40. |
13 May |
Walk to Camp 2, sleep
there. |
41. |
14 May |
Walk to Camp 3, sleep
there. |
42. |
15 May |
Attempt summit if
conditions allow. |
43. |
16 May |
Attempt summit if
conditions allow. |
44. |
17 May |
Descend to ABC. |
45. |
18 May |
Walk back down to Chinese
base. |
46. |
19 May |
Rest in Chinese base. |
47. |
20 May |
Rest in Chinese base. |
48. |
21 May |
Rest in Chinese base. |
49. |
22 May |
Walk up to interim camp. |
50. |
23 May |
Walk back up to ABC. |
51. |
24 May |
Walk to Camp 1. Sleep
there. |
52. |
25 May |
Walk to Camp 2, sleep
there. |
53. |
26 May |
Walk to Camp 3, sleep
there. |
54. |
27 May |
Attempt summit if
conditions allow. |
55. |
28 May |
Attempt summit if
conditions allow. |
56. |
29 May |
Descend to Camp 1. |
57. |
30 May |
Packing in camp 1, descend
to ABC. |
58. |
31 May |
Packing in ABC. |
59. |
1 June |
Yaks transport equipment,
supplies and rubbish to Chinese base. Members walk down. |
60. |
2 June |
Packing in Chinese base. |
61. |
3 June |
Drive to Tingri. Hotel
and meals at organizers expense. |
62. |
4 June |
Drive to Kathmandu.
Hotel and meals at members expense. |
63. |
5 June |
In Kathmandu. Final
packing, summit celebration, saying goodbye to new friends. |
64. |
6 June |
Fly home. Thank you for
joining our Mount Everest Expedition |
 |
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