Mt. Everest 2005: Mountain Madness Expedition: dispatch one from Kathmandu

March 25 - May 31

March 26th, 2005: Hello everyone, This is Christine reporting in from Kathmandu.  Willie Benegas, leader of our expedition, and Dean Cardinale arrived yesterday.  Raymond Behm arrive on the 23rd.  The rest of our climbing team, Kay, Joe and Eric will arrive tomorrow along with our trekking and camp 2 group.   All the shopping and planning has been done.  We can now relax and wait for the rest of the team to arrive.  Yesterday was "Holy Holiday".  The nepalis celebrate by sacrificing animals to the Gods.  The kids paint themselves with red dye.  In addition the kids make water ballons or fill buckets of water and target innocent people as the walk down the street.  I was the the victim to this practice yesterday.  After an early morning walk I arrived at my hotel drenched with water from head to toe.

Besides the holy holiday, everything in Kathmandu remains normal.  We are look forward to seeing the rest of the team tomorrow!

More in a couple days!

All the best, Christine

Since 1994, Mountain Madness has led 29 team members on successful expeditions to Everest's summit.  This year's Everest expedition will approach the mountain from the Normal Route--ascending through to the South Col from the Khumbu Glacier, and continuing to the summit via the Southeast ridge.

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.

A cold weather, high altitude double boot for extreme conditions The Olympus Mons is the perfect choice for 8000-meter peaks. This super lightweight double boot has a PE thermal insulating inner boot that is coupled with a thermo-reflective outer boot with an integrated gaiter. We used a super insulating lightweight PE outsole to keep the weight down and the TPU midsole is excellent for crampon compatibility and stability on steep terrain. WEIGHT: 39.86 oz • 1130 g LAST: Olympus Mons CONSTRUCTION: Inner: Slip lasted Outer: Board Lasted OUTER BOOT: Cordura® upper lined with dual-density PE micro-cellular thermal insulating closed cell foam and thermo-reflective aluminium facing/ Insulated removable footbed/ Vibram® rubber rand See more here.

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