Aspen Ski Cho Oyu / Everest 2007: Base camp with climbing soon!

April 19,2007: Mike calls in the first voice dispatch (click here to listen)

Earlier: Dispatch April 15th, 2007: We arrived in Lhasa on yesterday with no hitches.  Today we toured the city, checking out the various sites including a tour of the Potala Palace.  unbelievably amazing to walk the halls of the Dali Lamas, and to see the Vatican of Buddism.  Lhasa itself is not at all what we expected in that it is a total tourist trap, very updated and modern, but with a good guide, we were able to find the local spots that you read and hear about from years past.  Bob Slozen is traveling in our group, and having been here back in the mid and late 80's, he says it is amazing  how it has changed.  But in all, especially considering the palace, Lhasa is not to be missed and glad that we have finally routed it into one of these trips.

Off tomorrow for the road to Cho.  The group is doing well, spirits high, and we are having a very nice time.  In our group, Bob Slozen is guiding our good friends, Jeanne Andlinger and sister Susie. Susie will not continue on to join Bob and Jeanne on Cho but is doing some site seeing and such.  Bob is a 3 time Everest summiter, 2 time Cho summiter, and on and on.  He is our mentor in that he guided Steve, Jim, our brother Roger and I on Denali back in 1989.  He taught us everything we needed to continue on from there on our own.  Having him around is super, and his experience on and off the mountain is really great.  He and Jeanne will head back after Cho, but having them around for the first part of the trip is a lot of fun.  Also, Aspen cinematographer Cheri Silvera is along to help me with the film of it all.  Also, Charlie Hopton who outfitted us for a trip back in 1998 to Kazakhstan to climb and ski Pik Lenina is along adding his undying enthusiasm for EVERYTHING that is not republican. He is now 70 young years old and with a couple of 7000 meter peak ascents, wants to check out an 8000er. Good for Charlie! Our team doc is Doug Doglinou (sp) who adds a very humorous dialog to it all. Doug spent 4 months in Nepal years ago working with Dr. Peter Hackett, so  this is his first time back since.  He is also helping Cherie with some of the filming.

So that gives some you an idea of the group. Once on the mountain, we will form a few different teams, with different objectives; Steve, Jim, and I to climb and ski to acclimate on Cho; Cherie and Doug to get as much footage as possible; I will also be filming, but they will  be there to get as much additional on-mountain footage as possible (also to summit).  Then the other members will be on their own separate program.  We will have the same base camp on Cho, so it should continue to be what has started out as a really enjoyable group.

Talk to you soon. Mike

Mike Marolt lives in Aspen and is a KPMG Peat Marwick alumni.

Dispatches 2007   and   Sponsors

To see there reports from earlier Everest Expedition see here.

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