Mt. Everest 2005: Catalan Team North Side Day of acclimatization at Advanced Base Camp

Tents (camp 1) North Col ©EverestNews.com

Update: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - Day of acclimatization at Advanced Base Camp

After having spent the first night with the sickness of being at 6,400 meters, today we will organize the Advanced Base Camp, moving the communications tent from where I am writing this chronicle now.  A very important task was to reinforce our tents using ropes and rocks because, if the weather is good now, the morning was sunny and in the afternoon we had some snow, it probably will be windy again in this Camp.  According to information provided by members of other expeditions there is already a lot of movement in Camp 1 where the Sherpas of different expeditions have installed tents, if all goes well we hope to install ours in a couple of days.

Good night and enjoy the "good temperatures" that you have.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 - We are at the bottom of Everest

It looked like this day wouldn't come but it did.  Everest has received at its feet the Advanced Base Camp, but it was worth the 5 hours of march from the intermediate camp were we spent the night.  We followed the Rongbuk glacier and flanked side by side by immense walls of ice of some 50 meters high. During part of the trail we could see Everest and the North Ridge which we will climb in a few days.  Oh!  The ascent to 6,400 m. has hit our bodies. 

We arrive here exhausted to mount on rock and ice the tents that will shelter from now on, and Xavi have managed to do an electrical installation in the mess tent.  It starts to snow heavy, a bad day awaits for us. Namasté!

Monday, April 25, 2005 - Chinese Base Camp - Intermediate Camp

When we thought that everything would start at 9h in the morning for breakfast, Xavi and Agustí, the first to get ready, found base camp in total silence.  Only our cook was working in the mess tent, in conclusion: the expedition starts to work on Nepal time and it was 6:30 hours in the morning.  While half the group stayed up after hours two of the members have changed the time.  After breakfasts we had a photographic session for our sponsors and we ended the preparation of our backpacks to go to Intermediate Camp.  After 5 hours of march through the moraine of the oriental Rongbuk glacier, we arrived to the camp located at 5,900 meters by the end of the afternoon.  For the moment we are fine and we want to get to the Advanced Base Camp soon.  Good night friends, until tomorrow.

Namasté from Tibet

Sunday, April 26, 2005 - We are finally at Chinese Base Camp

Got up early in the morning and at 7h the all-terrain vehicle was already on the way to the Chinese Base Camp.  We have left behind New Shigar, which is just four houses and a few hotels.

It was a total of 130 Km by a relatively good dirt road which lead us to a Col of more than 5,000 meters, and from the first chance we could see the North Face of Everest, flanked by other eight-thousands, Shisha Pangma, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu.  It was a spectacular view of the Himalayas.  After we crossed the Rongbuk valley we were surprised to see that there are houses and people who have arrived to the millenarian monastery which give the name to the North Face of Everest and is very impressive.

After having the first meal at Base Camp, it took us all afternoon to prepare all the material to be carried to Advanced Base Camp  

We found a Base Camp full of tents of other expeditions who are on the mountain and some those who go and come back again have welcomed us.  Tomorrow morning we plan to begin one of the two journeys to carry things to Advanced Base Camp.

Good night from the feet of Everest! 

Translated form Catalan by Jorge Rivera

Updates

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