Mt. Everest 2005: Alpine Ascents Everest 2005 Dave Morton reporting from Deboche

Update: Deboche
    
Namaste from the rhododendron forest of Deboche. We’re settled into this wonderful spot amidst pine trees and plenty of towering rhododendron bushes that should probably be considered trees. This will be our spot to hang back and relax before our final summit push on the mountain.

This morning we woke up to crystal clear skies with more views out the windows of Ama Dablam. As Willi said yesterday our walk to Khumjung was through a bit of new snow and this morning the new dusting has made for perfect photos. No one should worry about this crew enjoying themselves and having a good time. Despite a couple of normal tummy troubles everyone has kept their senses of humor, perhaps too much. Last night around the wood stove Jeanne got the brunt of the harassment. April Fools day seems to have made it all the way to the 5th in the Khumbu.

It’s around 8 pm now and the team has slipped into their “late night” routines. Everybody’s well fed and some people have already made it upstairs to bed. Looking across the room Willi and our cook, Gopal, are engaged in a focused chess match… Tony and Danielle are both floating away in their separate Ipod worlds… Mustafa and David Liano are reading with their headlamps on… and I’m sitting with the glow of the laptop lighting up my corner of the room.

The gang was feeling good today and we made great time from Khumjung to Phunki Thanga. Our arrival was so early for lunch that Esther led the group in a full on yoga session. It definitely wasn’t pretty. This team should stick to climbing mountains.

After lunch we made our way up the long hill and pulled into the spectacular Tengboche monastery, the biggest in the Khumbu. We sat in on the afternoon chants and prayers of some of the resident monks and then afterwards dropped down into Deboche.

Tomorrow we’ll be heading up to Pheriche where we will spend two nights. The important journey of the day though is to Lama Geshe’s home for perhaps our most significant blessing of the expedition. Lama Geshe is a greatly respected figure in the Khumbu and among the Sherpa and the puja with him tomorrow will be a highlight.

All the best, Dave

Dispatches

Vern Tejas, Willi Prittie, Dave Morton, Jose Luis Peralvo, and Lakpa Rita Sherpa will lead the Alpine Ascent team on Everest this Spring. They will attempt the standard South East ridge route.

GUIDE STAFF (BIOS)
Lakpa Rita Sherpa Senior Guide & Sirdar	Vern Tejas Senior Guide	Willi Prittie Senior Guide
Dave Morton Senior Guide	Jose Luis Peralvo Senior Guide	Ellie Henke Base Camp Manager
CLIMBERS
Nigel Clark	Esther Colwill	Ron Farb
Kevin Grant	Cathy Groninger	Kent Groninger
Mostafa Mahmoud	Jeanne Stawiecki	Dianette Strange-Wells
Tony Van Marken	David Liano	Danielle Fisher

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