Mt. Everest 2005: Alpine Ascents Everest 2005: Basecamp is getting busy

Update: Everest BC
    

Basecamp is getting busy nowadays with many climbers heading up and coming down from their acclimatization climbs. Unlike the days when we arrived here, the weather pattern has turned back to normal with sunny mornings and cloudy afternoons with some snow. While some of us took a short hike this morning, our sherpa team took good care of the maintenance of our camp: the ice is melting quickly around our tents so some of them are perched on platforms overlooking basecamp. They did a very good job filling up with rocks of varied sizes the melted areas. It almost seems like an engineering project with water channels, sidewalks, perfectly leveled entrances. One of the most impressive moments today happened when eight Sherpas moved a boulder the size of a midsize car to avoid gravity doing its job at an unexpected and not desired moment.

We are going to have one more rest day at least before our second tour on the mountain which will last six days including spending one night at Camp 3 (24.000 ft approximately) before descending.
As you can see, tomorrow will be a preparation day and also a last chance to take a shower before leaving basecamp.
The group has also enjoyed watching a few movies in our dining tent. We are including some photos of everyday life at basecamp which we hope you enjoy.

Wish us luck with the weather.
My very best to you all,
Jose Luis.

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

Millet One Sport Everest Boot for Spring 2010 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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