Mt. Everest 2005: Alpine Ascents Everest 2005: Camp One

Update: Camp I
    
Well here we are again at CI. Hello to all of you out there following the expedition.

This morning we headed out of BC at 4:30 on our second acclimatization trip up the mountain. Each of these trips are in some ways their own "mini climbs". We try and get the team to treat each one in that way rather than taking this immense mountain in one bite.

It's a picturesque afternoon here at CI with clouds rolling in and out and occasional snow and sunbreaks. We arrived around 11:30 and just finished up with some soup then cheese and crackers. The gang is now all in their warm tents and bags. Surprisingly it's very quiet- a change for this team. Surely in an hour or so the prodding will start in the form of hurtled insults from tent to tent. Oh what a family we have here.

After climbing up to CI with us Lakpa Rita decided to head directly to CII for the night in order to take care of some logistical issues. So far the Sherpa team have moved over 2/3 of our oxygen bottles to CII. Four of our Sherpa "gunners" headed up to CII today as well in order to start in on the fixing up to the South Col tomorrow morning. Unbelievably strong and positive they can't be acknowledged enough for their work.

Our weather dependent plan is to move to CII tomorrow, take a rest day there the following day, then move up to CIII on Saturday for a night of tossing and turning rather than a night of sleep. To be perfectly honest it's one of the more miserable 24 hours of the expedition. Then we'll drop back to CII for a night and head back to BC on Monday. Of course the weather will have to be kind especially in terms of the winds.

I'm off to redeem myself in a game of Hearts.

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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