Mt. Everest 2005: Alpine Ascents Everest 2005: Off to the summit!

Update: May 29 - Off to the summit 11:15 pm
    
Hello in cyberland,

At last we’re on our way! This is Base Camp Manager Ellie Henke reporting from Everest base camp, where we’ve just heard that Vern Tejas and David Liano have started on their way to the top. Today they moved up from camp 3 at 7,200 meters (23,600 feet) to Camp 4 at the South Col at 7,960 meters (26,100 feet). When they arrived they got some rest and decided they felt pretty good. After weeks of wind the weather was improving, and a few hours ago they reported that this evening was almost dead calm. So the decision was made to go for it. So far this season no one has reached the summit of Everest from the southern Nepal side, so suddenly we find ourselves on the cutting edge.

So the final leg of the climb begins for Vern and Dave as they leave the South Col at 11:15 this evening. I will be sending in periodic reports, but I am not expecting to have too many communications with them. They are under strict orders not to risk frostbite by taking their mittens off during the night to do radio calls. So no news will be good news.

Meanwhile, the base camp staff is huddled around a propane heater in the communications tent. Gopal, our liaison officer Bed, Kumar, Lakpa, Gelbu, and myself will be trading off throughout the night to monitor the radio and track the progress of the climbers.

So stay tuned for further news from our first Everest summit attempt.

Ellie

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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