Mt. Everest 2005: Waldemar Niclevicz: The news is not so bad

05/16/2005

56th day of the 10 Years of Brazil on Everest Expedition

Lobuche (4,900m) / Base Camp (5,400m).

Went to Lobuche to pass the time.

Dear Friends!

Irivan and I were decided to start our final attack on Saturday, May 14, the day of the anniversary of the "10 Years of the Brazilian Conquest of Everest", but unhappily we were forced to desist because of the bad weather forecast, which warned of several storms this week and the wind was very strong.

We were devastated, so we decided to move a little, after staying so much time here in base camp which can make anybody go crazy, or at least a little psychologically hurt, because there is only rocks and ice to see everywhere, and with clouded sky, a frozen wind and snow falling on our heads.

A lot of climbers, after finishing the acclimatization phase with a night in camp 3 (7,300m), decided to go down to lower altitudes, and possibly crossing the woods line, which is around 4 thousand meters, looking for a refreshing environment, with the presence of trees, flowers, rivers and a little more oxygen and humidity.

The preferred place for many is Deboche (3,900m), which is at two, or at least a day's distance by foot from base camp (descending), but it is at least two or three days to come back (ascending).

Irivan and I, and the Spaniards that are part of our team (Jorge, Haya and David) didn't want to go that far, because our expectation that the weather improves is big, and we wanted to stay near to take advantage of the first opportunity.  But yes, we wanted to take a walk, sleep on a bed, take a good bath and eat better food, because our cook here in base camp is very bad, unhappily.

We ended going to Lobuche on Saturday, a little village at 4,900m of altitude, where there is half a dozen lodges, as they are call the little hotels that shelter adventure people, climbers or not, that travel the mountains of Nepal.

From base camp, it took us five hours walking to get to Lobuche, where we had a very nice weekend, practically all the time inside the comfortable lodge, because outside the frozen wind blew nonstop.  We played domino, poker with dice, took a very warm bath, ate and slept very good.

Then... we came back today to base camp, caught by the end of the afternoon by an undesirable blizzard.  My first worry, after getting in my tent, was to connect to the Internet via satellite to send you the news, and to see how the weather forecast is going: improving, my friends, however, slowly.

We also passed by the camps of other expeditions to find out about the latest developments.  The news is not so bad, at least two or three expeditions have already mounted camp 4 (8,000m), on the South Col, and today some Sherpas could get up to the "Balcony" (8,500m), fixing some ropes, although the wind was strong and there was a lot of snow on the way.

Well, more than ever, we are now with more anxiety to start our final attack.  We hope to get to the top of Everest in a week at the most, if God permits!!!

In today's main picture, Irivan is inside the lodge in Lobuche, my face, not so happy, is because of the time it is taking to the weather to improve.  Below, the village of Lobuche, with Kangtega and Thamserku in the background, two of the most beautiful mountains in the region.

A big hug,

Waldemar Niclevicz

Translated from Portuguese by Jorge Rivera

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