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Christine Feld Boskoff CEO
of Mountain Madness
and now a 2 time summiter of Everest |
Dispatch: July 18, 2005: This
is Charlie Fowler reporting from basecamp. The Mountain Madness team returned
to basecamp early this morning, having aborted our summit attempt. For the
last few days we had been at Camp 1, waiting for better weather and snow
conditions to launch a serious bid for the summit. However, during our time up
there the wind and snowstorms were frequent, rendering conditions on the
mountain hazardous. Many other climbers were also waiting at Camp 1, and
yesterday a little snowball battle between a couple of climbers escalated into
a huge fight involving most teams. At least everyone is having fun and in good
cheer!
We had planned on moving to
Camp 2 this morning, but it was apparent that we needed to wait a few more
days for conditions on the mountain to settle - time that we do not have. Our
two high altitude porters, both very experienced on Gasherbrum 2, expressed
great concern and reckoned it was too dangerous to proceed; an assessment I
also shared. Nevertheless, a few teams did move up to Camp 2 today, but as
expected reported poor snow conditions and slow going.
The adventure is not yet over
for us, though. In a few days, on July 22, we will be leaving basecamp for the
Gondogoro La, a high pass with outstanding views of all the high peaks in the
region. Three days later we should arrive at the village of Hushe, then
by jeep a day later in the city of Skardu. Weather permitting, we will then
fly to Islamabad and the conclusion of our trip.
Despite not making the
summit, everyone is in pretty good spirits about it all. Missing the top
is certainly a part of the game and we can't take it too seriously. We did our
best under some difficult circumstances, and we can all feel good about that.
Already there is talk of other mountains and other trips.
More later, Charlie
July 16, 2005: This is
Charlie Fowler reporting from Camp I on Gasherbrum. Everybody is here and we
are doing well. Tomorrow we are going to go up to Camp 2. The weather has been
windy with a little bit of snow. We expect the same weather tomorrow, but
after that we should have a spell of good weather. We are on our summit pitch,
and expect to head to the top around the 19th or 20th. There are quite a
number of other groups here that are expected to try and summit at the same
time, which is good because they should help break trail. However, we are
running out of time. It’s getting late so this will be our last chance to try
to summit.
Everything else is going
well, and everyone is pretty excited. There are lots of other motivated
climbers here and we are all pretty healthy and happy.
More later… Charlie
Updates
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Millet One
Sport Everest Boot has made some minor changes by adding
more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High
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-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. |
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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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