BT Everest 2005

Progress - 2nd April to 8th April


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Latest Update - The Plan - Progress Map

Game on!!!

Updated : 7th April 2005

Location	Everest Base Camp
Altitude	5350
Temperature	0 -5
Weather conditions	clear, sunny
Wind	0 -5

Personal profile
where 10 is excellent and 1 is not good;
Overall Health	9
Diet	9
Body Temperature	9
Bowels	8
Sleep	8
Mental Attitude	10
Team relationships	8
Physical tiredness	9
Overall Outlook	10

Activities
Highlights-Game on!!!! This morning we had the Puja ceremony. I'm not a religious or even spiritual person but this service was very moving. In all it took about two hours and was conducted by a Buddhist Lama. It involved ritual prayer,the drinking of rice beer, incense burning and a fire build into the huge five foot cubic alter which has been built over the last few days by the sherpa's. Following the blessing a mast was erected at the alter centre from which pray flags radiate in all directions for about 100 metres. These will be maintained until this is all over. So tomorrow we will attempt to establish camp 1 high above the Khumbu Ice fall at the bottom of the western cym [coom] and then return to Base Camp. This will take a minimum of 8 hours and we will try and complete the climb before the sun makes it unstable so a very early start with much of the climbing by head torch. There may not be an update tomorrow depending on how exhausted I am.

Yak taking a drink

Updated : 6th April 2005

Location	Everest Base Camp
Altitude	5350
Temperature	0 to -16
Weather conditions	Clear Sunny
Wind Speed	0 -5

Personal profile
where 10 is excellent and 1 is not good;
Overall Health	9
Diet	9
Body Temperature	9
Bowels	8
Sleep	9
Mental Attitude	10
Team relationships	8
Physical tiredness	9
Overall Outlook	10

Activities
Had a great nights sleep last night despite several very loud avalanches and a shotgun like crack right under my tent from stress in the moraine. I work up to licking noise and a Yak taking a drink from an ice block outside the tent. Today I need to rest and prepare the O2. This is about making sure the mask and canular will work with the face mask, goggles and head gear. I have decided to sleep on the canular at camp 4 but will use the mask on the summit bid. This is marginally less efficient but felt more reliable and actually less claustrophobic. When using the canular with my goggles it depressed the intake to a point of unreliability although I'll do more tests before I make a final decision. I'm expecting the Fuja ceremony tomorrow am so all being well we will try and make camp 1 and back on Friday. Our next major challenge!!!!

The Team on the Khumbu Ice Falls

Updated : 5th April 2005

Location	Everest Base Camp
Altitude	5350
Temp	0 to -16
Weather conditions	Clear Sunny
Wind	0 -5

Personal profile
where 10 is excellent and 1 is not good;
Overall Health	9
Diet	9
Body Temperature	9
Bowels	8
Sleep	8
Mental Attitude	10
Team relationships	7
Physical tiredness	7
Overall Outlook	10

Activities
More acclimatisation on Khumbu icefall. Saw the whole team in action today and I am not impressed. Although many of the guys have an impressive list of mountains to their names many lack basic mountaineering skills. Clauss lost his ice axe down a crevasse which gave me the opportunity to try and retrieve it. I was the only person with the kit,knowledge and ability to both abseil down and then prussic back up the rope. As it turned out my 15metre rescue rope was too short and we had to radio for a longer rope. His axe was actually 35metres down. This was a basic error and I hope everyone has learned the lesson. Quan made it across two ladder bridges but had to turn back exhausted. There is no less than 60 of these to cross before camp 1. My guess is that it will be another 2 to 3days before we are strong enough to attempt to go to C1 and back in the same day. I'm tired after today's exertion and will rest tomorrow, possibly checking our 02 prior to its move up to C2 otherwise known as ABC. The two pics are one of me climbing up an ice wall and Dirk crossing a crevasse ladder.

First Full Day at Basecamp

Updated : 4th April 2005

Location	Everest Base Camp
Altitude	5350
Temperature	-4
Weather conditions	Light Snow

Personal profile
where 10 is excellent and 1 is not good;
Overall Health	9
Diet	9
Body Temperature	9
Bowels	8
Sleep	8
Mental Attitude	10
Team relationships	6
Physical tiredness	7
Overall Outlook	10

Activities
Decided to check out climbing gear and get some further acclimatisation in with Dirk and Manuel a hotelier from the Pyrenees. He speaks no English but he a nice guy and I like him. We communicate quite well with expressions and sign language. Dirk found a way across the Moraine to the fixed ropes but then had to turn back as he only had some of the necessary gear to ascend the ice fall. Manuel and I continued for a further two hours to an altitude of over 5500 metres. We crossed about 12 major crevasses on aluminium ladders which was quite fun and safe providing you know how to do it and have the necessary gear. This has left me feeling tired but very confident I can get to Camp 1. This maybe a week away as we are awaiting two other groups before we can have the Puja ceremony with the Lama necessary to bless our attempt. Still there is much to do checking equipment and especially the O2. Also despite my acclimatisation which is better than expected today. It has proved that I am not yet ready to push on upwards to above 6000 metres. Some tension is building in the team. Ludmila the Russian guide is complaining about the food and I took exception to her doing this on behalf of the team without first discussing it. She had a point but the way in which she addressed the Sherpa cook was unacceptable. Still she seems ok with me now. Dirk and I are on the same page and get on great. Sergai the other Russian just wants to get on with it but he is both inexperienced and no where near ready, Ludmila worries about this. Quan is still struggling and I'll be surprised if he gets up the icefall. His knowledge of mountaineering and self sufficiency is woefully inadequate. Dr Claus is starting to fit in and although he has the arrogance you would expect of a medical consultant knows what this is all about. Climbing Everest is a long game and I am pleased with my mental preparation, all the issues so far I expected and I'm just glad that Dirk and I can rely on each other without the rest if push comes to shove. Today's picture is of me in the middle of a ladder taking the picture looking down the crevasse. One for our Craig!

First Full Day at Basecamp

Updated : 3rd April 2005

Location	Everest Base Camp
Altitude	5350
Temp	-4
Weather conditions	Ligh snow
Wind	10

Personal profile
where 10 is excellent and 1 is not good;
Overall Health	9
Diet	9
Body Temperature	9
Bowels	9
Sleep	8
Mental Attitude	10
Team relationships	8
Physical tiredness	8
Overall Outlook	10

Activities
Last night was very cold at least -20 either way off the scale. I was nice and toasty albeit in my Buffalo sallopets and mountain shirt, inside my -20 North face bag covered with my trekking bag and a warm hat. Getting used to these conditions over the next few days will be a challenge. Our group is one of the first at base camp and Yak trains are arriving by the hour. BC is situated on the glacial moraine and is therefore moving always very slowly. This makes interesting noises like groans and cracking wood in and amongst the frequent avalanches down from Nuptse and the ice fall. Over the next few days I'll introduce the other members of our team starting today with Quan Tang a Vietnamese American engineer living in Orange State California. Quan is in his forties and finding it difficult to acclimatise. If he is to have any chance on this climb I think he will have to descend to Labouche for a few days although even then I doubt he can make the work rate necessary. Fingers crossed that this does not happen to me. At this point my O2 blood saturation is at 85% and pulse rate at rest of 65 making me one of the stronger members at the moment. I hope this continues. This morning Dirk, Manuel and I searched out the path across the moraine to the begging of the icefall. Tomorrow we will put on our crampons and get some ice climbing and crevasse rescue practice done in readiness for obstacles ahead.

First Night as Basecamp

Updated : 2nd April 2005

Location	Everest Base Camp
Altitude	5350
Temp	-4
Weather conditions	Sunny

Personal profile
where 10 is excellent and 1 is not good;
Overall Health	8
Diet	8
Body Temperature	8
Bowels	8
Sleep	7
Mental Attitude	10
Team relationships	9
Physical tiredness	8
Overall Outlook	10

Activities
First night at BC. Very cold -12 tent inside all iced up including outside of sleeping bag. Almost everyone has got some symptoms of AMS. My face is puffy, my eyes and nose are seeping constantly but otherwise feeling very good. These symptoms will pass in a few days and are only a minor irritation. More worryingly is Quan who is really not ready for this and was cold all night. Tent is 5* really comfortable especially when the sun is out. First privacy since I left home. In addition we have a separate mess and cooking tent. Toilet is basic but acceptable. Tomorrow I will be checking out my gear in preparation for our first crossing of the Khumbu icefall. Pics today are of Dirk's and my tents, note BT flag and prayer scarf's on my tent and of the Khumbu ice fall, our next challenge.