EverestNews.com will
follow the attempt on Annapurna of the "International Annapurna 2000
Expedition": We think
you will find these daily reports very interesting. Go to their site for the
pictures and dispatches in Spanish. Their
web site: www.interofer.es/annapurna2000
with reports in Spanish, Pictures and more !
Update: 4/20/2000
Title:
The
team returns to load-carrying and climbs to Camp II at 6000 meters.
Weather:
Sun during the day and snow at night.
Location
of Expedition: Josep A. Pujante, Jep Tapias, Borja Pascual, Xavier
Arias, Jep Tapias and Yasar Ugur are at Camp I. The rest of the
expedition are at Base Camp being coordinated by Joaquim 'Jake' Molins.
Next
Objective: Decide the climbing route.
Dispatch:
The expedition, in spite of adverse weather conditions, follows the
planned schedule. "Team One" made up of Dr Josep Pujante
Antoni, Paschal de Borja (from Madrid) and the Yasar Ugur (Turkey) reached 6000
meters, where CII is located. The team then returned to the CI.
Tomorrow, they will decide whether to continue on the French route or
follow another less-dangerous route to the summit. This decision was
already made two days ago by the American expedition. The high temperatures during
the day and the cold and snow during the night has caused the route to become
very instable and prone to avalanches. This is especially the case near
CII. While "Team One" ascended to the CII, "Team
Two" formed by Basque Iosu, Feijoo and Xavier Arias and Jep Tapias
fixed ropes in sections between the base camp and CI. Both teams met
in CI in the afternoon. According to Dr Pujante "We had a very hard
day. We climbed for 13 hours to CII and then descended to CI in bad
weather." The American and Military expeditions are looking to team-up and
combine efforts to complete the ascent of the mountain.
NEWSFLASH 4/21/2000 7:47 pm EST
ANNAPURNA:
Communication from the
International Expedition to Annapurna 2000 via Airtel from Camp I at 5000
meters.
"Team One"
formed by Ugur Uluoak, Paschal Borja and myself, yesterday reopened the route
between Camp 1 to Camp 2. The route had become impassable after several
continuous days of falling snow and subsequent avalanches. Returning to Camp 1
to spend the night with to the "Team Two" formed by Jep, Iosu Aryan
Feijoo and Xavier. They had installed prudent fixed ropes between Camp 1
and BC. Today, they were to have installed fixed ropes between Camp 1 and
Camp 2. However, at
midnight, an immense avalanche, coming from the level 7500 meters, caused an
enormous roar and later a powerful expansive wave. The
avalanche strongly shook the tents at Camp 1 and awoke everyone. Everyone
then scrambled to refuges before the imminent arrival of the snow. This
sprinkled the level platform of Camp 1 following the explosion that has lasted
almost a minute. This morning, we prepared the loads that Sherpas should have
transport to Camp 2. This included ropes, stoves and food that they were
to put in the tents. Minutes afterwards, when studying the route, we saw that
the avalanche of the previous night literally swept all but 400 meters of the
route to Camp 2. This is the exact route that we followed yesterday.
The avalanche wiped out the route towards Camp 2. Immediately afterwards, as the
expedition head, I had to
order that neither Sherpas nor the climbers accept the to risk and cancelled the
plans for the day. I have ordered the Sherpas to descend to the BC.
The climbers, at the moment, are here at Camp 1. The
American expedition, led by Ed Viesturs,
who also was in the Camp 1 and has immense
experience in the Himalayas,
at sight of the
circumstances, decided to definitively abandon their ascent of Annapurna. The
French military expedition, did not climb to Camp 1 as was planned. We are
therefore alone at Camp 1 and in good conditions. As
the route to Camp 2 has been destroyed and the atmospheric conditions are not
good, we will stay here a few days awaiting better conditions. The
patience, the prudence and the tenacity, must be united to attempt to ascend
Annapurna.
Jose Pujante, leader
of the Expedition the International 2,000 Annapurna / Port of Barcelona
EverestNews.com has added
a Spring 2000 Annapurna Page where EverestNews.com
will report News on this
expedition and other
Annapurna News.
Everest North Side:
The Story is
Communications are down for most expeditions.
This seems to happen every year on Everest. They will get it back up. They
always do.
Numerous Expeditions
are now at Base Camp, most have been to ABC. A large Russian team is leading the way up the mountain.
Graham
Hoyland, with the BBC expedition, and Juan
Oiarzabal, with the
Spanish Expedition attempting to recreate the ascent of 1924 of Mallory and Irvine,
both have been to ABC and so far appear to be having no problems.
However communications with both expeditions are down.
Everest South Side:
Climbers are now at
Camp 3 with Camp 4 being established. Looks
like late next week or early May for Summit attempts.
Current Status: Byron
Smith and Tim Rippel are bunked down at Camp 3 with high winds blowing outside
their tent on the Lhotse Face. They'll climb back to Base camp Saturday
morning.
