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Dhaulagiri
Expedition 2002
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April
1, 2002
Today I rose earlier than the amber hues of sunlight
that carve the massive white body and fluted ridges
of Dhaulagiri out of its palette of darkness each
morning. In the dark at 6:00 A.M., I scuttled
to the top of a ridgeline with the hopes of clearing
my imagination and filling the void in reality with
a sight of this alluring peak. Lying in the
frost, alone and high in the Himalayas, I worried
less about the arduous 3000' descent ahead and
focused now on why I was here: to be a tiny speck on
the great white flanks of one of the worlds most
beautiful and unforgiving peaks, a peak now in my
sights.
After the sunrise I returned to MultiMate. I
found the group stirring, sipping their tea and
packing duffels in preparation for our trek to
Dhaulagiri's base camp. Little did we know
that we would have the company of a steady 20+ mph
headwind to welcome our return to Jomsom. The
experience itself was more than most people would be
willing to put up with, but I found lightheartedness
in the fact that when we returned many of us had
enough dirt and sand in our teeth, ears, and on our
bodies to choke any shower drain. Looking
forward to tomorrow and our trek to Marpha.
Keep
Dreaming, Ben Clark
Tuesday,
April 2, 2002: Today's complications began
with the last evening. The group arrived here in
Jomsom in high spirits and poised for our change
in direction and our ascent to base camp. After
long showers, squeaky-clean hair and white shiny
teeth, we had a group meeting. We were informed
the mountain has already begun to turn against us.
Our climbing support has been getting stalled out
of the way to base camp. A pass at 17,000' has
thwarted our lead Sherpa, Dawa Chiri [this is Babu
Chiri Sherpa brother], a man many believe to be
the strongest climber in the world. Our meeting
was a discussion about our options, which included
additional tasks that may involve waiting
patiently in Jomsom for the snow pack to settle or
even flying a helicopter to 17,000' dropping loads
and porters to assist in breaking trail, a very
expensive option.
Himalayan
climbing is unlike any other adventure in the
world. The logistical hassle of ferrying 120
ninety pound loads to base camp via a three day
walk over a 17,000' pass is a nightmare. That is
just so we can start the climb. Conditions on
route and near the mountain are not ideal for
traveling on foot or with mules and yaks.
In
addition to these maligned traveling plans, seven
of our members, 4 at current have another story to
tell. It is of a new member of our expedition; a
bug so evil it causes its victims to writhe in
pain all night sending reports from your stomach
so vile and interrupting that chemical warfare may
begin to look timid. These folks are thankful for
our rest day today and unfortunately not really
enjoying it. As for the rest of the team, we wait
patiently at 9,000' through another day of playing
chess, sipping tea, and enjoying the splendid
views of neighboring peaks around us! Keep
Dreaming, Ben Clark
A
picture of the Team with Dhaulagiri's
north ridge in the background
is below taken on March 29th, 2002.
 Dispatches
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