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Presents Everest Autumn 2000 !
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Mt.
Everest, October 7, 2000
It
was a historical day for Slovenian. Davo Karnicar, of
Jezersko, Slovenia, accomplished an uninterrupted ski
descent from the top of the world's highest mountain,
Mount Everest (8,848m). At 8 a.m. local time (4.15
CEST), Davo started his historical ascent, fulfilling
his longtime dream to which he had aspired since 1996
when a snowstorm halted his efforts. Today, in only
five hours, Davo skied uninterruptedly (without taking
skis off) from the top of the mountain to base camp at
5,340m.
Davo
Karnicar and Franc Oderlap began their ascent of Everest on
Wednesday early in the morning. They left base camp,
climbed the notorious Icefall, and reached Camp II
well before noon. In a coordinated effort the Sherpa climbers
has set out the same day for Camp IV to set tents. One of them had to
return due to altitude sickness. After a good night's
sleep, the Slovenian mountaineers on Thursday morning
headed for Camp II, heavily loaded with gear. On
Friday, they traversed below the Lhotse face over the
Geneva Spur and the Yellow Band, the highest-lying
tectonic joint in the world, and reached Camp IV at
the South Col at an altitude of 7,950m just after
noon. Davo was in a very good mood, feeling the
Everest summit at his hand's reach. After setting up
two tents together with the Sherpa climbers, Davo and
Franc put every effort into taking in some food and
drink - quite a strenuous pursue at such an altitude.
To his own surprise, Davo consumed a large portion of
tsampa mixed with cottage cheese which the Sherpas
prepared.
At
five p.m., the two Slovenians tucked into one sleeping
bag - it would be too heavy to carry two - and slept
for three hours with additional oxygen. Upon waking
up, they were more exhausted than before, yet
concentrated enough to prepare the gear and get
dressed. They set out at 10.30 p.m. Franc put on
apparel filled with down; Davo two fleeces, a
windstopper and an anorak. It was a romantic night,
Davo was joking: the moon was shining brightly. Davo
put on ski boots and protectors, while Franc wore high
altitude hiking shoes. They both put on crampons, as
the slopes were icy and the snow compressed by wind.
Where the snow was breakable crust, they were trudging
a new path through the snow; while elsewhere the path
was already made by the Korean team. When just below
the Hillary step, Davo contacted base camp via radio.
Conditions at the most dangerous section were ideal.
It took Davo therefore only half an hour to reach the
summit from the south peak.
On
top the weather was wonderful, offering great views
of Lhotse, Makalu and the neighboring peaks. At this early
hour, 7 a.m., it was extremely cold on the Earth's
tallest point. After one hour of preparations,
photographing and warming-up, Davo skied down, while
Franc Oderlap, Ang Dorjee Sherpa - who summited for a
seventh time - and Passang Tenzing Sherpa descended on
foot. The most difficult section of the ski descent
was not, as Davo had supposed, the Hillary step, but
the steep section leading to the south peak, with a
considerable threat of avalanches. At Camp IV, Davo
put on a camera weighing three kilos - which is why he
decided not to ski with it right from the top. After
several steep sections, he reached Camp III where he
met other climbing members of the expedition, Tadej,
Urban, Matej, Grega and Jurij the doctor. Yet the
adventure was far from over. The Icefall was still to
be skied, an immense psychological test for any skier.
Davo was skiing under the haunting ice blocks, which
can unexpectedly break and fall at any time.
The
merry atmosphere at base camp was beyond description.
We opened a bottle of champagne and toasted to Davo,
who didn't go to sleep for a long time, though very
tired.
The
Slovenian team
Update:
Back Home !
Davo
and the SI.MOBIL Extreme Ski Everest team back in
Slovenia!
Davo
Karnicar and the rest of the team today landed at the
Ljubljana Brnik airport, where they were greeted by
many sports enthusiasts who via the internet and other
media followed the progress of the expedition and its
successful bid.
After
a short press conference, the entire team headed for
Jezersko (Davo's home town), where at 1 p.m. a party
began to honor Davo and SI.MOBIL Extreme Ski Everest
2000's fantastic achievement.
Update:
Celebration
in Kathmandu
All
expeditions which have conquered any eightthousander
traditionally meet at Rum Doodle restaurant to
celebrate the successful bid.
Members
of expeditions put their signatures on a huge white
sole, which is later hung on one of the restaurant
walls. The bar on the first floor, named after a
non-existent "highest" mountain, 40,000.5
feet, is reserved for Everest summiters. The bar and
the restaurant yesterday hosted SI.MOBIL Extreme Ski
Everest 2000 expedition, representatives of the
Nepalese Ministry of tourism and of the Wilderness
Experience agency, as well as some Davo's wife and
friends who came to Nepal on a trekking. The summiters
put their names into a special book and on a board,
and receive 'summiters' cards.
Dispatch
10/16/2000:
Expedition
arrived at Kathmandu
The
SI.MOBIL Extreme Ski Everest 2000 expedition were
today taken by helicopter from Namche Bazar to
Kathmandu.
After
settling in at the hotel, the team was invited to an
official reception given by the Nepalese Ministry of
culture, tourism and civil aviation.
Everest
North Side Autumn Update 10/16/2000:
Everest
North Side - No Summit!
Climbers
of the 2000 Korean Quomolangma Expedition (Leader:
Chang Byung Ho) attempting
Everest from the North side via the North Col - NE
Ridge route for this fall season were not lucky enough
as their counter parts in the south to set their feet
on the Earth's highest point due to adverse weather
condition. Two members and two Sherpa from this
lone expedition climbing Everest from the North side
made the first summit attempt on the 3 October from a
final camp at 8350m. They reached a point near the
Second Step and then strong winds prevented them from
climbing further. Lead climber of the team Ha
Chan Soo and partner Shin Don Min made a second summit
attempt on the 8 October. However, adverse weather
condition compounded with severe physical exhaustion
disoriented their progress above the Second Step and
the expedition team decided to call of the expedition.
Strong wind also ripped apart their tents at Camp
II.
In
the recent years, this is the season (Autumn) with
least expedition teams on the mountain. Both in the 98
and 99 autumn there were more than 3 expeditions on
the mountain from this route. However, no
climbers reached the summit of Everest in 99 autumn
season as well. Three expedition team climbing
Everest from the other side of the mountain (two
Koreans and one Slovenian) via the South Col SE Ridge
route were successful in placing climbers on the
summit.
A
lone North American climber with one Sherpa team did
arrive at Everest base camp on the North side to give
company to the Koreans but they decided not to
proceeded above base camp.
Ang
Karma Sherpa
Windhorse Trekking (P) Ltd.
Dispatch
10/15/2000:
At
Namche Bazar
After
a few minor incidents, the SI.MOBIL Extreme Ski
Everest 2000 team safely arrived at Namche Bazar.
All
formalities have been settled, and the team is to take
a helicopter directly for Kathmandu tomorrow. The
entire expedition is to stay in Kathmandu till 28
October, when they are to fly to Vienna, to continue
for Ljubljana, Slovenia, the following day. They are
expected at the Ljubljana Brnik airport on Sunday, 29
October, at 10.40 a.m. CEST.
Dispatch
10/13/2000:
Grega
Lacen arrived at Ljubljana.
Grega
Lacen, who left Nepal earlier than the rest of the
expedition because of his frostbitten toes, arrived at
Ljubljana yesterday evening.
Grega's
frostbitten toes will be from today on treated at
Barotech Institute, Ljubljana, by means of a
hyperbaric chamber.
Expedition
left the base camp
This
morning the expedition set out for Namche Bazar. Today
the team members will sleep in Periche. Ang Dorje will
stay at the base camp until enough yaks are available
for transporting the rest of the equipment.
Interview
with Davo after arrival to base camp
The
whole ascent to Mount Everest took us four days, which
is very normal, I think. We made a night summit bid
because I wanted to ski when there is the least wind.
So we started towards the summit on Friday at around
10 p.m. We were on top on Saturday between six and
seven in the morning. We were very much surprised
there was so much snow there! The Hillary step, the
steep crest and huge amounts of snow which threatened
to avalanche - these are the main characteristics of
this first uninterrupted skiing from the top of the
tallest mountain on this planet.
Davo,
what about the Hillary step and the Icefall?
Well,
the Hillary step was a problem already for the first
climbers. For me, it turned out to be less dangerous
than the pointed crest from the Hillary step to the
Icefall. The Icefall is, of course, a huge sliding
ground which can be avoided if approached from the
left side, skiing along the main line leading into the
serac, which is all the time falling from the Lho La
saddle. 15 minutes before I skied there one major fall
took place, so I knew it would take some time before
another one. Somewhere faster, somewhere slower I in
the end made it through the icefall.
Were
you happy with the equipment you chose - skis, boots
etc.?
Yes,
very much so. All the gear was tested before, there
weren't any problems at all. The Elan skis turned very
adequate - light enough to bring them to the top and
very functional in all sorts of snow that you come
across when you ski down 4,000 vertical meters.
What
about the camera on the helmet, did you use it from
Camp IV?
Yes,
I even managed to see a few shots, they are very good;
we are also waiting for Ang Dorjee who filmed arrival
to the top and the first meters of skiing. Quite a few
shots were made from a distance through a telelens.
Davo,
how are you feeling, what are your plans for the
following days?
At
this moment - to regain strength. Slowly, slowly I'm
also becoming aware of the whole thing. It is
something that was in my head for a long long time - I
had it over in my thoughts so many times. Now it came
true - it came true what I came here for. I've got no
frostbites, rather fine.
Update:
10/13/2000
To
Summary the Korean Summits of Everest that have been reported
so far this Autumn 2000 by the Ministry of Tourism in
Nepal:
Kim
Hwan Koo & Kim Seong Cheol both on 10/4/2000;
Members of the Korean Lhotse Expedition.
On
the Other Korean Expedition, Kim Woong Sik, Hong Sun
Dok and Cho Cheol Hee all of the Chung-Buk Korean
Expedition reached the Summit on 10/4/2000.
Kim
Hong Bin, the climber with no hands was a member of
this Chung Buk Korean Expedition. Kim's hands were
amputated after he attempted to summit McKinley in
1991. Kim failed to Summit Everest...
Summary
of the Slovenia Summits:
Davo
Karnicar, Franc Oderlap, Sherpas Ang Dorjee Sherpa
(again !!! He is a famous Sherpa climber.) and Pasang
Tenzing.
Second
group - Matej Flis, Grega Lacen and Tadej Golob also
summited Everest.
Other
Everest News:
The
Korean climber with "no hands" has given
up...
Davo
Karnicar accomplished a full top to bottom ski descent
from Everest!
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