IMG Mount Everest Expedition 2003
South Side (Nepal) Dispatch Index

Dispatch One: Expedition leader Dave Hahn called on the satellite phone from Phakding and said all was going well. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Two: Dave Hahn reports that all is well, and that the team is now on the way to Pangboche and Dingboche. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Three: This morning the IMG team met the big MI 17 helicopter in Dingboche at about 14,000 feet.  The charter left Kathmandu with 3100kg of gear to Shyangboche (about 12,000 feet), where 1500kg was off loaded onto yaks. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Four: April 4, 2003: Dave Hahn and team are in Lobuche today, heading for Gorak Shep tomorrow then on to Base Camp on Sunday. All are doing well with acclimatization. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Five: Monday April 7, 2003: IMG Everest – Nepal 2003 expedition leader Dave Hahn reported in today via sat phone with news of the team’s great Puja ceremony and thus, the green light to formally begin the climb above Base Camp.  Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Six: Thursday, April 10, 2003: A phone update from Dave Hahn and email update from Tap Richards both tell of amazingly hard and good work by the Sherpas, who have already moved up to Camp 2 during the last two days to establish Advance Base Camp. "They're kicking tail" was the summary. Guides Hahn, Richards and Ben Marshall took a foray up through the Icefall yesterday to recon the route and will head back up today with climbers Gary Johnson, David "PJ" Pierce Jones, and Charlie Hyde to do some acclimatization and "skills honing" in the Icefall. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Seven: Sunday, April 13, 2003: Dave Hahn phoned in with a quick update. The entire team has made a few forays into the Icefall now, conducting what Dave calls "dress rehearsals" for a formal move up...  Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Eight: Friday, April 18, 2003: Dave Hahn phoned in with another update from our team in Nepal. Dave, Ben, Tap, Gary and Charlie just returned to Base Camp yesterday after a rotation up the hill, where the group slept for 2 nights at Camp 1 and took a day hike up to ABC. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Nine: Monday, April 21, 2003: I talked to Dave Hahn via sat phone on Saturday night. It was Sunday morning (their time) in Nepal, and Dave reported the first real storm of the season since their arrival. The route has been placed up to Camp 3 with some teams already carrying to that camp, but the storm forced many to turn around on Saturday and descend without reaching their destination. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch Ten: Climbers on the South Col! Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 11: IMG team leader Dave Hahn phoned in from Nepal Everest Base Camp for a brief update. The entire team has now slept for several nights at ABC (Camp 2) and all had a successful day-climb up to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face before descending back to Base Camp for some rest. Everyone is feeling OK. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 12: South Side: IMG team physician at Deirdre Galbraith called on the satellite phone from Base Camp on the evening of May 5th (morning of May 6th in Base Camp) and reports that the IMG team is holding at Camp 2 in the face of continued high winds. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 13: IMG Everest - Saturday, May 10, 2003: IMG team leader Dave Hahn phoned from Base Camp, where the entire team is now resting. After spending 4 nights pinned down at ABC during the wind squall, the team was able to successfully climb to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face, where they slept and then climbed the next day to the "yellow band" before descending back down to ABC and then down to BC the following day. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 14:  IMG Everest - Thursday, May 15, 2003: IMG team leader Dave Hahn phoned from Base Camp. All eyes are on the forecasts now, with the IMG team ready to climb when a clear window looks likely.  Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 15: IMG doctor Deirdre Galbraith called on the sat phone to report that the IMG team successfully climbed from Base Camp to Camp 2 on May 18.  Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 16: IMG expedition doctor Deirdre Galbraith reports from Base Camp that the IMG climbers are now at Camp 2 taking a rest day (on May 19) and that the plan remains for them to ascend to Camp 3 on the 20th... Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 17: Coming down... Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 18 & 19: The IMG South side expedition, led by guides Dave Hahn and Ben Marshall, with climbers Gary Johnson and David Pierce-Jones, is now on their way back up to ABC for their second summit attempt, and is hoping to summit in about 4 days... Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 20: Dispatch 20: IMG Physician Deirdre Galbraith reports from Base Camp that Dave and team made it to the South Col in good shape, but that it is blowing hard up there, so it is unlikely they will climb tonight unless the weather breaks. They are camped about 50 feet away from the others. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 21: We heard from Deirdre Galbraith at Base Camp, who reports that Dave's team are doing well at the South Col, after a windy night. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 22: Deirdre Galbraith reports from Base Camp at 9pm on the 29th (Nepal Time) that the wind has dropped somewhat... Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 23: IMG physician Deirdre Galbraith at Base Camp reports that Dave Hahn, Ben Marshall, Gary Johnson, and David Pierce Jones have reached the summit. The weather is perfect, no wind. They left the South Col at 9:45 pm last night, and reached the top at 7:45 am Nepal time on May 30th. Check here for the full update.

Update: It is Official! Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 24: Deirdre Galbraith reports that the team is now back down to the South Summit and everyone is doing fine. They spent some time on top waiting for Jake Norton to arrive via the North Ridge with the OLN [Brice] team. Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 25: Deirdre Galbraith called from Base Camp to report that all the climbers were back to the Col and doing well.  They have decided to stay... Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 26: Johnson's climb of Everest yesterday... Check here for the full update.

Dispatch 27: Dave called from Everest base camp and reports that everyone is safely down. Check here for the full update.

The expedition is organized by Eric Simonson IMG Expeditions

Eric Simonson, veteran expedition leader, Everest Summiter, author and motivational speaker. To book Eric e-mail everestnews2004@adelphia.net