MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE 2003 AMERICAN SKI EVEREST EXPEDITION

Seven American mountaineers will travel to Everest. This will be the rendezvous and starting point of their journey to attempt to climb and ski from the summit of the highest point on the planet, the 29,035-foot summit of Mount Everest.  From Katmandu the team will travel over the Himalayan divide into the Tibetan province of China to their base camp on the Tibetan Plateau at 17,000 feet on the north side of Mount Everest.  From this base camp, the team will spend 45 days climbing the North Ridge of Mount Everest without the help of porters and without the use of supplemental oxygen. The specific goals of the expedition are the following:

1)       The safest possible passage of all team members throughout the expedition;

2)       To climb the mountain using the purest techniques:  Without the aid of porters or supplemental oxygen, and without leaving any traces of our passage.

3)       To place as many members of the team as possible on the summit of Mount Everest;

4)       To become the first North Americans to ski descend from the summit of Mount Everest;

5)       To improve on the teams record of being the first climbers/skiers from the western hemisphere to ski from 8,000 meters

Copyright©Jim Gile American Ski Everest 2003

The group outside Nyalam