Featured Expedition: 2003 American Ski Everest Expedition
Dispatch

Copyright©Jim Gile American Ski Everest 2003

Dispatch 27: American Ski Everest Expedition... (Transcribed from a satellite phone voice message, May 14th)

We spent the day resting and relaxing around base camp. Tim, Kevin, and John C went on day hikes. The wind has started to pick up again. And the weather forecast has changed pretty dramatically. We were planning on going up on the 16th to work on the mountain on the 18th/19th. And now a small hole is being forecasted for the 19th and 20th.

Now the Swiss are going to make a summit attempt! It is a small hole. It is extremely risky, but they are running toward the end of their timeline. It is also rumored Russ Brice and some of his team members will also make the same attempt.

We are going to go on either the 16th or 17th, originally we were going up on the 16th, but because [inaudible] has been pushed back a day.

We may go up on the 17th. Our goal will be to just get as high as we can and work the mountain. We are not really in a position to make a summit attempt. Unless we go in a semi-alpine style [We assume they mean no camps, carry the gear...], which we are not too excited about because we are not using oxygen and because we don't have Sherpa support.

All the other teams have Sherpa support. The Sherpas have been up working the mountain the last couple of days. So good luck to those guys, hopefully they can make it work. But it is going to be a difficult difficult [he repeats] couple of days, because they are still predicting 50-60 km/hour wind speeds. So we hope to come out of it with getting up to 8000 meters and getting some stuff up to Camp 2.

The other part of the forecast that changed dramatically is that we were originally expecting an window between May 22nd and May 27th. That window has closed down considerably to after the 26th !!!

They are predicting a rather large storm between May 21st and the 25th. So if we could get the mountain set up, it would be an incredible mental boost.

Worst case scenario, we are going to take whatever window we get at the end of the month and ski as high as we can. If this window on the 19/20 falls though. We will be prepared to a semi-alpine attempt and get as high as we can.

We are in good spirits. The bug is starting to leave the camp. Jerimnne is coming down with it. But everyone else is over it, or have not got it.

All is well. I just want to keep the readers up to date. It is a game of hurry up and wait. We all are doing fine, and spirits are high.

Mike.

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