Featured Expedition: 2003 American Ski Everest Expedition
Dispatch

Copyright©Jim Gile American Ski Everest 2003

(Transcribed from a satellite phone voice message, May 15th)

Dispatch 28: American Ski Everest Expedition, May 15th.

The weather forecast has changed pretty dramatically coming out of the Swiss camp. Most teams are scheduling summit bids for the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st. It takes 4 days from high camp for most teams. Everybody is headed up the mountain. We are going to head up the mountain too tomorrow as well. Because we did not have Sherpa support we were not able to work the high camps like the other teams. We are going to try to establish the high camps better and maybe do a little skiing and acclimatization.

We will then stay at ABC, because the weather forecast is now saying we should have some stable weather between the 21st and the 26th. So we will stay up there and see what windows open up for us.

We will be ready to go after a couple of days rest, the 19th or 20th, depending on the winds.

Reports today have the Chinese coming back down to ABC after heading up the mountain above the North Col and running into extreme winds. There is hardly no activity above the North Col and just looking up the valley it is extremely stormy. In the evening we get the high winds.

The ventriculars are spreading from the Summit to 8000 meter and obviously there is some fallout from than on the North Col. Those staying at ABC the past several days have had cold and nasty conditions. They can really get hammered up there.

Again with the Swiss we will head up tomorrow, and we establish the camps while many of the others are making their summit attempts. But the weather forecast has changed, the window after the 26th is not what we are dealing with now.

All the bugs are disappearing. Spirits are high. This are probably the last day at base camp until the need of the expedition when we pack up and get into the jeeps to go home.

We are going to give this 110% and go until the mountain says you can climb me or you can't. Mike

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