Mount Everest South Side Expedition
Adventure Consultants Everest 2003

Adventure Consultants Everest Expedition 2003

The Adventure Consultants Everest Expedition 2003 is now underway after many months of planning and preparation. The Expedition Leader is Bill Crouse from the USA, and team members hail from Nepal, USA and Australia. Bill was the leader of the successful Adventure Consultants Everest Expedition last year, where seven climbers reached the summit on 16 May 2002. The legendary Ang Dorje Sherpa from Nepal is on the team again and if he reaches the top this will be his 9^th Everest summit.

Although the expedition has been organised by Wanaka based mountain guiding company, Adventure Consultants, there are unfortunately no New Zealanders on the team this year. Sixteen New Zealand climbers have reached the summit of Everest on 25 occasions, and 14 of these ascents have been on Adventure Consultants’ expeditions, from 1990 to 2002.

This is the company’s 10^th expedition to climb 8850m Mount Everest in Nepal, in what is the 50^th anniversary year of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay’s heroic first ascent of the peak in 1953. Many teams are at Everest Base Camp this year with plans to climb the mountain to celebrate the anniversary and Adventure Consultants has purposefully started their expedition later than usual in order to avoid the possible crowds on summit days early in May. The schedule of acclimatisation for the Adventure Consultants Everest expedition should see them attempting the summit in late May. At present the climbers have ascended to Camp II (6500m) for an acclimatisation trip and will spend a few nights sleeping at this elevation before returning to Base Camp to rest.

Director of Adventure Consultants, Guy Cotter, who has twice reached the summit of Mt Everest, is staying at home in New Zealand this season to plan for the company’s upcoming expeditions in 2003, including Elbrus in Russia, Denali in Alaska, Gasherbrum I/II in Pakistan and Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia. Guy has guided, led or co-ordinated from Base Camp six Everest Expeditions over the past decade, always in April/May during the pre-monsoon period. Whilst enjoying being home and actually seeing the beautiful autumn colours of Wanaka at this time of year, Guy is looking forward to his next trip to Nepal in September, when he will return to lead a horse trek to the remote region of Mustang, near the border with Tibet.

Follow Along: May 1-Lhoste Face: It was a cold night at C2, but the team's eager to start the day and make a trip to the Lhotse face. Alan's feeling great and points for us to keep. Check here for the full dispatch.