Everest North Side Expedition:  Dick Bass, Jim Wickwire, Dick Bass, John Roskelley

5:35 p.m.; Wednesday, April 2, 2003 Everest Base Camp, Tibet

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Tonight will be our third night at 17,000 feet. So far, all of us are doing very well adjusting to the altitude. Headaches have been minor and we're starting to move more quickly without running out of breath. Our schedule for acclimatization has been just right.

Yesterday, April Fools Day, the weather was perfect in the morning, with a slight breeze and a temperature of about 25 degrees. Breakfast of fried eggs, porridge, toast and tea hit the spot, after all the typical Chinese/Tibetan meals we had experienced on the way in to base camp. Once the sun came over the ridge above us and hit the camp, the temperature rose dramatically and we had to shed down jackets and hats.

Our first and most important job at base was to repack all the food and equipment into yak loads. In order to do this, the food for the upper mountain had to be put in to "person/day units". With the help of Gopal, Jim calculated the amount of days we would be above advanced base camp (ABC). Then Jess and I up-ended all the food boxes that had been shipped from Salt Lake City and separated the contents into breakfast, lunch and dinner meals on a large tarp. We then got busy putting the meals into units. All the packaging was removed and the contents put in zip-lock bags. Each person/day unit had a main dish, drinks, and an assortment of extras. It took all day to get the food sorting completed and ready for yak transport. The Sherpas, meanwhile, coiled rope, organized tents and cooking gear for the trip up to ABC.

Today was an auspicious day in Buddhism and for the team. We had our puja, or cleansing, to keep us safe and to bring us back from the mountain. The Sherpas see this as the most important ceremony for the team. For this occasion, a lama from the Rongbuk monastery was asked to perform the ceremony. He arrived with a small group of Tibetans just after breakfast, dressed in his crimson robes and carrying all the important Buddhist symbols, such as a dorji (thunderbolt), bell, small drum and prayer book. The Sherpas provided multi-colored prayer flags, tsampa (barley flour), yak butter, crackers, beer, tea, rice and a variety of other offerings. The ceremony took place above camp on a small hill with Everest in full sunshine. Juniper was lit and continued to smoke throughout the process.

The lama began chanting, then used the dorji, bell and drum to emphasize his words. After about a half hour, the Sherpas raised a tall metal pole held erect by ropes laden with prayer flags. Tsampa was spread on everyone's faces and we all threw rice on to the "altar". After everyone had something to eat and drink from the offerings, the ceremony ended with a shout and rice tossed into the air. I've been involved in many pujas, but this was the first time the Sherpas had all our crampons and ice axes brought up to the "altar" and blessed along with the climbers. Needless to say, we're all feeling a lot better after today's ceremony.

After lunch, several of us took an acclimatization hike, while the others worked on organizing personal gear, which has to be taken up by yak in the next few days. So far, the weather has been excellent in the mornings and cloudy in the afternoons. We are about the fourth or fifth team to arrive at base. One of the largest contingents is a Chinese team with over a hundred personnel, although it's my understanding only nine of them are summit climbers.

John Roskelley, Jess Roskelley, Richard Bass, Jim Wickwire

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