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

Update 3/12/2003: The team is expected to have a news conference in a few minute to announce the expedition. Expedition members include: Jim Wickwire Leader, Dick Bass, John Roskelley and his son Jess, who is only 20 years old, according to our sources in Nepal.

Both Jim Wickwire (first American and 10th person to summit) and John Roskelley (12th person to Summit) summited K2 back in 1978 on the expedition led by Jim Whittaker.

Update: 3/27/2003: The team Leader - Jim Wickwire, John Roskelley, Jess Roskelley (John's son, 21 years old, may be youngest) and Dick Bass (Oldest, 74 years old) arrived in Kathmandu on 22nd March and left Kathmandu for Tibet on 26th March.

Dispatch One: 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. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Two: Last night, the wind cut through the narrow Rongbuk Glacier valley with gusts I estimated to be over 50 miles an hour. On Everest, a huge plume of condensed air and snow arched off the summit and a mile-long lenticular cloud capped its top, indicating jet stream winds aloft. Our Sherpas felt that we would lose one or two tents through the night, so we secured all of them with extra cord. By morning, the winds had subsided and all our tents were still standing. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Three: Good morning. It is Wednesday, April 16th, at about 10 o'clock. The team is at Advanced Base Camp. Jim is in his tent, writing in his diary, and Jess and I are just finishing tea. Dick is somewhere between Intermediate Camp at 19,000' and being here at Advanced Base camp at 21,000 feet. We are still acclimatizing. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Four: I have never seen this many climbers trying to get to the top of any peak, whether in the Cascades, the Tetons or the Himalayas. There should be a lot of success in the weeks to come, but there could also be a lot of tragedy. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Five: I injured my lower left back (probably muscle strain or possible tear) trying to enter my 2 man tent through its low vestibule when we first arrived, Monday, 31 March. Because the lower 4 of my 7 cervical vertebrae are fused by being screwed to a titanium plate, I can't bend my head very low. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Six: The team has been all over the place in the past two weeks and seldom together for more than a few days. We've basically been out of sync with each other because of a variety of health related problems and acclimatization. It's hard even for me to keep track of where everyone has been, but I'll give it a try. During the time Jess and I carried to the North Col, Jess began to experience pain in the back of his neck. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Seven: Dick Bass and Jim Wickwire have departed and left the expedition for the States. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Eight: Roskelley checks in...  Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Nine: 5.21.03: JESS ROSKELLEY BECOMES YOUNGEST AMERICAN TO SUMMIT WORLD'S TALLEST MOUNTAIN  Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Ten: Generations On Everest Re-cap... Check here for the full dispatch.