Everest North Side Expedition
Chinese SOHU Expedition

Dispatches 5/15- 5/17/2003: Message from SOHU color-display report group on May 17: A new plan about climbing the zenith was discussed and worked out at the meeting in the staging camp this afternoon. The members of Group A will set out tomorrow and are expected to climb the zenith on May 21. Group A included members of Nimaciren (captain of Group A), Qun Liang, Weiwen Li, Junchi Chen, Sherpa and three cameramen. Group B will set out on May 19 and is expected to climb the zenith on May 22. The members of Group B are made up of Shen Luo (captain of Group B), Fuyong Liu, Shi Wang, Jian Liu, Liang Zhang and about six Sherpa.

Switzerland and Korean teams will climb the zenith with Group A the same day. Luosaier team will climb the zenith with Group B at the same time, and the detailed time for climbing as well as leaving will be decided by the head of each team. It should be emphasized that no mater whether they succeed teams must return at 1:00 p.m. the day Group B climb zenith. A message has been sent to the Base Camp from the headquarters of the staging camp: during zenith climbing, friendship and team spirit should be think of first; if there is some group in need of help, Group A and Group B of SOHU China must go to rescue them at once and then consider the climbing task.

The team agreed with the plan as a whole. All the team members were facing the climbing with much confidence and full energy. (Haimin Yu)

Reported by the SOHU color-display group on May 16: at 10:30 a.m., Yongfeng Wang (captain of the SOHU team) presided a meeting at the staging camp in order to decide the climbing time and grouping. The result was: Group A included Nimaciren (head of the commando), and the team members Fuyong Liu, Junchi Chen, Qun Liang and Weiwen Li; Group B included Shen Luo (head of the commando), and the team members Shi Wang, Liang Zhang and Jian Liu.

Expedition Meeting

The schedule for climbing zenith was made this afternoon. The arrangement can be described as follows: Group A will set out from the staging camp and go ahead for the 7028m north-col camp on May 19. Then they should reach the 5th camp at the attitude of 7790 meters on May 20, go into the 8300m assaulting camp on May 21, and climb the zenith on May 22. Group B will follow the before day?s arrangement in the Group A?s schedule. (Haimin Yu)

Message from SOHU color-display report group on May 15: At 9:30 a.m., Yongfeng Wang (captain of the staging camp) talked with Nima (vice commander in chief). Nima said that the wind from north col was strong (7-8 grade). Considering the current condition, Nima decided to give up climbing 7790m for the safety of members. At 11:00 a.m., the members of China SOHU team-A began to withdraw from north col to the staging camp. At 13:53 p.m., all the members of team-A (including Sherpa) got back to the 6500m staging camp safely. (Haimin Yu)

Dispatches 5/18/2003: Reported by color-display group of SOHU China: The weather is really nice today!

The first group will leave for 7028m at 2:00 this afternoon and will stay there. They will go on their trip for 7790m at 10:00 tomorrow morning. Now all the members are in good condition.

Before leaving, the commando members Junchi Chen, Qun Liang, Weiwen Liu and his wife accepted interviews made only by SOHU color-display report group. They thought all of them were in good condition and when talking of the leaving in the near future they all showed much calmness.

After the reporters told them many people had sent greetings and concerns on the net, they felt quite happy and honored. They said they must thank the SOHU web friends for their concerns and they thought this was the strongest support for the team members. And at the same time, they wanted these net friends pray with them together to bless their climbing. (Haimin Yu)

Dispatches