Everest 2003 North Side Expedition
Russian Adventure Team Dispatch 12

4/19/2003: News from  Russian Adventure Team  Everest expedition from Moscow under the leadership of Alexander Abramov. Alexander Abramov reports from ABC, Everest North Side:

“April, 18. The night was a real nightmare. There came moans and growling from both tents. But that’s normal for sleeping over 7000m. I know, that the next one will be even worse. For some people it was the first night at 7000m. Sergeev and Kaimachnikov later said they thought it would be even more terrible. So it was alright. The wind wasn’t strong, but it was extremely cold. Though “BASK” sleeping bags and “Salewa” tents rose to the occasion.

We didn’t feel like eating in the morning, so having quickly packed the things we rushed down the fixed ropes to 6600m. Having reached ABC our first intentions were to rush further down to BC  - but that is another 6 hours. So we stayed in ABC.

Actually, the fact that we have set Camp 1 at 7000m is a success of Alpindustria Adventure Team. Besides our team is one of the first to have done it this season.

The others were congratulating us on descend. On the way down we met Larin and Pashkov – they were climbing to Camp 1 to spend a night there.

We have two mysterious people in our team: Sergeev and Pashkov. As for Alexander Sergeev – you already know his secret – he is almost 67, fit as a fiddle and can possibly become the oldest person to climb Everest. As for Vyacheslav Pashkov, his secret is of completely different kind. Maybe later I will reveal his secret, and I believe it would come as some sort of revelation. Good luck and good-bye.”

4/20/2003: News from  Russian Adventure Team  Everest expedition from Moscow under the leadership of Alexander Abramov. Alexander Abramov reports from ABC, Everest North Side:

“April, 19. 10 a.m. No one feels like waking up. That’s a dangerous symptom – we should immediately go down. At 10 a.m. I have radio session with Larin – they are both feeling OK after the night at 7000m. They have already had tea and a going to start descending to 6400. The six of us go down. On the way to BC we meet Elagin. He had been struggling with his quinsy for 3 days, and now he is in good health and quite ready to do something heroic. He is going to ABC and then to the North Col.

Moskalev, Soifer and Litinsky stayed in BC. It seems that they would have to descend to Zhangmu together with Tsarev – all of them are suffering from altitude cough. It’s very common at altitude, one gets over it as soon as he gets down.

The weather is changing to worse. Cirri clouds keep passing over Everest summit all day long. It’s night already. We are in BC. It’s windy.

It took us 5 to 8 hours to get from ABC to BC (for different people). I was told that while we were away, our kitchen-boy organized “Tibetian Party”: expedition beer was given away on a grand scale. I’ll have to talk to him tomorrow. And another thing: I’ll have to talk with liaison officer and send 4 people to Zhangmu for three days to take some treatment. Tsarev is coughing again.

That’s all for now. Good-bye.”

Dispatches