Everest 2003 North Side Expedition
Russian Adventure Team Dispatch Seven

4/10/2003 News from  Russian Adventure Team  Everest expedition from Moscow under the leadership of Alexander Abramov.

Alexander Abramov reports : “April 9, it is still dark. We have a quick breakfast and off we go. We are in for a 5-hours drive. The trucks have to get over another pass. We stopped at Tashidzu village to wait for the second truck. In an hour we pressed on. After passing Rongbuk monastery, we saw Everest in all its beauty, though the clouds are coming, the weather is closing in.

We drove up to the moraine where we stayed in 2000. The place is very nice and quiet, almost no wind, and no neighbors for the time being. The altitude is 5200m. I can feel a light headache already. While waiting for the second truck to bring the tents, I walked around in search of a liaison officer. I met several expeditions: the international expedition of Russell Bruce, American, Estonian expedition (4 members), Chinese (120 members), St. Petersburg expedition. There must be some others as well.

Now the topic of the day is which expedition will put fixed ropes, and who will pay for that. Tomorrow at 11.00 a.m. there will be a leaders’ meeting. So I’ll have to go there.

4/11/2003

News from  Russian Adventure Team  Everest expedition from Moscow under the leadership of Alexander Abramov.
Alexander Abramov reports:

“April, 10. The sun came out of the ridge and lightened the tent at 5 minutes to 10. At 10 a.m. the ice on my BASK sleeping bag – actually outer sleeping bag as I was sleeping in two bags - started melting. The night was a real nightmare: I was dreaming about the organization of the expedition time and again. In the morning I had a headache. I was saved by the sunrise and the cook – he brought coffee with milk.

At 11 a.m. all expedition leaders gathered in a hospitable tent of Chinese expedition. It turned out that there were already 13 expeditions in the Base Camp. The main question on the agenda was about fixing ropes on the route. It was decided that Russell Bruce’s expedition and Chinese expedition will put all the ropes on the route. The rest expeditions will pay money depending on the number of expedition members. The atmosphere at the meeting was very friendly. I made friends with Estonians.

At 12.00 the members of our expedition arrived. They got into an accident: on the way to BC one of the cars crashed into a bus. Fortunately, everyone got out safely.

We have set the camp, started the generator. Tomorrow we’ll have the official opening ceremony of our camp.”

Dispatches