Everest South Side Expedition
Tarragona Everest 2003

Tarragona's four dispatches for April, in reverse chronological order.

04-18-03: New tech guy at Base Camp: I'll start this update by introducing myself: I am Gerard Gené, the new Base Camp's Technician.  I am a substitute of Jordi Farriol who hasn't been able to come.  I am from Reus, I am 24 years old (25 next week) and I will be in charge of passing the news, pictures and anecdotes of the expedition.  The latest: We are interviewed constantly, yesterday it was Canal + and today it is Tv3.  Our boss makes us look good.  The Weather: the last forecast is only bad weather for the next two days, so we advised our advanced expedition teammates (Camp 3) to go back to Camp 2 for their safety and they did!

Picture of Gerard Gené

Picture of interview with Canal

Anecdote: Organizing the tent

We've had our Sabbath!   After breakfast we reorganized the big tent, what a job!  You have to think that when you change a plug here you loose weight.  To recover from the terrible effort we had vermouth with the guys from Tv3 who had interviewed us.  Afterwards, in case anyone was hungry, our Sherpa chef cooked a sweet duck which was incredibly good and we opened a bottle of wine "just like back home".  Then we called the advanced camps and now I have right in front of me some expeditioneers glued to a screen and eating popcorn, watching a movie which I have set up myself.  You can see that life here is very hard!  Then we will have dinner and go to bed and freeze until tomorrow.

Picture of the big meal

Picture of movie and popcorn

04-12-03: Base Camp: Once on Base Camp, we have dedicated our time to set the materials in order, to end the installation of the tents and to use for the first time our wonderful roofless shower which was built for us by the Sherpas (they are quick showers because of the cold temperatures).  After a day of rest to recover our strength, the first attempt to climb to Camp 2 (Advanced Base Camp) is made, but was called off because of digestive problems of some climbers.  Once these problems were solved, Camp 2 (ABC) is reached on the 11th, without having any acclimatization problem.  Meanwhile the Sherpas have carried some materials to ABC.  The Base Camp's Tech guy is already doing the approach trekking, so we are expecting his arrival in the next few days.  The communications between the camps are being made through portable radios.  On the 11th, part of Sergi Mingote's expedition arrived to BC.

Picture of the High Altitude Camp

Picture of blizzard

Anecdote: Base Camp

The doctor will be able to enjoy a little vacations once her big children have gone up to Advanced Base Camp, because they have not let her alone with their nuances since the arrival from Kathmandu (colds, angina, diarrhea,  it aches here, it aches there, have you had your medicine yet?, Oh! You are going to give me this, is it bad?, you have given him more than me!!, I have a fever, will you check me with your thermometer?, TAKE A LOOK AT MY OXYGEN SATURATION!!!...)  The problem is that our big international doctor's appointments are absorbed by our own and strange Sherpas, trekkers and anybody going by the tent.  There is a new member in the expedition, he is very young, with not much hair on his back and during the night the doctor covers him with her care.  His name is Friskies.

Picture of María healing a Sherpa

Picture of Friskies with María

04-07-03: Base Camp: We have gone back to Base Camp after climbing Lobuche Peak (6,119m) for acclimatization.  Initially, we had the idea of doing Island Peak (6,189m) but because of logistics reasons (we would have lost too many days) we decided for a closer and much technical mountain.  We left Base Camp on April 3, to spend the night in Lobuche (4,910m).  On the next day we started our climb to Lobuche Peak, reaching 5,600m, where we installed the High Altitude Camp to spend the nights.  On the next morning, after climbing very windy and snowy vertices, we got close to the summit which could be accessed through a steep slope that required us to go tethered for safety.  When we almost touched the summit with our fingers, we found a crevasse, impossible to pass with what we had at hand, so we had to turn back to the High Altitude Camp to spend the night, which after all was what mattered to us for acclimatization.  On the next day we started the descent to Lobuche (4,910m) where we spend the night to continue to Base Camp.

Picture of Lobuche

Anecdote: Attack of Lobuche

While attacking Lobuche Peak (6,119m), when we were on the vertice we had a strong blizzard, which could freeze the beard of our "Barasá" (expedition's captain). 

Picture of Lluís holding a sign

04-01-03: Buddhist Ceremony: We've had some days of frantic activity because we had to set in order all the barrels, organize the food, the first aid kit, technical materials, etc.  We've also had to end the installation of the tents and all the electrical stuff and communications via satellite.  At the end of the day we were exhausted.  The next day, first thing in the morning, we've had a Buddhist ceremony so that the gods in the mountains go along with us to the summit.  Once the ceremony ended, an altar with a central mast has been installed, from where the flag of the city of Tarragona waves and numerous Buddhist prayer flags wave giving a colorful tone to our Base Camp.

Picture of Lama at the Buddhist ceremony at Base Camp

Picture of the Buddhist ceremony at Base Camp

Anecdote: Let's get to work!

We are very happy to be at Base Camp so, without losing time we get to flatten the place in order to install the tents on the glacier...  but, alas!, the altitude law is imposed on us, and after moving just three rocks, it look like the heart is going to get out of your chest because of how fast it beats.  Exhaustion shows and we have to slow down.

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

Dispatches