Snowboard Everest Autumn 2003

Stephen Koch and Jimmy Chin will attempt to snowboard Everest this Autumn. They plan to climb Everest via the Hornbein route and then descend via the Hornbein. They will travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa then to Everest base camp on the North (Chinese).  Eric Henderson is the base camp manager.

Dispatch Oxygenless advantages...

As we pined away the hours in our Marmot Lair tent I reread our dispatch from the 25th and realized I failed to mention the advantages of not using oxygen after stating some of the disadvantages, or potential dangers, of not using oxygen.

Some other considerations of not using oxygen, besides the ethical reasons stated earlier, are; knowing exactly what state your body is in (if the oxygen runs out or regulator malfunctions), carrying less weight, being more in balance for the snowboard descent by not carrying heavy oxygen bottles, being able to see my feet during the snowboard descent by not having a big rubber mask covering half my face, not getting claustrophobic from having a big rubber mask covering half my face (during both the climb and descent), no icing up of goggles or glasses from a big rubber mask covering half my face, being able to communicate better with my partners by not having a big rubber mask covering half my face, bragging rights (if successful), being part of a super elite group of mountaineers -under 100 (if successful), looking better in photographs by not having a big rubber mask covering half my face, and no funky tan lines from a big rubber mask covering half my face. - Stephen Koch

Dispatches

Pictures copyright Stephen Koch' Autumn Everest 2003 expedition

  Altitude pre-
   acclimatization

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Black Diamond

   Botas

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   CaVa Climbing Shoes
   Clearance

   Clif Bar

   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Garmin

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps
   Helmets

   HighGear
   Ice Axes

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Lowepro

   Motorola

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Outdoor Designs

   Pelican

   PowerBar

   Princeton Tec

   Prescription Glacier

   Glasses

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Trekking Poles
   Ushba
   and more here