mountEverest Expedition

DISPATCH #3 HIMALAYAN GUIDES 2003 EVEREST EXPEDITION

Everest Base Camp 12 April 2003

We arrived at base camp at 2.30 pm on 6th April. Our acclimatisation plan had worked perfectly and no team members were suffering from altitude problems. Everybody's general health was good with no tummy or chest problems.

We left Namche Bazar on 29th March and ascended to Pangboche. Pangboche is a Sherpa village about 15 miles from Everest Base Camp nestling in the shadow of Ama Dablam, a mountain which some people consider to be the most beautiful in the Himalaya.

All except one of our seven climbing Sherpas come from Pangboche, as does our Sirdar Kami Noru Sherpa and both of our cooks and both of our kitchen boys. I consider the fact that almost all of our crew comes from the same tiny Sherpa village to be a great asset because of the extraordinary level of physical and emotional support they give each other, almost all being blood relatives. Five of our climbing Sherpas have summitted Everest, some on multiple occasions.

When I arrived in Pangboche I was directed to Kami Sherpa's house to be greeted by Kami and Padawa Sherpa, one of our strongest climbing Sherpas (3 previous Everest summits). I had met and grown to like Kami and Padawa on Cho Oyo in 1999. Before long other old friends, Ang Sering Sherpa (3 previous Everest summits) and Ang Noru Sherpa arrived. Knowing that these brave and highly experienced men are to be part of our team give me strength and confidence for the climb. After refusing multiple offers of chang (a potent local home brew), we set about sorting out gear from Henry's store in Pangboche.

1st April: climb to Ama Dablam Base Camp for acclimatisation. Ama Dablam Base Camp is one of the nicest base camp sites I have ever seen, set in lush green meadows with a plentiful supply of water.

2nd April: leave Pangboche to trek to Chukkung with the intention of climbing Island Peak as an acclimatisation exercise. We spent two nigths acclimatising in Chukkung and during our stay there we climbed a small mountain which has an interesting summit scramble reminiscent of many Scottish munros.

4th April: we moved up to Island Peak Base Camp and settled into our tents for a 2 am start to our climb. At 1.30 am we were awoken by Padawa Sherpa at the door of our tent saying "heavy snow". Despite the prospect of a snowy ascent we were dressed and ready to go within 15 minutes when there was a loud "boom" followed shortly by a bright lightening flash and we knew that our climb was impossible under these conditions. Henry suggested that we get back into our sleeping bags and wait for dawn to see if there was an improvement in the storm. The improvement never came so at 8 am we packed up our base camp and headed for Duggla, half way to Everest Base Camp.

I arrived at the lodge at Duggla slightly ahead of the others and asked the proprietor if he had any room. He asked about the size of our party and when I told him that we were Henry Todd's expedition his face broke into a broad smile and he said "Ah Henry, he is Sherpa family of course we have room". He later explained to me that he came from Pangboche and had known Henry for years. His attitude was typical of the extraordinary welcome Henry received in all the villages in the upper Khumbu. Henry has been coming to this area for fifteen years and has obviously made warm friendships with the Sherpa people here.

We left Duggla on 6th April and hurried past Lobuje and Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp. Base Camp is as crowded as Henry has ever seen it. We hope and pray that the large number of expeditions will not result in a catastrophe such as happened in 1996. Our team had built a comfortable base camp and we quickly settled into our tents. My first night was sleepless punctuated by loud cracks then the roar of avalanches plunging down the Lo La just a kilometre away from base camp.

On 7th April we rested in the morning then made our first venture up the Khumbu Icefall. We went as far as the first ladders where Henry (who had been responsible for erecting the ladders up the Icefall for many years) gave us instruction on the ladders. Vicky was very apprehensive of the ladders but the instruction went some way to alleviating her fears. However we have still to negotiate the really big, terrifying ladders.

The ascent from Namche Bazar to Base Camp has provided an opportunity to get to know my team mates:

Vicky Jack a fellow Scot from Glasgow is a successful executive in Human Resources and has completed 6 of 7 summits of the highest mountains on each continent. Everest is the final summit to complete her 7 summits and if she does so she will be the first Scottish woman to have achieved this feat. She has a typically dry Scottish sense of humour and is admirably modest about her achievements.

Kevin Vann from Manchester, Tennessee is a male nurse with extensive experience in accident and emergency work (hopefully his skills won't be needed). He summitted Cho Oyo in 2001 (with Henry as team leader). Being the only non-Scot on the team (so far) he has been the butt of some of our jokes. He has taken it all with a wonderful sense of humour which bodes well for us all forming a close team friendship.

Patrick Kenny and Dr Rob Casserley have arrived in the Khumbu and will join us at base camp within the next few days.

Ian Mackay QC

Everest Base Camp

April 2003