Dispatch #5 Himalayan Guides Everest Expedition

Everest Base Camp 16th April 2003

We have now been up and down the Khumbu icefall twice and have slept overnight in Camp 1. We are back in Base Camp for two days rest.

    We left Base Camp at 6am on 14th April and climbed up the icefall at a good pace passing all but Sherpas and a French guide. My legs began to feel weak at the top of the icefall but I reached camp 1 by 10.15am, a pace which was quite respectable. Patrick, Vicky and Rob had arrived at camp at about the same time as me. Patrick and Rob's performance was particularly creditable since this was their first ascent of the icefall (the rest of us had previously climbed to the top of the icefall). Patrick and Vicky shared the smaller tent while Henry, Kevin, Rob and I shared the large one. Kevin and Rob set about gathering snow while Henry started to brew up the snow for our hydration. The same process was underway in the other tent. Once enough snow had been gathered we all got into our sleeping bags (a tight squeeze for 4 in one tent) at about 3.30pm. Henry continued brewing (using the snow) until about 7pm when his stove was extinguished and we tried to sleep. Kevin and Rob were troubled by headaches which fortunately lifted after a few hours.

    The night brought snow and we awoke to find the well-defined route to camp 2 gone. After brewing up and filling our rucksacks Henry led off to camp 2 at 6am. We mistakenly decided to leave our crampons at camp 1 because the route to camp 2 is usually quite straight forward. Our mistake became apparent almost immediately when Vicky slipped on the hill out of our camp and slid to the bottom on her bottom. No harm done. Henry continued to break trail on the predominantly gentle incline to camp 2. The major danger in these circumstances is crevasses. The crevasses in the Western Cwm are often narrow, a few feet wide, and after heavy snow many are bridged. They are so deep that the bottom cannot be seen. If a climber falls through the snow bridge a fatality is a strong possibility. Fortunately we managed to avoid these hazards. About half way to camp 2 the route became more straightforward. The route from there had been broken by Sherpas coming down towards us. We reached camp 2 about two and a half hours after leaving camp 1. We unloaded the things we had been carrying up (sleeping bags etc) and looked around us. We could see our route ahead up the Lhotse face - it didn't look easy. We could see our ultimate goal - the summit of Everest - remarkably free of snow and seemingly an impossible dream - exactly the same as the top of the icefall had seemed to us a few days before. Having dumped our loads in one of our tents we headed down towards base camp. Patrick and Vicky elected for a fast descent while went a little slower in order to get some video footage. I strapped my video camera to my belt to film me crossing the longest ladder bridges at the top of the icefall. It didn't work very well with the camera twisting upwards half way across the ladder and things getting very wobbly when I attempted to straighten it. I continued down the vertical ladders and through the jumbled blocks of ice to an alley between 2 huge blocks with a 60 degree slope. Behind me I heard someone jumping and sliding the alley rope shouting "danger". I stood back and a Sherpa hurtled past me saying "thanks". I carried on until close to the bottom Rob caught up with me having made a speed descent of most of the icefall. He explained to me that he and Kevin had been negotiating the section just below where I had been videoing when there was a loud rumble and the whole area around them shook. They took to their heels and didn't stop until they couldn't run any more. The Sherpa who had flown past me must have been propelled down the icefall by the same terrifying incident.

    Rob and myself arrived at our base camp at about 2.40pm, roughly an hour after Patrick and Vicky. We were joined shortly after by Kevin and Henry.

    We are now having 2 days rest and will then go up to camp 2 for 3 or 4 days. While there we will make short climbs towards camp 3. Our Sherpas hope to establish camp 3, half way up the Lhotse face, within the next few days.

    We are all safe and in excellent health.

    From here on other members of the team may write our dispatches or add their experiences to mine.

Ian Mackay QC Everest Base Camp 17th April 2003

Rob's Update: Rob here, writing from a sunny Base Camp, 17th April 2003.

Well, momentous times have passed me by over the last few days... Arrived @ BC on the 12th after a fabulous 11 day trek up the Khumbu valley with Patrick. Luckily I did not meet his expectations of a retired 70 year old physician, so John, his friend, who came along to carry me up to BC, was only employed in carrying up Patrick's guitar! The cheek of it!

    After our Puja (Buddhist ceremony requesting the blessing of the Gods), Patrick and I were on catch up with the others - so we made our way up onto the icefall for a practice run. Losing my ladder virginity was not as satisfying as you may think - looking down 100m as 4 points of your crampons are the only things keeping you attached to a flimsy ladder wrung - is certainly not my idea of fun! On the 14th we launched our way up the infamous Khumbu icefall for real. I must say that ignorance is bliss and the jagged blocks of ready-to-tumble ice really did not freak me out.

    A headachy night at camp 1, 6000m, passed very slowly and then an energy sapping trek to 6350 and camp 2 where we stashed gear. A quick turnaround meant our descent from camp 1 to BC started at approximately 1pm. Kevin and I had just crossed one of the more perilous ladder crossings at the top of the icefall, when the whole world around me started to tremble. Was it my guts twisting and groaning after Henry's cooking at camp 1, or was it the icefall up to it's infamous tricks?

    The rumbling in my ears and the shaking of my legs was far too convincing to be due to Henry's a la carte and one of the scariest moments of my life passed me by in horrific slow-motion. Kevin later reported that he saw a plume of ice crystals just 10m from our position, representing a collapse of a huge chunk of ice nearby. My subsequent journey down the rest of the icefall probably posted a descent record (fear is a great influence on one's speed!) and I am now known in base camp as 'Rob the Rocket'!!..

Tomorrow we leave for camp 2 and a sojourn of 3-4 days. Progress is certainly being made! Love to dearest Katie, Mum and Dad, Bristol Ed, Bath orthopedics and all you kind others who are tuning in. Rob Casserley