Jean-Christophe Lafaille 2003
 

 Current Nepal Time

Translations by Fabienne for EverestNews.com

May 14th 2003 Hi! I arrived May 13th at Marpha, at 2750m. This is the village where my trekking ends and the place where I have to meet Jean Christophe. I am at 3 days of walk, more or less, from Dhaulagiri base camp. In the other way (Dhaulagiri base camp – Marpha) just one day walk.

Concerning the progression of Jean-Christophe on Dhaulagiri I do not have information. I can hardly make the follow-up because I do not have any telephone! Once that my batteries were discharged they never wanted to be reloaded. I had moments of large anger! And now I do not have any more information of Jean-Christophe. Brilliant!

Today May 14th  I left to the village of Jomsom which has a telephone and which is approximately at 1 hour of walk from Marpha. I can thus transmit this dispatch to you. I will try to contact the weather forecaster so that he gives me the forecasts of these next days.

This information will enable me to suppose the strategy of ascent that Jean-Christophe will adopt at the appropriate time. Until the return of Jean Christophe to Marpha I could transmit information to you only by assumption...

The snow conditions to go to the base camp of Dhaulagiri are bad. The passage of French Pass at 5300 m of altitude is rather average. It’s a pity because I was planning to join Jean-Christophe at Dhaulagiri base camp. I have neither equipment for snow, nor tent to bivouac on the way. Thus impossible for me to go beyond Marpha. It is very frustrating. I can hardly stay quiet.

Here the countryside is very arid. We are in Mustang. The air is very dry and as of 10h morning the wind blows strongly. At Jomsom there is an airport which ensures the Jomsom-Pokhara connection. The flights begin early in the morning because from 10h30 the wind is too strong for the planes.

According to the last information which I had from the forecasters, last  May 10th , there was wind until May 18th  then a lull of a few days, but well... from a forecast to another one it completely changes! Translations by Fabienne for EverestNews.com

Best regards, Katia Lafaille

Katia Lafaille

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