Jean-Christophe Lafaille 2003
 

 Current Nepal Time

Translations by Fabienne for EverestNews.com

May 22nd 2003: After the waiting, the doubts, the questions, Jean-Christophe finally joined the village of Marpha yesterday May 21st at 15h. We left with the children to meet Jean-Christophe without having the certainty to see him arriving. After one hour of walk we see far away a silhouette still non identifiable. The tension is strong! Jean-Christophe recognizes us, calls us... There was something unreal at this time there. We were out of the time and happy to meet again.

Jean-Christophe reached the summit of Dhaulagiri (8.167m) alone and without oxygen this 20th May at 10h in the morning under difficult conditions. Congratulations to Jean-Christophe for this new successful ascent. His 9th summit of more than 8.000m. He has to fight to arrive to the top of the White Mountain.

He left base camp on May 17th, spending the night at camp 1, the night of May 18th at camp 2 at 6.800m and the night of May 19th  at camp 3 at 7.400m. May 20th  in the morning at 10h he reaches the summit of Dhaulagiri. His speed allowed to arrive at the top because even if the wind dropped, it snowed all the afternoons which made any progression impossible.

On May 20th  at the evening he joined the base camp happy to be arrived at the end of his difficulties with this very hard ascent, very exhausting for him on the physical and mental level. Always wind, wind... A crenel of good weather was drawn: the one of these last days. It was very difficult to exploit. He succeeds. Congratulations!

The 21st  in the morning he leaves the base camp at 5h to join us at Marpha. 10h later we found him, tired but happy and serene to find us. Now we will benefit from a few days in family before he continues his travel to Pakistan in order to start the ascent of Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak. Coming soon images of the expedition of Jean-Christophe in Dhaulagiri on the site. Translations by Fabienne for EverestNews.com

Best regards, Katia Lafaille.

The Previous report is below...

Translations by Fabienne for EverestNews.com

Dispatch May 19th 2003 - JCL: It is difficult for me to give you news about Jean-Christophe as I’m not having any contact with him except a letter which I received via carriers who went down to Marpha.

According to weather information that I had via the forecaster and according to the letter of Jean-Christophe, the weather conditions become more stable with little wind as from May 18.

If the weather conditions did not change Jean-Christophe should have tried the summit yesterday 18th  or in this moment Monday May 19th . In any case, he envisaged to join me at Marpha by the 20th  or maximum 21st  May in order to have a few days in family before his departure for Pakistan and me to France.

I am only at a few kilometers from Jean-Christophe and yet further than never with this impossibility of exchanging information with him. I am waiting for news: summit... not summit? I am as you waiting for news. Normally he returns tomorrow to the village of Marpha. I think that I will leave to meet him at the base camp of Dhaulagiri.

Translations by Fabienne for EverestNews.com

Best regards, Katia Lafaille

Pictures copyright@Jean-Christophe Lafaille

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