Everest 2002 Expedition Report April 16th, 2002

Just returned to Basecamp a couple hours ago after 4 days up higher. This was our second trip to Camp 1, our first overnight stay. This is a small camp at 20,000 ft, located at the top of the icefall. It is sort of a staging area for the higher camps. We will only use this camp during the early stages of the expedition as we acclimatize.

We should be able to go straight from Basecamp to Camp 2 after our third trip up. Camp 1 is quite comfortable; we have a large 2 meter dome tent and a cook there. We spent the last 3 nights there. From Camp 1, we made our first acclimatization climbs to Camp 2. The first day Jason, Bruno and I hiked up to Camp 2 and back; Jack was down with a bit of cough and stayed in Camp 1 while we went up for the day. The next day Jack and I did the same hike up to Camp 2, while Jason and Bruno headed down to Base Camp with 4 of our Sherpas. Our Sherpas have been getting camp 2 ready.

The hike up through the Western Cwm to Camp 2 is truly spectacular as we get closer to the huge Lhotse face rising above the Cwm and the dark rock triangle of Everest with large plumes of snow blowing off the summit.

This stretch is fairly easy angle, with only a handful of large crevasses and a few ladder crossings. It has been very hot during the day when the sun is out. It’s still very early in the season; no one has yet been over to the base of the Lhotse face from camp 2. Today several of the leaders of different groups met and we have made plans to share the work of putting in the over 1000 meters of fixed rope it will take to secure the route up to Camp 3 and the South Col. This is the next big step for late April, as Camp 3 and then 4 will need to be established.

On April 19th we’ll make our next trip up to camp 1, then move up to Camp 2 for 3 or 4 nights. On this trip we plan to go up to camp 3 for the day to see how everyone does on the steep Lhotse Face. Yesterday we could actually see the trail from last year traversing across to the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur below the South Col.

We'll send another update before leaving on our next foray up high. For now we’re enjoying being back at base camp and the comparatively low altitude of 17,500 ft. (It actually feels like low altitude after being higher!) Taking advantage of the luxuries here: showers, time to wash clothes, email and calls home, and just breathing the thicker air! It is quite nice here right now, sunny and hot! More soon...

Scott Woolums
Adventures International Inc. 

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