EverestNews.com will publish their
reports in English. Their reports in Spanish, pictures, and more will be on
http://www.deporteandaluz.com/everest.htm
- It is somewhat strange
with the record number
of reporters at BC,
that this helicopter
evacuation has not been reported.
- Everest Spring
2000: Byron
Smith
Current Status: Byron
Smith, Tim Rippel and the team's Sherpas have spent
another day at Base camp.
Although the forecast still
looks good, the actual
weather doesn't seem to match the projections.
Last night high winds up to
70 miles per hour (112 km/h) sent
flying snow circling the mountain but the forecast showed much lower winds for
Camp III. Byron says they have to rely on observations on the mountain to see
what the weather is like.
This morning winds
have died down and the plan is to send Sherpas to Camp II on Thursday with Byron
and Tim following Friday. According
to Byron's previous time schedule, that would make Sunday night the time for a
summit attempt. Naturally,
things could still change between now and then.
For dispatches, video updates,
background information, interactive maps and more on
check
his diary entry for more http://cbc.ca/everest2000/
Daily News: 5/3/2000 Report
- At least two
expeditions have told us off the record: "The
race is on." The
details on these first attempts are probably going to be hard to come by, as
climbers compete for the first to Summit Everest in the Year 2000.
- Everest Spring
2000: Byron
Smith
Current Status: The Sherpas
on Byron's team have come down
from Camp II to rest at Basecamp. Byron and Tim Rippel are also staying put at
Base camp until the condition of the Lhotse Face has stabilized, there is no
need for them to move up to Camp II now. Byron
says this only sets the plan back a
day or two.
For dispatches, video updates,
background information, interactive maps and more on
check
his diary entry for more http://cbc.ca/everest2000/
Dutch Panaroma Everest
Expedition Leader: Hans van der Muelen (Former K2
Summiter)
The Dutch
have been to CII and are going for the summit on 10 May. A
few are sick. One hasn't left base camp and another has infections
and has been to ABC. Another is moving really slowly and has
just made it to the North Col.
http://www.panorama-everest-2000.nl/inhoud/index2.html
- Everest Spring 2000 North Side:
Juan
Oiarzabal, "To the Edge
of The Impossible" or AL FILO DE LO IMPOSIBLE in Spanish: Expedition to recreate the ascent of 1924 of Mallory
and Irvine of Everest.
Juan is
back on the move up the mountain.
We are
hearing that from May 10th forward the teams on the North Side are planning
summit attempts. At last report Juan's expedition was having a great time in a
snow ball
fight with some other expeditions ! Sounds like everyone is getting along.
-
The Millennium
Seven Summits Expedition lead by Gavin Bate and John Barry join the
EverestNew.com team. EverestNews.com will feature full dispatches and photos
from this expedition. Please see below for information on them and their dispatches
from Everest.
The Millennium
Challenge team will be climbing Everest in an attempt to make the first British ascent in
the year 2000. The team of seven is made up of John Barry and Gavin Bate, Andy
Salter, Polly Murray , Chris Tiso, George Barlow and Michele Santilhano. There
will also be a back-up team of communications experts and cooks as well as the
complement of high altitude Sherpas.
Gavin Bate http://adventurealternative.com
Dispatch: Everest
Update - 30th April 2000
The climbing team is still down the valley
resting at Lobuche, waiting for the weather to improve. The jet stream is still
affecting the top of the mountain with 80-90 knot winds. We can hear the winds
roaring even down at Base Camp. This has stopped any of the teams from reaching
the South Col, the closest yet being our Sherpas who helped fix the ropes to
within 200 meters of the South Col nearly a week ago. The Sherpas tried to reach
the South Col two days ago, but had to leave their load of 16 oxygen bottles at
Camp 3 on the Lhotse face, due to the high winds - the risk of frostbite due to wind-chill
is very high. We are now waiting for a weather forecast, so that the Sherpas can
decide whether to go up to Camp 2 tomorrow morning or not.
The climbing team expect to come back up to
Base Camp on Tuesday, and they will then move back up the mountain for their
summit bid later in the week, weather permitting. There are now several teams in
a similar position to us, just waiting for the weather to improve.
At Base Camp we have a steady stream of
visiting trekkers come to check on the progress of the team and to send messages
home, either by sat phone or email. Many of the climbers from other teams also
use these facilities, or simply drop in for a chat and a cup of tea. There is a
very effective grapevine at Base Camp, sharing information about the conditions
on the mountain and the weather.
There is quite a buzz about Base Camp, now
that summit time approaches!
Dispatch:
We
crossed the border into China with 16 people. Now at base camp we await the Yak
bells, each a small church bell attached to four broad hoods. Everyones
feeling chipper after two nights camping at 4,000m. We moved to Chinese base
camp at 4,700m on Friday April 28th, just a few days ahead of schedule. The
hills rise to 5,500m above us, moving away to the broad river valley. Yesterday
(Saturday April 28th), we hiked up the ridge to the top of one of these.
Mornings are
sunny, clear azure blue skies, tan brown hills, grey rock river bottoms and
sandy flowing rivers, ripe with glacial salt. Overhead a pair of Lammergeiers
with wing spans stretching for 3 meters, soar on the wind. Frost covers the
tents in the morning, by midday the down-valley winds whistle through camp.
Today a little snow falls out of the clouds on Cho Oyu. The mountain dominates
the southern horizon, rising over 3 vertical kilometers above us.
Tomorrow,
we start our work week with a hike up the valley accompanied by 38 yaks and 14
yak drivers. We follow the ancient trading route leading to Nang Pa La, a high
pass that crosses over to Nepal. For a second day of hiking, well take this
to base camp at 5,700m.
Meal
times weve had apple pancakes, for lunch weve had tomato, onion and cheese
toasted sandwiches. For dinner weve been enjoying spaghetti, meat and veggie
momos. This contingent has especially enjoyed the Heinz baked beans! Our
appetites indicate that everyone is well-acclimatized with everyone enjoying 12
hours sleep last night. We are all looking forward to moving higher on the
mountain.
Robert
Anderson, Expedition Leader.
For all
the information on this Expedition and other Cho Oyu News see our Cho
Oyu 2000 Page.
Trento,
in the heart of the Italian Alps, will be the meeting point of Himalayan
alpinism for a week: the 48th edition of the international Film Festival of the
Mountains is dedicated to Himalayan climbing history and ten of the twelve men
who made the history will be there.
Guest
star will be sir Edmund Hillary, first Everest conqueror. Also attending will be
Carlos Carsolio, Erhard Loretan, Andrej Zawada, Krzysztof Wielicki, Tomaz Humar,
Fausto De Stefani, Kurt Diemberger and Soro Dorotei.
Along
with the celebration, the Festival will show a retrospective of Himalayan
expeditions films: from "Victory on Annapurna" by Marcel Ichac
(France, 1954), to "Nanga Parbat 1953" by Hans Ertl (Germany),
"K2" by Marcello Baldi and Mario Fantin (1955); "Makalu
8500" by Jean Franco (France); "Everest Conquest" by Tom Stobart
(Great Britain, 1957) to "Manaslu" by Kajiro Yamamoto (Japan,
1957).
7000m
Peaks: Summitted:
Mt. Baruntse (7,129m): John Baker (Leader), Kevin Drake, Nick
Taylor, Alister Stevens, Stuart Simpson, Kami Sherpa, Pemba Dorji Sherpa,
Kame Sherpa and Da Chhempba Sherpa of "British Baruntse Expedition"
have successfully climbed Baruntse (7129m) from South East Ridge on the 31st
March at 12.00 noon.
6000m
Peaks:
Abandoned:
Mt. Ama Dablam (6812m): Mr.
Pasquale V. Scaturro, the Leader and all his team members of "2000 Ama Dablam
NFB Expedition" have abandoned the expedition on 14th of April reaching the
height of 6300m due to heavy snow, heavy wind and bad health condition of one
member. They were climbing Ama Dablam from the South West Ridge.
Binita
& Sangita @ Himalaya Center / Kathmandu /Nepal
For
all the April 2000 News
For
all the March 2000 News
