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Makalu 2000:
Dhaulagiri
2000: Lhotse 2000: Cho
Oyu 2000:
Manaslu
2000: Kangchenjunga
2000: Annapurna 2000:
NEWSFLASH 5/8/2000
3:20PM EST
US
Climbers are going
back up, including some guided climbers on commercial expeditions. Some climbers
are still at Camp 2.
For the climbers just
now leaving BC, frankly, this appears like very optimistic plans. But who
knows, they might get lucky.
- What is a commercial
Expedition? Some have asked.
EverestNews.com
defines a commercial expedition as an expedition where a company is in the business
of running Expeditions.
Therefore, people pay the
business to go on the
expedition that is run as a business.
EverestNews.com does
not define expeditions such Thrane as "commercial" because they are not
selling expeditions. Yes they
are a "commercial company".
That is how
EverestNews.com defines "commercial expeditions" in short.
FYI, I did a chat with
Ben Webster via satellite phone from base camp today -- about 10 p.m. Monday
night Everest time. He was critical of the weather forecasting service they've
been getting via Henry Todd, said he hopes it is right now. Latest forecast is
for a break in the weather on the 11th and 12th. Webster's team and three others
plan to attempt to summit on those days, weather permitting. Transcript is here http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSNewsmakers/000508_webster_tr.html
Art
Henry who is not known
to talk to the media, would say something like, That is why we call it a forecast
! Henry is a big boy...
Noora left Camp 3 at 6
a.m., Pavel 2 hours later. At 12 a.m. during the radio contact Noora
reported about horrible cold and wind. Later it was seen from base camp with
telescope that one climber
summited the top. It was
unclear who it was exactly but nobody was on the mountain except them. The Finnish
leader Jorma Alanen waited for them in Camp 3 for 28 hours without any success. No
all the rest of expedition with a help of other expeditions are looking for the
party.
The missing Russian
climber is Pavel Bonadysenko, born 1962, deputy director of the Siberian
Institute of the Law, Economics and Management, Irkutsk city.
NEWSFLASH 5/8/2000
11:59AM EST
US
Reliable source are
reporting to EverestNews.com that Hans van der
Meulen will go on Tuesday from Camp 3 at 7900
meters to Camp 4 at around 8300 meters. If weather holds will go on Tuesday from Camp 3 at 7900
meters to Camp 4 at around 8300 meters. If weather holds he
will go solo with no fixed ropes, on Wednesday without O2 to the Summit.
- What a great first
up in 2000 on Everest that would be under these conditions!
- Check in late
tonight EST for our next update, and have a great Monday. Please keep the
climbers and their families (see below) on Cho Oyu in your prayers.
NEWSFLASH 5/8/2000
10:36AM EST
US
Great Climbers are calling
the last two days the worst experience in the mountains in their lives.
Many are still at Camp 2, but are clearly dejected.
The India climbers,
Spanish, and many others are at Camp 2. If the weather breaks looks for their
spirits to pick up. These are the times climbing Everest becomes a spiritual experience
for many climbers. For many of the new climbers the risk is now present. Many
will give up, some will continue.
Everest is winning so
far in the Year 2000.
At least one team has
stayed at Camp 2. If the weather break they will have a jump on the others. When
the weather breaks, look for the climbers to go in mass for the Summit.
NEWSFLASH 5/8/2000
9:56AM EST
US
Update
5/8/2000: Her aim
was to ski down from the top with partner Mr. Jukka Rasanen. However, Rasanen
was forced to retreat from the mountain due to symptoms of cerebral edema. This
happened 10 days ago. Ms. Toivonen continued according to plan.
There are
still 5 Finns on Cho Oyu. They try to find out what has happened. The organizer
of the expedition is Ms. Marina Ershova.
For more information
check our Cho Oyu Spring
2000 Page
- An Everest Spring
2000 North Side NEWSFLASH will in the next couple of hours.
Daily News: 5/8/2000 Report
-
Everest South Side:
Everyone trying to come down ! Weather is horrible. Byron
& Chris made the right
decision.
Updates: Some
asked why they can't find the updates found on EverestNews.com on the other
sites. Many times climbers e-mail EverestNews.com directly. Therefore, today
for example, there are several updates/reports that you will not find on the
expedition's site. But we always add the expedition's link.
-
Everest South Pillar
An experienced Danish
Expedition: Thrane & Thrane sponsorship of the first all Danish Mount Everest
Expedition.
Update: News
here is that nearly all teams are withdrawing at the moment due
to extremely bad weather. We
had a weather report yesterday that said it should be reasonably the next two
days. I was on my way to camp 3 on the south pillar, 7500 meter, this morning.
It had been storming in the night but without snowfall on the other hand there
was plenty of snow to move around. Snow-waterfalls were coming down the
Southwest face of Everest, quite impressive, but a bad sign for the south pillar
as well. The sky only had a few clouds when i left camp 2, but before I reached
the bergsschrund at app. 6850 meters the
sky had totally covered and the clouds were coming down fast. Before I could
start climbing the first snow started falling. This was at 7.58 this morning
(May 7.).
Early afternoon I went
down to Base camp together with our Sherpas. It was still snowing at this time
and there was around 20-30 cm. in the western cum. Visibility sometimes 100
meters. There is a lot more
snow this year than we had in '96. Strange
as the winter and the first
part of the spring was very dry.
I'll be back with
other news soon.
Best regards
Bo Belvedere
Christensen
Check their site for
many new updates:
May
05 - Camp 3.
May 04 - Camp 3 is established.
May 03 - High winds at Base Camp.
May 02 - Bad weather again.
The BigE-expedition and its
progress can be followed at Thrane & Thranes website: http://www.tt.dk/everest/intro.html
Christine Boskoff -
Expedition Leader:
The only American woman alive to have reached the Summit of Four 8000 meter
peaks: Gasherbrum II-West Ridge(1999), Lhotse-West Face (1997), Cho
Oyu-West Face (1996), Broad Peak-West Rib (1995).
Only a few America men have reached more.
Peter
Habeler
- Austria: Owner
and Director of the Alpinschule Mount Everest, President of the Austrian Alpine
Club, First man, along with
Reinhold Messner, to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen (1978).
8000 meter peaks: Kangchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, G-I (Hidden Peak), Cho Oyu
Update:
"Hi
this is Chris Boskoff calling from Everest Base Camp on May 07. We
tried for the summit last night but we were turned back due to high winds.
We descended to Base Camp and Nazir and Kili are safely at camp two right
now. This is just a quick note as tomorrow I'll have a longer dispatch with everything
that has happened the last few days. This is Chris Boskoff signing off and
there'll be more tomorrow. Bye.
- The Germans and the Austrians: Chomolungma by fair means without oxygen.
In the German/Austrian tradition
these climbers will attempt Everest from the North without oxygen and by fair means. The
climbers are Bastel Haller, Gustav Weinberger, Dr, Jurgen Zapf, Barbara Hirschbichler,
Rudi Roozen, Georg Simair, and Mag. Thomas Lammie.
Update (North Side): Hello
again, We got 2 mails from base camp so far and i try to sort out the most
important things for you.
They wrote about their
trip from Kathmandu to Tibet and the problems they had getting a jeep,
etc.
"We are at the Base camp!!!!!
The Everest in the
background, still about 15 km away, still looks impressive and high, although we
ourselves are already at 5100m. There's about 20 more expeditions, some of them
only 1 or 2 persons with a couple of Sherpas, but the glacier bed is wide
and everybody finds space. Our camp is the closest to the glacier, which
means the closest to the ABC and we have clean water because there's nobody
above us.
We are in a great mood
and happy to be here. We're relaxed about what might happen. If we get to the
summit - great. If not we were able to be here and feel that. The mountain looks
impressive. It doesn't look that steep at all. Except the last part, where you
have to walk on the highest part ... is a pretty long distance. We can even see
the first and second step. Great!"
Easter (Sunday)
shining, blue sky. They were having a relaxed rest day waiting for their yaks,
packing, doing their medical tests. The tests prove that they are in very good
shape, well acclimatizes and they are happy that their plan of
acclimatizing in the Alps and the green valleys in Nepal instead of spending
several weeks in the rough atmosphere of the Base camp worked out.
Then the next mail
from May 1st:
The yaks didn't come
the day they where expected to. Another rest day. When they finally arrived they
had far too much weight and it took quite an effort to convince their cook that
they didn't necessarily have to live like lords up in the camps... after a 4 to
5 hours walk they got to the intermediate camp where they didn't
find it that easy to find space for their tents.
The next day they had
an early start. "The scenery is becoming more interesting. Sharp ice-towers
and -needles, 20 to 30 meters of compromised ice, are standing in the stony
landscape. Fascinating. And then the early morning-light, fantastic."
They find a pretty
crowded ABC, probably 40 tents and to built up their own tents they have to build
their own little platforms into the ice. The next day starts with a medical test
again (like every day) and according to the results two of the team make their
way back down to the Base camp while the others spent another night up in
ABC before they return to the BC as well. Due to their tests they are
acclimatized enough to build their next two camps (I and II) within the next
attempt, then go back down to the Base camp for another couple of rest days and
give it a first try for the summit after. The 1st of may, when they wrote the
mail the weather was bad for the first time since they've been there. Due to they're
new schedule they should have a rest day in the ABC today. I'll let you know
when I get another message, Best wishes Silke
A lone climber from Canadian
attempts the Summit from the South Side. His name is Jeffrey Warden, and he is from
Winnipeg Canada.
Dispatch: Hi
one and all, as you have probably guessed, the weather here is not co-operating
thus I have just arrived back at base camp. I had planned for a summit on the
8th, however, this has changed as no one has yet to make it to the summit and
fix ropes. That being said, the weather is expected to change in the next few
days, i.e. the jet stream will rise, and many
are lining up to take advantage.
As I'm sure some of you have noticed from Byron Smith on CBC, he tried just
today, however, realize the weather was not suitable to leave the South Col. As
for my latest plan, my Sherpa suggests we leave Base Camp here on the 9th for a
12th summit bid. As far as I
can tell, this will work jet stream wise, but we shall see. My greatest concern
at this time is the fact that I contracted food poisoning about a week ago, and
have been working on getting my strength back. Today, returning from camp II I
felt much better and believe I am on my way to full strength recovery. Other
than that, not much else to report other than there are allot of anxious
folks here at base camp and
things should start to happen soon. This may be my last mail until I return from
the summit as I will be away from the sat phone.
I can't wait to get
home where the temperature stays constant for more than 10 minutes. You go from
40 Celsius midday in your tent, to -40 at night. The food's not bad when it
doesn't poison you, and the Sherpas are very friendly. Base camp is very
interesting as they have a international soccer game every day. I guess that's
about it for now, will advise when I can. Jeff
www.pangeaextreme.homestead.com
http://www.everest.home.nl/
Frits Vrijlandt and Steven Le
Poole, will attempt to climb Everest via the North ridge. They are part of a
non-commercial British/Dutch expedition.
Update: Frits and
Steven have been to Camp 2 and above. Waiting is the plan.
- The Millennium
Seven Summits Expedition www.7-2000.co.uk
lead by Gavin Bate and John Barry.
EverestNews.com will feature full dispatches and photos from this
expedition. Please see below for information on them and their dispatches
from Everest. The
team of seven is made up of John Barry and Gavin Bate, Andy Salter, Polly
Murray , Chris Tiso, George Barlow and Michele Santilhano.
Update:
As far as we know, there have been no major incidents here this year. Unless you
count the climber pulling a ligament in his knee playing football at base camp?!
Brian
- Everest Spring
2000: Byron
Smith
Current Status: The
Everest 2000 team has climbed down from Camp IV under "horrendous
conditions." Byron Smith, cameraman Tim Rippel and their team of Sherpas
arrived safely at Camp II Sunday after a descent in a near white-out. "We
couldn't see at all in front of us, as we were descending down past the Geneva
Spur, down through the Yellow Band and down to Camp III," Byron said over
the radio to Base camp, patched through to CBC Newsworld via satellite phone.
The descent was prompted by severe high winds Saturday night which postponed the
team's summit attempt. As soon as they're rested and it is safe to descend the
rest of the way, they'll climb to Base camp and rest for 4 to 5 days before
making another attempt.
Check their site for
the radio calls and more. http://cbc.ca/everest2000/
- French Canadians on
the North Side (Tibet) of Everest
Very little news on
these Canadians since the accident involving
a Nepali member of the Everest Millenium team. Last news they are going between
Camp 2 and ABC. www.everestmillenium.qc.ca
(French Canadian / Quebec team ).
- Everest Spring 2000: A
14 year boy
A
14 year boy, Temba Tshering Sherpa, plans to attempt the Summit of Everest in Spring
2000 from the Nepal side of the mountain. Needless to say, he would be the youngest to
Summit Everest if successful.
Temba Tsheri Sherpa born in
06/05/85 is climbing Mt. Everest. Temba got inspiration for climbing Mt. Everest from his
father and the fairy-tale he used to hear from friends and relatives about the success of
climbing Mt. Everest and the fame you earn after. The name Temba signifies one of the
manifestation of Lord Buddha, meaning as Temba Ringpoche. The middle name Tsheri signifies
as Tshe Ring meaning Long Life.
Status: The
Nepal boy has not attempted the Summit. He is expected to move up with the
others when the next Summit window occurs.
Gabriel heath problems
has been tough this year. At last report his goal was just to make camp 3 this
year. Wait until next year
Gabriel, Everest will still be there !
http://www.everesty2k.com/en.html
The climbers from
India have been moving their way up the mountain.