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Mountain Experience Everest 2001
Expedition
The
Mountain Experience Everest 2001 expedition will have
3 guides and 6 climbers on the team.
The team, led by Jason
Edwards, will attempt to Summit Everest
from the South Side via the Standard Southeast Ridge
route. The expedition will attempt to put a Canadian
father and son team on the summit of Everest, with the
son being the youngest
Canadian to reach the Summit if successful.
Update
5/24/2001: We have received word that between 6:50 AM
and 9:00 AM Nepal time on May 24th five climbers of
the Mountain Experience "Dream Quest" team
and nine Sherpas summitted Mount Everest. All
climbers have descended to camp four at 26,000 feet
and are resting. Tomorrow they will descend to
camp two.
The
members who summitted are (and
see below for more!):
Jason Edwards - Expedition Leader
Deryl Kelly - The youngest Canadian to summit Everest
Maximo Henostroza
Francois Langlois
Dave Rodney
The entire team is healthy, happy and wants to thank
their family, friends and supporters for all the help
received on this expedition.
Five
members & nine sherpas of Mountain Experience
Everest Expedition 2001 successfully climbed World's
highest peak Mount Sagarmatha on 24th May 2001 at 6:50
to 9: 00 a.m. and they stayed for 15-30 minutes on the
summit.
1)
Mr. Jason Edwards (1958), Mountain Guide, from
Lakewood Washington, USA.
2) Mr. Francois Langlois (1966), Financial Advisor,
Nun's Island Qubec,
Canada.
3) Mr. David Rodney, Documentry Producer, from
Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
4) Mr. Deryl Kelly (1975), Climbing Instructor, from
Calgary, Alta, Canada.
5) Mr. Maximo Henostaroza Zambrano (1957), Mountain
Guide, Peru
6) Mr. Da Nuru Sherpa (42 Yrs), Third time Summitted,
from HAS, Khumjung-9,
Phorche, Solukhumbu, Nepal
7) Mr. Lhakpa Rita Sherpa (29 Yrs), HAS, Khumjung-9,
Phorche,
Solukhumbu, Nepal
8) Mr. Aarita Sherpa (41 Yrs), Fouth Time Summitted,
HAS, Namche-7 Thame, Solukhumbu, Nepal.
9) Mr. Tenzi Sherpa (37 Yrs), (Seventh time
summitted), from HAS, Namche-7 Thame, Solukhumbu,
Nepal.
10) Mr. Norbu Sherpa ( 32 Yrs), HAS, Gaurishankar-1,
Rolwaling, Dolkha,
Nepal.
11) Mr. Dorje Sherpa (47 Yrs), HAS, Patle VDC-4,
Okhaldhunga, Nepal
12) Mr. Ngwang Tenji Sherpa (33 Yrs), HAS,
Gaurishankar-1, Rolwaling,
Dolkha, Nepal. (Third time summit including this)
13) Mr. Pasang Kitar Sherpa, (33 Yrs), HAS,
Gaurishankar-1, Rolwaling,
Dolkha, Nepal. (fourth time summit including this)
14) Mr. Tshering Dorje Sherpa (30Yrs), HAS Juving
VDC-1, Solukhumbu, Nepal. (fourth time summit
including this)
They had started their summit bid from camp IV (south
col) on 23rd May at 10:15 pm.
This
eight member Expedition team was permitted to climb
Mt. Sagarmatha from South East Ridge route under the
leadership of Mr. Jason Edwards (1958), Mountain
Guide, from Lakewood Washington, USA during this
Spring season of 2001.
Update
5/23/2001:
May 23rd, 8:30 PM. Six climbers from
Mountain Experience have reached Camp 4. They
are resting at 26,000 ft and will be moving from the South
Col to the Summit at approximately 10 PM tonight.
All climbers are feeling good and are optimistic on
the success of the summit attempt. Winds are at 30
knots and we are hoping they will die down and that
everyone can make it to the summit and back.
EVEREST
DISPATCH: The
Final Push...
Date:
May 18, 2001 Time: 5 PM Location: Everest BC Weather:
Mostly sunny today, snow in the PM (note report
just received, however note date !)
Expedition
Update:
Team 1 returned to Base Camp on May 16th. Snow
conditions were found to be difficult by another team
above the South Col, and it was determined that a
return to BC was in our team's best interest. There,
we readjusted our plans, so that both our MX teams 1
and 2 could attempt the summit together, which would
allow a unification of our Sherpa team--and thereby
increasing our strength for the summit push.
Tuck,
Max, Francois and Rob left today for Camp 2, where
they will stay two nights. At 3 AM on May 19th, Jason,
Deryl and Dave will leave BC for Camp 2, where they
will unite with the rest of the MX team. The rest of
the schedule is as follows:
May 20--Entire team moves to Camp 3; Entire Sherpa
team moves from BC to C2
May 21--Team moves to Camp 4; Sherpa team moves from
C2 to C4
May 22--Summit attempt by 7 MX climbers and 13 Sherpas
The weather has been a little unpredictable this year,
as it's not followed its usual pattern. The jetstream,
which really controls the weather to some extent on
Everest, isn't as strong as it usually is, which has
allowed almost daily pulses of weather into the area.
This has caused almost daily dumps of snow, which
again, is somewhat unusual. Avalanches are more common
that we've seen before, and are certainly a concern
for us all. As a result, all teams are hesitant to
commit to the upper mountain with any kind of a summit
push, especially above the Col. Some expeditions have
noting the "snow loading" of the Triangle
Face, which is a feature of the mountain which must be
climbed to reach the SE Ridge, which leads towards to
summit.
Many teams have "called off" their attempt
on Mt. Everest and are leaving Base Camp, as they have
either exhausted their supplies in their own efforts,
or their climbers have "had enough."
Our summit push has been carefully planned, and we are
watching the weather and snow conditions more that we
usually might. We do not expect to find a favorable
"weather window" as we have seen in the
past, and instead, will likely find a somewhat clear
morning on our summit attempt, with snow to follow by
mid-morning. In order to move more quickly through the
deep snow that we're expecting, we will have 13
Sherpas and 3 mountain guides on our team, to push
through to the summit. The conditions are expected to
be tough, so we're not expecting an easy ascent. The
best thing going for us is that the wind has been less
than usual (due to no jetstream), which again, should
be helpful.
Somehow our team has been casually "chosen"
to push the route through to the summit by some of the
other teams at Base Camp. They are waiting for us to
establish the path through the snow, and three teams
in particular, have contributed resources to help our
upcoming attempt. The National Federation of the Blind
(NFB) climb has donated sleeping space and stove usage
at Camps 3 and 4, as well as anything else we might
need during our effort. Ben Webster's expedition has
kindly donated the use of two of their Sherpas, which
will bolster our overall strength on our attempt. They
have also donated a large amount of fixed rope that
will be used in some of the key sections along the
way. Ben's team will follow our route to the summit on
the following day. The International Mountain Guides
(IMG) team, led by Greg Wilson and Phil Ershler [see
their update], will join in our summit effort,
which will further beef up our collective effort.
Together, it is our hope to slip through a short
weather window that is expected to occur around May
22-24. The NFB ascent will follow ours by a day or
two, and we expect many of the smaller teams to follow
afterwards. If the weather or snow conditions do not
cooperate with our attempt, we will wait along the way
at Camp 2 or above, until conditions are more
favorable (due to snow settling from sun exposure and
the melt freeze cycle, wind moving snow off the route,
etc).
Prior to leaving for Camp 2 (ABC), each of our
climbers went through their "usual" summit
attempt rituals, such as showering in our make-shift
shower tent, shaving, and of course preparing their
pack, food and gear. Every detail is attended to on a
personal level, and on a wider level, the entire
expedition logistics on the mountain are reviewed.
Each item needs to be in place at the right place at
the right time.
All of our climbers and Sherpas are feeling well, and
are looking forward to the ascent...as it's been a
long time coming. A year in planning or more for most
of us, and it's all coming down to the last two weeks
in May. There a lot of excitement, emotion, stress and
trepidation for us, as we turn the page on our focused
summit effort.
Mountain Experience climber, Leo Kelly, will phone in
almost daily dispatches from Base Camp as we make our
attempt, so hopefully our family and friends will be
able to follow our progress without too much
distress--as we know this is an especially tough time
for everyone. Again, we will not be reporting on other
teams, as we know each team has its own way to
communicate information home to loved ones and
friends.
We will announce when all of our climbers have
returned to Camp 4, and then to Camp 2. Should any of
our team be successful, names of summit climbers will
NOT be announced until the Nepali Ministry of Tourism
has been notified, as required by the laws and rules
we as an expedition must follow (notification will
likely follow our return to Base Camp).
For those that know the process of dismantling Base
Camp, we have NOT ordered yaks yet, as we want to wait
until the very last moment...should we need to make
yet another attempt at the end of the month. With that
in mind, once we have "officially" ended the
expedition, we will order the yaks (they will be used
to carry our loads down from Base Camp, where they can
then be flown to Kathmandu).
OK, a last quote before our attempt, from Teddy
Roosevelt (from memory):
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win
glorious triumphs, even through checkered with defeat,
than to take rank with those poor spirits neither
enjoy much nor suffer much, because live in the
twilight that knows not victory nor
defeat."
Thanks for following along and being there with
us...we're headed up the mountain...
"together."
That's it for now from Mt. Everest Base Camp. Wish us
some luck and hopefully we can pull this effort off as
planned.
All my best,
Jason Edwards
Leader
Mountain Experience <<< Dispatches
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