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Mountain Experience Everest 2001
Expedition
The
Mountain Experience Everest 2001 expedition: The
members who summitted are: Jason Edwards - Expedition Leader;
Deryl Kelly - The youngest Canadian to summit Everest;
Maximo Henostroza;
Francois Langlois;
Dave Rodney along with 9 Sherpa
climbers.
Dispatch
June 7, 2001
Hey
Gang!
Just
a quick note to let you all know all is going well
here in KTM. Things are quiet here for the most part,
and today is the first that that we haven't had a
curfew, although most people are avoiding travel
after dusk. The streets are almost empty (9:30
PM), which is quite different that usual. I ventured
into Thamel today, to run a couple of errands, and it
was a huge contrast as compared to before we left for
Everest...there were hardly any tourists walking the
streets as before--something I wasn't prepared for.
Just for the heck of it, I've got one of our Sherpas
who goes with me when I'm out and about town, just in
case something "weird" happens.
The
local paper's editor and writers were arrested
yesterday, in an effort to control the press and
"spin" on things. Cable
TV is still being blacked out, and there's only a few
stations available, as compared to before.
People
are still concerned about many aspects of the shooting
and how things are being handled, but I see a lot of
patience, which can be felt in the streets...for the
most part, things seem more normal today.
A
quick story...
I had
lunch today with several of our Sherpas, at their
"local" hangout. It was just "a hole in
the wall" restaurant, with no sign or any marking
outside the door. I was told the cook was one of their
friends, and we all sat in the small room, visiting
while our food was being prepared on some old
"expedition" stoves. All the doors were
open, and the wind blew through which helped in the
90F degree temperatures. I ordered a noodle stir fry,
and most of the Sherpas ate Dahl Bhat, their local
favorite which consists of rice and lentils. Many of
the "mountain people," such as Sherpas, grow
up eating with their hands and fingers, so I'm always
fascinated as they enjoy their food not only with
their taste buds, but through the texture of each
bite. I joined in, and we all had a great time sharing
stories about the mountain and joking with each other.
The
Nepal people, and especially the Sherpas are very kind
and companionate, and I appreciate the example they
set for me when I'm out with them. They can often be
seen helping the poor with a small donation (even
though they can't afford it), or when feeding the
local dogs and other animals. It seems like the
disposition of animals are one measure of someone's
personality, and the animals (i.e., dogs) in Nepal are
always friendly and approachable.
Tomorrow
AM I'll send out my dispatch on the first day of our
summit attempt. Seems like that important piece of
information has been put off with the activity here,
and I'm looking forward to sending it off. Stay tuned!
That's
it for now. It's been a long day, and I've finally got
my bags of gear ready to head home.
Looking
forward to some home cooked food soon!
All
the best from your
Cheers,
Jason Edwards
Leader
Mountain Experience
2001 Mt. Everest Expedition
