EVEREST NEWS- Khumbu Chronicles-Mountaineering climbing news!

May 13- Vanessa EBC support leader checks in from Namche: " around 10am that morning, Tim and group radioed from the top of the Khumbu Glacier to tell us all to come outside and look with our binos. They were waving to us! How cool was that???? They were 4 wee peeps standing at the top of the last ladder." ....more here

Tim checks in: Today Tim, Scott, George, Larry did their acclimatization climb to Camp 3 and are now resting at Camp 2. Sultan and Dom took one more day of rest at Camp 2, Dom will go up tomorrow and Sultan wants to wait till Farouq and Nabs get up and are rested.

Tim says, " It was quite the visual the day before yesterday watching a steady stream of climber's butt to butt making their way up to C3, granted most of them were sherpas, but it put it into perspective of how many people there are up here. At base camp everyone is in tents and spread out so you really can't see the scale like we do know. The two ropes up and down from the south col will work well. Also the multiple summit windows on the horizon should make a smooth sailing for those who have been able to maintain strength, both mental and physical. "

He also added that the route up to C3 was no longer icy. There had been some snow and now with sherpas stomping the steps down combined with the extreme temperatures during the day it is all compressing and making the route straight forward and easy to travel on. They went up in about 7 to 8 hours up and 2 hours down.

May 12- Climber's going up and trekkers going down!- The trekker's left BC today. There was a storm yesterday and the clouds are still socked in so the trekkers that were thinking of climbing Kala Pattar for the popular photo advantage of the Khumbu glacier and Everest will instead head on down the valley making their way down to Namche to meet up with the rest of the team.

Nabs and Farouq who took a rest day yesterday at Base Camp were stuck there today because of the storm. Tim, George, Dom, Larry and Sultan had a nice day above the clouds and storm at Camp 2 resting, reading and enjoyed a fresh chicken lunch, ham and veg snacking throughout the day and pasta and soup for dinner. They are comfortable, eating well and gearing up for Camp 3 in the early morning. There is plenty of time for Nabs and Farouq to catch up as Tim is talking about two waves for summit pushes. There are two windows right now. One is May 17 with higher winds increasing on May 18 and slowly tapering off offering another good window on May 21 to 23.

As noted yesterday the south col Camp 4 is now fixed and our sherpa staff are now ferrying loads of oxygen up for the summit pushes. All is moving ahead in good speed. Good cooperation and everyone is still having fun but are at the same time starting to get anxious to get on top and get home to their loved ones and land of the living.

May 12- China's earthquake and the Everest region!- Nothing was felt in the Khumbu Valley as far as I know. Nepal has not reported any quake activity there and Tim called this morning oblivious to there having been one. Rest assured everyone is fine. Updates coming in the next hour on the climb. Becky

May 11- THE SUPPORT TREKKERS HAVE ARRIVED AT B.C. Trekkers at base camp include: Vanessa, Bud, Val, Lisa, Tim, Kim, Sabrina, Naomi, Anne and rumor is out that Scott W. is on his way up today after taking a day off. The team is now sleeping at BC and will head back down tomorrow. Some may make climb Kala Pattar while some start the decent back down. Ginette developed a cold by the time she first arrived at Namche. Read her blog here:

Tim called in from Camp 2: Nabs and Farouq are taking a day of rest at base camp after their long walk back from Namche Bazaar. At Camp 2 right now is: Tim, Sultan, George, Larry, Scott and Dom. Tomorrow is a rest day at Camp 2 while Nabs and Farouq will ascend to Camp 2 to join them. The next day they will all push up to Camp 3. The route to Camp 4- (south col), is now fixed and loads of oxygen are on their way up to stock Camp 4.

Everything is moving along swiftly now and news of summit bids are going to start coming off of Everest soon. Exciting times! Our team is looking at May 17 for a summit bid. The first summit bid window for this year. If they miss that one the next would be May 21. Everyone is doing remarkably well at this point but the hammer comes down now as the altitude really starts to kick in. It will be a hole new experience for most of them. However they have one common strength that we believe plays a major role in the success of an expedition and that is their positive attitudes and team spirit.

May 11, 2008 "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY"- This is a prayer that Nabil's Mum composed for Nabil and for all the members of the Peakfreak expedition lads for the their final ascent. And this perhaps would reflect the prayers of all the other Mums who like me would want to wish them all a successful summit climb and a safe return. Suhaylah

FINAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE TIBETAN PEOPLE: During the take over of Mount Everest by the Chinese and throughout the torch relay around the world there was one climbing news website who rose to the occasion in support of the Tibetan people publishing information never heard before. Today's contribution I want to pass on to our readers. It is well worth reading! EXPLORES WEB: George Patterson's FINAL CONTRIBUTIONTO THE TIBETAN PEOPLE

May 9, 2008- We have our BC village back to ourselves - Tim checks in: Our military friends said their good byes yesterday thanking us for our cooperation and our hospitality. They are now packed up and gone and the mountain has been given back to the climbers on the south side only. China had announced in April it was going to re-open Tibet May 1 to foreigners again and a few days later made the announcement to keep it completely closed till after the Olympics is finished in August. What this means for us on the south side?

It means climbers can now wear "Free- Tibet" t-shirts and mention those words, we can have sponsor banners back on our tents, we have our mountain radios back, sat-phones, computers and video cameras returned to us, our freedom of speech, say what we want on our website and the best part is the mountain is now open to climbing to the summit!!!

Last night was a very noisy night. The mountains were alive train wrecking all around us. Big chunks were slamming down off Mt. Pumori and the ice- fall was crashing and groaning. The days are getting warmer which will start to deteriorate the structure of the ice-fall. Have no fear though because the ice-fall doctors have built the route away from any of the dangerous areas and will be maintaining the ladders throughout the day.

Everything is moving along swiftly right now. The ropes are in to Camp 3. Some of our sherpas headed out today to start chipping out tents spots at C3 and everyone is contributing sherpa man power among their teams to start fixing the route to C4- the south col.

Depending how well the climbers recover from their sleep at C3 will determine how the summit bids will play out. Scott, Farouq, Dom and Nabs are due back from Namche excursion tomorrow. As well the trekkers are now at Lobuche and should arrive at BC tomorrow. Tim said the Peak Freaks camp looks like a little village of its own with many tents assembled for the trekkers scattered around them. It will be bustling with activity tomorrow night if they are on schedule.

It has been quite fun for the trekkers and the climbers because of the break down to Namche. With everyone being scattered out down the valley during the closure, they have had the opportunity to become acquainted and really feel like they are part of the climb too and they are! Their moral support does a lot for the climbers and what perfect timing! They will see everyone off on May 11- big celebration... The last celebration was yesterday. It was Saad's birthday. Ang Karsung whipped him up a beautiful sherpa cake for the team to share with him. Nice!

Stay tuned! - summit fever is just around the corner.... P.S. Roger and Mario were successfully lifted by helicopter today to Kathmandu.

May 8, 2008 - A Larry spotting!- Trekkers spent the night with Larry May 8, May 9 at 0300hrs he sprinted off to base camp. The others will take it easy as Scott has an sprained ankle he needs to treat it with tenderness.

May 8, 2008- Chinese torch put helicopter rescue on hold. Now a trekker is stranded and very sick. Emails from our headquarters in Kathmandu..

May 8 - Scott in Namche 0718hrs Nepal Time: Hey Becky, Did our "GO! China mantra finally pay off? We have late breaking word that the summit was torched. I'm packing my bags in Namche Bazaar along with Farouq, Nabs, and Dom for the 26 mile walk back up to base camp. We'll take it easy as not to fry our legs. If the rumors are true we should be up to Camp III next week and then summit ourselves sometime before the end of the month...

Again, this info is all communicated via the Sherpa wireless but it has been quite reliable so far... all family and friends wish us luck. Hopefully we can now start fliming, calling, and communicating. We are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers and you are with us every step of the way... Godspeed, M. Scott Mortensen

May 7 - Chinese going for the summit right now? Go China go!!!! I am sure the climbers on the south side would be beside themselves to join in the celebration. Out of a courtesy for all that they have been through they should be allowed to help cheer them on. Can someone in China please wake them up share the news? I am serious! - Becky Posted: 1300hrs PST.

May 7, 2008 - Tim calls 0800hrs PST from Base Camp - Three days to go till Sagamartha (Nepalese name for Everest) is suppose to be given back to the world according the permit agreement. Our team members are slowly making their way back from Namche enjoying every minute of the land of the living. A place where things grow and body cells mend. Speaking of which- I sure hope Scott's sprained ankle is on the mend.

Some of our Sherpas have been given permission to carry rope up to Camp 3 to start getting ready for the opening of the upper mountain.

The weather is favorable from where I sit at base camp, but higher winds prevail on the summit. The weather reports show higher wind spikes in the next few days and dropping back down around May 13 but nothing significant. The skies are clear up top. This is all normal weather patterns for Everest. Traditionally the calmer wind transition doesn't take place till mid to late May so all is normal.

Saad has had a successful acclimatization stay at C1 and C2 and will be ready to sprint in Rapid Ascent style whenever he is given the word "go" and the oxygen is in place at Camp 4.

Everyone is doing well, spirits are still high, everyone is having fun but anxious to get on with what we all came here for. Planes were flying around Everest again yesterday but still no word from the Chinese. Over and out- Tim

Our support base camp trek team who the climbers enjoyed an evening with in Namche should now be sleeping in Pangboche. Home of Lama Geshi, the Yeti Skull, Nima Dorjee and his wife Lhakpani. Tomorrow they will be moving up to Dingboche for two nights. We should be getting word from them by that point.

A party of three on the trek team had a helicopter evacuation this morning out of Namche Bazaar. Mario Trinchero from the USA had been bitten by an insect in Kathmandu that turned into a staff infection. He has been on antibiotics and bed rest but it is not healing. He needs hospital care. His father Roger returned with him and friend Paul Krsek who has been doing a dynamite job taking care of the them with the help of Lhakpa Sherpa and coordinating logistics. All three are returning to Kathmandu. Roger and Mario went by helicopter and Paul will walk out to Lukla and fly by fixed wing from there to meet up with them in Kathmandu. Mario will likely go on intravenous to combat the infection.

Wishing them all safe travels and Mario a speedy recovery! They are missed very much by the rest of the team. - Becky

May 6, 2008- To worry about what you don't have, is to waste what you do have!

Do you ever wonder why someone would want to climb the world’s tallest mountain? Me too. Usually, I prefer adventures that are a little more off the beaten path, like taking a couple of mountain bikes across the

United States

(hi Matt!) or surfing some secret big wave spot (Derrick, get the jet ski ready;) No cameras, permits, hype, or fuss. Despite, my low-pro preferences, this year on EVEREST is proving to be quite a unique adventure. Other adjectives I would throw in are: frustrating, scary, scandalous, painful, harmonious, and successful.

Fellow climber, Nabil Lodey’s quote still rings true (he’s from UK ), “I’m trying to reduce the variables on a trip where there seems to be no constants.” Since, only my family knew about my plans to go to Everest—and that was only two days before my flight left for Kathmandu—I would like to inform all my other loved ones of my intentions….For those of you who don’t know, my quest atop the world’s highest mountain is a goal that includes finishing an independent film, completing a book, and helping to shoot “Climb for America’s Missing Children.”

So far it’s going great. Great that is, until I decided to escape the BASE CAMP theatrics for some R&R down the valley. On the walk to Namche Bazar, I tweaked my knee in a downhill, Sherpa-led sprint. (“Don’t compete with the Sherpas,”…Gold Team Leader is often quoted as saying, and once again he is right.) Additionally, in the last 800 meters of the 26-mile trek I sprained my ankle in foggy, white-out conditions. I was trying to film scenery while passing some Euro-dudes, chain smoking cigarettes…What can I say, I’ve never been good at multi-tasking, so maybe “don’t compete with trail-blazing Euro-dudes sucking on coffin nails” is another motto I should add to the cache. I doubt either injury--the knee, nor the ankle, is serious. I just find it ironic that I thrashed myself in pursuit of rest and relaxation. Some Advil and ice and I’ll be fine….I think. I have a terrible innate ability to judge the severity of my pain. Years back, I missed a landing at Mammoth Mountain ’s Snowboard Super-park and broke my neck. I didn’t go to the doctor’s office until four months later because it was the middle of track season. I was trying to break the four minute mile…not my neck. By the time I got the MRI, the bone (C-7) had already healed. On the flipside of my pain-threshold meter, sometimes a hangnail keeps me hurting for days. Or, I worry that the brown mole on my forearm has turned into a cancerous melanoma and I’ve only got weeks to live…Humans, we’re neurotic to the bone aren’t we? Hello? Anyone? It’s not just me is it?:)

Anyway, I only bring all this up because our friend Mustafa is attempting Everest for the third time. Sponsored by the KING of JORDAN, he has battled chest infection, ulcers, and now a vicious toothache in his pursuit for 8850 meters. This year is his third attempt. He too traveled to Namche Bazar, though his mission was a bit more crucial than mine. In his previous two attempts injury caused him to turn around very close to the summit, and this time he was taking no chances with the toothache. At altitude, a caving cavity, crown, or canal can wreak havoc. Fortunately, a brilliant Sherpa dentist, Nawang Doka Sherpa has a dental practice in Namche. Unfortunately, she left for a week one day prior to Mustafa’s arrival. Without an expert opinion, he was looking at another risky summit attempt.

Enter Team Peak Freaks. Nabs, Larry, Faruq, Dom and I were sharing pepper steaks at our favorite Namche spot, the illustrious Zamling Hotel, when we overheard the table near us talking about dentistry. Sure enough, there was a dentist in the house. Also, an assistant or two. And for no extra charge all three of them, Rebecca, Kelley, and Amy also happened to be beautiful. The Charlie’s Angels of Dentistry if you will. Now all we had to do was find Mustafa.

In a simple twist of fate that often accompanies adventurers (and ankles for that matter) we happened to find Mustafa in the town square the very next day. Too bad for him, the Charlie’s Angels of Dentistry had already left for Khunde, as scheduled…or so we thought. We found Rebecca, Kelley, and Amy conveniently postponed in a bakery around the corner. Now all we had to do was break into the vacant dentist’s office and Mustafa’s summit hopes would be restored. No problem. This is team Peak Freaks remember? In honesty, we didn’t do anything except film the whole ordeal. Within the hour, the proper phone calls were made, permission was granted, and Mustafa was getting molar #31 yanked right out of the socket. It was gruesome!!!! I got it all on film. Can’t wait to edit it together, add some music, and post it on YOUTUBE.

So the molar of the story, (sorry, had to be done) is that for those who believe it all works out in the end. At least that’s my motto. On the bright side, my knee and ankle do not hurt at all when climbing, only descending...so who knows, maybe I’ll bring my snowboard to the summit and try to land that rodeo flip somewhere over the ice fall.

In all seriousness, I am very thankful that Rebecca, Kelley, and Amy could be of assistance for our friend. Their group is doing great non-profit work with children in the area. Mustafa, though down a tooth, is all smiles and I feel very confident that he is going to make it to the summit this year—and more importantly, back down again all in one piece.

For those who want to know what’s going on at base camp, trust me, you don’t. It’s like a town of circus freaks without the carnival up there. They shut down the mountain! I didn’t even know you could do that. I mean, it’s not Disneyland . But on the bright side, we all made it to Camp II before we got booted out of there. Our team spent a couple of restful nights at the equivalent altitude of Denali …and felt great. So, keep the faith…I am sure it is going to work out for us just like it did for Mustafa. And in keeping with the Olympic spirit let’s all cheer on the Chinese climbers. May 2008 forever be known as the year Mt. Everest got torched. Our summit aspirations rests on their early success and resultant permission to climb on…so from the bottom of my heart…GO

China

!!!

In a closing serendipity, the Peak Freak trekkers just entered the Zamling hotel. Our numbers are growing—from 9 to 25. Also increasing is the positive energy that abounds when adventurers of like mind assemble together for a unified goal. You’ve heard about the high altitude horror stories in years past—thieves, cons, and careless crusaders… I’m happy to report that among our group, there is none of that. It seems that the more adversity that is dumped on our heads, the more our team rises to the occasion. So thanks to Tim and Becky for assembling an amazing crew…Next year, you might want to think about adding the Charlie’s Angels of Dentistry--Rebecca, Kelley, and Amy. Oh, and if the King of Jordan happens to read this, a small donation to Nawang Doka Sherpa’s dentist office in Namche might be in order.;)

Saad Naseer- RAPID ASCENT UPDATE: Saad has received special permission from the authorities allowing him and Pasang Sherpa to go up to Camp 1 for acclimatization.

May 5, 2008- Meet the teams MVP. If you have been reading Scott's blogs you will know why. Here is an example of what one of Scott's friends has to say.

"Just checked in and found out that my friend Scott is on your Peak Freaks expedition this year to Mt. Everest. I just spent the last 30 minutes reading through the amazing blogs. I came away utterly hyped by the entire teams endeavors! I was struck by how often in Scott's blogs he praises his team members, which tells me (as he does not praise lightly) that they really are brilliant. It is typical of Scott's style however to place others on top. (in spite of his competitive nature). Scott truly is humble. In his service to others he continually puts their needs above his own. Regardless of a deadline he may have looming - if you have a need; a project, an orphanage, a film to edit, a film to shoot, a charity that he believes in , you come first. Always.

He has written about those on the team but who will write about him? He, amongst his friends is a powerful magnet. They flock to him (like birds migrating North) as if to receive by osmosis, a part of the energy and life spirit that emanates from him. He motivates and inspires everyone around him. Even from a distance - his feats, his projects, his undying desire to serve makes a person feel ashamed if they live anything less than, the talents God has blessed each with.

I just wanted to let you know that while he writes of the greatness of those he climbs with, they too are in the presence of greatness by having him as part of their team.

God speed to each of the members and it's my prayer that each succeeds safely in his personal journey!"

May 4, 2008- Climbers in Namche Bazaar: Now resting in Namche Bazaar is Dom, Farouq, Nabs, Scott and Larry. Dom was there since yesterday, Farouq, Scott and Larry left early in the morning from BC and Nabs left later. Apparently there was quite the snow storm and Nabs reports in from Namche before the others who left in the morning. I have since received more news from Farouq and photos so we can rest assured they are enjoying some yak steaks and apple pie and may be taking in a few beers at the local pub downtown Namche. Good times! While Sultan, Tim, George and Saad are holding out at base camp having their own good times.

Where are the Chinese? no one seems to know and there is much confusion at base camp in Nepal. One day you can make a sat phone call, the next you can't but someone else can. Yes you can send out messages, no wait a minute- now you can't. Organization of the rules at base camp seem to be playing out the same way. Everyone off the mountain- wait.... no... okay maybe you can take some rope to Camp 3. Everyone not on the permit must leave at once.... wait...well okay you can stay. What a season on Everest this has been. It has been hard to get organized when everything keeps changing. No matter, so far everyone is making the most of it and doing well and spirits are still high, all of which is most important at the end of the day.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST! Helicopter crash Makalu Base Camp: Many expeditions that were scheduled to climb Everest from the north side in Tibet and were cancelled without prior notice opted to go climb Mt. Makalu Elevation (feet): 27765. Elevation (meters): 8462 in Nepal. Check this video out of an unfortunate landing. All seven survived!

May 2, 2008-Base Camp Support trek team have all arrived in Kathmandu. Between power outages due conservation practices and natural ones caused by recent thunderstorms they have managed to get a team photo dispatched from our Kathmandu base camp hotel. Right now they are all sleeping peacefully after a long day of touring the city and visiting the Hopeful Home orphanage children and delivering clothing and educational supplies. Good job on Vanessa's part getting everyone organized in their team shirts for the photo op! Not an easy task when everyone is tired from their long flights. They look pretty darn good. What a team!

As for the climbers, most of them other than Tim, Sultan, George and now Saad, have decided to go all the way down to Namche Bazaar instead of Dingboche. It is quite possible they will meet up with the support trekkers while there. The trekkers are scheduled to depart tomorrow morning to Lukla. Day 1 of the trek. They will walk to the village of Phakding situated along side the Dudh Kosi river that comes out of the Khumbu Glacier. The climbers were reporting earlier that Everest is really dry this year. However things could change at anytime as mid to late May is the onset of the rainy (monsoon) season. They don't need any snow loads on the icy face leading up to Camp 3 at this stage of the game. They were expecting some yesterday but it is hopeful it will melt because the days are starting to get very warm.

THE SILENT CHINESE SUMMIT ATTEMPT AND TORCH? Seems everyone is scrambling around to see what their next move might be. You can be sure that with what little information is getting out, and what is really happening, will be two different stories for security purposes on both sides of Everest. What we do know is the weather is favorable right now for a summit bid and with winds picking up again slightly May 7 onwards. This is what I see on the weather graphs but as weather goes in the mountains there is much more to consider. Everest can create its own weather at these altitudes.

THE SILENT CHINESE SUMMIT ATTEMPT AND TORCH? Seems everyone is scrambling around to see what their next move might be. You can be sure what little information is getting out and what is really happening will be two different things for security purposes on both sides of Everest. What we do know is the weather is favorable right now for a summit with winds picking up again slightly May 7 onwards. This is what I see on the weather graphs but as weather goes in the mountains there is much more to consider. Everest can create its own weather at these altitudes.

May 1, 2008 (Nepal time)-- Khumbu Chronicle urgent update- Apparently the agreement that the expeditions signed as a condition to climb this year isn't worth the paper it was written on. The mysterious Chinese visitor that arrived at BC by helicopter a couple days ago was a Chinese official who came to insist the Nepalese military completely close the mountain down from May 1 to May 10, contrary to what the expedition leaders signed as a condition of being granted and paying for a permit. A couple of hours of negotiations with the Nepalese military Major (who went to bat for the climbers) reached an agreement before the Chinese official started to get dizzy from the altitude and had to leave. Sigh.

The new verbal agreement will now allow 2 sherpas per team to stay at Camp 2 but they have to rotate every two days. All persons at base camp that are not on the climbing permit have to leave base camp from now till May 3 or thereabouts??? whatever that means. This includes many expedition leaders who don't take out a spot on a permit since they don't actually climb on Everest. Crazy! Also any base camp managers and support people must leave and no trekkers are allowed in during this time. Everyone's permits were checked one by one so there are a lot of people packing right now.

Yesterday- April 30- there was a plane doing circuits around Everest passing from the north side to the south side dipping down to film the north face of Everest. Word from official Nepalese sources "in the know" in BC said the Chinese were filming. They also said the Chinese had summited but apparently they couldn't keep the torch lit so they are going to try again. This is why the closure is still in affect and security is being beefed up.

Our team is heading down to Dingboche right now to do some communicating with loved ones, if the line up isn't too long. Gee, I wonder how much per minute calls are going to be at Gorak Shep and Dingboche today? Tim is holding at base camp to greet Saad who will be arriving tomorrow and get the oxygen supplements sorted for carriage to Camp 4 whenever things settle down and life on Everest returns to normal.

April 30, 2008- Khumbu Chronicles update- Our team should now be sleeping at base camp as the mountain is closed starting tomorrow. Originally climbers were allowed to climb as high as Camp 2. Now it appears they have to vacate the mountain completely. They are now only allowed to have 2 sherpas per team at Camp 2 due to Olympic torch relay security. During this time our climbers were planning on retreating down the valley to Dingboche or Pheriche to rest in the richer air. We may even get another dispatch from Scott while down there.

As for the Chinese, the torch is rumored to be at Base Camp on the north side in Tibet but there is little news coming out of there because journalist are falling ill due to altitude sickness. They weren't given much time to prepare by doing the normal acclimatization layover schedule before arriving at BC because of confusion on who was going to be allowed if anyone at all. No one has seen the torch and probably never will because journalist aren't allowed to go past base camp.

There was a worrisome cyclone in the sea of Bengal headed in the direction of the Himalayas but it looks like it will miss the region, thankfully. Calming wind trends are in the forecast starting May 2 to 6 so it is possible for the Chinese to summit with the torch and get out of there so teams on the south side can have a crack at it. There is still much work to do before this can happen. Our team needs to stock camp 3 and 4 and undertake one more acclimatization climb to Camp 3 in order to be ready for a summit bid if another window of good weather opens like the one forecasted for May 2 to 6. "IF" is the part we are worried about. If a second window doesn't open we are in a bad position competing with the Chinese for the" next window" once again. If it does open this week, but happens to be the only one, we are also in a bad position. Talk about being between a rock and hard spot.

THE PERFECT SCENARIO: The Chinese summit May 2 or 3. The weather holds all of May, no winds and no snow. Wouldn't that be grand? but not realistic. There is a storm coming in the next day or two bringing snow to the lower elevations.

April 29, 2008- Peak Freaks Khumbu Chronicles- Our team should be sleeping at Camp 2 still. They have been up there for a few days now getting the most out of their acclimatization opportunity before they are shut down.

Because no one is allowed into Tibet to give a report we have no confirmation on what the Chinese are actually doing. Rumors are that the torch is at Everest base camp on the Tibetan side of Everest and because they have asked that the Nepal side of Everest be closed May 1 to May 3 and the weather forecast is showing a couple days of calm, it is thought that they are planning on going to the summit during this time. It is odd that such a large international event would be kept so secret.

Saad's 21- day ascent from Kathmandu to the summit and back if successful, will be done in one third to one half the time of a normal mountaineer- without the standard four to six weeks of acclimatization and pre-summit bid. " I have nothing to justify my desire OR guarantee my success but I have the heart and the experience to give it my best shot" says Saad.

After talking to Saad it quickly came to our realization that if anyone could do it, he could. He has several factors and some preparations that will all be working on his side. He has spent the past five weeks sleeping in a High Altitude sleeping chamber designed by a Canadian company based out Ontario called - ALTITUDE TECH. They claim that sleeping in the tent will change Saad's oxygen saturation slowly in his blood stream helping him to acclimatize well before he even arrives at the mountain. If this proves to be true, it may be that climbers in the future won't need to take so much time away from work and family to attain the acclimatization needed to climb Everest.

Saad has demonstrated an ability to acclimatize faster than normal, an ability that he attributes at least in part to genetics. Saad has not only proven to climb with above average speed but his choice of mountains and summit record is extremely impressive.

If successful, the Ministry of Tourism of Nepal is anxious to record his summit in the Nepalese Mountaineering records for a non- national record.

April 19th -A large slap of glacier falls off the Col between Lingtren & Pumori and trains wrecks its way down the southeastern face. our team is safe of course, watching the big show from an icy precipice on the other side of the upper Khumbu valley. We are at 5900m, finally through the popcorn patch of the ice fall where sketchy boulders of snow and serac give way to rolling plains of glacier.

"Wow, this one might dust base camp." Tim says over the din of rumble that reverbs off the mountain walls. The rest of us stand drop-jawed, a little less accustomed to gravity's white rampage.

As the avalanche unravels, speeds & spills a fine mist settles over the rocky basin thousands of feet below. Fortunately base camp- nomadic sprawl of multi-colored tents & prayer flags prove to be a safe harbor. A prevailing southerly blows the now impotent cloud back towards Tibet. heart rates return to normal.

As always, after witnessing one of these natural extremes (I.E. A big wave, a big storm, a big avalanche) I am left awestruck. Only hours before this event, Tim, Dominique, Nabs and I were taking a snack break on a relative flat part of the ice fall known as "The Dam" I was only one nibble into my cheese and salami cracker when something deep inside the bowels of the glacier dropped - and along with it all of our stomachs. The ensuing echo sounded very much to me like a loud "GULP" was something trying to swallow us? Instead of sticking around to find out, we retreated to higher ground where the glacial anatomy was a bit less ravenous. Sure enough, a passing sherpa informed us that three of his colleagues had perished in this precise location last year. Words from a 1982 Canadian Everest rattled through my head. "The ice fall is not a proper mountaineering route." no matter, we carefully graciously emerge unscathed to as far as the fixed ropes would take us. At 12:45pm, about an hour away from Camp I, the whole team stopped for lunch. After rest & re-hydration we unloaded the contents of our packs, down-suits, sleeping bags, thermarests, and all the necessary gear we'd need for Camp I. In two days time, we'd be back.

April 21- Yesterday, Tim, Sultan, Dominique, Larry , Nabs and I made it to Camp 1, not without our share of adversity. Nabs (The guy from the UK :) Valiantly fought his way through injured intercostals cartilage, a bout of Khumbu cough, and black nail on his left foot resulting from a bad case of hammer-toe. "oh yeah, you're going to lose that nail for sure." I calmly reassured him. nonetheless, he dealt with the pain, marched over the final snowy perch & dropped his pack at our camp I tent. Tonight we were going to by roommates.

As we melted snow for our dinner of curry chick peas, lentil soup and hot tea a cold wind started to roar. The chill slowed our cooking progress so I dug into a half frozen MRE composed of mystery casserole and a crumbled oatmeal cookie. Delicious actually. At various times during the night, the wind seemed angry enough to rip our tent apart at the seams. The payoff being that under the deafening cacophony, I could scarcely hear Nabs' incessant cough. Poor guy.

As for the rest of the team. Larry "Gold Team Leader" Williams & Dominique "The Dominator" Gilbert are proving to be among our hardest charger's. Both of them climb with stealth and style. Larry is a gritty veteran who knows the power of proper pace. We share a lot of things in common- we sport the same mid-90's Dana Designs pack, we wear size 13 Scarpa Inferno plastic mountaineering boots, we even have the same "personal best" in the 800m from our high school track & field days. Finally, we are both devotees of the same Magic Mountain Elixir that has ensured our high altitude health over the past month. (Product classified.) in the end, I think Larry will make my top ten all time hero list as his knowledge of bird, French, World War II Trivia, and episodes of "my name is Earl" far surpasses mine.

Dominique looks a lot less like an assassin now that he's lopped off his 12-inch goatee. nonetheless, I stand back a few meters when he's double fisted with ice axes, free soloing up our base camp practice wall.

Sultan (first Everest climber from Oman) is acclimatizing well after a challenging start. Tim, as he does with all of us, is assisting his progress. It must be difficult making the transition from mountains of sand to mountains of snow, yet he is climbing stronger everyday.

Speaking of fearless captain & coach, Tim is proving to be a guide with endless energy. experience, and the enthusiasm to share his abundant mountaineering know-how. His skills are a comforting commodity in an atmosphere often flooded with more ego than ability. His care for the team is apparent on the mountain and off. For example, he hooked me up with a loaner pair of foot warmers (thanks Mr. Henry Todd!), he manages the eco-friendly solar panels for our rest-day movie nights (Nabs provides the DVD player), and he deals with an endless barrage of ridiculous & redundant questions. ("are there hot dogs at Camp III?")

As you may recall from the report, Farouq had a crampon blowout only minutes into our first ice fall training run. Though we all searched for his "missing link" the tiny piece of medal was lost for good. Or so we thought! nine days later, refusing to give up Tim found it on a small ledge within a crevasse. Those odds have to be greater than a proverbial needle in a hay stack.

Oh yes, here's one final "I appreciate our guide "Tim" story. On the night Nabs and I were tent partners, I noticed that our floor was leaking like a sieve. "Hey Nabs." I said, "with this wind chill and a swimming pool for a floor I'm pretty sure we'll be frozen solid by morning." Nabs' only reply was another torturous coughing fit which I translated as "GOLLY GEE" , and all this on top of I've forgot my tea & crumpets! " or something to that effect.

Fortunately Tim walked by at that exact moment. "Hey Tim, I know there's nothing we can do about it now but all our down gear is getting wet because of this soggy floorboard." Before I had a chance to discuss the heat loss properties of wet down Tim had ripped the fly off a storage tent and chucked it inside our cubby hole. "There you go boys, use that for your footprint." he whistled and walked off into the sunset. Out of growing respect for our Canadian patriarch, I am now a committed fan of maple syrup, ice hockey, Pamela Anderson ....whatever parts of her that are still Canadian that is.

Okay, it's getting late and I am now delirious. Let's rap this up. Farouq, our faithful, Saudi Trooper got a late start to Camp 1. After battling a chest cold with a round of antibiotics (Cipro) he charged his way up there. his positive energy never left him and he's right back on the track with the rest of us. George on the other hand fell into a crevasse a few days ago. (A mini-crevasse according his sherpa, Ang Pasang. Maybe even a regular hole.) He reports, " I was about 500 meters from base camp when I fell in, twisting my knee & ankle in the process." Fortunately, a daily regimen of ice, aspirin, and light duty seems to be healing him quick. Like Farouq, George is a man with no shortage of inspiration. As a recent Cancer survivor (cell carcinoma of the head & neck) his energy is astounding. In his own words, "three months ago they said I was a dead man...I'm not giving up this easy." I am certain he will be fully recovered when we head out for Camp II in a few days.

It is now dark and cold and everyone has gone to bed. in the rising moonlight a late show avalanche props down the Lho La Pass...the mountainous saddle that separates Nepal from Tibet. There is so much to say, but for now I just listen. The snow cascades like metal at velocity in this silver moonlight, spilling its gust over a rocky shelf and landing in the thunderous applause hundreds of feet below. Again, I am awestruck. Good moves in these acts of creativity & deconstruction.

I am freezing cold now, but I am not tired and there is on more piece of blank paper waiting for some ink. Besides, the sherpas are still carousing about in the their communal tent and their frequent laughter is warmth enough despite the fact I have no idea what they are saying.

I suppose I will finish this discourse by answering questions I intend to ask of everyone present..."why do you climb?".....For me, climbing is a passionate pursuit that works as a simple life metaphor. I enjoy the hard work it takes to "move upward." I love the creative force required to "get over." and I thrive in the leap of faith that comes when you finally make it "on top." The new perspective earned through adversity allows me to see how every stop along the journey carries its own special purpose. Such is the nature of hardship....self-imposed or otherwise. you refuse to quite, keep pushing, reach for that state of higher being & eventually you'll come up with a view that transforms all the agony into ecstasy.

Finally, being able to share this adventure with family, friends & fellow climbers is an awesome gift. And thought his year on Everest seems to carry an extra dose of adversity the end result will be similar to years past: An entity that is alive is reduced to the lowest common denominator by one that is not. Our team is hopeful that in this education, we will have what it takes to reach our goals.

April 24, 2008- Chinese making it impossible for official Olympic coverage to take place of the torch relay on Everest in Tibet. The BBC released an interesting story today on how they have been given the run around and missed a one hour surprise deadline to book permission to be there. Oh boy!

April 24, 2008- The route to the summit and how it will work: The main hazard climbers face on Everest is the famous Khumbu icefall,. Many say this is the crux of Khumbu Ice-Fall at sunrise

the climb on the south side of the mountain within Nepal. It is located not far above Base Camp and in our case this year, we are camping right at the front door. The ice-fall is caused by the rapid movement of the Khumbu glacier over the steep rock underneath. The movement breaks the ice into sérac (large, pointed masses of ice) cliffs and columns separated by huge crevasses, and causes repeated icefalls across the route between Base Camp and Camp I. Many people have died in this area. Exposed crevasses may be easy to avoid, but those buried under snow can form treacherous snow bridges through which unwary climbers can fall.

The standard climb of Mount Everest from the south side ascends the Khumbu glacier to Base Camp at 5,400 m (17,600 ft). We use four camps above Base Camp; these camps give the climbers an opportunity to rest and acclimate (adapt) to the high altitude. The route from Base Camp through the great Khumbu icefall up to Camp I at 5,900 m (19,500 ft) is difficult and dangerous; it usually takes one to three weeks to establish because supplies must be carried up the mountain in several separate trips. Once Camp II, at 6,500 m (21,300 ft), has been supplied in the same manner using both Base Camp and Camp I as bases, climbers typically break down Base Camp and make the trek from there to Camp II in one continuous effort. Once acclimatized, the climbers can make the move to Camp II in five to six hours. Camp III is then established near the cirque of the Khumbu glacier at 7,300 m (24,000 ft). The route up the cirque headwall from Camp III to the South Col and Camp IV at 7,900 m (26,000 ft) is highly strenuous and takes about four to eight hours. The South Col is a cold, windy, and desolate place of rocks and snow slabs.

From the South Col to the summit is a climb of only 900 vertical m (3,000 vertical ft), although its fierce exposure to adverse weather and steep drop-offs poses many challenges. The section between 8,530 m (28,000 ft) and the South Summit at 8,750 m (28,700 ft) is particularly treacherous because of the steepness and unstable snow. From the South Summit there remains another 90 vertical m (300 vertical ft) along a terrifying knife-edged ridge. The exposure is extreme, with the possibility of huge vertical drops into Tibet on the right and down the southwest face on the left. A little more than 30 vertical m (100 vertical ft) from the summit is a 12-m (40-ft) chimney across a rock cliff known as the Hillary Step; this is one of the greatest technical challenges of the climb.

Our sherpas left yesterday for Camp 2 and the climbing team will follow in about 3 to 4 days - weather pending. Once they reach Camp 2 they plan on staying at least 4 nights to completely acclimatize to this altitude. They will then retreat to Base Camp and wait it out to see what card the Chinese will play in taking ownership of the mountain this year during the Everest climbing season restricting all climbers to only climbing to Camp 2 until they are finished with their torch relay. Keep in mind the Khumbu ice-fall is not climbable after May 31. Warmer weather starts to melt the glacier making it completely unsafe for climbing the end of May beginning of June..

April 23, 2008- American Climber William Brant Holland climbing with a Nepal based operator has been dismissed from Everest after Nepali officials found a "Free Tibet" flag in his bags in Base Camp. Holland is reportedly on his way back to Kathmandu where his fate will be decided more fully. Another climber was asked to leave when he refused to hand over his sat phone.

April 21, 2008- SUPPORT TREK TEAM SOON TO DEPART TO NEPAL ....Members from our Everest 2008 Base Camp support team are gathering in Kathmandu next week to begin the trek up the

Peak Freak trek guide Vanessa Higgott

TREK LEADER VANESSA HIGGOTT and Santi from the HOPEFUL HOME.

Khumbu Valley to help boost the expedition up to the summit. They are scheduled to arrive at base camp May 10. This is the same day the team will be allowed to start climbing again beyond Camp 2 to the summit. This season we have a group of 16 trekkers combined with our18 sherpa staff members and our 9 climbers who will be taking up a very large spot at base camp when all 43 of them gather together to celebrate the onset of the summit bid.

Our support treks are not only meant to help give our climbers a moral boost. The word "support" has another meaning. This years trek will be lead by Vanessa Higgott from Ontario who is organizing a scholarship fund for the HOPEFUL HOME. She will be taking our trekkers who have been busy gathering clothing and other items much needed by the home. They will have the opportunity to meet the children and drop the goods off to them. The fun kind of giving!

We will be covering the trek in to base camp (thanks to their contributions coming soon to this page) and maybe even hear some base camp tales that may filter down through the Khumbu Chronicles gossip column since we won't have our communication reinstated till May 10.

MT. EVEREST 2008 EXPEDITION SUPPORT TEAM ROSTER

Vanessa Higgott- trek leader from Ontario - Vanessa's bio
Lisa Wood- Utah
Valerie Littleton- Utah
Sherell Price- Nevada
Sabrina Leire-Rodger- Ontario
Paul Krsek- California
Ginette Rodger- Ontario
Scott Webber- Manitoba

Hugo Fortin- Ontario
Kim McCloy- British Columbia
Tim McCloy- British Columiba
Roger Trinchero- California
Mario Trinchero- California
Annie Garneau- Ontario
Naomi Garneau- Ontario
Bill Winters- Florida

Good luck to all of you!

April 20, 2008- Permission granted for an uncensored satellite phone call. Tim checks in this morning to confirm the team is all doing great. Everyone has been up to Camp 1 except for George and Farouq. Farouq leaves tomorrow to do his acclimatization sleep at Camp 1 while the others continue to put their time in at base camp waiting for Camp 2 to be completed. Our team was on the route between Camp 1 and base camp when Gelyzen Sherpa who was working for another team collapsed and was diagnosed as having suffered a stroke. Our sherpa team helped take him down off the route and he is now safe and sound in Kathmandu.

The route to Camp 2 is just about completely fixed with ladders and ropes. Our sherpas have been up to prepare the area where our Camp 2 base will be assembled. The team expects to be taking their first trip up to the highest elevation so far to Camp 2 in about 2 to 3 days time. They will sleep there getting their bodies adjusted to the new altitude for one night, maybe two, and then retreat back to base camp to recover once again.

The winds have been battering them a bit in exposed sections on the route. Nothing out of the norm that is. This time of year battling wind is common due to the warming spring weather pushing the colder winter air out of the region. When the spring weather has won, it will create a calm period on the mountain (briefly), before the clouds and storms start to move in caused by the onset of the monsoon season, which brings a lot of moisture with it in the form of heavy snow fall and poor visibility. This calm period is what is referred to as " the summit window". The summit window traditionally takes places every year mid May and it is, or "was" their intentions to be in position with all camps stocked and all members acclimatized to the altitude of Camp 3 when the summit window arrives.

The wind is expected to linger a couple more days and then drops off quite a bit on the 23rd to 25th of April. Then come the 26th of April some of the highest winds yet should be expected. Possibly as high as 120km winds on the summit of Everest.

It has been rumored that the Chinese were hoping to put the torch on top of Everest on the Tibetan side as early as April 28. If my wind predictions are right this may not happen. However if they get it there earlier this week, say for April 23 to 25th, it could be possible.

It is a fine balance between health and weather that makes a successful summit climb on Everest. So far we have health and the weather is considered to be all of normal so far.

I don't know when the next report from the mountainside will be out so keep watching! We have some Plan B communications in progress and will be posting when they are received. Tim also says that everyone is warming up at base camp. When they first arrived they were wearing the heaviest of the fleece clothing and now they are starting to sport their 5500m beach wear. :)

Stay tuned!

Becky

April 19, 2008- AT CAMP 1 - According to expedition plan our team should be sleeping safe and sound at Camp 1. This would be their highest sleep so far at 6065. There was a report that got out from base camp via a Sherpani women in the area that a sherpa climber from another expedition had collapsed in the ice-fall complaining the side of his body was numb. He was brought down and taken out to Kathmandu by helicopter. He has summited Everest twice so it was considered odd he would have difficulties this time around. He was able to walk and talk with no problem prior to his evacuation.

April 17, 2008- Chinese at 7500m on the north side of Everest- Tibet. Still along ways to go and high winds today have held them back. Sorry, no news on the south side within Nepal because of the Nepalese ban. However, it looks like my weather graph reading was right telling Tim in one of our previous pre-ban conversations to expect high winds April 17.

April 16, 2008- No News Is Good News!- In a perfect world....I would be reporting a conversation I just had with Tim. But in the case of the communications ban we will go with assumptions. They were ready to head up to Camp 1 and return to base camp. Because we haven't heard otherwise from the military, it will be safe to say that they are now sleeping like babies safe and sound in base camp.

MT. EVEREST COMMUNICATIONS BAN NOW OFFICIALLY IN EFFECT- April 15, 2008

Families of the climbers will not be left in the dark. We have established limited communication to let everyone back home know the status of their loved ones while climbing. Plan B is now in effect. Readers don't go away for too long. We will be posting some great information to fill in void during the communication gaps up until the ban is lifted May 10.

My last conversation with Tim he said the team was heading up to Camp 1 tomorrow as planned. Jim Carter scientist from Nassau is at base camp this year performing a study on the effects on the brain of a climber at altitude. They have selected our Peak Freaks team to help them with these test. They will have tested our climbers at base camp and will also test them throughout their climb. This is the same test that is performed on astronauts while in space. They will be tested as they ascend and descend by a series of questions and functions to perform. Tim said the team is really excited about it. It will give them something else to think about and do. Climbing Everest believe it or not can get quite boring.

MEET TEAMMATE NABIL LODEY - FUND RAISING FOR UNICEF - JUST GIVING!

Excerpt from the Business Times Online:

[ Lodey’s attitude might come across as cavalier, but it is not. Indeed, a glance at his CV reveals a predilection for life on the edge allied with finely calibrated risk-taking. This is a man who, fresh from his degree in economics at Queen Mary, University of London, joined the Royal Navy. He soon found himself seconded as a UN observer to the de facto independent Caucasian republic of Abkhazia in the midst of its secession attempt from Georgia. “My role involved a blend of diplomatic and legal skills,” he says. “We’d often be called to meet the opposing sides on the ceasefire line and assess what had happened.”

In his 11 years with the Navy, during which he qualified as a barrister, Lodey also saw service in Baghdad, Basra and Afghanistan before joining Freshfields last year. A year later, he had itchy feet. “It had always been a dream of mine to take on a really big adrenalin challenge. I’ve always wanted to find out what my personal limits are. For family reasons, too, I was keen to do something for charity.” Because he used to row competitively, Lodey toyed with the idea of rowing the Atlantic. Ultimately, though, the allure of Everest took hold. As if this isn’t dangerous enough, Lodey is forfeiting job security for the climb.