Contents [Ski Everest Home] Front page for the Skiing Everest Cybercast [UPDATES] Climbers call from Everest on a sat-phone [The North Side] Climbing guide Eric Simonson describes the Northeast Ridge Route [Meet the Team] The 1997 Everest Ski Expedition members [EVEREST '97] Rich multimedia cybercast from Everest [Sponsors] Companies that supported this effort The Everest Bookstore Click on a book for details and ordering info from The Mountain Zone Bookstore. "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer An epic, first-hand account of the 1996 tragedy. "Everest" by Walt Unsworth Thorough compilation of historic climbs, triumph and tragedy. "Everest Map" by Brad Washburn National Geographic centennial map, Washburn's Everest map and more. "Everest: The West Ridge" by Tom Hornbein The pioneering ascent by Unsoeld and Hornbein. [The Mountain Zone] More stories from The Mountain Zone			Updates From Everest Click here to get the FREE Real Audio Player to hear sat-phone calls. Calonica Korean Climber Killed in Avalanche Monday, September 8, 1997 (Everest North Face base camp, Tibet) [Click to hear the sat-phone call.] Transcript: Hello, it's Craig Calonica, and it is Monday the eighth, 6:30 PM Tibetan North Face Everest time. I'm afraid I have some bad news to relate today. I just received news that one Korean member was killed along the fixed lines going from advance base camp up to the North Col. He was alone and an avalanche came down and he has yet to be found. There were two Colombian team members and four Sherpas that went up before him and then he was following by himself. It appears to be that he went up later; probably the snow got heavier, and a slide kicked loose from above him and took him out. It's pretty tragic. Unfortunately they all went up a bit too soon. It appears that it was deep snow. It's been snowing for the last four or five days and it probably would have been a little bit wiser to give the snow a few more day's rest to let it settle. Anyway, that's what just happened today, sorry to tell you the news. Everything here is going as planned. We'll be either leaving for advance base camp tomorrow or the next day. It's kind of an on-again, off-again bad weather and so that will dictate when we get out of here. Other than that, everyone here is doing fine, and that's about it. I hope you're all okay back there, we're okay here. — Craig Calonica, Expedition Leader PREVIOUS UPDATE | UPDATES HOME | NEXT UPDATE

[Home] [Updates] [The Route] [The Team]