EVEREST NORTH FACE SKI EXPEDITION 1997
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Summit Attempts Rebuffed
The closest and the best attempt was made by Jean Troillet, Stephan Shafftner, and Apa Sherpa. Jean Troillet and Apa Sherpa got to 8700 meters and unfortunately had to turn around due to winds and unsafe conditions and just being late in the day. They were climbing really strongly and it just was so cold that at the bottom of the second step they had to jump into a hole. They sat there for three hours. The ladder was gone. I haven't been able to talk to Jean — — he's not down yet, but obviously he had to free-climb that whole section that used to be fixed. It must have been somewhat of an interesting situation to say the least. The Colombians got as far as, I believe, 8200 meters and they realized that just for safety reasons it was better for them to turn back — which they did. There's the Japanese, Massa — I don't have his last name with me right now, who showed up late yesterday, had dinner with us, left two in the morning, and is up at camp II now. He will make a solo attempt, probably leaving around maybe midnight tonight. I'm not really sure yet. All you back at home give him a little bit of good wishes. He going to need all the help he can get. It's quite a bold move. And another friend of ours, Jordie, from the Catalan team; it was just he and Carlos... Carlos was going to try and ski and Jordie was going to try to snowboard. Carlos gave up the attempt to ski. Jordie went up from camp I to 7600 meters and snowboarded from there probably down to ABC. Really good effort. Anyway, it appears that the Colombians are packing it in. They're at the end of their rope. Their permit is over on the 30th. They've been here two months. Jean Troillet has been up there since the last week of July and Massa has been here since June. Consequently it's one of the main reasons why these folks are all making these attempts right now. Actually that's the third attempt Jean has tried. We'll be in position, ready to fire, in about another ten days or so, depending on how the weather goes. There's a full Spanish-Catalan team still in line ready to go and I believe some of the British guys may stick it out and try to give it a shot, but I haven't seen or heard from them at all. So there's going to be kind of a skeleton crew here, but that's okay. I'm ready and my crew's ready and we're just going to wait and when the timing all ready we'll go and give it our best. Anyway, that's about it from advance base camp, on the Everest North Face ski expedition. I hope everyone back home is having a good time and you're all healthy and warm. Bye. — Craig Calonica Martina emails us later in the day: The last two days were for organization of the final preparation of skiing and climbing gear for the the approach of the mountain. Tomorrow Craig, Jim and the sherpas will go up the North Col to Camp I, store some equipment and come down to sleep at ABC 6,500 m, in order to climb up the next day again, sleep at the North Col camp at 7,080 m and continue to Camp II at 7.800 m. Everyone who stayed in ABC is following up the progress of Colombian, Swiss, Catalonian and Japanese expeditions on Everest with the deepest interest and attention. The Colombian team, Manolo and Marcello had left camp on Thursday at about 5 pm followed by the Swiss team, Jean Troillet, Stefan Shaftner and Apa Sherpa, which started their journey Friday at 2 am. The Colombians had slept at Camp I when the Swiss arrived and they continued to Camp II. The weather was extremely cold and there were winds around 50 and 60 km/h. Manolo and Marcello went up to 8.100 m, but decided at this point to turn around to Camp II, because their were no ropes fixed and the climbing situation was very difficult and dangerous. The Colombians might not have made the summit, but they impressed with their will to approach Everest as the first team from Columbia and they put in a lot of hard work establishing Camp I and II at a time where the climbing was really difficult because of the deep snow they had to push through. Congratulations for this team effort!!! Other team members names, Jean-Pablo, Nelson alias Piggy, Gonzalos, Louis, Miguel, Cristobal and Roberto alias Piton, who put such hard work in and got hernia carrying heavy loads. Jean and Apa continued, had to hide for a few hours in a cave because of the strong winds and the cold just before they passed the second step after the wind calmed a bit they climbed on to 8.700 m, where the climbing turned into a too dangerous (the winds, no fixed ropes and the late day time), so they stepped back just, 150 m far from the summit. Jean began snowboarding from this high point of 8,700 m and completed the snowboard descent to the bottom of the North Col route, thus recording a new record for a snowboard descent, congratulations, Jean !!!! Jordie and Carlos, the Catalonian team left ABC on Friday after lunch for Camp I, where they stayed over night. Jordie with his snowboard climbed up to 7.600 m and snowboarded down the North ridge to Camp I and then continued down to the bottom of the North Col route. The solo Japanese climber Massa, started climbing at 2 am Saturday, passed Camp I about 5 am and continued to Camp II, where he met the Swiss and Colombian team. Jean had already returned from his summit assault. Massa decided still to go for the summit. But last night the winds increased so much, that he had to turn around and now everybody has arrived at ABC safely again. The Colombian and Swiss team will leave today and tomorrow. The Colombians permit is over and they have to return to Kathmandu. The Swiss team will also travel home after 3 assaults of the summit. The Catalonian team will still remain here for a few more days to film and photograph, but they won't try for the summit again. Now their are only a few more teams left at ABC, which are a second Catalonian team, some members of the British team, the Canadian expedition, which are all resting at Base Camp and our team. We are waiting on a window to climb and staying busy skiing and ice climbing around ABC for now. — Martina Stimmerling 
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