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Digging for Buried Tent at Camp III
Base Camp - Sunday, May 7, 2000

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Ciao Mountain Zone, today is Sunday and I'm here again in Base Camp. Unfortunately we had very, very bad luck on the mountain. In fact, after the resting, I and Denis yesterday we start to reach the South Col, as I told you in my last message, and we were very [Unintelligible] probably our resting was excellent.

We spent only three hours I believe to arrive from Base Camp to Camp II, and today, this morning, was very, very bad weather. Over the night, the night was [Unintelligible] and me and Denis, we did not sleep well.

But anyway, this morning we started in the bad weather, in stormy weather, and reaching in only two hour, 15 minutes, Camp III. So our acclimatization is wonderful, but we had [Unintelligible]. In fact, we arrived in Camp III, and before Camp III we left our tent very near the [Unintelligible] and we didn't find it. We shoveling for two hours, and after we decided to continue and go to Camp III and take a rest. And then we arrive in Camp III, everything was covered from the snow because there was a storm and it was continue to snowing through today. And we shoveling for three hours in the places where we believe that we have our tents and we find anything.

So, we were completely wet and completely frozen. We continue to shoveling, and in the afternoon time we took the decision to return down, directly to Base Camp.

Unfortunately in the tent that we lost, we have everything: two sleeping bags, two [Unintelligible], two down [Unintelligible], the down [Unintelligible] that we want to use to reach South Col and summit. And we have also our parka, our digital camera, so many, many things.

Now, our idea is to take a rest here because today we make great job — Camp II, Camp III and Base Camp with five hours covering. And we want to wait for good weather to return up high at 7300 meters, shoveling again, for the last time. And only in that moment, if we will not find our tent, we will have a tent with us, we will take a tent from Base Camp with us.

Anything is compromise, but it is a very big stop for us. We are very sorry, because we have no Sherpa, we have no anything so everything is carried by ourselves. And now, losing all the equipment, the most important equipment, it is not easy to report [Unintelligible].

Anyway, our expedition will continue. Don't worry. Stay with us, and I know that something good will happen. Bye-bye.

— Simone Moro, MountainZone.com Correspondent

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