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The Real Action from Base Camp
Base Camp - Wednesday, May 3, 2000

DISPATCHES

Taniguchi

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Howdy Mountain Zone folks. Since the climbing team has been cooling their heels at Camp II, and don't really have anything to report without making it up, we thought we'd send you a selection (and some photos) of the real action from Base Camp. A typical day begins with one of us having to grit our teeth and roll out of our nice warm sleeping bag a full 20 minutes before the sun hits, to answer the 7:15am radio call from the climbing team. Of course they're usually whining about how cold and windy it is up on the mountain, but we know they are actually calling from the warm depths of their sleeping bags. But we are nice and reassure them how nice and warm Base Camp is when the sun does hit.

After the radio call we have a leisurely breakfast of cereal or pancakes, giving the "best cook in the Khumbu" a break from the eggs and fried potatoes usually requested by the climbing team. We slosh it down with steaming cups of "dudh chai," the tasty, sweet milk tea served by the Sherpas.

Yesterday we traded ice axes for pick axes and joined a group of hard-working base campers to build a heliport right in the middle of the glacier. We moved rocks and chopped ice to make a flat spot where a helicopter could land in case of a medical emergency. Our hope is that no one will ever have to use it, but it's good to have it if necessary.

Although it's usually warm and sunny in the mornings, most afternoons the clouds roll in to dump a dusting of snow on us. That's a good time to stay warm inside the tents and read books, write in journals, or snooze. Ellie has also been working on a baby quilt for "Barbarita" Timson, due in August.

And last night was a special occasion. All the AAI base campers and Sherpas gathered in the dining tent for video night. Yes, complete with popcorn! We send special thanks to the Mountain Zone folks for this thoughtful contribution to our mental health. We are definitely the envy of Base Camp.

So stay tuned for future exciting Base Camp reports, including the answers to the questions you were too shy to ask (such as where do we go to the bathroom, and where do we take a shower).

Ciao for now from Everest Base Camp.

— Stacy Taniguchi, Alpine Ascents Guide and MountainZone.com Correspondent

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