 From Ingrid Ganner
Vienna - June 13, 2002
Thank you Luis Benitez. "After I met you in Gorak Shep I could hardly sleep because I was thinking again and again - as I have many times over the past year - how Peter must have felt sitting there for 18 hours..."
A Very Emotional Parting
Base Camp - May 29, 2002
Expedition Leader Willi Prittie reports from Base Camp on what makes a successful expedition, "number one, everyone comes back and number two, everybody comes back with all their parts...."
For Ingrid
Base Camp - May 28, 2002
In an inspiring dispatch, Guide Luis Benitez unites a family in their final farewell to Peter Ganner, killed last year in a fall just 500 feet from the summit. "I...thought about the love one feels for a father, or a son, or a daughter, or a wife or girlfriend. All that infinite possibility ended here for him, and I was to be the final messenger...."
Packing Up the Tents
Base Camp - May 28, 2002 (May 28 5:47am PST)
Base Camp Manager Ellie Henke reports, "So tonight many yaks have arrived in Base Camp and tomorrow most of the team members will head down the valley for various modes of transportation back to Kathmandu and home..."
Top of the Icefall
Camp I - May 27, 2002 (May 26 8:30pm PST)
Climber Karl Yoder reports, "We are coming down from our successful summit....Most of us are still pretty wiped out after having been hiking for a few days in a row...."
Getting Back Through the Icefall
Camp II - May 26, 2002 (4:30pm PST)
Luis Benitez reports from Camp II, "Obviously it's going to be an early start to get through the Icefall before the weather gets too bad or too warm..."
Last Cybercast From South Col
Camp IV - May 25, 2002 (9:35pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports from Camp IV, "We're all in the hasty throes of packing up and heading down and beat a forecasted heavy snowstorm that is headed our way...."
May 25 Base Camp Update: The Monsoon is Getting Closer
An Amazing Display
Camp IV - May 25, 2002 (4:40am PST)
Luis Benitez reports, "Every single one of the climbers today put in an impressive, impressive display of strength, determination and stamina. Just the looks on everybody's face as they crossed certain sections..."
(4:30am PST) May 25 Base Camp Update: Back Safely at South Col
(11:17pm PST) May 24 Base Camp Update: 29 Summit!
Looking Down on Creation!
True Summit - May 24, 2002 (11:35pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports from the true Summit, "Well it's all over but the safe descent and the party in Base Camp. Everybody that, except Al, started out from high camp, summitted Mount Everest today..."
Thigh-Deep Trailbreaking
South Summit - May 24, 2002 (8:40pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports from the South Summit, an hour and a half roundtrip from the true Summit, "We've had very, very taxing trailbreaking today. A lot of windslab and soft snow, between shin deep and thigh deep..."
(8:40pm PST) May 24 Base Camp Update: An Hour's Climb Away
(6:30pm PST) May 24 Base Camp Update: Patiently Awaiting Word
(4:30pm PST) May 24 Base Camp Update: Dawn at Base Camp
On the Way to South Summit
The Southeast Ridge - May 24, 2002 (4:10pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports, "So it's a beautiful dawn, nice soft light effusing everything right now and we're on our way to the South Summit as I speak..."
The Cavalry Arrives
The Balcony - May 24, 2002 (2:30pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports, "The last about 300 feet has been very, very difficult trailbreaking, knee-deep windslab up here so we were very glad to see the cavalry arrive, in the form of Pete Athans and Brent Bishop..."
(2:30pm PST) May 24 Base Camp Update: Willi and Friends Reach Balcony
Up the Triangular Face
Triangular Face - May 24, 2002 (12pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports, "As we speak, we are most of the way up the Triangular Face to the Balcony. It's an absolutely gorgeous night, full moon shining off the mountains and the snow..."
(10:50am PST) May 24 Update: Al Hanna, 71, Turns Around
Climbing With The Sons of Everest
Camp IV - May 24, 2002 (9am PST)
Luis Benitez reports B team is ready to roll and "we will be joining Peter Hillary, Peter Athans and Brent Bishop, the sons of Everest, as they roll to the summit on the top of the world..."
(7:54am PST) May 24 Base Camp Update: Heading Off Into the Night
The Course is Set
Camp IV - May 24, 2002 (5/24 4am PST)
Willi Prittie reports, "It is actually just after 5pm here in Nepal and our first contingent will be leaving the South Col and beginning their summit climb at 8pm tonight..."
Vibrating Tents
Camp IV - May 24, 2002 (5/23 9pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports, " It was extremely cold. My estimate is below 30 below celsius. With the help of bottled oxygen, everybody slept reasonably well to exceptionally well..."
May 23 Base Camp Update: Mathy Forced to Leave Expedition
A Bit Short of Breath
Camp IV (26,000 feet) - May 23, 2002 (5/23 6am PST)
Willi Prittie reports from Camp IV as wind and snow and rime blow through the South Col, "As it is right now, everybody is doing well, tired, a bit short of breath up here when we're not breathing oxygen..."
Disrobing on the Lhotse Face
Camp III to Yellow Band - May 23, 2002 (5/23 3am PST)
Willi Prittie reports from between Camp III and the Yellow Band, "It is extremely hot....So we're all stopping and shedding clothes which is a very difficult proposition perched in the middle of a 35-degree ice face."
First Blessed Light
Camp III Morning - May 23, 2002 (5/22 8:37pm PST)
Willi Prittie reports from Camp III, "...real soon we're going to have Sherpa assistance up here to help us move to Camp IV... just under 26,000 feet. I know we're all looking forward to that and our continuing quest...."
Scaling 40-Degree Ice
Camp III Evening- May 22, 2002
Willi Prittie reports from Camp III, "So it was actually a very scenic, very pretty trip up if you could remove your focus from you crampon points and your feet for a few minutes...."
Rumbling Glacier
Camp II 6am- May 22, 2002
Willi Prittie reports from Camp II, "And then the most obvious noise is sort of a backdrop for our sleep at that point is the glacier moving. You hear that it's moving with snaps, pops, cracks... and rumbles..."
Predatory Beast Stalks Climbers
Camp II- May 21, 2002
Willi Prittie reports from Camp II, "It was quite gusty on and off last night and all through this morning. One of those phantom gusts came down and went asunder our eating tent up here..."
70-Knot Jet Stream Winds
Base Camp- May 21, 2002
Lakpa at Camp II...says they just about lost one of the tents to a big gust of wind (with someone in it) but they saved it just in time....
A Little Excitement
Camp II- May 20, 2002
Luis Benitez reports from Camp II, "Little bit of excitement today with a little bit of collapsing in the Icefall as the IMG team moved down. Nobody was hurt but it was a little scary..."
Yippee! We're Going For It
Camp I- May 19, 2002
Vern Tejas reports from Camp I, "And the rap is in and most of the people have shot their wad and gone home so we're in position to go up the mountain and have most of it all to ourselves."
Himalayan Veteran Mike Bearzi Killed on Gyachung Kang
Possible Summit Record
Base Camp- May 17, 2002
...there were somewhere between six and nine teams in place ready to go at the South Col and yesterday brought very good weather on the high mountain and they pretty much all went. So we had a record number of people.
Focus On the Upper Mountain
Gorak Shep and Lobuche- May 15, 2002
...we're going to be in Base Camp today examining some weather reports and looking at things in general to determine when we are actually going to advance up from Base Camp and go toward our High Camp.
Snow and Cloud Plumes
En Route to Pheriche- May 13, 2002
...it's an extremely windy day up high today. There are actually snow and cloud plumes blowing from Everest...this morning and those plumes extend for better than half a mile downwind of all the summits.
Wishes and Weather Windows
Deboche- May 12, 2002
...everybody on the expedition is united in wanting to wish Happy Mother's Day to everybody... it looks like our weather has definitely improved here and perhaps we're going to get our first weather window...
Preparing for the Summit Bid
Deboche- May 11, 2002
While the upper elevations of Everest are pummeled by the jet stream winds, the Alpine Ascents team is resting in Deboche and preparing, physically and psychologically, for the summit bid.
Lower Elevation Recovery
Base Camp- May 9, 2002
Willi Prittie reports the team is back in Base Camp after climbing as high as just above Camp III. Members will now descend to Deboche to recover further before heading back up for the summit attempt.....
South Col: Then and Now
Base Camp- May 9, 2002
Special Report: Willi Prittie guides you up the South Col Route to the summit of Mount Everest through the ever-shifting Icefall and over the many crevasses by fixing ropes and building ladder bridges....
So Where is Base Camp Anyway?
Base Camp- May 7, 2002
Special Report: Base Camp Manager Ellie Henke reports from 17,600-foot Base Camp, "While Base Camp isn't as 'glamorous' as a summit climb of Everest, it is a magical place...."
Tested on the Steep Lhotse Face
Camp II- May 6, 2002
It was pretty much snowing...a few people actually did discover that our method of descending the fixed lines with the safety back-up works, because you stop immediately instead of sliding down.
One-Pot Glop
Camp III- May 5, 2002
...we're now perched in a spectacular place, 7,155 meters above sea level...hopefully everybody's appetites will at least be able to force down a cupful of the wonderful one-pot glop...
The Facts of High Altitude Medicine
Base Camp - May 5, 2002
Special Report: A rapid ascent to the summit of Everest would cause unconsciousness and death within several minutes. However, with a slow ascent from sea level, our bodies can adjust to the thin air and allow ascent even without oxygen....
The Highest Night
Camp II- May 4, 2002
Guide Mike Roberts reports the team spent a valuable rest day at Camp II and is ready for the early Sunday climb to Camp III where it will spend the highest night of the acclimatization program....
Jekyll & Hyde Day
Camp II- May 3, 2002
...the Western Cwm is the ice-filled valley... And when you're coming up in windless conditions, it acts like an absolute solar oven; it's unbelievable how hot it can be....
High Pucker Factor Ladder Crossing
Camp I- May 2, 2002
...what we were left with was three ladders that were tied together for absolute maximum extension for about eight inches of bearing on each side, spanning a huge chasm...
Two Deaths in Himalaya
Kathmandu, Nepal- May 1, 2002
In addition to the death of 38-year-old British climber Peter Legate, who was killed yesterday on Mount Everest, an American climber was found dead Friday, April 26...
Greenlight for Second Go-Round
Everest Base Camp- May 1, 2002
We'll be leaving about 4am tomorrow ... to try to get through the Icefall while things are as cold and stable as possible...
Fatal Accident on the Lhotse Face
Everest Base Camp- April 30, 2002
A fatal accident on the Lhotse Face early this morning took the life of British climber Peter Legate, the BBC reported today...
Al Hanna, 71, On His Fourth Attempt
Everest Base Camp- April 30, 2002
Special Report: Al Hanna, 71, talks candidly about being on Everest for his fourth summit attempt. "It's a marvelous experience to be back, but there's always a feeling of danger and there's always a need for courage and energy to make that next step..."
Pandemonium Ruled
Everest Base Camp- April 30, 2002
...word came down the mountain this morning of an accident which took the life of a fellow climber. We all feel this loss deeply...
Stricken Climber
Everest Base Camp- April 29, 2002
Three days of increasingly sharp abdominal pains and vomiting make him a prime candidate for a medevac flight...
The 'Base Camp Hang'
Everest Base Camp- April 28, 2002
Oxygen is good and we are making the most of it. Until the weather settles, we are doing the 'Base Camp Hang'...
Refugees Bailing Off Upper Slopes
Everest Base Camp- April 27, 2002
High winds have been pounding the upper mountain; many reports of flattened and shredded tents have been coming to us via refugees...
Rumors of Shredded Tents
Everest Base Camp- April 26, 2002
Rumors of shredded tents and high winds are filtering down off the mountain. Avalanche danger is increasing with each new flake...
Next Stop, Camp III
Everest Base Camp- April 25, 2002
The next days will be for rest and preparation at Base Camp before we go for our second phase of acclimatization with the objective of spending one night at Camp III...
Read the Spanish Version
Vertical Blue-Ice Sea
Base Camp- April 24, 2002
Yesterday we descended through the infamous, deadly and dangerous Khumbu Icefall....the whole serac had fallen over and left a vertical blue-ice sea...
The Oppressive Force of the Sun
Camp II- April 22, 2002
It's difficult to believe how much force the sun has at this altitude. It feels like you're in a sauna and underneath an infrared lamp all at once without any wind to stir it up...
Panorama at 20,000 Feet
Camp I- April 20, 2002
Guide Willi Prittie reports: Last night we did an acclimation climb about halfway to Camp II in preparation for moving up to Camp II tomorrow...
Tour of the Mountain
Everest Base Camp- April 20, 2002
Today the plan is for a hike a little higher in the Western Cwm and another night at Camp I. Tomorrow they will move to Camp II at 6400 meters, where they will spend two nights before returning ...
Read the Spanish Version
Through the Khumbu Icefall
Camp I- April 19, 2002
Today, very early today I should say, in the morning, 3 o'clock, we got up, got ready to go and headed up the mountain. We actually made it up through the Icefall...
Climb High, Sleep Low
Everest Base Camp- April 18, 2002
...after the first night at Camp I we will ascend into the Western Cwm (a glacial valley surrounded by the southwest face of Everest, the west face of Lhotse, and the north face of Nuptse) before returning to sleep at Camp I....
Read the Spanish Version
Triple Ladders Over a 25-Foot Chasm
Everest Base Camp- April 16, 2002
Soon the ice became so tortured that crossing these cracks was our only option if we were to progress. That's where the ladders come in....
La Puja
Everest Base Camp- April 14, 2002
IN SPANISH...Este Domingo por la manana hemos realizado la puja. En esta ceremonia los Sherpas y miembros de la expedicion pedimos proteccion y permiso ade los dioses que viven en la montana para ascender al Everest.....
Ready to Come to Grips with Khumbu Icefall
Everest Base Camp- April 13, 2002
...we're really looking forward to our puja, or blessing ceremony, which will take place tomorrow.... and really looking forward to coming to grips with the Khumbu Icefall, the ladders and the lower mountain itself....
Fantastic Panoramas of the High Himalaya
Lobuche - April 10-11, 2002
We did a little bit of a hike, a couple hours up, and we could actually see the tents at base camp some six, seven miles away...
Snowball Fight at 4325 Meters
Dingboche - Tuesday, April 9, 2002
On the way back, an afternoon snowstorm came in once again and painted the mountains white. Of course one thing led to another and soon the snowballs were flying...
Blessed by the Lama
Dingboche - Monday, April 8, 2002
On our way we crossed over the bridge of the Dudh Khosi, it's festooned with prayer flags and scarves, the kind of scarves that we have been blessed with. Several of our members left theirs there....
The Journey Begins
Ama Dablam View Lodge - Sunday, April 7, 2002
On our way we experienced one of the most fantastic prayer ceremonies I've ever been to in my life. The whole crew was treated at Tengboche Monastery to evening prayer time when 25 monks came into the monastery....
Spring Has Sprung
Namche Bazaar - Saturday, April 6, 2002
Today we took an optional tour to the fair city of Thame, it's up the valley to the west of Namche Bazaar. Goodness gracious, spring has sprung....
71-Year-Old Hanna Looking Stronger
Namche Bazaar - Friday, April 5, 2002
Hanna is moving very efficiently and looks stronger than he did two years ago when he [was guided] to the South Summit, at 28710'. Hanna is the oldest person to reach this elevation....
Hiking Up to the Potato Fields
Namche Bazaar - Friday, April 5, 2002
...they're pulling the potatoes out of the ground, out of their root cellars and they're warming them up in the spring sunshine and replanting them about a foot underneath with a hoe...
Very High Tea at the Panorama Lodge
Namche Bazaar - Thursday, April 4, 2002
Hello this is Vern Tejas with Alpine Ascents Mount Everest Expedition. We left Kathmandu just a couple days ago and flew in a big Russian helicopter full of people and supplies all the way up to Namche...
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