On a gloomy Sunday morning that saw ragged streamers of low clouds drift through the deep gorge separating Nepal from Chinese Tibet, euphoric members of the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition got one step closer to their homes. At 9am local time on May 23, the climbers crossed the no-man's land of the high, narrow bridge above the raging river into Nepal, putting an end to worried speculation that the Chinese government might somehow delay the high-profile expedition to show its dissatisfaction with worsening relations between the United States and China.

"We're back," said a weary, but happy, Eric Simonson. Simonson directed his expedition to not only the summit of Everest, but to the momentous discovery of George Leigh Mallory's remains and a successful rescue of a dangerously ill Ukrainian climber. "It's been a long time, but it's been a great time."

"I guess it's really over," said Conrad Anker, who managed the difficulties of the notorious Second Step on his way to the summit last week. "Or is it just beginning?" he wondered aloud, a reference to the growing gaggle of international press assembling in Kathmandu for its first face-to-face contact with the team members since the May 1 discovery of Mallory.

With border concerns behind them, the climbers wasted no time celebrating the conclusion of their successful expedition. Piling into the chartered bus waiting to take them back to Nepal's capital city, the climbers cracked beers purchased at local "cold shops" in the scruffy border town of Kodari. Above them, showing through the mist, was the steep hillside town of Zhangmu, their last stop in China after two months in the country.

With a huge grin, Dave Hahn swigged his Tuborg and said, "I can actually feel myself start to relax. Since the summit, we haven't had a moment to even think about what's happened these last couple of weeks. But I guess there will be time enough for that."

Jake Norton popped the top off a beer with one deft stroke of a Skoal can and handed it to Jochen Hemmleb, who beamed. "Looking for Mallory is something I've wanted to do for seven years," he said finally, "and we've actually done it." For both Hemmleb and Liesl Clark, the real work remains: Hemmleb will author a book (with other expedition members) about the expedition, and Clark will produce a documentary for NOVA, in a joint arrangement with the BBC.

As the bus bucked and rolled down the steep, winding, rutted dirt road toward Kathmandu, the sun began to stream through the overcast. Calling a halt to their progress, the climbers immediately clambered onto the roof of the bus, with some voiced concern, but with no heed paid to what that might do to the vehicle's center of gravity, and traded the dangers of high altitude climbing for the dangers of partying on the roof of a bus careening down the terrible road at 40 kilometers per hour. But no one fell off and only minor hits from low hanging tree limbs were sustained. It was a boisterous and tightly knit group that finally piled off the bus at their Kathmandu hotel four hours later.

A press conference scheduled for 10am on May 25 in Kathmandu will allow the world its first look at the artifacts found during the historical research conducted at and above 27,000 feet on Mount Everest's north side. Most expedition members will remain in Nepal until the end of the week.

—Peter Potterfield, MountainZone.Com Staff

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