Klinger Construction Company

2002 Multi National Everest Expedition

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Expedition Diary #6
April 18, 2002

Base Camp, Mount Everest

As mentioned in the last update, the biggest problem has been with our trip leader. As it turns out, the Nepalese Government did not allow Henry Todd on the Everest permit and he has now gone to the Tibetan side and will direct our efforts from there via radio telephone. While this is not an ideal situation, the climbing team is very mature and we are very confident regarding the success of our climb. The teams are as follows: Hungarian National Everest Team - Acs Zoltan, Eross Zsolt, Mezey Laszlo (Mezo), Mecs Laszlo (Laci), and Varkonyi Laszlo (Koni);

Everest Team - Geoffery Stanford (Leader), Randy Peeters and Peter Legate;

Lhotse Team - Mike Morris, David Mellor and Guy Cotter.

The weather has been quite cold and nasty here at Base Camp snows virtually every day and at night the temperatures frequently drop below 15 F. It's definitely still winter! Preparations are well under way and camps are being established on the mountain. On April 10th I climbed 1/4th the way through the Khumbu Icefall and had my first experience on the dreaded ladders. Actually they are not nearly as bad as they look - they are worse!

April 11th and 12th were rest days at base camp and I was able to take a bucket shower and do my laundry. April 13th was my first trip through the entire icefall - it took 6-hours to reach Camp I. I left a load of high altitude gear and then returned back through the icefall to Base Camp. The route through the icefall is re-routed daily do to constantly changing conditions. One particularly nasty place has a triple ladder, i.e., three ladders tied together, that crosses a crevasse that is at least 200 feet deep. Overall, I estimate that there are more then 25-ladder crossings in the Khumbu Ice Fall and another 4-ladder crossings before Camp I. April 14th was the day for our Puja - this is a Buddhist ceremony where a Lama from Pingboche came to Base Camp and asked for our team to be blessed during the climb. During the Puja, I asked the Lama conducting the service to help me properly bless Donald Berry's ashes - which he did. After a short prayer, at noon on April 16th at 19,000 feet elevation, I deposited Donald's ashes in a large crevasse near the top of the Khumbu Icefall. It is hard to explain how special this was for me to be able to bring a part of Donald to rest in a country he loved so much. Susan - thanks for allowing me this honor. I then continued on through the icefall to Camp I and spent the night (19,600 feet). The following day I carried a load through the Western Cwm to Camp II (20,600 feet) and returned to Camp I for a second night. Early on April 18th I descended through the icefall returning to Base Camp and my "home away from home." After several rest days here in Base Camp I will again climb through the icefall heading to Camp II & Camp III for the last acclimatization trip before the summit attempt. The plan is to spend 2 or 3-nights at Camp II and to climb to Camp III which is located about two-thirds of the way up the Lhotse face at 23,500 feet. I hope to spend 1 or 2-nights at Camp III and climb to the Yellow Band before returning to Camp II for another night. After finishing this e-mail update, I hope to take bucket shower and rest up for our next trip through the icefall. The food at Base Camp is excellent - rather varied and tasty. My appetite is good and so far I have had no adverse affects from the altitude. I am often cold and I do get home sick, but other then that all is OK. The e-mail and satellite telephone calls are nearly impossible - my last e-mail cost me $51.00 and God only knows what this one will cost. I have resorted to asking my neighbor and good friend, Scott, to batch these out to each of you.

Don't forget to check out Peter's website at: www.bbc.co.uk/southampton/features and click on Everest 2002.

Note to Jeff McMurray: Jeff please call at Doris (530) 367-5561 and give her the direct dial number - I don't have it with me. I will then call you from Base Camp Tuesday, April 30th, at 8:45 AM Houston time. Incoming calls are impossible so I have to call you. My call clock starts the minute you pick up - so if possible be prepared to cut into a song, etc. Let Doris know if this is acceptable when you call her to give her the number.

Note to Doris: I'll call you around the 28th to talk and to get Jeff's number.

Don't forget that I am not able to receive any e-mails here at base camp. This is because I am not using my own e-mail account, but rather a host account. So please do not try to respond to this e-mail. Sorry about that.

My next update will be in about 2-weeks from Base Camp.

Until then, my best regards,
Randy

Sponsors include: Sun & Ski Sports, Ragen MacKenzie Investment Services, Klinger Construction Company, Grant Hardware, Donner Ski Ranch, Blaylock’s Inc., Radio Shack, Pass Labs, Robber’s Roost, Monte Verde Inn, Everybody’s Inn, Foresthill Telephone, Magnussen’s Toyota, SciTech Astronomical Research, Starlight Café, Worton’s Foresthill Grocery, Hallas Digital Services, V.G. Donuts & Bakery, The Buzz 94.5FM, Foresthill Messenger, KAHI 950AM, and several individual friends.