Basecamp, Mt. Everest (via satellite phone)
Elevation: 5110m/16,761ft
Sunny and windy
9:20am

Eric Brown, Trekkers Leave for Kathmandu.
Talli Leach Interviews Ryszard Pawlowski, PMA Co-owner and 2 Time Everest Summiter

This is Eric Brown reporting for Patagonia Mountain Agency from Base Camp, Mt. Everest. Today's date is April 23, 1999, and local Tibetan time, Nepalese time is 9:20am. Just a brief dispatch today then we have a special presentation after my dispatch.

This morning at about 4:00am Zdyszek, Pawel, and Ginter left in a packed Landcruiser with a sick Japanese climber and some other people on their way to Kathmandu. I mentioned in my previous dispatch that they left yesterday on the 22nd but because of different tie-ups and the fact that they needed to transport the sickened Japanese climber, not Masaru, not our Japanese climber, he's from a different expedition, they had to wait until 4:00am this morning.

Also this morning Tadek, Barbara, and Witek headed up to ABC for two weeks of acclimatization and living away from Basecamp, which has become home for everybody. Especially because of the food. Also yesterday, Ian and Omar left to go up to ABC for two weeks but Omar was attacked by massive "squirts", diarrhea. So he had to come back to recover and he will be going up with us tomorrow. All of us will be leaving with the yaks tomorrow to go up to the Intermediate Camp for one night then on to ABC. And I think Omar will be getting back at me after I hang up the phone.

So that's it from basecamp Mt. Everest PMA. Now todays first in a series of team interviews here's Talli Leach.

Hello. This is Talli Leach and I have a few questions for Ryszard Pawlowski, the owner and lead guide for Patagonia Mountain Agency.

Talli: First question is Ryszard, who long have you been climbing and why do you climb?

Ryszard: Yes, I started to climb 29 years ago and i started because I like to climb and still I like to be in the mountains.

Talli: Okay thanks for that. Second question is what are some general thoughts on this expedition of Everest this year?

Ryszard: Yes, from this side I'm third time and I think this time we have a good chance to climb. Good chance for everybody. I think our team is very good, very experienced. And condition in low parts to 8000 meters is very good because not so many snow. I think there is very little snow. But up to 8300 meters I think conditions will be much worse because not so many snow. And only icy, only rock and i think it will be more difficult to climb last day from last camp to the summit.

Talli: Okay, thank you Ryszard. The third question is when will the summit bid happen do you think?

Ryszard: Yes, normally, in my experience the first occasion to climb summit will be not before 10th of May. Probably our team has a chance to climb, I mean all team, about 20th of May.

Talli: Alright, that's it for the questions. Thanks a lot Ryszard and good luck.