Basecamp, Mt. Everest (via satellite phone)
Elevation: 5110m/16,761ft
Clear skies with light winds
9:20am

Eric Brown With More Summit Plans and This Years First Summitteer
Talli Leach Describes Some High Altitude Illnesses

This is Eric Brown reporting for Patagonia Mountain Agency. Today is Friday May 7, 1999, and it's 9:20 in the morning. The weather is nice and clear with a light wind.

Well, this is when it starts to kick into high gear. Jacek, Ryszard, Tadek and Talli leave for ABC this morning. Witek went up to ABC yesterday and hopes to make it up to Camp II soon. I will stay here one more night with the phone because Ian, Omar, Masa and Barbara are coming down to Base Camp for a rest before going back up to Advance Base Camp. They spent Wednesday night in Camp II crammed into one tent and are looking forward to a nice rest.

You're probably wondering why everybody is always going up and coming down. It's all part of the acclimatization process, where we have to spent certain amount of time at high altitudes. And the best place to rest, to get over ailments, and just to feel better is Base Camp. And that's why everyone is always coming back down to Base Camp.

Ryszard envisions two teams attempting the summit. The first team; himself, Witek, Tadek and, most likely, Jacek, will be moving up to North Col tomorrow, Saturday, then Camp II on Sunday, and then Camp III. All the way anticipating and hoping on the summit window to open as they near the top. Then Team II; Ian, Omar, Masa, and Barbara, and the sherpas, will be the next team up once they feel rested. Jacek and Ryszard will be at Camps II and III to assist this Team II. Of course, this all depends on the weather, and health, and tons of other factors.

The first attempt was made by Peter Athens this week, an American, on Wednesday about 10:30 in the morning. Jacek, Ryszard, and I were over at Eric Simonson's Expedition Camp discussing fixed line politics, when all of the sudden there was commotion from the radio room. People yelling that Pete Athens was on the top. Some of us ran over to the telescope to see if we could see him at the top. Others stuck near the radio room just to listen to him speak. Surprisingly, he was not out of breath. Of course, he was probably on oxygen, so that helps.

But back to the fixed line politics: some groups still refuse to pay for the use of lines put up by other groups. We offered $100 a climber, up to $200 if necessary, and also gave Conrad Anker, world class rock climber and member of The North Face Team, some dynamic rope. Speaking of Conrad Anker, he was on the group that found and located George Mallory's body. In my excitement in the last dispatch, I apologize, I mistakenly called him Edward. The altitude has mushed my brain and I am now calling everyone Edward, so you can understand [laughter].

Yesterday, I talked to the south side of the mountain in Nepal, speaking with none other than Peter Athens, the first person to summit this year. This is his sixth time summiting Everest, what a record. We chatted a bit. He asked me to relay a message to another expedition, then Ryszard, who knows him and worked with him in the past, congratulated him on the summit.

Last night Kalu went over board: a whole baked chicken, Complete with the feet, vegetables, potatoes, salad and... And.. AND... Chocolate cake! With icing! What a guy. I know it sounds like we eat like kings but don't let my enthusiasm fool ya'll. When you sleep on rocks, in the cold, and wave at people when you are on the toilet, camp food is five star.

And here are some news flashes: Last night we were interviewed by LBJ Science Academy students so check out their website, link under Austin Connection. Mothers Day is this Sunday so don't forget. And if you have to be reminded by this dispatch you need some help. Next dispatch will be an explanation of technical terms, so tune in, and it will be from Advance Base Camp.

Now here is Talli Leach, our resident medical technician, with a medical report. Please hold on.

Hello, this is Talli Leach. Talking about mild forms of altitude sicknesses we will experience. The most common sickness associated with living at high altitude is Acute Mountain Sickness. It's a mild form of altitude sickness and its symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, and sleep disturbance. On this expedition just about everyone has experience one or more of these symptoms. In the prevention of this sickness two things can be done. The first is a gradual [?] to altitude and the second is a treatment by drugs, Dyamox, or dexamethedon. Dyamox aids in the process of acclimatization by helping to maintain oxygenation during sleep and help prevent periods of low levels of oxygen in the blood. The only members of our team who have had to take these drugs were two late arrivals who didn't have time to acclimatize as well as the rest of us.

Another high altitude affliction is the dry cough. Increase ventilation, dry cool air, and mouth breathing adds to the dryness of the mucus in the trachea and can lead to high altitude cough. The climbers deal with this in a couple of ways; by wearing a mask or scarf while hiking and by eating lots of throat losenges.

On the more serious end of altitude illnesses include HAPE, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. That is a serious form of altitude illness when excess fluid accumulate in the lungs. No one in our team has had that so that's good. Another form of the serious altitude illness is HACE, which stands for High Altitude Cerebral Edema It's where excess fluid accumulates in the brain. So, everyone's pretty much healthy except for minor coughs and stuff like that. So, that's good. So, that's the quick medical update from me. Let's hope that everyone stays strong and healthy for the summit. Thanks

Eric Brown: Thank you Talli for that medical report. This is Eric Brown reporting for Patagonia Mountain Agency. Tune in several days for a dispatch from Advance Base Camp, for more technical description of the climb, radio transmissions from Jacek and Ryszard as they move up, and extra, extra stuff. So thank you very much, tune in soon. Bye.