Advance Basecamp, Mt. Everest (via satellite phone)
Elevation: 6350m/20,828ft
7.5C/19F - Snowing
9:20am

Eric Brown Reports on Movement Above ABC and Explains Some Technical Terms For The Non-Climbers

This is Eric Brown reporting for Patagonia Mountain Agency from Advance Base Camp. Today is Sunday May 10, 1999, and it's 9:45 in the morning [Eric got the date wrong. It is actually Sunday, May 9th. Must be that low oxygen environment!]. As always were are at 6350 meters which translates to 20,828 feet, so we are high. Right now it is snowing on us, it is 19 degrees Fahrenheit or 7.5 degrees Celcius.

Yes, we're back at Advanced Base Camp, hopefully for the last time. Why? The hike from Base Camp is a killer, especially in one day which is what I did it in. Carrying gear, my sleeping bag, and the satellite phone, I left base camp around 8:30 in the morning yesterday. Almost to intermediate camp, it started snowing and blowing. I briefly stopped at IC [intermediate camp] and contemplated staying there. Nope, I wanted to get to ABC in one day, so I continued in the snow, slogging along. I stopped at the blue tent to add extra layers (the blue tent is about three-quarters of the way to ABC) and then continued. And the snow continued. My last 200 yards were the most frustrating, crossing crevasses, choosing steps carefully, stopping--it seems--almost every 10 steps to catch my breath, and having my hopes dashed as I topped the next hill, only to see, not tents, but more snow and moraine. Arriving at ABC in the dark after 12 hours of hiking is surreal. As I topped one last hill--boom!--glowing mess tents and cook tents appeared before me--very dreamlike because of the snow, both falling and on the ground. I stumbled my way to our mess tent and crashed into the warmer environs. Pasang, Pema, and Dendy were there, finishing dinner. Hot tea was quickly provided as they eyed the snow-covered visitor. Talli, hearing my voice, popped in with the radio, "glad to see" me. Turns out, the last several hours the radio was alive with "Where's Eric?" and Pasang and Pema had gone out to look for me. Again, as I made my second journey to ABC, I told myself this is in no way close to the chill and exhaustion Omar, Ian, Tadek, Barbara, Masaru, Jacek, Witek, and Ryszard, will, and have, experienced. Of course, it all sounds crazy.

Now to those technical terms that we often refer to in the dispatches-- for those of us non-climbers, including me. First one is "Snow Picket", which is like a 3-foot snow shovel used to anchor Fixed Line for the climbers. It's just pounded into thick snow. You also have "Pitons" which are like nails--spikes--that are pounded and hammered into cracks and rocks which you also attach fixed line to. Of course, the fixed line is what the climbers hook on to as they're climbing and jumaring up either to North Col as they make their way to Camp II and Camp III and even higher. The fixed line is usually a Static Rope. "Static Rope" is a rope which does not have too much elasticity so if you fell, it would pretty much hold its own. There is also a "Dynamic Rope" which is an elastic rope which has a give to it. So it's kind of ah--ah--kinda of like bungy jumping but they don't call it that here [laughter]. When you are climbing, you use a "Carabiner" which is kind of a metal oval ring which is used to clip to the fixed line which in turn is attached to your "Harness" which is fitted around your waist, your thighs, giving you good support for clipping onto the fixed line. Of course, I refered to the "Jumar", which is an ascender--a one-way ascender. You clip it onto the fixed line and you can, you move it up as you climb up and if you pull down on it there's teeth that grab and hold the line, so it's a one-way ascender. We refer to Camp I as the North Col sometime. Col, which is c-o-l, is a low point on a ridge between two mountains. And in this case, it's between Mount Everest and Changtse which is a lower mountain close by. And, I think that's it for all the technical terms--there might be some others that come up in the future--and I will explain those.

Let's see, what else? Ah! As I alluded to, there's lots of snow on the ground here at ABC and more at North Col where Jacek and Ryszard are. They spent last night at North Col and they will be moving up to Camp II, at least that was the latest explanation before the snow started again this morning. Camp II is at 7,600 meters. Although as I mentioned, the weather has not cooperated. The added snow has also increased avalanche danger, especially climbing up to North Col. Pasang and Pema leave after lunch to climb to the North Col with additional supplies but even they are a bit wary. Witek, who slept at Camp II, is coming down to ABC today. Yesterday, three Ukrainians summitted in the snow and wind and had trouble getting back to Camp III. Talli and I are here at ABC monitoring the radio and everyone else is resting at Base Camp where it is also cold and cloudy.

So that's the latest from ABC. As always, plans are changing, especially with the snow and I will keep everyone up to date with daily, or maybe two-day, dispatches. So expect the next one.