Generations on Everest - The Climb


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	05.22.03		Special Update from John Roskelley Advanced Base Camp: 21,000 feet. This written account is a transcription of a voicemail message that John Roskelley left at Klündt \| Hosmer. The call was made from Mt. Everest to Spokane, WA via an Iridium satellite phone. You can hear the recording by clicking the link below. --------------------- Greetings from Advanced Base Camp at 21,000 feet, it is May 22nd around 4:30 in the afternoon. Jess and I just returned from the North Col carrying loads down from there. Yesterday, May 21st, we reached the summit of Everest, 29,028 feet at 7:30 Indian Time in the morning. It's been a rough go from all along, of course; the winds have just been horrendous. We spent 6 days at the North Col and then on May 20th, or May 19th, moved up to 7,800 meters which is 25,700 feet about, and it was windy, but not bad enough to knock us down. On May 20th the winds were still howling, and as I said, Jess and I were ready to bail out of that tent. But we got up that morning dressed for work in full down gear and made the carry to 27,200 feet, just about 8,300 meters, and we didn't go to sleep that night, we just kind of took one sleeping bag and put our feet in it and the Sherpas cooked up some soup and we waited for 11:00, and at that point got up, got dressed. It was snowing, and slightly blowing. We moved out at midnight, just a little after midnight, and started up the ropes ahead of everybody else, which was a challenge, and moved very quickly up to the top of the ridge and then along what is called the first step, which is a small challenge, and then the second step, which is a bigger challenge. We made it up that just fine, and then it was an easy scramble to the summit and we reached the summit at 7:30 AM Indian Time. It was windy, blowing, snowing; it wasn't quite what you call a "real summit day," as a matter of fact 75 people turned back from the South Col route to my understanding. On our way down, it was a real bottleneck at the second step, where it's real narrow, and there's only a couple of ropes in there, and the Koreans had us bottlenecked there. We managed to make it through, and down to 8,300 meters, had a cup of tea, and drug our tails down to 7,800 meters, we were bled out pretty good. It certainly was a great day, Jess became the youngest American to summit Mt. Everest, and of course, as a father and son team I was extremely proud to be with my son on this particular day. We're now down at ABC, and waiting for the yaks to come get us tomorrow, and we'll be going down to base camp, and update everybody with the computer, I imagine. We really appreciate all of the sponsors that helped us out, you know especially Mountain Gear, Asolo Boots, and Spokane Mountaineers, and all of the support that we've had from our community right there in Spokane. So thanks a lot for all of that and I'll talk to you later, Bye. Audio Logbook 05-22-03 (mp3, 1.2MB) BACK TO TOP



	05.19.03		Special Update from John Roskelley 25,700 feet. This written account is a partial transcription of a voicemail message that Jess Roskelley left at Klündt \| Hosmer. The call was made from Mt. Everest to Spokane, WA via an Iridium satellite phone. You can hear the recording by clicking the link below. --------------------- Good afternoon, it's about 6:30 Monday the 19th, and we're at 25,700 feet. Jess and I had a good day, carrying from the North Col, we carry heavy, all our personal gear. The North Col is at 23,000 feet so it was a long, difficult carry. It was cold in the morning, we left quite early because of the length of the carry along with 75-100 other Sherpas and Westerners that needed to get their camp in after all of the bad weather... Audio Logbook 05-19-03 (mp3, 884 KB) BACK TO TOP



	05.16.03		Special Update from Jess Roskelley 23,000 feet. This written account is a transcription of a voicemail message that Jess Roskelley left at Klündt \| Hosmer. The call was made from Mt. Everest to Spokane, WA via a Telenor satellite phone. You can hear the recording by clicking the link below. --------------------- Hi everybody, it's May 16th, Friday. Dad and I have both been at 23,000 feet for three days. Today we were blasted by wind on the way up to 26,000 feet–60-80 mph winds. When we got to 25,000 feet we were met there by our Sherpas, saying that they couldn't keep any tents down. So we descended, and we were told that the 21st and the 22nd are going to be good days for a summit; we'll see. Many of you are thinking "when is this wind going to stop?", well, we're wondering the same thing. But for now we're going to hold our tents down and wait for the 21st and the 22nd and we're going to see how that goes. Thanks everybody, 'bye. Audio Logbook 05-16-03 (mp3, 392 KB) BACK TO TOP



	05.11.03		Special Update from John Roskelley Advanced Base Camp, Tibet, 21,000 feet. This written account is a transcription of a voicemail message that John Roskelley left at Klündt \| Hosmer. The call was made from Mt. Everest to Spokane, WA via a Telenor satellite phone. You can hear the recording by clicking the link below. --------------------- "Happy Mother's Day! This is John, at Advanced Base Camp. It is Sunday, May 11th around 6 o'clock in the afternoon. The temperature is cold today, we had a very clear morning. It would have been a summit morning except for, of course, that nobody's in position because of the wind storm last week." "Jess and I were up on top of the North Col at 23,000 feet yesterday. We were very lucky. One of our tents had blown away, and the Sherpas couldn't find it, but we spotted it in a large crevasse just below the North Col and I rappelled down into the crevasse and hooked it up with a rope. Jess pulled the tent out with all our gear in it, including my sleeping bag and down gear, and that saved us a lot of headache here in the future." "There are some teams carrying to 7,800 meters and possibly 8,300 meters in the next few days, and our team will be doing that. The weather report is not promising, because of high winds on the summit. But we might be able to sneak in a summit attempt sometime this coming weekend, if possible. Otherwise we'll have to wait until after the 22nd." "Hope you had a great Mother's Day, everybody. And I'll keep giving these updates on a (pause) every three of four days. Talk to you soon. Good bye." Audio Logbook 05-11-03 (mp3, 752 KB) BACK TO TOP



	05.09.03		Special Update from John Roskelley Advanced Base Camp, Tibet, 21,000 feet. This written account is a transcription of a voicemail message that John Roskelley left at Klündt \| Hosmer. The call was made from Mt. Everest to Spokane, WA via a Telenor satellite phone. You can hear the recording by clicking the link below. --------------------- "Good evening. This is John Roskelley. I'm at ABC, 21,000 feet. It is Friday, 8 o'clock in the evening. Jess and I came up through ABC yesterday from Base Camp. It took us about 8 hours to make the trip. It's the last time we'll come up here. From this point on we will make our way up to the higher camps and hopefully make a summit attempt sometime between the 16th and the 20th of May." "Dick Bass and Jim Wickwire have departed and left the expedition for the States. Dick had a bad back and needed some medical attention, and Jim didn't feel like he was acclimatizing appropriately at ABC. We will miss their strength and wish them well and we certainly appreciated their help during this long expedition. That's about it from Advanced Base Camp. I'll keep in touch as the days go by via satellite phone. Have a great day and we'll talk with you soon. Bye Bye." Audio Logbook 05-09-03 (mp3, 327 KB) BACK TO TOP



	05.04.03		Special Update from John Roskelley Everest Base Camp, Tibet, 17,000 feet. Sent via Go-Book Max and Telenor Satellite Systems Congratulations to all those Bloomies! I turned over in my sleeping bag last night, after a particularly nasty gust of wind blasted the tent, and glanced at my watch just in time to know that many of my friends and family were somewhere on the Bloomsday course or had just finished. I have to admit, I missed the camaraderie waiting for the gun and the dash away from the starting line, but not the climb up Doomsday Hill. (Note to non-runners: Bloomsday is a large 10k race held in Spokane each May. Over 50,000 runners/walkers participate in the timed event. "Doomsday Hill" is a long climb three-quarters of the way through the course.) Since my last update on May 3, Everest has been hammered by winds. Every team on the mountain has been affected. The Korean Black Yak Expedition camp and Chinese Expedition camp at ABC, who had their tents at the highest level, were decimated. All their tents were either damaged or destroyed. Throughout the international camp, gusts of wind would pick up tents and fling them hundreds of yards into other camps or onto the glacier. Flying toilet tents were so common that they looked like a scene from Mary Poppins. According to Jim, who came down from ABC just an hour ago, a Russian tent, lightly loaded with climbing gear, took off, flew over the Northern Ireland Expedition tents and landed on the tent Jess and I had been using when we were there. An ice axe in the Russian tent punctured our tent and the weight of it broke the poles. Dick's tent, loaded with his big, heavy duffle, took flight, bounced several times, dumped the duffle, then disappeared. This was happening throughout ABC. Here at base, the winds are lighter, but we still lost two tents on Sunday; our communications tent and the four-man Jess and I were sleeping in. We're eating a lot of grit and dust and, if we lose any more tents, we're going to get to know each other in ways we never imagined. Many teams, other than the British Royal Navy Expedition, are experiencing the same problems, especially those that are further toward the center of the glacial moraine and closer to Bartertown. They're having to contend with large whirlwinds created by winds coming down from Everest hitting warmer winds coming up the valley. According to the weather reports, the storm should be over by the weekend. Equipment of the week Dust masks and wings BACK TO TOP



	05.03.03		Generations On Everest Update from Jess Roskelley North Col, 23,000 feet. Sent via Go-Book Max and Telenor Satellite Systems The infection in my mouth is mending. I'm feeling strong and ready for our summit attempt. On April 29, Pasong, one of our Sherpas, and I headed up to the North Col to spend the night. It began to snow that afternoon and by morning there was about 2 feet of fresh powder. The top of my tent vestibule was covered in snow. On the morning of May 1, the sun was shining through the clouds and it appeared to be a nice day. We ate breakfast and headed up to our Camp 2, situated at approximately 26,000 feet. At the beginning of the fixed lines, we acended behind 30 or more people. After a couple of hours, the weather took a turn for the worse. The winds increased and more snow started to fall. Pasong and I gradually passed some of the crowd. Half of the crowd turned around because of the bad weather. Four hours after leaving camp, Pasong and I reached our high point of about 25,200 feet. This was my highest elevation ever. Despite the cold weather and heavy snow fall, I felt strong and excited and can't wait to go higher. The snow level was thigh deep when Pasong and I turned around and headed back to the North Col. We did not quite reach our Camp 2 because of high winds, but it was a good height for acclimatization. The next day I decended to Base Camp to join my dad. We are now resting and waiting for a good weather window for the summit. If we stay healthy, I think our chances are good. I'm having a blast! BACK TO TOP



	05.02.03		Everest Base Camp, Tibet, 17,000 feet. Sent via Go-Book Max and Telenor Satellite Systems The team has been all over the place in the past two weeks and seldom together for more than a few days. We've basically been out-of-sync with each other because of a variety of health-related problems and acclimatization. It's hard even for me to keep track of where everyone has been, but I'll give it a try. During the time Jess and I carried to the North Col, Jess began to experience pain in the back of his neck. The relationship between the infection in his jaw from the wisdom tooth removal and his neck was too obvious to ignore. An oral surgeon, in an earlier e-mail, had said, "if the infection goes to his neck area, seek medical attention." Jess was in a dilemma – continue climbing and risk serious problems prior to a summit attempt or make a quick trip to the American clinic in Kathmandu for blood tests and an exam to accurately determine the problem. Since it was still early in the expedition and a summit attempt was still weeks away, he chose to go to Kathmandu. We descended to base on April 19 and arrived late in the afternoon. There was supposed to be a Toyota Land Cruiser available to us at all times. Dick, concerned about his health on the expedition, had paid $5,800 to have it on stand-by. It wasn't there. The Tibetan staff member for the Tibetan Mountaineering Association (TMA) claimed ignorance and our liaison officer, Mr. Au Ping, was in Zangmu. After all, this is Tibet. With minimum debate, I signed a note promising to pay $700 to get Jess to Zangmu in a TMA vehicle, one dollar per kilometer. I knew who the culprit was and would stick him with the bill later. Jess, along with three injured Romanians, piled into the Land Cruiser and headed for Tingri, where they switched to another vehicle. They reached Zangmu at 5:00 AM, after an all night drive. The Romanians were a jovial lot and Jess learned a lot about their country. For one thing, Romania is a poor country. These climbers were all owners of nightclubs or restaurants, which enabled them to travel and pay for trips, such as to Everest. Another interesting "fact" was, if you don't like your competition in the industry, it only takes $500 to eliminate them - permanently! Once into Nepal, a Maoist strike prevented Jess from continuing to Kathmandu until the following day. He spent the night in Kodari, the small village across the river from Zangmu. Early the next morning, he was picked up by our agent and driven to Kathmandu, where he managed to get into the medical clinic for tests. These tests confirmed he still had an infection. After running a variety of errands, including purchasing a generator for Base Camp, Jess joined Dan, Dick's son, and Lorraine, Dick's assistant at Snowbird, for the ride back to Base. They entered Tibet easily and spent the night in Zangmu. It wasn't pleasant. Jess had a reaction to the medicines he was given in Kathmandu and ended up hugging the porcelain pony through the night, as his stomach turned inside out. I'm sure though, as a college student at the University of Montana, which isn't exactly a "dry" campus, being violently sick wasn't an unusual experience. The next day, while Dan and Lorraine ate lunch in Nyalum, Jess found a ride directly to Base Camp, said "good-bye" and within five hours was at Base, ending a unique adventure. Dan and Lorraine, who needed to acclimatize, would arrive two days later. While Jess was busy traveling through Tibet and Nepal, I spent a rest day at Base Camp with Jim, who had come down from ABC with a sinus infection. I then decided to go for ABC in a one-day push. Ten years ago, I didn't even give it a second thought, traveling 13 miles and 4,000 vertical feet. It was just a long day. But at 54 years of age, I was a bit more concerned. I left base at 9:30 AM and quickly covered the first quarter of the distance. Around 2 1/2 hours out, I reached Interim Camp, took a short break, then continued. My legs were sluggish four hours out and I could tell I was dehydrated. As I went through the old British camp, three quarters of the distance to ABC, there was a trekking group camp run by an old friend of mine, Eric Simonson. He recognized me as I passed through and invited me in for Tang. It saved me. I would have had a struggle the last four miles and 1,000 feet, without that quart of Tang. After a rest day at ABC, Pasang Gelu, Pemba and I carried personal loads to the North Col at 23,000 feet. Despite the weight of a sleeping bag, down gear, headlamp, camera gear and everything I needed to stay warm and dry, I made the carry in 3 1/2 hours. While I waited for the Sherpas (who started later and were much faster), I leveled a tent spot below the large serac. Since we had reserved a larger area for our tents than we needed, I offered to let another American group from Aspen set up two of their tents on our spot. On both sides of us, a large contingent of Swiss and their equal number of Sherpas, pitched their tents. We were packed in on this small sliver of ice, like toothpicks in a box, but all along the col, large and small groups were in the same position. I felt fortunate that Jess and I had managed to reserve the space we had, otherwise we would have had to camp outside the protection of the large serac and the wind could have blown our tents apart. Early the next morning, Pasang and Pemba were ready to carry to 7,800 meters (25,584 feet). We left camp and were on the fixed ropes before any one else. The two Sherpas quickly outdistanced me, as I took my time ascending the ropes and enjoying the view. Rising before me and slightly to the right was the gigantic north face, with the Great Couloir, slicing the face like a sword cut, ending just short and left of the summit. The sight brought back memories of my attempt in 1984. Nineteen years ago, I was part of a strong American team, composed mostly of Rainier Mountaineering guides, attempting Everest from the north. We had worked hard putting ourselves in position to summit, only to be turned back by ferocious winds each time. By late October, we were reaching the end of the climbing season. The jet stream's effect on the summit and extreme cold were eminent. We decided to give it one last shot. Jim Wickwire, Phil Erschler and I, supported by several others, traversed from our camp at 25,200 feet, along a snowy ramp system into the Great Couloir. We placed a camp off to the left side of the couloir at a little over 27,000 feet. The next morning we started up, Wickwire carrying a bottle of O2 and Phil and I without. There had been a foul-up several weeks earlier and one of the bottles that was supposed to be cached near the Great Couloir had disappeared. Just a few hundred feet into the climb, I began to fall asleep. I told them it was best I returned to camp. They chose to return with me. On the descent back to our high camp, I figured out why I was so tired. During the early morning hours, I had taken two Tylenol with codeine to ease the pain in my frost-numbed feet. The drug was putting me to sleep in the rarified air. Once back to camp, there was pressure from Lou Whittaker, the expedition leader, to abandon the attempt and come down. He thought I had cerebral edema. I told him my theory about the codeine and said I would make another attempt in the morning. Jim agreed to stay in camp in support, while Phil decided to use the one remaining bottle of oxygen and accompany me on the attempt. It was severely cold the next morning. I led out and quickly covered the distance to where the couloir bottlenecks. With a few quick moves, I was over the rock and into the upper snow gully. There's no reasonable exit straight up, so I angled right and climbed a steep snow and ice ramp to the bottom of the yellow band. I sat down and brought Phil up to my position with the rope. Up until then, I felt pretty confident. But as I sat waiting for Phil, I realized I had no feeling in my hands and feet. They were completely numb. Phil approached my position. I told him about my hands and feet and said I don't want to lose any tissue for a summit. Standing there, breathing in the bottled oxygen, Phil said he was warm and comfortable. He even offered to share his bottle. Wanting to do Everest without the use of bottled oxygen, I thanked him, but refused. I told him to continue up and I would descend by myself, leaving the rope in the bottleneck for his use. The plan worked. Phil summited several hours later and I made it back to camp in one piece. I still think it's one of the best decisions under the circumstances I've ever made in the mountains. On this trip, after several hours of jumaring and cramponing up the fixed line, I made it to the 7,600 meter camp (25,000 feet), where the snow field stops and rock begins. Pasang and Pemba were somewhere in the rock above carrying another 200 meters (650 feet) to our camp. I slowly followed. Just 100 meters (300 feet) higher, the two Sherpas descended upon me. Knowing it would take me another hour to reach the camp, Pasang, much better acclimatized than I, offered to take my load and run it up. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. I waited for him and soon the two of us were in pursuit of Pemba, who had taken off immediately for the North Col. On our way down, we passed numerous climbers and Sherpas carrying loads up to 7,600 meters (25,000 feet), including the Global Extremes/Outdoor Life Network group, their cameramen and Sherpas, who were going to stay overnight for acclimatization. They had won the opportunity to climb on Everest and I'm sure some of them were having second thoughts on that prize (I heard today, May 3, one of them may not continue). The two Sherpas melted some ice for a quick drink at camp, then descended to ABC. I did the same. After filling my water bottle and catching an hour of sleep, I made the long descent just before dark. I was beat by the time I entered camp, after two tough days of hauling loads at altitude. To this point, I had not heard from anyone at base. Dick had descended to Interim Camp, then to base over the same two days I was above ABC. All of us, it seemed, were going in different directions and acclimatizing at different times. Two days later, Jess showed up at ABC. It was great to see him looking healthy and eager to climb. Unfortunately, I had come down with a throat infection and was having a difficult time breathing. We decided to split again. Jess would go up with Pasang to 7,800 meters (25,584 feet) for acclimatization; I would descend to Base Camp to recuperate. He would join me for our final stay at base before pushing back up, hopefully healthy, for a summit attempt. I descended reluctantly all the way back to Base. At Interim Camp, I stopped and rested. As I had climbed up a section to get into camp, I realized my breathing was compromised. My thorax was so constricted from the infection that I wasn't getting enough air to my system. Not only was I having a tough time breathing, but because of the lack of oxygen, my hands were numb and wouldn't function properly. I was only too happy to walk the last mile into Base Camp, where I could get looked at by a Chinese doctor and start a treatment of antibiotics. At this point, it looked as though only Jess was healthy. As I've said over and over, climbing Everest takes some skill, a lot of stamina, but above all, you have to stay healthy. Jim was still recovering from a sinus infection, Dick was trying to overcome the pain in his back and I was now fighting some odd-ball infection in my throat, an illness that had been plaguing our Sherpas and Base Camp staff since Kathmandu. I don't know how the other teams were faring with illness, but unfortunately, we were getting more than our share. On April 29, Jess climbed to the North Col with Pasang. There were lines of people doing the same thing in the partly cloudy and windy weather. That night it snowed all night depositing close to two feet of snow. Despite the accumulation of snow on the ridge, there were thirty or more climbers on the ropes to 7,600 meters (24,928 feet) the next morning. Jess and Pasang managed to pass most of them to the camp, but with conditions deteriorating, they had to stop short of the 7,800 meter (25,584 feet) camp. This was a major physiological breakthrough for Jess. Six years ago (when he was 14-years-old) in Ladahk, India, Jess had come down with cerebral edema on Stok Kangri (20,300 feet). I had pressed my clients and Jess too hard that morning fearing we would be caught in a storm and, by the time we summited, several of the team, including Jess, were in pretty bad shape. For years he worried he wouldn't be able to acclimatize to higher altitudes. By reaching 25,000 feet without a problem, he proved to himself his body could adjust. Jess and Pasang descended to ABC that afternoon. Early the next morning, May 1, Jess left ABC and headed for Base. He had a brief conversation with Jim, who was several hours short of ABC and feeling much better after his rest days at base. Their meeting was short, but Jim informed him that his infection was cleaned up and he was going to the North Col on May 3 and maybe higher, depending on conditions. Jess continued on and reached base in four hours. Just after Lorraine and Dan arrived at Base with some medicine for Dick's back, he started to feel like he could at least reach the North Col. Things were looking up. But, within the past few days, another area of Dick's back has erupted into painful spasms. He reluctantly admitted this morning that his chances of even going up from Base at this point are now remote. With that weighing heavily on his mind, he decided to travel to Lhasa with Dan and Lorraine for five days to mentally recuperate and see if sleeping in a real bed wouldn't help his condition. Today, May 2, Jess and I are relaxing in Base, Dick's on his way to Lhasa and Jim's at ABC. We're almost back together as a team in one spot. My throat infection is slowly - and I mean slowly - getting better. It's one of the worst infections I've had to contend with on a climb. On May 5, Jess and I will join Jim at ABC. The weather is supposed to improve on that date and my infection should be a lot better. Thanks for all your e-mails and support. Equipment of the week Lowe Alpine Equipment - Jess said the alpine coat and fleece top kept him warm and dry on the way up to 7,600 meters. Asolo Ottomiler high altitude boots - It's getting colder up higher, but our feet are still warm! BACK TO TOP



	04.27.03		Generations On Everest Update from Dick Bass Everest Base Camp, Tibet, 17,000 feet. I am now back at base camp (17,000 ft) after 5 days at Advance Base Camp (ABC/21,000 ft). I injured my lower left back (probably muscle strain or possible tear) trying to enter my 2 man tent through its low vestibule when we first arrived, Monday, 31 March. Because the lower 4 of my 7 cervical vertebrae are fused by being screwed to a titanium plate, I can't bend my head very low. The main inner tent opening was even lower, so that I was unable to stoop my body down enough without crawling on the outside rocks, so I just dove in the tent like a playful little boy. Since I haven't done any conditioning (which I got away with while climbing in my early 50s, and I cavalierly thought I could get away with again at 73), my lack of muscle tone I'm sure, was the culprit. At any rate, I've been in medium to great pain for a month whenever walking very far – particularly on downhill grades where each step has greater impact force. I'm in real agony when walking in jumbled boulder sections (which is over half the trail) when trying to step from one sharp or rounded rock edge to another with the strain of a tightrope act, and not being able to get many flat footings on sandy trail portions. I don't want to complain or make excuses, but I've been depressed because my ability to hike is hampered by my back and I can go only half the speed of the others, whether up or down. Instead of talking one day to get to interim camp like the others (John Roskelley even made it all the way from base camp to ABC in 9 hours like the Sherpas!), I had to take 3 days going up (lower interim, interim, upper interim with the attendant food and tent requirement logistics for the Sherpas). I made back down with only one night at interim camp, but both days my back hurt me so badly I could barely hobble and I took 8 hours each day. Frankly, I was tearful with pain, swearing at myself for having such mock-heroic, vainglorious, and extremely unrealistic expectations by being here. I was ready to call it quits as soon as I could gracefully bow out from my teammates (JIm Wickwire, 62; John Roskelley, 54; and his son, Jess, 20). As often before in situations of extremis, I prayed to God for help, for the right attitude (since my poems and aphorisms of before weren't really doing their usual job due to the extreme physical pain and overwhelming impact of the challenge as I looked over my shoulder at Everest towering nearly 2 miles vertically and approximately 25 trail miles distance from where I was approaching base camp on the alluvial glacial plain). Like so often in my life, my prayer was soon answered my a seeming angel from the world (that I desperately longed for) as a tiny, moving spot grew larger and larger and behold it was my administrative assistant, (whom I refer to as "Girl Friday") Lorraine Fry, and not far behind her was my son Dan, both of whom had just arrived that afternoon at Base Camp. I was immediately resurrected and we closed the remaining distance to our section of International Tent City with hugs and excited exchanges of what we'd been respectfully experiencing. I didn't leave the Chow Tent until 5 hours later when I had to unpack my gear in the dark. The Sherpas had left all my stuff in me and Jim's tent (he had long been in bed). During dinner Lorraine and Dan gave us several things from home, and the main thing of need for me was a six-day dosage pack of methylprednisolone, which I have now learned is a strong steroid that may bring fairly quick, beneficial pain relief to my back. Roskelley had recommended it by phone to Alice, and the trail of delivery here from the U.S. was very creative, to say the least. I'm already feeling some relief, but the first real test will come on a 12 mile round trip hike up and down tomorrow, with Jim Wickwire leading Lorraine, Dan and myself. I won't know if it will do the trick until I finish taking all of it, but I hope I can take Dan and Lorraine back up to ABC, probably individually since Dan has to leave for the U.S. on May 9th. I hope to be able to go from ABC up the roped, steep, icy face to the North Col at 23,000 feet. At this stage– and after a very sobering reality check of just how big Everest is– that looks like it will be my highwater mark. To say I'll be disappointed by not reaching the summit is true, but to say I'm a wiser, more realistic man, is also true. In fact I blame my wife, Sweet Alice from Dallas, for part of the self-deception I've been practicing for some years, because she repeatedly referres to me as a "5-year-old in a 73-year-old body" (or whatever my age has been at the time). On this climb I've been feeling like a 100-year-old in a 73-year-old body with all the frailties that entails. Dan's been trying to cheer me up by saying that just my being here is laudatory. I can't agree with that, but one thing this experience is teaching me is to have for the first time, a greater awareness of just what I accomplished when I climbed Everest in 1985 at age 55 with David Breashears. When climbing with Dave, we weren't roped together, we had no fixed ropes on summit day to ensure that we wouldn't fall off the mountain, our steel oxygen bottles weighed 19 pounds compared to the 8 pound titanium bottles of today, and I'd had only 12 days of acclimatization above base camp. David and I actually climbed together only on summit day from the South Col (26,000 ft) because he had been there for weeks before my arrival, making a movie for Arne Ness. I was basically on my own from Base Camp, up through the icefall, to the Western Cwm and across the Lhotse Face to the South Col. It's incredible to think now that I was carrying 40+ pounds up those verticals without supplemental oxygen. I made 4,400 ft of vertical in one day from Base Camp (17,200 ft) through the Khumbu Icefall and lower Western Cwm to Camp 2 (21,600 ft). Another day I did 4,600 ft of vertical from Camp 2 to the South Col (26,200 ft), across the Lhotse Face! Looking back, I was far stronger in limb and lungs than I'd realized, and honestly I can't believe I did it. Yes, I'll be thinking more pridefully as I start the rocking chair, reminiscing period of life. HA! This will probably be the only email I will write during whatever time remains for me on this expedition. I intend to write a few, short essays after returning home that will describe the little nitty, gritty details one has to adapt to and adopt when on such a climbing expedition as this, particularly on the Tibetan north side. Maybe for the much younger climbers the discomforts may not seem like much. But for us geriactrics who have become so used to a more comfortable, less-strenuous life style, it seems like a self-imposed personal tragedy of misery. On the other hand, " tragedy plus time equals comedy", so I look forward to getting a lot of good laughs out of it some day. Thanks to all of you for your email support. We can't carry a lot of the equipment above Base Camp, and our generator that charges our computer and phone batteries is not very dependable – and I can't operate any of it anyway. The only reason you're getting this massive epistle at all is that Girl Friday showed up to get me at least current as of now. I'll leave you with my two guiding Bassisms over here: "It's a great life if you don't weaken" and "If you never stop you can't get stuck". Warm regards to everyone, Dick BACK TO TOP



	04.20.03		Everest Base Camp, Tibet, 17,000 feet. It's been an interesting nine days since my last update via email. I much prefer writing about our experiences, rather than recording them on voicemail because it seems so impersonal talking into a satellite phone. Then, of course, the pre-recorded woman's voice at Klündt \| Hosmer tells me I've run out of time just as I'm in mid-sentence. With email, I can at least go back and correct myself. Besides, I'm starting to let the recording run all the way through just so I can hear her voice, which tells me I'm either loony or lonely. On April 20th, Jess and I scrambled down from ABC to base camp in five hours for some much needed thick air at 17,000 feet and to get a break before working on the route to 25,700 feet and above. I don't think we'll be making it back to base camp before at least one summit attempt, once we leave this camp. Spring has come early this year, so perhaps the summit will be accessible a few days earlier than normal. With this many people on the mountain, we're going to have to draw numbers to arrange the climbing order. Like I've said before, this is the most unusual expedition I've ever been on. I have never seen this many climbers trying to get to the top of any peak, whether in the Cascades, the Tetons or the Himalayas. There should be a lot of success in the weeks to come, but there could also be a lot of tragedy. Just like at a busy intersection, when this many people come together, with varying talents and conditioning, there are going to be some major screw-ups. It's easy to get caught up in the move to go too quickly. I'm planning on our team playing it's own game, moving with acclimatization, waiting for good weather and, of course, counting on good karma. Hopefully, we'll stay healthy and have an opportunity to succeed. At that point, it's one foot in front of the other and, at the higher elevations, that boils down to mental discipline. April 18 Recap We took another rest day on the 18th and watched the build-up of ABC. Yak train, after yak train rambled through, yak bells ringing, yak herders whistling and "yupping", turning their burdened animals this way and that, trying to find a path through the hundreds of tents that had obscured and eliminated the original yak path. I don't know how they got through because even the climbers were having to walk through other expedition's camps, apologizing profusely, yet knowing these climbers shouldn't have put their camp on the trail in the first place. We heard through the chain of information carried up by the yak herders that Dick was on his way. Sherpas from other teams stopped by to have a tea and talk about the man who spoke with everyone and always had an encouraging word, and would recite a poem that fit the occasion. We knew, with luck, Dick would be with us that afternoon. Around 3:30, after more than a few false starts on false information to get the video camera out, Dick could be seen within several hundred yards of camp, talking to yak herders, Sherpas, climbers and anyone else passing by on their way to camp. Jim went down to shepherd him in as I pushed "record" on the Sony 2000 to capture his many, many words about ABC and just getting there. I had to yell, "cut", several times just to get the cramps out of my legs and arms, but he continued to tell us of his journey, which was slow, but eventful. As per Dick, he praised all the Sherpas who helped him achieve, "this small step", and couldn't think of any where else on this earth that he would rather be. We all agreed. April 17 Recap On the 17th, Jim, Jess and I, along with several Sherpas, made another carry to the Col. I started out fuming because of a stupid error on my part. Two days before, after coming off the face and the glacier, I had taken off my new Gore-Tex gloves to remove my crampons. For some reason, I had not checked and double-checked the spot before turning my attention to the descent. Exhaustion, I suppose. I realized my mistake only as we got ready to depart for another carry. My gloves were gone and that was that. In the two days since we had come down from the Col, a hundred climbers had passed by that area and everyone has to stop there to put on crampons. As I approached the rock where I had taken my crampons off, there on top of the rock were my gloves, held firmly in place by another rock. Needless to say, I was taken back and more than a bit surprised. No one had stolen my gloves! My respect for my international colleagues, struggling toward the same goal of climbing Everest, jumped light years. It's one of the main events I'll remember on this trip. April 16 Recap On April 16th, we took a break, while three of our Sherpas carried loads to the Col, expanded our tent site and returned. The other two Sherpas were with Dick, who was now working his way up the East Rongbuk, camping in quarter steps, rather than eating the whole trek in two days. April 15 Recap On April 15th, while I ate breakfast, I noticed 30 to 40 black dots ascending the fixed ropes to the Col. I knew what the game plan was instantly. Sherpas from other teams were climbing the Russian's fixed lines to claim a camp spot on the Col–the best spots. I wasn't about to wait for our Sherpas, so I announced I was packing up and heading for the North Col to find a decent camp spot for us. By 9:30, Jess and I were lightly loaded with gear and walking up the moraine and through ABC toward the glacier. After an hour and forty-five minutes, we reached the ice, put our crampons on and started the walk toward the base of the North Col route. Walking on the glacier was like walking on the top of an ice cube. Unlike the two times I'd been this way before, there was very little snow, only water ice, until we reached the bottom of the face that led to the Col. By the time we reached the fixed lines and attached our jumar (mechanical ascending device with a handle attached to our harness and a toothed cam that grips the rope when weight is applied), several of the faster Sherpas were already down and headed for ABC. The 1,200-foot ascent to the North Col was strenuous at the higher altitude, but with the tracks in place and the rope to pull on, our trip to the top was delightfully easy. The only dangers were seracs that loomed over portions of the route, that although not stable, had not collapsed in months. The trick was to keep moving and not stop underneath these widow-makers, like so many of our Asian co-horts choose to do, whether out of ignorance or exhaustion. I don't know. Several hours after beginning our ascent, Jess and I arrived at the North Col, at 23,000 feet. I don't know how tired Jess was, but I felt like I'd just run a 2:45 marathon, something I've never done, but know it has to take a whopping toll out of you. We were all alone. Everyone else had staked out their little spot of Heaven and departed. Our job was to find a spot big enough on the Col to pitch at least three, two-person tents. Since all the great spots were taken, Jess walked slowly up toward the north ridge, while I jumped a small crevasse and went south toward Changtse, a sub-peak connected to Everest via the North Col. Jess found a large flat area in the open past the protection of the large serac on the Col, but the winds were fierce and tents would not survive very long on this exposed saddle. My labors proved fruitful, as I found a long, narrow, yet fairly flat, protected spot on the lee-side of a huge serac. We took 15 to 20 bamboo stakes, plus some broken aluminum tent poles from an old abandoned tent nearby, and marked our territory. That accomplished, we ate a small lunch, downed what water we had left and departed, just as the winds and clouds descended on our position. What a thrill to be on the North Col at 23,000 feet with my son. I went on my first Everest expedition in 1981, a year before he was born. Twenty-one years later, I marvel at his confidence and ability to climb where few people would dare to tread. To be given this once-in-a-lifetime experience with him is a "summit" within itself. Our kids disappear from home too fast after high school. Too often, we only get a snippet of their lives from then on. The time I've had with Jess on this trip has allowed me to appreciate his successes; understand his failures; and listen to his dreams. If there is a torch to be passed, he will take it and run a lot further with it than I did. I can already see it in his eyes. I gave him a quick hug on the Col. All right, it wasn't the same type of hug I give my thirteen-year old daughter, Jordan, or even like the ones I used to give my wife, Joyce, thirty years ago. It was a manly-type hug. Kind of like those football players do after a touchdown. Almost a bump chest type, but our hands met first. He didn't say it, but I think he really appreciated the touch. The descent was quick. Rather than set up individual rappels, we hooked onto the rope with a carabiner and sling attached to our harness, wrapped the rope around an arm and slid down the 150 to 300-foot sections of fixed line. We were at the bottom within a half-an-hour. A little over six hours after leaving camp, we were back, exhausted, but satisfied with our work April 11 Recap As I said over the satellite phone, Jess and I started up early on the morning of the 11th and it's a good thing we did. The 2,000-foot vertical gain and seven miles of walking took us just under four hours. As we enjoyed several cups of Sherpa tea (heavy on the milk and sugar, just like the British) in front of our pre-pitched tent, the first of hundreds of yaks and their drivers started to enter camp. Intermediate camp is just that, it's a stop over before proceeding the next six miles to advanced base camp (ABC). Once acclimatized, the Sherpas and some of the stronger climbers skip this camp and go all the way from base camp to ABC. It's a major push of 13 plus miles and 4,000 feet of vertical, from 17,000 feet to 21,000 feet, but it gives us another day at ABC and above and eliminates stocking another camp with food and equipment that's seldom used. I used to do the trip in one day all the time in years past, but it might be a push for me now that I'm a lot older. It was pandemonium as the yaks entered camp. Intermediate camp is perched on an icy point where the East Rongbuk Glacier takes a tight turn to the left as it drops to the main Rongbuk. It's a narrow valley, flanked by 5,000-foot walls. The campsite, if you can call it that, is an area of short, close-to-vertical ice walls, with morainal rubble on the surface between them. As I've said over and over, this is a banner year for expeditions. Never have so many tried to use this camp at the same time. Thus, the confusion on where to put the yaks, yak herder's tents and expedition members. A word about yaks. They're the most useful animal on the planet. They're a Home Depot and Fred Meyer on the hoof. They carry loads of up to 200 pounds and more, depending on the terrain. Some (usually designated by being hornless) can be ridden, at least for a period of time. The wool is used for tents, clothing, rope or just about anything that can be sewn. The female yak or “nak” produces a rich milk that is used for butter, which is typically used in Tibetan butter tea (few westerners, me included, appreciate the taste of this tea). Yaks produce a lean and tasty meat, which we've been enjoying for the past two weeks. I think the yak is one of the finest animals in the world and has more of a personality than many family pooches. More often than not, they'll move off the trail if someone is in their way, but common courtesy (and sense) dictates that we're the ones that move off trail. As they entered camp, the yaks didn't know where to go. Their normal route of travel was blocked by an assortment of colorful tents. As smart as they are, they quickly realized that guy-lines were not a hindrance. In fact, they were kind of a game. As we watched, several of the tents went down as the heavily laden beasts lowered their massively-horned heads and plunged forward. Hour after hour of chaos ensued. Even our tent took several confused yak-attacks. By dusk, most of the strings of animals were somewhere in the area, their loads having been dropped and stacked near whatever expedition's choice of campsite was available. Jim finally arrived behind all the yaks and their herders. He had chosen the sensible path of no resistance and had casually waited until all the animals had passed him on the trail. He did bring us news of Dick's attempt to reach intermediate camp. As it turns out, Dick was not feeling up to par. His back was still giving him severe pain, so he had turned back before reaching the half-way point to Intermediate camp and the steep climb out of the Rongbuk Glacier trail. He had avoided the hard part, but had to wait hours while the yaks passed him on the return trail. We tried to get a jump on the yaks the next day, but failed miserably. The yak herders were up and had their charges loaded before we had a hot cup of Sherpa tea in our hands. Cecil B. DeMill couldn't have concocted a more impressive move of men and animals that morning. I left early to video the hundreds of yaks strung out along the medial moraine that led to ABC. I hate to admit it, but it took a lot to keep up with (and stay between) various strings of animals. They move steadily and, as poorly acclimatized as I was, it was difficult to keep from getting a horn up the...well, it wouldn't have been pretty. In fact, one old Tibetan yak geezer (or herder), wouldn't let me pass him and kept running ahead of me so I wouldn't interfere with his yaks. Consequently, I had one large horned animal at my rear, who, after several miles sensed I wasn't a threat, seemed eager to quicken my pace with a horn in the right spot. Caught between a geezer and a gouger, I prudently moved over and took my place in line elsewhere. I finally entered advanced base camp after five hours of difficult work. It seemed as though my legs belonged to someone a lot older, but I knew they didn't. There weren't just a few yak strings and their herders, including the geezer, who passed me by, while I wondered who should be climbing Everest and who should be home mowing the lawn. Jess arrived 45 minutes behind me, having enjoyed the walk with some new friends, while Jim sauntered in several hours later looking fresh as a daisy, again having let the yak stampede play out in front of him. Our campsite at ABC was excavated by the Sherpas several days earlier. It would take a front-end loader an eight-hour day to move as much rock and smooth it into tent sites as our group of five Sherpas accomplished over three days. If this was a tenement house in New York City, we'd be on the second floor. Below us and at the bottom of the heap, are the Indians and Russians. The Russians wanted our largest campsite for their dining tent, but our Sherpas said, "nyet" and the cold war was renewed. We haven't caught them using our toilet tent yet, but if that happens, yak manure could fly. To the east are more groups, including Austrians and Japanese. As the floors go up, there are some very wealthy expeditions (note I didn't say classy), including a five-star, 17-person Swiss team, the Toyota-sponsored Eco-Challenge Expedition managed by Russell Brice, another high-stakes Brice-managed expedition, a Korean Black Yak Expedition and, finally, at the top of the heap–13th floor– is the Chinese “We're-Tearing-This-Hunk-Of-Rock-Down-To-Our-Size” Expedition, with over 100 members. Interspersed between these giants with hot showers, heated dining tents and cooks that wash their hands are a slew (or should I say slough!) of smaller teams that have carved out small tent niches and seem to survive, like us, on good 'ol hard work and parasitism. The days are going to blur all together now, not only because our heads are spinning with the altitude, but also because at 21,000 feet, we need a lot of rest days. It doesn't take much effort to relax, eat and sleep at altitude, especially on first arriving, except if you're Russian. While we vegetated, along with hundreds of other climbers from every other nation, the Russians next to us packed up rope, hiked to the bottom of the North Col and put in fixed line. Evidently, they hadn't got the word that the Chinese and Russell Brice Sherpas were supposed to do this section. I think they chose to ignore these big talkers. At any rate, in two days time, they reached the North Col and had the pick of the limited camping areas on top. This started the scramble for camp spots. BACK TO TOP



	04.16.03		Advanced Base Camp: 21,000 feet. This written account is a transcription of a voicemail message that John Roskelley left at Klündt \| Hosmer. The call was made from Mt. Everest to Spokane, WA via a Telenor satellite phone. The initial rough audio is due strong winds blowing at the 21,000' Advanced Base Camp. Static breaks up the audio at the end. You can hear the recording by clicking the link below. ------------------- Good morning. It is Wednesday, April 16th, at about 10 o'clock. The team is at Advanced Base Camp. Jim is in his tent, writing in his diary, and Jess and I are just finishing tea. Dick is somewhere between Intermediate Camp at 19,000' and being here at Advanced Base camp at 21,000 feet. We are still acclimatizing. It is out 5th day here. Jess and I took some loads up to the North Col, at about 23,000 feet, yesterday and felt pretty good. The Russians have put the ropes in to the Col, and about 50 people went up yesterday and staked out areas for their tents. Today, three of our Sherpas went up, to put up the tents that Jess and I carried up. It is a windy day, but it is clear and about 40º. We are hoping that Dick will make it up today, and if not, tomorrow. I am sitting in the midst of about 100 tents, in a lenticular fashion that goes up hill from 21,000 feet to 21,600 feet at the top where the Chinese are camped. There are all types of colors. I have never seen this many tents in one spot. Big, huge tents for cooking and for people to eat in, and other tents for just sleeping in. There are probably 30 different expeditions here this year, on this side, and it is pretty crowded. The Sherpas have been building tent platforms all throughout this entire area. I kind of call it "Illzong Loo" (unintelligible), because you are in a little tiered fashion in elevation gain... (static)... Russians... (static)... Austrians above me... (static)... it's quite an international camp. (End of voicemail) –John Roskelley Audio Logbook 04-16-03 (mp3, 1MB) BACK TO TOP



	04.14.03		Advanced Base Camp: 21,000 feet. This written account is a transcription of a voicemail message that John Roskelley left at Klündt \| Hosmer. The call was made from Mt. Everest to Spokane, WA via a Telenor satellite phone. You can hear the recording by clicking the link below. --------------------- "Well, good afternoon. This is John Roskelley from Everest base camp. This is a voicemail update from advanced base camp on the north side of Mt. Everest. We awoke this morning to 3" of fresh, cold, powder snow. There is a slight breeze with gusts up to 25 mph. It's brilliantly clear, but all along the northeast ridge and north ridge, wind devils indicate strong winds crossing over Everest from Nepal. Since my last update, Jim, Jess and I have moved up to acclimatize and carry loads to the North Col. Dick started out with us on April 11 to the intermediate camp, but due to his continuing back problems decided to spend a few more days at base camp. Jess and I arrived Thursday at the Intermediate Camp, and its fortunate that we did. It seems as though all the teams and their gear were moving up that day. As we sat and watched, hundreds of yaks loaded with tents, gear bags, their own food and assorted baggage arrived. There was a limited supply of rocky campsites available, so it was literally chaos in a small area. Yaks tore through the camp, tearing down tents, and dumping loads in all directions. After several hours, of this, peace again reigned, and only the sound of yak bells could be heard. April 12th was a hard day. We got up early to beat the yaks onto the glacier, but were too slow. After a good breakfast of porridge, eggs and toast, I set off to film the exodus of yaks, yak herders and expedition members from camp toward ABC–about 7 miles and 2,000 vertical feet up the glacier. Pretty soon, everyone and their beasts of burden got into a rhythm behind each other and we strung out for miles along the crest of morrainal debris sitting on ice. I have never seen anything like this. I reached our camp at 21,000 feet after 5 hours of work under a fairly heavy load. Jess was right behind, enjoying talking with several other climbers from Britain. Jim, caught in the main herd, took his time and arrived later, feeling strong. I call altitude the "great equalizer." No matter how young, strong, or healthy, altitude puts you on par with everyone else. I am always surprised how rubbery my legs feel, and how slow I can go until I become used to the higher altitude at each stage. Of course, age has entered the equation this trip, and I am not the same climber as I was 10 years ago. It is important for me to accept this now, because it is only going to get tougher up higher, and I need to go slower. We relaxed all that afternoon, drinking fluids and trying not to make any sudden moves that would leave us... (End of voicemail) –John Roskelley Audio Logbook 04-14-03 (mp3, 1.4MB) BACK TO TOP



	04.08.03		Everest Base Camp: 17,000 feet. Sent via Itronix GoBook MAX notebook computer and Telenor Satellite system As Jess and I descended along the Rongbuk Glacier moraine and entered the immense gravel plain at the tongue of the glacier where our base camp is located, I was amazed at the multitude of tents that dotted the almost one square mile area. We had been gone only three days, acclimatizing and establishing an intermediary camp at 19,100 feet and Advanced Base Camp (ABC) at 21,300 feet, yet there were at least eight more large and small expeditions that had arrived. Next to us and surrounding our small camp on two sides was a large contingent of Indians. Between us and our toilet tent, a 3x3 foot, 7-foot high tent with no floor, was a Russian team. Needless to say, we moved the toilet tent, rather than walk through their camp. Four Sherpas, hired by the Indians, watched me as I walked through their camp into ours. The Sherpas had pitched their tent only a few feet from Dick and Jim's, so Dick, with the help of our base camp cook, DP, had just moved it ten feet to be further from the noise and action coming from the Indian camp. After putting down my pack, I walked over to the foursome and found out if any of them spoke English. As usual, most of them did and one very well. I introduced myself and found out I was speaking with Lakpa. "Lakpa," I began, "do you realize that this is not New Delhi or Kathmandu? You can actually spread out here. Why are you right on top of us?" "You have a good spot," he replied. "We have no more tents to put up. We will not get any closer." There was no use explaining about wilderness and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the mountains. We would have to accept being serenaded by the clash of pots and pans from their cook tent twenty yards away and the 2000 kw generator, humming along, lighting their dining tent. 100 yards down valley is the Chinese Jubilee Expedition, the largest expedition and sponsored by Chinese television. It consists of 130 members, plus numerous Sherpas. Thank goodness they're not all trying for the summit. Rumor has it that 40 will climb as high as the North Col at 23,000 feet. Nine will try for the summit–not counting their Sherpa staff. When we arrived, our staff selected a flat campsite far enough away from Little Beijing, yet close enough to running water (it's too cold right now for anything but a trickle to flow under the iced-over creek coming from a side canyon). We didn't want to bother them, nor interfere with their experience. Unfortunately, that philosophy doesn't seem to extend beyond western culture. On the other side of the gravel plain are three or four other large expeditions from throughout the world, including the Toyota Eco-Challenge group. It's truly a multi-national camp. The last time I was in an international climbing camp was in Russia in 1974. 19 Americans, including myself, joined 180 other climbers from 18 nations in the Pamirs, located on the Russian, Afghani, Pakistani borders. There was some fierce competition for the best, unclimbed routes on a variety of peaks. The unsanctioned competition proved to be a disaster, though. Fifteen climbers, including one American and the entire Russian women team attempting a traverse of Mt. Lenin, perished during the month-long encampment. I have to admit, I'm concerned something similar will happen here. It would be impossible for someone to speak enough languages to translate for all the nationalities camped here this season. Fortunately, English seems to be universal. I say fortunately because Americans, in particular, seem to be foreign language illiterates, especially in Asian languages. In high school our students are required to take two years of a foreign language. I took Spanish and use it sparingly while climbing in South America. But rather than offer languages that are currently important, such as Japanese, Mandarin and, yes, Arabic, our curriculum gurus must think the Spanish armada still rules the seas, everybody drinks champagne and the Kaiser is about to make a come back. Why else are we still offering our kids only Spanish, French and German? At any rate, we're now living in a kind of small city, with burroughs like New York. Everest is still unscathed and untouched, although the Chinese, Swiss and our Generations On Everest team now have toe-holds below the North Col. It's going to be a mess here this season. Something I have never encountered in the Himalayas (other than in the Pamirs, which was an "organized" camp). The route is narrow and limits the number of available campsites on the mountain, especially at 25,700 feet. Everyone is going to have to get along and have a lot of patience. In the end, the weather will dictate just how many climbers finally summit. Four days ago, Jim, Jess and I went up to 19,000 feet for two nights. Dick's back was still a problem, so he stayed behind to recuperate. The trail alongside the Rongbuk Glacier, then up the East Rongbuk Glacier has gotten much better since my last trip here in 1993. Thousands of yaks and climbers have improved it, so that now it can be followed without difficulty. In 1993, I had to make the same hike to 20,000 feet at night to save a Chinese geologist. Jim and I had only been in base camp several nights when a group of Norwegians came down from their high camp and said their Chinese colleague was in a deep coma and dying. Evidently, the Chinese and Norwegians had gone up too high, too fast. Although not acclimatized, I joined seven Tibetans and rushed up to where the man was, taking eight hours through the night to reach him. The trail was hardly visible and, if it hadn't of been for the Tibetan yak herders, I would never have found the Chinese geologist and he would not have survived. After injecting him with steroids, we put him in an inflatable barometric chamber and one of his students and I worked all night keeping it pumped up to the proper pressure. The next morning, the eight of us carried the 300-pound Chinese man (not a typo. He really weighed 300 pounds!) 13 miles over glacial terrain and down that same trail. I"ll never forget that trail... even after 20 years! Back to this trip... After about five hours of easy going, the three of us reached the 19,000-foot camp. Almost all the campsites dug out of the glacial debris were taken by a Swiss group. They were not expected to arrive for a few days, so their Sherpa staff offered to let us stay in their tents. This was an unexpected bonus. We took their offer. Our staff was even allowed to use their kitchen tent. That afternoon, Jess said his jaw was swelling again. By morning, he looked like a tree squirrel with a load of winter nuts in his left cheek. In January, he had three wisdom teeth removed by an oral surgeon. Over a period of weeks, now months, one area had been giving him trouble. Antibiotics helped, but only until the dose was completed. Now, five days after he completed a second elephant dose, the swelling and pain were back. This is not the place to have problems with your teeth. As we discussed what to do early the next morning, a large, infected pocket that had developed on the site of the tooth removal broke loose. Along with the puss came a small, seed-sized particle, possibly a piece of broken tooth and most likely the culprit of these past months of pain. Despite his pain and discomfort that morning, he joined Jim and I on our hike to the old British camp at 20,000 feet, seven miles further up the glacier. Our yak herders and Sherpas continued on to ABC. We returned to 19,000-foot camp, spent another night, then descended to base camp. This morning, April 9, Jess's face looks almost normal and the periodic pain and swelling he's been living with for the past few months is much better. Today, Wednesday, April 9, we're resting and preparing our gear to move up to ABC at 21,300 feet. The four of us plan to move up to the 19,000-foot camp on Friday, then ABC on Saturday. Jess is feeling a lot better and Dick is no longer walking like Walter Brennan and is confident his back will be in good shape to move up. On Thursday, there will be a major meeting of all the team leaders to discuss the quantity of expeditions and climbers on the Northeast Ridge route. Everyone knows this is an unusual year with major congestion problems on the route because of the 50th anniversary of Everest's first ascent. This will be the last update via e-mail for maybe eight days or more. Once up to ABC, we'll be working on the route to the North Col and ferrying loads to that camp. I will try to send updates via voicemail. The guys at Klündt \| Hosmer will either transcribe or get digital audio of these voicemails into the Web site. We certainly appreciate our equipment sponsors. The title of "Gear of the Week" has to be shared by Asolo boots, for their great trekking shoe; Wigwam Mills, for their warm, comfortable socks; and Muckboots, for keeping us comfortable and dry at base camp. The Generations on Everest Team: ------------------------------------------------------- John Roskelley, Jess Roskelley Richard Bass, Jim Wickwire BACK TO TOP



	04.05.03		Everest base camp: 17,000 feet. Sent via Itronix GoBook MAX computer and Telenor Satellite Systems Today, April 5, is cloudy, with a fine skiff of cold snow on the gravel. The wind is continuing to howl and shows no sign of a let-up. Living at base camp is like camping out in a gravel pit. Continual glaciations have left billions of tons of sediment in the form of lateral and terminal moraines, as well as the glacial out-wash we are camped on. We're at the very tongue of the Rongbuk Glacier and what little vegetation has managed to take hold in this harsh environment is incredibly tenacious. Everest is again capped with long, lenticular clouds. The team has managed to pack for the next camp, an intermediary acclimatization camp at around 19,000 feet, and will be moving up tomorrow, April 6, for a few days. During this move, yaks will carry our upper mountain gear to advanced base camp at 21,000 feet. We'll stay at the lower camp and just make a short visit to that altitude for the first time. No matter what the weather, we'll move up. The team is feeling pretty good overall. Dick pulled a muscle in his lower back yesterday walking over to Marty Hoey's memorial. Jim, Dick and I knew Marty well before she was killed in a fall down Everest's Great Couloir in 1982. We all feel very close to her in this base camp. Back problems are common occurrences when changing from a comfortable bed to laying on a cold tent floor in a sleeping bag and trying to get dressed sitting down. Dick is recuperating and has discovered small, but important friends in Advil, Flexal and a hot water bottle. Dick's spirit is still at 100%. That's why he summited Everest in 1985 and how he's going to get there again. Yes, you have to be in good physical condition, but a person's spirit is by far the most important component to success in any venture and Dick's is unbreakable. – John Roskelley BACK TO TOP



	04.04.03		3:00 p.m.; Friday; April 4, Everest Base Camp, Tibet – Everest base camp: 17,000 feet. Sent via Itronix GoBook MAX computer and Telenor Satellite Systems Last night, the wind cut through the narrow Rongbuk Glacier valley with gusts I estimated to be over 50 miles an hour. On Everest, a huge plume of condensed air and snow arched off the summit and a mile-long lenticular cloud capped its top, indicating jet stream winds aloft. Our Sherpas felt that we would lose one or two tents through the night, so we secured all of them with extra cord. By morning, the winds had subsided and all our tents were still standing. We're still acclimatizing to the altitude. All we have to do is start working or walking and we're quickly reminded that we're at 17,000 feet. That afternoon, despite the wind, Jim, Jess and I, walked down the valley four miles to the old Rongbuk nunnery, where many Tibetan nuns used to stay before it was destroyed, most likely during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. One of our Sherpas, Pasang, went with us to visit a holy cave in the nunnery and translate any information the caretaker/lama might provide. The old lama, in frayed crimson robes, looking somewhat like a snaggle-toothed Ichabod Crane, greeted us and kindly agreed to take us on a short tour of the cave. He was a gregarious sort and very animated about the cave's Buddhist history. Pasang managed to do quite well in translation. The lama wasn't done with us after the cave adventure. He indicated for us to follow him into the inner area of the monastery grounds, which was formed by a huge rock landslide. It seemed as if every house-sized boulder had some relationship to Buddhism and, as old and emaciated as he looked, the lama literally ran us through the five-acre site, climbing up and down boulders and through passages between them that were barely big enough to crawl through. I heard Jess remark in jest that maybe we should let him climb Everest with us. The last Buddhist "site" was a huge boulder, 25 feet high and 60 feet long. After showing us special markings on the rock, the lama scrambled up to the top in his worn Chinese tennis shoes to show us how it was done. Even in our trekking shoes, with good rubber soles, we had a difficult time following him. The walk back to base was into a steady 30 to 40 mile per hour wind. By the time we got back to base camp and dinner, we were chilled to the bone and worn out. On April 4, we rested and worked on gear. The wind has continued to rip through camp and we've had to sort everything out in the tents. Everest continues to play hide-and-seek with the quickly moving clouds and occasionally a snow squall hits the basin. As nasty as it is in camp, we can only guess what awaits us 10,000 feet higher. One of the problems we've been having is charging batteries for the computer and satellite phone. As it turns out, the generator we sent from the states does not have the power needed to keep the batteries charged. Last night, Jess and I worked for over an hour in the cold (although inside our communications tent) trying to retrieve e-mails. The process is not difficult, but every once in awhile, one of the e-mails has an attachment, which takes too much satellite time to download. We had to quit and telephone the Web site manager at Klündt \| Hosmer to remove all the attachments from the server. Hopefully, the downloading will go a lot quicker. If you send the team email, please don't send any attachments! In order to solve the battery charging problem, it looks as though we'll be buying a generator from Lhasa. The Tibetan Mountaineering Association representative, Aping, who is our liaison officer, has one running the lights in the TMA building a half mile from our camp. We've been using one of his outlets to recharge our batteries, but it's not working very well. So the solution is a bigger generator at our disposal in camp. We are also looking into getting a solar charging set up so that we can keep batteries charged above base camp. Below Aping's TMA's building is a place I refer to as "Bartertown". Some of you may remember the movie "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome", with Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. Without going into to detail, the Rombuk "Bartertown" is similar to the rabble that infested the bartertown in the movie. On either side of the gravel road that leads into base camp are located large, square Chinese army tents that have been transformed into Tibetan bars and other haunts for wayward men. Around them are huts made of red, white and blue plastic tarps that seemed to have taken over Tibet ten years ago. Despite the gathering of Tibetan yak herders, traders and those interested in making a quick buck, the area is clean of garbage and there are large blue recycling containers around the camp. I'm glad we're far from this area and out on the glacier plain. The instant communication systems we have on this expedition are new experience. On my first Himalayan expedition, which was to the sixth highest mountain in the world, Dhaulagiri, communication consisted of handing letters to hired mail runners. I didn't receive my first letter until I was on my way down from the summit, almost three months after I had left home. Watergate had come and gone and my wife, Joyce, had purchased our first house, without my knowledge. Times have certainly changed. We have two satellite phones, one of which we can connect to our Itronix GoBook MAX notebook computer to email up-dates and photos. We can call our families or business associates any time we like. For me, a great deal of the adventure is gone. Although, I didn't like being out of touch with my family for so many months, there was a sense of adventure–a mystery–that I preferred. Thirty years ago or even ten years ago, what was going on in the outside world didn't seem important. I couldn't do anything about it from the other side of the world anyway. For instance, Joyce let me know through an e-mail several days ago that her car had been broken into near the Spokane Art School. The side window was broken and her purse, as well as my daughter's computer, had been stolen. Nobody was hurt and Joyce took care of the situation. The point is that instant communication can be a mental burden, as well as a source of gratification. Whether it's really an advantage is up for debate. – John Roskelley The Generations on Everest Team: ------------------------------------------------------- John Roskelley, Jess Roskelley Richard Bass, Jim Wickwire BACK TO TOP



	04.02.03		5:35 p.m.; Wednesday; April 2, Everest Base Camp, Tibet – Everest base camp: 17,000 feet. Sent via Itronix GoBook MAX notebook computer and Telenor Satellite system Tonight will be our third night at 17,000 feet. So far, all of us are doing very well adjusting to the altitude. Headaches have been minor and we're starting to move more quickly without running out of breath. Our schedule for acclimatization has been just right. Yesterday, April Fools Day, the weather was perfect in the morning, with a slight breeze and a temperature of about 25 degrees. Breakfast of fried eggs, porridge, toast and tea hit the spot, after all the typical Chinese/Tibetan meals we had experienced on the way in to base camp. Once the sun came over the ridge above us and hit the camp, the temperature rose dramatically and we had to shed down jackets and hats. Our first and most important job at base was to repack all the food and equipment into yak loads. In order to do this, the food for the upper mountain had to be put in to "person/day units". With the help of Gopal, Jim calculated the amount of days we would be above advanced base camp (ABC). Then Jess and I up-ended all the food boxes that had been shipped from Salt Lake City and separated the contents into breakfast, lunch and dinner meals on a large tarp. We then got busy putting the meals into units. All the packaging was removed and the contents put in zip-lock bags. Each person/day unit had a main dish, drinks, and an assortment of extras. It took all day to get the food sorting completed and ready for yak transport. The Sherpas, meanwhile, coiled rope, organized tents and cooking gear for the trip up to ABC. Today was an auspicious day in Buddhism and for the team. We had our puja, or cleansing, to keep us safe and to bring us back from the mountain. The Sherpas see this as the most important ceremony for the team. For this occasion, a lama from the Rongbuk monastery was asked to perform the ceremony. He arrived with a small group of Tibetans just after breakfast, dressed in his crimson robes and carrying all the important Buddhist symbols, such as a dorji (thunderbolt), bell, small drum and prayer book. The Sherpas provided multi-colored prayer flags, tsampa (barley flour), yak butter, crackers, beer, tea, rice and a variety of other offerings. The ceremony took place above camp on a small hill with Everest in full sunshine. Juniper was lit and continued to smoke throughout the process. The lama began chanting, then used the dorji, bell and drum to emphasize his words. After about a half hour, the Sherpas raised a tall metal pole held erect by ropes laden with prayer flags. Tsampa was spread on everyone's faces and we all threw rice on to the "altar". After everyone had something to eat and drink from the offerings, the ceremony ended with a shout and rice tossed into the air. I've been involved in many pujas, but this was the first time the Sherpas had all our crampons and ice axes brought up to the "altar" and blessed along with the climbers. Needless to say, we're all feeling a lot better after today's ceremony. After lunch, several of us took an acclimatization hike, while the others worked on organizing personal gear, which has to be taken up by yak in the next few days. So far, the weather has been excellent in the mornings and cloudy in the afternoons. We are about the fourth or fifth team to arrive at base. One of the largest contingents is a Chinese team with over a hundred personnel, although it's my understanding only nine of them are summit climbers. The Generations on Everest Team: ------------------------------------------------------- John Roskelley, Jess Roskelley Richard Bass, Jim Wickwire BACK TO TOP



	03.31.03		4:30 p.m.; Monday; March 31, Rombuk Glacier – Everest base camp: 17,000 feet. We left Tingri at 7:30 in two Land Cruisers. The team in one and the "smokers" in the other. It seems as though most Tibetan men smoke, so they prefer to be in their own vehicle and of course, we prefer it that way as well. Few of the women smoke, so it must be a cultural and macho thing among the males. The team has a "no tolerance" policy on any smoking in the tents or around us. The road to the Rongbuk Glacier and Everest base camp was completely rebuilt by the Chinese in the past two years. Rather than taking 8 to 10 hours to reach base, we were at base in 5 hours of easy travel. Not only did they build 20-foot retaining walls in some steep areas, but blasted through rock walls to avoid creeks and river beds. At the top of the first pass, Everest, Makalu, Gyachung Kang, Cho Oyo, and many other peaks stretched out before us. The entire Himalayas were free of cloud and only a huge plume of snow was visible blowing off of Everest's summit. Needless to say, we took a few photos. Several hours later, we arrived at base camp, after clearing our permit at the Rombuk check point. Our Sherpas had pitched most of our tents and we were in a great camp site up against a large moraine on the east side of the glacial plain. Dick, Jim, Jess and I greeted the crew, then helped pitch additional tents for eating and communications. The rest of the afternoon was spent sorting gear for the upper camps and getting comfortable in our base camp tents. It's presently a very comfortable 60 degrees with a slight wind. Everest is in plain view and has very little snow from the winter. That could prove to be a problem up high, where all the teams need snow to build tent platforms. Tomorrow we acclimatize to the higher altitude. I'm sure all of us will have at least a headache by morning. BACK TO TOP



	03.30.03		8:30 p.m.; Sunday evening; March 30, Tingri, Tibet The team, along with our head Sherpa, Gopal, and Prem, our Nepalese agent, who decided to accompany us to base camp, left Nyalam early for the 5 hour drive to Tingri. The night had been clear and cold and, considering the poor accommodations, all of us were eager to get out of town. On the afternoon before, our base camp staff and the Sherpa team left in a Land Cruiser and a Chinese lorry with our gear. They planned to push on to base camp a day in front of us to find the best location on the glacial plain and set up camp. Having been to this base camp many times before, Jim and I gave them exact details on where we wanted to be. We later received a handwritten note from Pasang, another one of our Sherpas, that our camp location was just where we wanted it. The drive over the first pass at 16,300 feet was slow. The mini-bus didn't have the power of the Land Cruiser, but it was more comfortable for our larger sized group. After a quick stop on the pass for photos, we picked up speed on the long, easy downhill portion. After only about a mile, I was surprised to see a large, gray Tibetan wolf run across the road directly in front of us. I motioned for the driver to stop as the wolf reached the other side, stood broadside to us, then walked casually parallel to the bus. I grabbed my camera, opened the side door opposite the wolf, ran to the rear of the bus and quickly snapped several telephoto shots of him walking, then running back across the road. There is nothing in this world more fascinating then seeing a large carnivore, like a wolf, in it's own habitat. He was not scared, as much as wary. He seemed to be just as curious about us and would lope along, then stop to look back. We soon spotted his mate around 800 yards away, standing still and waiting for his return. Reluctantly, we drove on as they disappeared into the large expanse of high Tibetan plain framed by the spectacular Himalayas. After one more pass, which was several hundred feet higher, we dropped into a long, slowly winding valley that led to the vast plains of Tingri. It's hard to imagine how hostile and bleak this country is until you drive through it. There isn't a tree. There's hardly a blade of grass or shrub. Once onto the Tibetan plateau and north of the Himalayas proper, high rolling peaks, rock outcrops, eroded gullies and sharp gravel take over. There is a lack of color, but that will change as the weather warms. Near the villages that dot the massive landscape, small plots of barley and mustard will soon be growing, turning these areas into little jewels of bright yellow and deep green in a world of "Navajo-like" hues of browns, tans and reds, similar to the American southwest. The Everest Snow Leopard Guest House in Tingri (14,200 feet) where we're staying, is a leap up in quality from Nyalam. It's located just outside of Tingri, with a clear view of Cho Oyo, G