First, I would like to say thanks to all for the support thus far. Things are really rolling. I would be grateful if you all would invite your friends to join the group here.

As well, I have started a non-profit charity supporting clean water projects around the world. 1 Billion people are without access to clean water and approximately 4 million people die each year as a result.

The $$$ collected thus far for my Everest sponsorship will be channeled to the first two wells to be built in Tanzania and Kenya.

$12,000 will be spent in communities to provide clean water to over 600 people. Please join the group The Wilde Foundation here to find out more…
Or you can contribute directly to the cause here: https://thewildefoundation.sagefundraisingonline.com/well0001

$20= clean water for 1 person for life

Blog
I want everyone to know how to see and subscribe to this blog on my web site. Please write to 7summits2010@gmail.com and then go to my site at:

http://96.0.25.157/?page_id=189 and hit the subscribe button in the navigation of the site.

Fundraising
So far I have pledges of $16,000 in equipment and funds. As said, the goal is to reach $50,000 and we have a little more than 6 months to go. I have decided to contribute the first 10,000 donated to the charity I began…The rest of the $44000 I will be paying out of my own pocket.

So now to the blog…

12.12.08 — 13.12.08

Today was an exciting day for me. I came to work only to take care of very basic things and then left to pick up my passport and off to the airport. Having said my goodbyes at work, I was a bit nervous as I had not yet re-signed my contract for next year. Worrying now, I thought, would not bring anything positive. So, I left the office and went home to finalize a couple of things and meet Vladimir- who was to take me to Domededovo.

I still had to get my passport from the Brazilian embassy…I arrived in front of the embassy 15 minutes early. It was raining, and there was a two person cue. As I had hoped, it went quickly.

I hopped in the car and off we drove. I looked at the tickets- Iberia: Moscow – Madrid; Madrid – Santiago; Santiago – Punta Arenas. Moscow has three major airports though and the tickets did not specifically say. Shit— I only have 4 hours and traffic can grind to a halt on a Friday afternoon; especially the trip from Domededovo to Sheremetyevo. I called a 24 hour hotline and confirmed my suspicions that it was Domededovo.

The flights were all uneventful and I arrived in Punta, with a slight buzz from the leftovers of valium and beer that I consumed on the airplane to help me sleep. When I was picking up my luggage, Luda was there with a big grin on her face. Nice to have her pick me up. She said Bill Tyler was on the same flight and we would ride together to the hotel.

Bill, a big guy in his early forties, had been on the two previous Everest Expeditions with Sascha and Luda. He was working his way through the 7 summits too, only he summitted Everest. He was on the expedition together with Curt Myers (a friend with whom I climbed and summitted Denali and Aconcagua)—and he actually reminded me a lot of Curt. “The climbing world is so tiny,” I thought.

We arrived, and I immediately met Lorenzo Gariano, a guy from the Everest team in 2005. Lorenzo is a skinny Italian in his early fifties, but with a serious English accent. Having lived in England for 30 years deeply impressed English mannerisms on an otherwise Italian character.

After all the catch up, we decided to head into town and do some exploring. I needed hand warmers and a foam rubber pad to insulate me from the ice of Antarctica. So off we went.

In the evening, we were scheduled to meet for dinner with the rest of the team and had to be quick to be on time. Upon our return, we all met in the lobby and went to a local restaurant— after which Bill, Lorenzo and I proceeded to empty a bottle of Wild Turkey. I don’t remember much from the evening except now what the fotos on the camera show… three drunk adolescents fondling a wooden statue of a half naked Aboriginal Indian. Needless to say the next morning we all regretted the work done.

14.12.08

Penguins— Lots of them. We went to a colony nearby and saw a few hundred Magellan Penguins waddling around and honking like mules. Funny little animals and they provided a nice day out for us.

15.12.08

Today we had our briefing and were told to be ready for calls every 2 hours. They explained that there may be a weather window for us to fly, and also explained in great detail why the planes don’t fly as often there. Attributable to the southerly cross wind which arrives on the landing strip (blue ice landing strp), a down draft is created over the runway, causing problems when the winds are greater than 25 knots. There were other issues as well, like visibility, snow on the ice, temperature, contrast etc. The pilots do not use their instruments when they land.

Again the team had dinner together and slowly we began to get to know each other. Three of the team members spoke no English, so there was a lot of Russian English translation happening. The westerners knew no Russian except for me.

The team is made up of 10 members. 8 plus guide and assistant guide.

The guide, Sergey Kofanov, is a Russian — 30 years old. He is quite famous in the climbing community. He climbed Janneau via a new route in the previous year which earned him “climber of the year” award— the golden ice axe. I had met him once previously at Karo’s wedding party in Moscow, but could really remember him as he is quite a soft spoken guy. He is lanky in stature with a typical Russian “mullet” but you should not let this fool you as he is as smart as he is good in the mountains.

Blades resting on his head, he looks over at the doting Russians and tells them in a brief blast what to expect in the next days. Grisha, specifically adds to the conversation trying to exude confidence that he and Olga were keen to reach the top.

Grisha, a multi-millionaire owner of a medium sized Russian holding, does not look like he would be a strong climber (in retrospect I was wrong in my initial assessment). 41 years old with thinning brown wavy hair, his diminutive personality and all around looks, make you believe a) he is not wealthy and b) he has really no reason to be in the mountains. However, he was a VERY agreeable and sympathetic person, with whom almost anyone can talk.

Olga, his girlfriend, also gave the impression that she has no business in Antarctica and also in the mountains… A skinny early 20s something, was a mirror image of Grisha. She spoke no English however, which is probably why she comes across as quite flat. She is a head taller than I but probably weighs 20 kilos less. Certainly, he was paying her ride… and to my surprise, this would be summit number 5 for both of them. (They both proved to be strong in the end although Olga carried nothing).

Andrey a tall strong looking Russian, is an engineer and father of two. He is quite quiet and very robotic in his daily life. Thin blonde hair nesting atop a small cranium, you can see in his eyes that he is thinking non-stop. Eager to learn English, he asks me, “James, have you family?” This was the beginning of a one month back and forth— he in English, I in Russian… Both eager to improve our skills. Andrey is the true symbol of readiness and strength. The English speakers all agreed that he had some form of military training.

Valodiya- a 33 year old Ukrainian, was the life of the party from the “Russians.” He too a multi-millionaire, owns a chain of mobile phone retail shops which criss-cross Ukraine. We had a great time talking shop. He knows the FD in Ukraine from my company and knew that we had just brough new GM and Sales directors to the business. He is a stocky guy, shaggy brown hair and blue eyes and a smoker. It was clear from the beginning to me that he and I would be the two late night guys…

Our token Mongolian—Gankhuu— was the guy with the most character. He is a local hero in Ulaan Batar. At 40 something, he owns the Irish Pub in U.B., plays guitar and sings…he is an entertainer. Apart from his great entertaining skills, he is a gentle soul. He is a bit chunky in build. His bulging cheeks almost swallow his eastern eyes. This man was the man with the least experience in the team but the one who has the biggest heart. Commissioned by the President of Mongolia, he was to be the first Mongolian to be on Vinson, having already climbed Kili. We kicked off quite well.

Luda- last but not least- is the Russian women’s heroine of climbing. Everyone knows Luda in the Russian climbing community. She is tall and elegant… very feminine for a climber. The first Russian woman on Everest would soon be the first Russian woman to finish the 7. She comes from the Caucuses, which means to say that she has a feisty spirit, a caring demeanor, and a good sense of humor and smile. More women could aspire to be “Just Like Luda.” Her language skills proved very useful on the tour, speaking everything to a level of proficiency that allows her to get by. She turned out to be our mother hen…

16.12.08- 26.12.08

We got the call this morning. “Be downstairs, packed and ready to go in 45 minutes. The bus will be waiting to pick us up to go to the airport.” Everything seemed to move at an accelerated pace after that moment. The energy was strong and the full crowd of climbers from mountain trip, ALE and Amical were all laughing and smiling. The jokes were non-stop. We were going!

When we arrived at the airport, we found out that the calls became pessimistic. Standing in front of the gate we watched the clock in disbelief. Our 45 minutes call, became a 6 hour wait in the Punta Airport.

Finally a call came, and they sent us back into the hotel. We had to check in again…
Without going into too much detail, we spent the next 10 days going through a similar routine. We woke, got a weather report, tried to fill the day with productive and interesting things, got the weather in the evening, had dinner/ drinks, went to sleep.

Highlights included a trip to Magdalena Island for the BIG Penguin and Sea Lion colonies, Torres del Paine, and a 20 KM run to the local ski resort. We had a special Christmas with the Russian pilots. Luda, mama hen, made sure we had a great dinner, with drinks and festivities. This is where we learned of the musical talents of both Grisha and Gangkuu. We sang, drank lots of vodka, played silly drinking games, ping pong… The time went quickly and soon we were screaming to go to a club… Mother Theresa… We were too drunk to go though…So we walked home.

The avenue Colon is lined with funny trees and lots of homeless dogs which greeted us along the way. The trees were shaped like giant mushrooms and really made me feel like Alice in Wonderland… I thought the Cheshire Cat would appear and I would ask for directions— with the classic response “Depends on where you want to go!”

On the 26th this would all change.

26.12.08

We got the call again today! We are really going. The forecasts were all right! Same drill but I found myself on the other side of the gate this time on the bus going to the fat bellied Ilyushin!!! Wow! We were all so wound up. From the wait…from the prospect of finally being on the ice, from the sight of the Russian jet being loaded with our gear.

Pictures pictures pictures… We were on the tarmac, staring at the smile of THE jet that takes all to Vinson via Patriot. So famous is this jet that they have a video of it inb the internet. Rubbermanband! I will never forget this song of the video. “Oooh my so fine, ‘m so in love with you!” I get tingles in my spine thinking of the noise and the energy… Electric getting on this airplane. Once on, you find a seat, and try to settle so the plane can leave quickly to catch the window…

The guys we met at Christmas were really all here and it started to sink in that we were going. Mid-flight snacks, ear plugs, and emergency instructions all distributed, we started to realize that there were no windows in this cargo plane fitted with seats. 50 ish seats, and a half payload of cargo was what this plane was carrying.

Suddenly the door closed and the noise from the jets began to rise. I started to notice how Spartan the interior was. This would be like no other flight in my life.

When the plane started to roll, it was strange not being able to see anything. We had the main engineer sitting with us — headset on and dials all in front of him. The manager of the flight gave quick instructions and the plane soon came to a halt. We were obviously at the start of the runway. Jets geared up and after max RPM, the brakes let loose. Off we were, the plane lift slowly at a very low trajectory. It took an hour to reach the cruising altitude of 9000 meters.

The trip was uneventful. The one thing that I remember was that no one could sit still…videos, fotos, trips to the cockpit… everyone looking for that extra special angle. Then the pack ice came and the continent after… more fotos… I was tired, but could not fall asleep.

The call came from the pilot for us all to take our seats, and people began changing their clothes to be ready for Antarctica… boots, down, goretex… we were all settled finally. The engineer looked up and motioned with his hand down— meaning we were going to land!

Very soon you could see reflection on the ceiling of the aircraft from the ice coming through the 4 windows of the airplane hold. We had arrived… I could see the altimeter, 1500, 1400, the tail wagging constantly fighting the side winds, 1300, 1200, 1100, touchdown… We were on top of a lot of ice! And the landing so calm. Jets roaring in reverse…

We slowed and began to turn. We were on the ground safely. The plane rotated and travelled a bit, rotated again and came to a halt. Everyone was eager to either get out or video the opening of the cargo door. It was chaos. I made my way to the door.

Trying to hop out the door, the Russian crew were all eager to shake my hand and wish me good luck. God I wish that all people were as polite and warm as the Russians. As I struggled with my backpack out the door the guys on the ice yelled, “Take care! It is very slippery.” It was.

My first impression was— “F### it is bright and white and vast!” It was what I had been waiting for for months/ years. The ice was certainly blue. Slight ripples made it even more difficult to walk because they were just wide enough to swallow my feet into the middle. I tried to aim for the troughs, but never really felt stable.

We all had our chances to photograph the airplane on the ice… It was from the side, from the front, from the back… Videos, fotos and then we had to rush to ALE tent 1 Kilometer away for a briefing.

The weather apparently had been unflyable for days. The main reason for the lack of flights was the low lying clouds at base camp and the unusually high amount of moisture in the air. So again we were destined to wait it out.

December 27

We were sharing a tent with one other non-ALE (Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions) guided team, Amical. I had only heard of this company as I had done research on trips to Cho Oyu and Shishipangma, which their company covers. I can only remember that they are either a German or Austrian company. In any case the team was speaking German and English. Four clients and one guide, the only non- German apeaker was Martyna, a Pole. She is somewhat known in the climbing community as the playboy bunny who climbed Everest. Actually she is no bunny but rather worked for the company and appeared on the cover (clothed) as she was to attempt the highest peak in the world (she eventually organized and succeeded!). Everyone noticed her as she walked around filming everything and having pictures of herself being taken. As chief editor of National Geographic (Traveler) Poland, she had established a self-sustaining brand called Martyna’s Adventures which had allowed her to complete most of the seven summits including Everest. A very smart girl.

Gernod, an Austrian millionaire, had climbed before successfully. A stinky little guy, he was constantly farting around, making it hard to remain in his company longer than 10 minutes. He is a smart guy in his mid forties, spoke English quite well, though we conversed mainly in German unless others took part in the conversation. Meedium build, slightly balding, he looked like he was prepared for the climb but not very motivated to lift a finger to work on common tasks (cooking, cleaning, setting up tents).

Wolfgang, also in his forties, comes from an area near Dachstein in Austria. His claim to fame is that he had set the record of coast to coast on a bicycle (around 8 days). Apparently he had ridden 23 hours and slept only 1 every day in order to establish this record. He was certainly up for the task. A very tall and strong, Austrian looking fellow, he would walk through the guide tent door and have to duck his head on the way in. He usually wore the same shirt, with his sponsors patches. DHL and some Austrian beer company- which I cant remember…

Robert, also an Austrian, claims to be a guide and looks the part but was on the expedition as a paying client. He has a strong Austrian accent and and colorful personality. Always laughing and flirting, he spends most of his time trying to get the attention of Luda and Martyna. A dentist by trade, he obviously had a good education and the ability to pay for such an expensive undertaking. I cannot specifically remember what mountains he had been on but there were many and he exuded confidence and experience.

Andi- the guide—I cant seem to estimate his age. The sun and weather has obvious taken its toll on his face. The corners of his eyes well wrinkled from smiling constantly, he was always an agreeable character. His hair long, blonde and straggly, Andi looked extremely unkempt. He was however very organized. Packing, repacking and double checking the team’s supplies, he said quite frequently that the team members had too much equipment and had no idea what was important. It was an honest criticism with good intentions but fell on deaf ears— except for Wolfgang and Robert.

Sigeuna, a woman in her fifties, looked very weathered. She is from Bodensee area and had some experience. She was a nice woman, but a bit of a wacko— She often repeated herself when speaking — to the point of it being a sort of nervous tick.

The tent is exactly what you would imagine of an Antarctic Tent. A half-tube, anchored to the ice, the soft plastic roof had multiple layers, trapping the heat generated from the cooking and the bodies inside. Every panel changed color. Blue, white, blue white. There were front and rear entries as well as four windows on the sides which opened. The front door, which faced the wind had a giant pile of snow 3 meters in front to prevent the catabatic winds from galling ing into the tent every time the door opened. Conversely, the rear door had to be constantly swept and cleaned of the snow deposits in the lee of the tent. This was the case with every tent in camp.

Thanks to all of you for your support and following this project here. I hope that the entertainment level is still what you are expecting… In addition to the normal update, which today will cover my training from the last weeks, I want to bring the group’s attention to a few items…

—Difference between Wilde on Everest and The Wilde Foundation—

During the last 9 years, I have been working with MDA. I have raised over 50,000 USD for them. When I explained my interest in Everest again, they were not interested.

In response, with the support of Modry Design Studio, The Great Outdoor Provision Company, and Sage Business Solutions (My Key Corporate Sponsors), I have created a non-profit called The Wilde Foundation- A Global Clean Water Initiative.

The Wilde Foundation is an incorporated non-profit, registered in the state of North Carolina. Our tax exempt status is currently being submitted for approval by the IRS. 

The mission statement is: To create safe water supplies, sanitation facilities and hygiene-related facilities for rural villagers in developing countries 

The non-profit is in its infant stage right now, but for details can be found under:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=188779215214#/group.php?gid=163482475688 or http://www.jamesdewittwilde.com/the-wilde-foundation … The proprietary web site www.wildefoundation.org is currently under construction at Modry Design Studio.

Wilde on Everest 2010, like every other project I have worked on, is designed to draw media attention to my corporate sponsors as well as the charity I am raising funds for. In this case it is The Wilde Foundation. I have now two options for people to donate.

Through Wilde on Everest 2010 — first 40,000 including the corporate support will go to WOE 2010; all excess will be transferred to TWF. Here is the WOE donation form made possible thanks to Sage Business Solutions:

https://wildeoneverest2010.sagefundraisingonline.com/everestmeters

Directly to The Wilde Foundation- No funds will be used for the expedition costs. Here is the TWF donation form also made possible thanks to Sage Business Solutions:

https://thewildefoundation.sagefundraisingonline.com/well0001

A small part from both is taken by the payment provider (Visa, Mastercard etc), a small part is used for the administration of the web sites. For TWF—I believe that well over 90% of funds will be directed into construction, labor and management of the projects chosen.

—————————————

Looking at the calendar, I see a few things coming up in my project plan… Aconcagua, Slide Shows in North Carolina, Auction of Oxygen Bottles, and the fundraising goals for the Wilde Foundation- A Global Clean Water Initiative.

Aconcagua

I have cancelled the early expeditions as I had many folks on the fence whether or not to go. I think it is important to say that when you plan something like Aconcagua, it is not a last minute travel type deal. As a climber, you need to physically prepare. As a guide, I need to arrange all the logistics.

I still have two planned expeditions, should you or your friends be interested in climbing the summit of the Americas. Cost is $3200 and details can be seen at:

http://www.jamesdewittwilde.com/about/aconcagua-expedition

Slide Shows in North Carolina— The Great Outdoor Provision Company

I recently visited The Great Outdoor Provision Company. Monday and Tuesday, I presented slide shows in the Triangle and Triad areas. These events were successful.

Auction of Everest O2 Bottles

OK… This did not go as well as I had hoped. I will push out the date to the end of the year. If you have any interest in sponsoring the Everest Project and would like an authentic souvenir from MT Everest, I offer you the opportunity to buy an empty bottle of Poisk O2 which I used in the Himalaya.

The blog—Training Update

So what does it mean to train for Everest? This question is not easy to answer. For some, it means lots of cardio and weight loss, but for me (I am a marathoner with a light frame) it means lots of weights to bulk up for the climb.

In my last expedition to the Himalaya, I lost 13 pounds! As I am already skinny, that is a lot… So my goal is to maintain cardio fitness while building strength and bulk.

I am currently alternating days between upper and lower body strength training, with one day of cardio mixed in and one day off per week. Six days of training per week… Day 1: Upper body; Day 2: Lower Body; Day 3: 1 hour cardio; repeat and then one day off.

UPPER BODY

Upper body training looks like this:

All are pyramids: 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions peak weight in the third set. 2-5 minutes break between sets. If you would like to add a cardio aspect to the exercise, shorten the rest period and add sit ups between the exercises.

Time depends on traffic in the gym, but normally 2 ½- 3 ½ hours. Some descriptions lifted from Wikipedia…

Bench Press (Pectorals)

While lying on his back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight and the elbows locked (or close to this position). The exercise focuses on the development of the pectoralis major muscle as well as other supporting muscles including the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, and the triceps. The bench press is one of the three lifts in the sport of powerlifting and is used extensively in weight training, bodybuilding and other types of fitness training to develop the chest.

Biceps Curl (Biceps)

Although the exercises differ, a common factor of each is a ‘curling’ motion, where a weight—attached to an item of equipment listed above—is moved through an arc, primarily using the strength of the biceps. The biceps is contracted to lift the weight upward through the arc, to a point where further movement is not possible. It is important that the elbow remain next to the body during this motion as to keep stress on the biceps. The biceps is then extended, lowering the weight back through the arc, to the start position. This contraction and extension together constitute a single repetition.

Pull Down (Lats)

The pulldown is performed while seated by pulling a wide bar down towards the upper chest or behind the neck. This is a compound exercise that also involves the biceps, forearms, and the rear deltoids.

Pushdown (Triceps)

The pushdown is performed while standing by pushing down on a bar held at the level of the upper chest. It is important keep the elbows at shoulder width and in line with shoulder/legs. In other words, elbows position should not change while moving the forearm pushes down the bar. This is an isolation exercise for the triceps.

Bent Over Row (Lats)

The bent-over row is performed while leaning over, holding a weight hanging down in one hand or both hands, by pulling it up towards the abdomen. This is a compound exercise that also involves the biceps, forearms, traps, and the rear deltoids. The torso is unsupported in some variants of this exercise, in which case lifting belts are often used to help support the lower back.

Lateral Raise (Shoulders)

The lateral raise (or shoulder fly) is performed while standing or seated, with hands hanging down holding weights, by lifting them out to the sides until just below the level of the shoulders. A slight variation in the lifts can hit the deltoids even harder, while moving upwards, just turn the hands slightly downwards, keeping the last finger higher than the thumb. This is an isolation exercise for the deltoids. Also works the forearms and traps.

Chest Fly (Pectorals)

The chest fly is performed while lying face up on a bench or standing up, with arms outspread holding weights, by bringing the arms together above the chest. This is a compound exercise for the pectorals. Other muscles worked include deltoids, triceps, and forearms.

Sitting Curls using Dumbells (Biceps)

Is a variant of Curls listed above.

LOWER BODY

All are pyramids: 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions peak weight in the third set. 5 minutes break between sets as the muscles are larger and your body needs more time to recuperate between sets.

Time depends on traffic in the gym, but normally 2 ½- 3 ½ hours. Some descriptions lifted from Wikipedia…

Squats

The squat is performed by squatting down with a weight held across the upper back and standing up straight again. This is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes (buttocks) and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings, calves and the lower back. Lifting belts are often used to help support the lower back. The freeweight squat is a challenging exercise and not appropriate for beginners, as poor form or execution can cause serious injury.

Leg Curl

The leg curl is performed while lying face down on a bench, by raising a weight with the feet towards the buttocks. This is an isolation exercise for the hamstrings.

Leg Press

The leg press is performed while seated by pushing a weight away from the body with the feet. It is a compound exercise that also involves the glutes and, to a lesser extent, the hamstrings and the calves. Overloading the machine can result in serious injury if the sled moves uncontrollably towards the trainer.

Isolated Leg Curl

This is a variant of the Leg Curl mentioned above. One leg is exercised at a time.

Leg Extension

The leg extension is performed while seated by raising a weight out in front of the body with the feet. It is an isolation exercise for the quadriceps. Overtraining can cause patellar tendinitis.

CARDIO

Usually is a 1 hour run or 13KM with an average heart rate of 165 beats per minute.

That’s all for today… Today is day 1 in my cycle, which means I am off to work my upper body. The next bit, I will write about my nutrition. For those of you that know me well, I am sure you will have a good laugh at the next post.

Best,

Jamie

First, I would like to say thanks to all for the support thus far. Things are really rolling. I would be grateful if you all would invite your friends to join the group here.

Guiding on Everest and Aconcagua:
See more here:

Aconcagua
http://www.jamesdewittwilde.com/about/aconcagua-expedition

Everest
http://www.jamesdewittwilde.com/about/everest-north-col-lhakpa-ri

Auction of Oxygen Cannisters and Equipment:
I am starting an auction on my web site. I will be selling 5 empty cannisters of Oxygen which were used on my Everest Expediion in 2005. Minimum bid is $400 and I will ship them to you anywhere in the world, signed. They are the Poisk O2 bottles and each is unique with stickers and wear and tear from the expedition. I will also be using about 3 bottles on Cho Oyu (the 6th highest mountain in the world). These are also for auction.

The first, top 5 bidders above $400 will get the Everest bottles and the other 3 will get the Cho Oyu bottles. Start date is now and the end of the auction will be October 30, 2009. These items are unique to this story and have been to highest places on the planet.

To put in your bid, go to the link below and write a comment into the page with your email address and the amount of your bid or simply write to 7summits2010@gmail.com with the same information.

The link is here:

http://www.jamesdewittwilde.com/about/oxygen-bottle-auction

Blog
I want everyone to know how to see and subscribe to this blog on my web site. Please write to 7summits2010@gmail.com and then go to my site at:

http://www.jamesdewittwilde.com/blog and hit the subscribe button in the navigation of the site.

Fundraising
So far I have pledges of $16,000 in equipment and funds. As said, the goal is to reach $50,000 and we have a little more than 6 months to go. I hope that each of you will use my banners as they do contribute to my site financially. As well, please recruit your friends to join the story by following here or on my private web site- www.jamesdewittwilde.com …

So now to the post…

At the crevasse crossing just outside of camp, a group of Koreans watched me as I started onto the ladders. On the first attempt, I almost fell which caused my hasty retreat. On the second go I crossed in butt-slide position, straddling the ladder.

When I reached the Koreans, I was completely exhausted and could not see if anyone was ascending as the lines were out of sight past the lip of the slope.

The lines were too tight for a descender, so I clipped a safety, stood up and descended. The ended up being the most practical means for descent, but I did not think it would be my main modus of descent until I lost my figure 8. (I later found out that this method is called “Sherpa Rappel”).

The 8 just popped out of the non-locking carabinier as I sat down on the lip of the next steep slope. I was frightened. How would I descend the vertical ice on the slopes below without my descender? It was at this point when I saw Nate heading up. Out of breath, it was difficult for him to talk. I explained what happened. In typical Nate form, he responded, “Dude, that sucks.”

I continued down and remembered the hitch which can be used to descend using a spare carabineer. I had never used it before but knew I would now learn it on the less steep areas. When I arrived at the schrund which formed the ice wall, I felt ready, but fear was again coursing through my veins. No one was around to coach or give advice. One slip and I would fall 7-10 meters to an ice platform still 200 meters above the glacier. My safety would not allow a fall past the shelf but a rescue would definitely be difficult.

Before switching my safety to the fixed rope descending the ice wall, I tied the hitch to a carabineer on my harness. I double-checked everything. Harness doubled back? Screwgates closed? Harness legs fixed as well? Test the knot slowly… It seems to be okay, I thought.

So I took my safety from the upper fixed rope and attached it below the last anchor to the lower, and began descending the rope. My fear of heights and lack of experience with this hitch had me cursing the whole way down. Mother-fucker. Shit. OK. Right foot in that hole. Fucking shit… Left foot now.

I made it, but had to sit on the shelf and relax for 10 minutes. I could definitely feel the difference in the air. I descended the rest without event, but I laughed at myself and my ridiculous behaviour on the ice and my stupidity higher up losing a key piece of equipment.

I met a nice Chinese guy at crampon point— where the moraine begins. He offered me chocolate and water but then realized I had my own stuff. He explained that he was there surveying the mountain.

By the time I got back to camp, it was past lunch. I spoke with Harry, Noel and Lynne, got some soup and passed out in my tent. I was still suffering from diarrhea.
The night was quiet. Harry, Noel, Lynne, and Lorenzo were ascending tomorrow together. Robert would ascend separately. The Slovenes had come down a few hours earlier than I. They gave me medicine for my GI condition.

The next morning was again hot. I was exhausted and decided at noon to descend again. I was frustrated by my condition and wanted to catch Karo. I knew I was weak, but did not realize how weak. I moved fast, ate very little and arrived at BC, exhausted with diarrhea and a cold.

Today I was sleeping, showering, reading and recovering. I am eating again. The shits are gone but I am afraid of the cold I caught. I have a debilitating cough which acts up when I do any physical work or talk. As a result, my throat is raw. My nose is running constantly. I will try to descend further tomorrow/ next day. This is very frustrating as I know it could jeopardize my summit attempt if it doesn’t get better soon.

That evening we were treated to Russian folk songs by Dima Moskalev. Simply amazing. The Russians are all singing along and I wish that I knew a bit of Russian to be a part of the party.

May 8- Today we are in Zhangmu. It was a 7 hour trip from base camp. It was so good to get down from high altitude…so much oxygen! Having a bed with fresh linens and a hot shower was great.

We arrived, ate, checked in and went to see the town. It was a great relief to be in civilization again. Green trees and people. Food that was not expedition food. We ventured into some clubs. The first was fun. We drank coors lite and watched 10 local girls dance. There were a few others in the bar who were talkative and also friendly. They were all singing from the Karaoke machine.

Afterwards, we moved on to another club, which was extremely strange. People were dressing up and singing performing skits. The bar was decorated with typical Tibetan designs and a picture of the Potala directly behind the stage. Beers were ordered by the case. The waitresses poured the beer into shot glasses for us and handed them directly to us.

Walking back to the hotel, Nate and I saw the real Zhangmu. Like I mentioned before, it is a truckers town filled with brothels to service the passers-through.

Amazingly, the shops were open very late and the town was bustling on Sunday. The bank was open! Trash is deposited in metal enclosures on the streets and people just deposit wherever.

The folks in town spend a lot of their time in store fronts and doorways and windows, working or watching life go by.

It is difficult for me to imagine the reality of returning to the harsh conditions of base camp and begin the climb back up to the north col and higher. All sorts of scenarios are running through my head. It did not help that this morning we saw two folks who had descended from Cho Oyu who had frost bitten fingers. Ugly.

I cannot concentrate because Nate is trying to work this girl he met at the hotel. It is painful to listen to. The Tibetans are so innocent and “immature.” The girl, Tsering, is 22 years old and never had a boyfriend. It is like in the disco how the girls were spinning each other around and giggling from the dizziness. All were dancing together, sometimes in a cha cha line. They are all very shy and unapproachable where the men are friendly but a little naïve.

The bars are usually filled with 10-15 men, drinking beer served by 3-5 women. The women pour the beer for you into shot glasses. Generally there are dancers and singers performing until 10:00 and then its time for the disco. Around this time more people show up.

Nate and I went to a few bars but on our 2nd to last night we had a blast. It was out of control. We must have had 50 beers between us. Nate was making the waitresses drink with us.

The bar was opening with Pabst Blue Ribbon in bottles. The whole place was wall to wall PBR. There was a raffle. DVD players, TV sets and juicers were being given away. Everyone was going crazy.

The hotel we stayed in was the same except this time we had our own rooms with beds and hot showers. Nate was trying to get together with this waitress at the restaurant. In the time between, he and I played chess and backgammon. He is a spatial thinker and plays chess very well. Backgammon is tough but he is learning.

The beds are firm and clean if you get A201 or A301. The toilets are clean as well. The water simply runs onto the main floor from the showerhead and into a drain on the floor. It is heated by a device in the showerhead. I learned the hard way not to touch the showerhead while the water is running through it—shocking!

The carpets are red and dirty and the room has a very damp feeling, making it difficult to get warm. I think this has to do with the climate of the town and the fact that no window in Tibet closes properly

Across the street from the hotel is a wellness center. It doubles as a whore house for those interested. There are programs to choose from. A simple hour- long massage is 12 dollars and worth every penny. If you go for the full program, which cost 30 dollars, you get a hot bath, shower, sauna, exfoliation, and a foot massage. This takes 3-4 hours. Afterwards, you are offered sex with fat Chinese women for 50 dollars. No one took a test drive.

The sauna area is run by a Chinese guy. You walk downstairs, turn left, and enter a room with two tables, 4 wooden tubs and a sauna. If you turn right at the bottom of the stairs, the showers and toilets appear. It is all tiled and condensation is dripping everywhere. While Nate and I were there, there were two Chinese men and they were smoking foul Chinese cigarettes which mixed unpleasantly with the moisture making me cough incessantly until they left. The exfoliation hurt, but made the massages much better— my circulation felt amazing afterwards.

The upstairs was also clean but gave me an eerie feeling. I kept imagining the song Hotel California… like they would lock me in some room and turn me into some sex slave. It was nothing like that though. The masseuse was very professional. She did my feet in one hour and the rest of my body for one hour. I almost fell asleep.

When it was over, I went to my locker to change and the guy from downstairs entered the changing room. “Scuse me sir, you want sexy?” Clapping his palms together. I did not understand at first. “You wanna sexy with Chinese girl? One sexy 50 dolla!” again clapping his palms together. I said, “No thanks, no happy end for me.” I paid my 30 dollars and waited for Nate across the street.

The stores in the town range from neatly organized and filled with useful things to completely upside down and filled with useless crap. After 3 weeks on the mountain, I did not think twice about the nature of the shops. I was very happy to see stuff to buy. Nate was going mad— he bought a talking calculator (Chinese numbers), a dart board, firecrackers, food and speakers. We had everyone laughing in the store.

The ride back to base camp was hard. I was hungover after a late night with the Monte Rosa team which descended. Nate spent the night talking to Tenzing. We got in the car and headed back up the valley after many arguments with our liason officer about the fee we should pay. Because people came down sick, we were supposed to pay 350$ for the car. The officer said we had to pay 700$.

There was no choice and so we paid. The road up the valley was a mess from the rain. Since only one lane was open (they were paving the other), some parts were very rutted and on the precipice of a 100 foot cliff with no guard rail.

We reached the Tibetan Plateau with no issue, saying goodbye to all the think O2. At Tingri, we passed onto the back roads to avoid the Chinese checkpoints on the main roads. It was aggravating because we were moving slowly and violently through large ruts and across river beds. It is a back route in every sense.

We passed along the road to Cho Oyu BC and continued past. 3 hours of beating in the jeep had me dizzy and tired though I had slept the majority of the 1st half of the trip.

Back at BC— May 11… Mixed stories of weather and schedules had me thinking we would either be here longer than a week, waiting or leaving in two days. In any case I was tired from the shaking of the jeep.

Noel and Lynne had received more complete news on Noel’s eyes. He has hemmorhages in both right next to the macular nerve. Looks like they will descend.

Today is the 12th and we received our team designation and dex shots. I have been put in the 1st team with the Russians, and am not really happy about it.

I went to sleep quite apprehensive about the climb. Martin had died and I am determined to come back in one piece. The aspects of communication and coordination in the climb for me would be extremely difficult.

The next morning we set out at 11:00 for the col. It was very sunny and warm. I had my goretex bottoms on and a fleece upper layer. The walk to crampon point went quickly. Karo and I took some photos together and then he was off. I never saw him again that day until we reached the col. I made the climb with little issue, ascending the fixed lines forcing myself over the bergschrund and further along crossing the ladders which spanned the crevasses. I reached the col five hours after my departure from ABC.

Karo was there as happy as ever to see me. The O2 equipment was distributed. We would most likely climb to Camp II with O2. I felt terrible again. I did not want to admit it but I was certainly lethargic and struggling to catch my breath.

Later we had some soup, ate and tried to sleep. I found it very difficult. The thin air, the concave sleeping space, the lack of general health I felt all conspired to a poor night´s sleep. I decided that maybe I should sleep on ½ liter per minute.

The morning came and I still felt the same lethargy I felt the night before. Nothing was driving me up. The Russians were all packed and gone immediately after breakfast. I was alone again, bringing up the rear of the group and was aggravated at the state of disarray they left the camp in. Gravity was pulling on my motivation more than ever and the thoughts that go through ones mind at altitude were extremely elevated.

“Why do I need to do this?” “I could make up lots of reasons to descend.” I really wanted off the mountain and the shortest distance and path of least resistance was not via the summit.

I decided that I needed to continue up. I don’t know where I found the motivation, but I started out onto the fixed lines up the snow slopes to camp II. 800 meters ascent at above 7000 meters. I normally would nail this in an hour near Munich, but today the target time was 5-6 hours.

I learned a valuable lesson immediately as I came upon the first team. It was a bunch of folks from the Indian military. They were struggling. 10 steps, fall down, rest 2 minutes, stand, 10 more steps. This was slow going, and I was too nervous to unclip from the fixed lines to pass them. It took a good hour to navigate 50 meters to the next anchor point where I thought it would be safe to pass… The lesson was, “If you are not first, you are last. Especially on Everest.”

I continued up the slopes. My coughing fits seemed to worsen with time. I felt like I was slowly suffocating, although I had O2 at 1 liter per minute. My movement was extremely slow. I was slow but never this slow. At the end of the snow, I had a look at the regulator and mask. My coughing fits had blown the valve in the front of the mask clear through to the plastic catch all on the tip. The O2 which I believed I was taking was going into the mask and straight out the front!

I was frustrated and needed to repair the mask. I removed my mittens and began to work on the mask. My coughing and natural trembling from fatigue made it very difficult to summon the dexterity in my fingertips needed to replace the valve to its proper position in the mask.

All I remember from that point is a burning sensation in my hands. I shook myself awake. My head, resting against the ice axe, was spinning. I was at 7600 meters. After quickly replacing the mittens, I struggled to my feet and entered the rocky section and the last 200 meters to Camp II. I needed O2 and a new mask badly. During the ascent I radioed camp II and asked to have a new bottle sent down with a spare mask. The camp came into view when I saw Pemba starting towards me with the equipment I requested.

Karo was there videotaping my arrival. I was extremely angry. My partner had left me and did not seem to understand the gravity of the situation. I realized that I was truly alone at the highest point I had ever been. It was windy, visibility was poor and I felt like utter shit.

We spent the night at 7800 meters on a small safe rock platform to which the tent had been strapped. There was a rope net over the tent to keep the tent as securely fixed to the platform as possible. It looked like it was set up to withstand a hurricane.

Later that evening I realized that this was definitely necessary. As the sun went down and we settled into our sleeping bags, the wind began to pick up dramatically. Both Karo and I recognized that the bags provided were too small to fully push our down laden bodies into. It was cold. Karo radioed in that we were experiencing high winds and the equipment problems were an issue.

I was certainly more nervous than I had ever felt in my life. With the wind pounding the tent incessantly, I could hardly think of anything except descent and desire to be in a warm, comfortable place. We couldn’t hear each other without screaming. It was a long and sleepless night.

We continued to the high camp but it was there that I had agreed with Alex that it was time for me to descend. I can´t remember the exact nature of the conversation apart from the fact that everyone was laughing at my comments. I had an easy sunny morning and began the descent back to Camp I on the North Col. It was a difficult decision but the time spent at 8000 meters was just a bit too frightening for me.

Coming down I increased the flow of Oxygen in the cylinder to the maximum. It was like waking from a dream. The issues of having no Oxygen were clear then. My hands became warm again and I could feel myself thinking much more clearly than before.

I stopped at the top of the snow slope to catch a few remaining high altitude photos and think hard about the decision I had just taken. It was a saddening moment. My Sherpa comrade was far behind me…even more sick than I was. Pumori still laid below me and the view to Cho Oyu was phenomenal. It was summit day for the team and there was again clearly a lot of wind but the skies were blue. I thought about it only briefly as I continued my descent to the col.

At Camp I, Harry and the second team were all arriving. They all greeted me with the same warm and congratulatory spirit as if I had summitted. I stopped for tea and had my first real conversation in days.

It was very warm at the col. The wall of ice above protected it from the wind while the sun continued to beat down on the camp. It was unbearable and I knew I had to get back to ABC quickly. The heat and altitude were making me dizzy.

Again down the 500 meter ice wall of the North Col I went. I was alone and really frustrated by the fact that my Sherpa had been really of no use to me. I was again alone. I remember crying that my dream was coming to an end. All of my climbing friends were going up while I was descending.

When I arrived in ABC, it was empty. There were the cooks and Alex and Andrey the Doctor. They were very happy to see me but also very focused on the teams going up. The next 48 hours would be as intense for them as they would be for the climbers making their way up the mountain.

As a spectator, I admit that I had feelings of jealousy and envy. The constant thoughts of why I had not just pushed on. It was only another 48 hours to torture which I had to endure to complete the 2 ½ months of discomfort to get to my ultimate goal of reaching the top of the world.

It is only now that when I reflect on it that I realize that the moments of mental toughness that some people demonstrate can often end in loss of life or limbs. What is the right time to hang it up? Am I being too soft? Or am I being extremely rational and disciplined in my decisions?

There are often criticisms levied both ways, but I am slowly coming to the conclusion that people who make the criticisms need to first experience the high altitude stress and lack of clarity and then from this point of view make their own judgement.

In all cases, I think that only the individual knows whether he or she gave his/ her best and, where mistakes were made, no one is more critical of these than the climber himself.

People on the outside tend not to understand the immense pressure on the climber. Family, colleagues, friends, arm chair adventurers and sponsors who have looked on have a hard time understanding the immense pressure on the climber in such an extreme expedition to succeed. The climber knows what others have sacrificed to help him get to this point. The financial outlays are more than some people earn in one year. It is a LOT of pressure.

During the walk down, thoughts crossed my mind on how to explain this to people. Failure in and of itself is a difficult discussion for many people, and it was not until deep reflection on my failed summit that I began to realize the string of events and mistakes that led to my turning around.

“Learn from it and improve Jamie!” This only came after months of reflection. During my descent I vowed never to go back, but I had forgotten about the buzz that preceeds the expedition and the great feeling of preparation for the struggle of a lifetime.

Of course I was bitter having not reached the summit and it was hard to share a jeep back with a group that had summitted, but this was all washed away with the first bottles of beer and the heavy oxygen in Zhangmu. The Norwegian team and ours joined into one vehicle from Kodari to Kathmandu. It was a hell of a celebration.

The catharsis of the bus ride carried on to Kathmandu, where the Norwegians hosted a party for all those friends and teammates in the town. One fellow in the team rented the presidential suite and hired local prostitutes to accompany him through the next day. His state was so bad that he showed up naked to the party with a case of Dom, which he proceeded to use to shower with his two new companions on the back lawn of the five star hotel. The ambassador was completely embarrassed by his behaviour, but the crowd actually found it amusing.

I had one last night in the casinos before it was time for me to leave Kathmandu. I was reflective and sad. I had promised to attend the funeral of Marco and also reported back to work that although my journey had almost come to an end, I would need a couple of weeks to recover.

Call it selfish or crazy but I told no one of my return except my best friend and my parents. The day I arrived, I made it home, did the ritual post-expedition cleaning. I quickly packed the car and headed to Slovenia and Croatia where I would first meet Marco´s family and then drive further for a much needed rest near Split. I don’t think my girlfriend at the time ever forgave me for not wanting to spend that time immediately after the expedition with her, but I needed it to contemplate this intense experience without distraction.

Shark Fins in the Rongbuk Glacier

Everyone from the North Col part of the expedition moved to Zangmu at 5:30 A.M. Did not hear a thing. John and I left Base Camp at around 11:15 after breakfast and a shower- the last for probably 11 days. It was warm and the pace was fast. We reached the bend to the East Rongbuk glacier in 75 minutes. There we took a break. 

John began to explain his life. I guess he is having problems deciding what to do with his current girlfriend. Brat kid, questions on disciplining, religion. He believes jokingly that he should read a book on 4-year-olds. He seems to have a nice life in San Francisco, though battling with the dependencies of his girlfriend on her parents for support.

We had a few candy bars and some water and overdrew on our allotted time. I decided to just listened which is what I figured he needed.

I led the second and third stretches. We made it to the Yak Camp in a remarkable 40 minutes. Again we stopped, and continued the previous monologue.

The third stretch, though physically easier than the second, is long and rolling and the weather looked like it was turning bad. On our way out of the Yak Camp, we passed Robert, who was taking a break on his way down. His smug smile revealed that he was very proud of his accomplishment of reaching the North Col and sleeping there. We did not chat long as he verified my worries of bad weather.

The third stretch is the longest and most grueling- rolling moraine, frozen river and lake crossings, ending with a 300 meter gain to 5800 meters and a 50 meter deep ravine crossing which can only be described as frustratingly steep.

Half-way through the third stretch, the weather arrived. I realized how dumb I had been. The only foul weather gear I had with me was a down jacket and ski gloves. The rest was all fleece and the bottoms were not even wind-proof. The snow was so heavy that we lost track of the trail often. My hands were extremely cold from the wind. When we saw the tents, I was relieved.

The next day we woke, ate breakfast, packed and left. Upon the moraine, I realized that my 5-hour trip could result in frostbite without the proper pants. I told John that I was turning around to see if someone could bring my goretex for me.

The wind was extreme when I returned, wanting to lift all tents except the dining tent from their moorings in the moraine. Sergei was still in the camp, sleeping in the piles of sleeping bags.

I decided to go to the kitchen and radio ABC. Luckily Karo heard, grabbed my Goretex and sent it down with a sherpa.

I spent the afternoon and evening watching the forces of the wind. Everest’s plume was larger than ever, exploding in various directions, wildly flapping in the jet stream. Obviously our high pressure system had been pushed out by a low.

The dining tent at IBC

Intermediate Camp is great if you want to be alone and cold. Normally your stuff is at Base Camp or ABC. At IBC it is shared tents, group sleeping bags (which are okay, but not great), dining and kitchen tents. There is no electricity and no portable heaters like ABC and BC. It is meant to be a rest point between two small cities on the Rongbuk Glacier.

In the morning, I woke and felt great. I grabbed the sleeping bag and my water bottle and walked down to the kitchen tent. I had a quick bite to eat and filled my bottle. Within 15 minutes, I had packed and was on my way. The morning was the antithesis of the previous day. Calm and sunny, though the pattern has always been unstable in the afternoons. I was planning to skip the first break at the Yeti Cave and hustle to the turn in the glacier. This section is the flattest and the place where you can really beat or burn the clock.

Once in my rhythm, I realized I would shave 45 minutes from my previous time. When I reached the turn, a mild breeze picked up. I donned my windbreaker jacket, exchanged my baseball cap for a ski hat and put on my MP3 player to help motivate me up the slopes.

I was alone. No porters, no sherpas, no team mates, no traffic! Just me and the shark fins, the wind and the east face of Chiang Tse. I decided to extend the break as the weather looked like it would hold for the 2^nd half of the journey.

Here I am at 6200 meters in Tibet, alone, with a view to one of Everest’s little sisters. The sun, reflecting off the surrounding faces, was intense. Better put on my glacier glasses. Between the shark fins, the deep blue/green ice radiated from the belly of the Rongbuk. Crack, slide, creak. 1000s of years of ice was pushing its way down the valley.

I stood, shouldered my pack, turned toward another small sister, Lak Bari, and began my trek up the glacier. The music was a welcome change. I know that it taints the interaction with nature, but I needed rhythm to help regulate my violent breathing and pace.

Approach to ABC

The one song I remember most is Piano Man. I guess the lonliness of the glacier engraved this in my brain. “Drinking a drink called lonliness, but its better than drinking alone.” Of course there were hours of music but this is all I could remember.

Not too long after, Nikolai caught me. I am truly amazed by this man- 67 years old and running laps around the young folks. “Jame, break? Top of next hill?” He sometimes tries my first name though his favorite name for me was “Dickey” (Russian for Wilde).

We stopped. He sat, didn’t eat, didn’t drink. He watched me and said, “American system. Really you carry so much.” In abbreviated exhales and inhales, “Look at me, I am old man. I carry only leg of lamb for ABC.” It is a sing-song lecture in English with Russian accent. No articles in sentences.

We laughed. I threw some chocolate at him, even though he didn’t want it. He ate it and took a handful of snow to help wash it down. When the break was over, Nikolai blazed off leaving me to get organized and progress at my amateur pace.

It was slow going but definitely better than my last trip to ABC. When I made the turn west to the North Col. I ran into Dimitry Moskalev and we exchanged pleasantries. I asked the time (13:30). 30 minutes to go approximately. I said, “Wow, I will arrive in under 4 hours!” Dima replied, “It’s normal.” I was frustrated by his comment as I had improved by two full hours. Call it gumption-wrecking. He had not reached the top in three attempts and I believe that he wants to make as many as possible give up.

“With 10-20 in our group plus other expeditions on the mountain…In 2003, May 19, 130 people started for the summit. Weather patterns only called for 1 day of good weather so all went for it. There is only one way up which is the same way down at the second step.” Dima continued…

He is a hard man to follow and understand.

I staggered into ABC, but once I sat down, I felt great. I ate a bowl of soup and some cheese and went straight to my tent. I couldn’t sleep because of the low levels of O2. So, I organized the tent and took aspirin and water and began to listen to music. I managed two hours of sleep before dinner.

Dinner was uneventful. Karo and I spoke. He was on the North Col with Pemba, planning to ascend to Camp II and return the following day. I finished Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I don’t know what to really think. Questions:

Am I chasing dreams without structure?

Will these mountains make me crazy?

What is the quality in my life that I am searching for?

Maybe I am split between the classic and the romantic views in my life and find quality which links the two in the mountains.

I don’t know. But I am here now, waiting in ABC. I have received my O2, mask and regulator and the song that comes to mind is Major Tom.

The plan is to organize into two groups, one starting on the 14^th, the other on the 16^th, depending on the weather.

Today is May 1, Sunday. Tomorrow I will go for the North Col, spend the night. “I, am, smellin’ like a rose, that somebody gave me, on my birth-day, death-bed.”

Maybe I will walk toward CII the following day and return to the North Col. The down to ABC one night and straight to Base Camp. 5^th of May — gives me 9-11 nights before the summit push. I think I want to be in the second group. Really, this gives 6-7 days of rest in Shegar. Oh well, tomorrow will bring a new set of plans. With 5 bottles, for instance, I can start using O2 at the North Col. 1 bottle NC-CII and sleep, 1 bottle CII-CIII and sleep, 2 bottles – ½ to the second step- leave at top (of the 2^nd step), switch to full bottle taking me to the summit and back to mushroom rock, exchange again (the rest to CIII), 1 bottle for descent.

Enough! I am off for a rest.

Classifying the group is becoming annoying. Strong Russian, strong American, weak Russian, weak American. Everyone is rushing around to get to the North Col first and in a certain time. What does this get them? As long as you accomplish what you need before the summit day and get 3-4 days rest, you should be okay. So many proud Russians trying to prove something— I hate to put it that way, but that is the case here.

May 4- I returned to Base Camp at 5 PM on May 2. I climbed to the North Col. It is an amazing climb. The first section (approximately 1 hour) is like all the rest of the trip. Morraine & rocks. Once the path reaches the glacier, you switch to crampons and ice axe! It is a 15 minute walk across the glacier to the North Col Ropes. From there the wall rises from 40-50 degrees.

The wall of ice- North Col climb

Fixed ropes and jumar is the way up. About five rope lengths into the climb, you are faced with vertical ice at approximately 6800 meters. Very challenging after a few switchbacks, the ice again reaches 60 degrees. At this point, ABC looks like an ant farm and you are tired. Nearing the top of the col, there is a huge crevasse bridged by two aluminum ladders tied together. One last fixed rope and the first tents on the col have been reached. The main tent colony sits below a bergschrund protecting the camp from the wind.

Upon achieving the col, I collapsed and the sherpas fed me tea and soup. I was exhausted and happy. I could not sleep. The tent was shared with Mingma and Pemba. It smelled like sweaty socks and the floor was very uneven. I was having stomach problems and an intense headache. This was the beginning of the longest night so far. I was encountering circulation problems which caused my feet to go numb.

The next morning, I woke and went for a walk. Realising that this was not helping, I decided to head back to the tents, where I saw Jamie McGuinness. I tried to sleep, but the heat in the tent was making me even more delirious than I had already felt. I had not slept, hardly ate, had the shits, and was at 23,000 feet.

I discussed this with Jamie M. and he said to just go down, which was a great piece of advice. I was only worked up about descending without any experience on vertical/ near vertical ice and snow. No one was there to accompany me. Regardless, I decided to go.

Karo arrived first at 3:15 ish. He is really a monster. It was great when he arrived because I was really getting bored. We switched tents and talked about our plans until the others arrived 2 hours later.

That night we shared the tent and laughed about nothing until 3:30 a.m. Karo, suffering from an hypoxic headache, was rubbing his skull violently when I turned on the video camera and asked what was going on. He explained, laughing that he had a headache and could not sleep thanks to symphony number 5— referring to the hacking cough of the yak herder, the bells and the yak shit smoke. I think we giggled for 30 minutes straight.

The next morning we woke to the same things as the night before. I did not feel 100% – due to lack of sleep and the high altitude. We got our stuff together and set out along the moraine as fast as possible. Karo set a blazing pace leaving Dima and me 10-15 minutes behind. It was a bit depressing/ demoralizing. At the first break, I mentioned my condition and explained that they should forget about me and continue on ahead.

Along the way we had fantastic views of Chiang Tse and the north ridge of Everest. The morraine was simply a stream of ice filled with these gigantic shark fins.

The second break was where the glacier turned east along the northern flanks of the mountain. I was wondering if my food/ water would last me to ABC. Ten minutes after my break, I ran into Dima and Karo who were waiting to give me the radio. Again Karo flew and Dima and I were about the same pace. The rest were far behind.

The sunshine and blue skies were incredible and the glare from the glaciers hanging off the north ridge caused my lips to burn. I was in fleece only and it was too warm.

At the third break, we saw Valodia and Karo, who was napping in the sun. Valodia hired a porter to carry his stuff for 2 days. He looked very weak and does not listen to advice.

I forgot to mention why we left at 11:15 instead of earlier. A small issue with space at ABC had prevented all tents from being established on time. As well, our water source was blue ice from the glacier. It had to be melted and one stove had been destroyed by a yak in transport. We were told to remain in IBC, but ignored the order and agreed to double up in tents where needed.

So Dima and I proceeded again steadily up the moraine to the fourth break point again to a sleeping Karo. The two went on and I filled my water bottle from the melting glacial river. I thought while laying in the sun, this water is 1000s of years old and is as pure as you can find. It tasted great. About an hour into my break team fat bastard came over the hill. They were moving very slowly. I joined them. It took 2x as long to reach the camp but was really great conversation and took my mind off the fatigue and my O2 deprived lungs.

The hike to ABC ends on a 300 meter rise over a couple of kilometers. The hike on the first go takes 5-7 hours and starts at 5800 meters. The majority of the time is spent above the summit of Kilimanjaro!

Needless to say, I was exhausted. I could barely eat, and when I went to bed, I was plagued with cheynes-stokes, giving me a feeling of suffocation every 5 minutes. I finally dozed off waking in the night often to pee and to the sounds of the glacier moving beneath us. I had horrible thoughts of avalanche and rock fall which almost forced me to sit in the dining tent. I considered it 2-3 and was counting the hours to sunrise, when I could give up this insane vacation and return home.

This brings me to an unimportant point, the expedition psychology. When you move, you think of arriving. When you rest, you have an idle mind to deal with. You don’t sleep the day away, but you have no real tasks apart from the basics (shower, eat, drink, sleep, organize gear for the next movement). This idle time is filled with reading, writing, listening to music, playing cards and talking.

It gets old quickly and the mind wanders to other things (girlfriend, work, shower and bed, real food). This can lead to depression. Sometimes just getting up in the morning is a challenge. Everything is covered in frost, it is cold, you are stiff. Just turn these negatives off and move quickly.

Today is one of those rest days. I managed to spend 40 dollars on the phone, take photos, eat, and update this journal. It goes without saying that I am ready to move again. Tomorrow we will walk to the base of the North Col and return. The following day is planned to return to Base Camp.

As for my condition, my blood oxygen content was 74% today, one of the higher readings in the group. I have no headache though walking and performing certain tasks leaves me breathless. Eating is becoming a real chore. I am pissing on a more normal schedule now though taking a shit is starting to hurt. I am trying to go every day, but the conditions are hard and the diet is really not fiber-rich.

I am feeling much more positive than yesterday night and continued to find reasons to continue. Getting cold now, will go for a short walk.

April 26- We returned to Base Camp after 3 days at ABC. The walk took over 6 hours and we traveled 23 kilometers and descended 1200 meters. We walked at a very brisk pace covering the ground at an average altitude of 6000 meters— higher than Kilimanjaro.

We were all very tired and I slept exceptionally well that night. There was a snowfall after we left— knee deep. The last two days were spent, sleeping, cleaning and playing cards. The romantic image of mountaineering would be destroyed if the lifestyle were exposed. For me, it has been very difficult to sit and wait. Again afflicted by my idle mind, I have doubts if all this is really worth my time and energy. Hard to say.

Last night and today I have had serious problems with my stomach. I let Karo go ahead of me, and hopefully can recover today to catch him higher on the mountain tomorrow or the day after.

My existence here seems to be streams of consciousness. I am really losing the concept of time and my drive is waning. Strange to think that maybe I’ll do this and then turn around and decide not to because we have so much time. Our next run up the mountain will be a 10 day trip to the higher realms — North Col- Camp II somewhere around 7500 meters and after that is a 7-14 day rest!!! To prepare for the summit assault.

So much waiting! I feel restless and wish that I could get to the summit push. All my power is going into relaxing and being as patient as possible. My lethargy is building with every minute I spend in Base Camp.

What is Base Camp depression/ boredom? A typical day in Base Camp:
Wake up 8:30 (dawn is coming)
Tea in tent at 9:00 (milk tea/ black tea)
Sun hits the tent at 9:28 (temperature changes from -5 to +5 in the tent)
Get up and read in the dining tent next to the prtable heater until breakfast at 10:15 (Banging pots call all members into the dining tent)
Breakfast consists of porridge, toast, tea/ coffee/ hot chocolate, some variant of eggs
11:00 go to tent and sleep/ read/ write/ listen to music)
12:30 decision— shall I shower today?
13:30 reading/ writing in dining tent
14:00 lunch (soup, momos, or sandwiches, veggies and cole slaw)
15:00 afternoon agenda— Tea houses, Rongbuk, short walk, sleeping)
18:00 gather in tent, play cards, talk
20:00 dinner (meat, soup, bread, veggies)
22:00- 24:00 Cards drinking, movies

There is a lot of discussion around next steps, health, music, travel, politics. The political discussion is mostly driven by Harry who has very liberal thoughts and some general disregard for international economics— but a good sense of humor.

As soon as it is time to go to bed, the temperature has dropped below zero. So a bottle of hot water, your ear plugs and a headlamp accompany you to the tent. It is not really that cold if you have the right equipment— which luckily I do. In the night, you sleep, but not like at home. You become accustomed to it, but are awakened by hyperventilation, freeing condensation falling from the ceiling, the need to urinate or drink water. It can be described as a sleep that is deep but short and interrupted.

The pattern repeats and repeats until people give up, get sick or run up the mountain. I, for one, don’t know how many more of these cheese filled momos I can eat. I will begin eating the food I brought with me today.

Other things that start to wear on you are the closeness of the group, and each person’s tick… the stink of the toilets, and the division due to language and difficulties with cultures. The wind and the dust. God, I never knew it could be so windy. The locals say that we have yet to experience the wind.

It is interesting to understand why people come back for this punishment over and over again. We all laugh at these small issues and I know that deep down that all are longing for a warm bed, a hot shower, a good western meal. It is hard not to think about it.

In order to forget these things, people begin to pick on each other. The current joke is about Viktor’s magazine “Lady”. Five minutes ago, it was Hank Williams Jr, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” Harry said, “Let’s go hunt some n####ers Jamie.” Neither he nor I are racists— it was a general comment on the racism in the southern United States which all realized immediately was not funny… Earlier today, it was Lorenzo’s chapped lips, innuendos to a secret homosexual relationship with Robert. Lorenzo, showing restraint and his intelligence said, “You guys reall have nothing to do!”

—Just an aside to these comments— I apologize for repeating these words, but they were actually used and I am in no way condoning the use of any racist or sexual discriminating comments…

So this is the environment that we live in. Hopefully we won’t regress any more. As said, many, like Harry, laugh to fill the gaps and hide what’s bothering. In most cases, this is better than the alternative. Base Camp Blues can only be broken by giving up or focus on another topic i.e. climbing. Drink doesn’t help because the alcohol is cheap and makes you feel worse. You just have to muster the strength to persevere.

Because your sleep is deep and short, you remember very vivid dreams. Sex, entertainment, food, friends, and, strangely, people from the distant past fill your dreams. Most of the time you don’t want to wake because the dreams are so real. I almost sleep through breakfast this morning, because I was dreaming of buttered popcorn and a movie.

Another way to enjoy Base Camp is to bring out the child who was once without boundary and looked at everything in a different light. If you stay within the boundaries of camp, refuse to look at the stars, clouds, moon or landscape, you will miss out.

Last night, on my way to the toilet, I watched the full moon move across a clear sky and its light illuminating the north wall of Everest. These are things that are not to be missed! However, because of preoccupations with comfort, goals, or team hierarchy, people miss them.

Noel’s eyes have not improved which will most likely force a retreat to towns below Base Camp. He cannot see anything at the moment. Karo and Sergei have recovered well from altitude problems as has Dima from his flu.

The strongest looking at this point are Marco, Viktor, Lorenzo, Sasha, and Grisha. I am happy that I am not the weakest looking but must say that I feel weak. It is a great thing that I will continue to deteriorate. Anyway, tomorrow I will see how strong I really am on the trail to IBC.

Many thanks to Harry Kikstra- I have used many of his photos from our expedition to help document my blog.

Continued from previous post…

Typical houses in Tibet

April 13- We spent two nights in Shengri. A nice hotel for the area. The food was excellent and the rooms offered hot showers and comfortable beds. During the time here, we went to a monastery. The group spent the day in the town and hiking up through the ruins of the fortress. Again it seemed like a race and everyone was trying to prove something. Harry, Noel and Lynne hung back as the others scrambled up the various routes to the top. Harry said it best— the extra 200M will not help me in the end and is not the summit I am aiming for. His attitude and personality is really good for this kind of work.

I came down a separate route than the rest. The various courtyards caught my curiosity. Many were filled with yaks and the fences topped with wood and yak dung patties. The stoves in the houses were burning the dung as heating fuel.

School children in Shegar

I entered the town and sat in front of a shop which offered a big stoop to fix the solar equipment. Two older women and two children approached me and watched as I adjusted the equipment. I decided this was a good opportunity for a portrait or two. The older women pointed to my pants, which were open and venting. I tried to explain that this was the way I wanted them. I pulled out of the lunchbox and handed my food to the children & 5 yuan to the adults. Afterwards I could not move in the town without 10 children following me and begging me for money.

We were like rock stars or space men to these children. Dressed in high tech clothing, carrying solar panels and fancy watches, we must have looked very strange. Do these people understand why weird people like us flock to the area? It must be a circus to them when the expeditions roll through in April and September.

Noel, Lynne and Nathan were in front of another store when I saw them. A familiar sight with a dozen children climbing over each other to see Ringling Brothers. No internet said Nate. The guy owning the store was too busy playing Tomb Raider and did not want to help us. More portraits and I decided to head out to the road back to the hotel on my own.

The taxi service in Tibet is not so bad!

The road stretched out around a small hill and was about 8 KM. Again I was surrounded only by the sound of nature. An amazing dust storm and wind kicked up right about halfway. The Slovenes and Dima passed me and finally the circus caught up. Nate, Noel Lynne and Harry were on the back of this colorful tractor honking away. The wind was blowing hard. They looked like the merry pranksters riding home from their last victory. Each ahd a smile from ear to ear and waving for me to join in the joy ride back to the hotel. The evening was uneventful. John, Nate and I walked to the nearest shops. Barking dogs and begging children again.

The next day we woke at 7:30, ate breakfast and checked out. Our departure was delayed due to Lynne and Lorenzo. They had taken a couple of towels from the hotel.

Entrance to the park--- view of Everest from the North side

Once returned, we were on our way to base camp. Our driver, who looked like a character from a Bruce Lee film, was not really happy with the windows open. We traveled again through the barren plateau back to the check point. 10KM further and we made a left turn to Quomalungma National Preserve. Again there was a check point to ensure all fees were paid. Along the way, we were treated to views of Everest but non like the pass at 5100 meters. From this vantage point we could see four 8000 meter peaks all at once and with blue skies! Of course we all stopped to take advantage of the photo opportunity.

We had plenty of time. I decided to build a Chortan for Dan. I figured he would have liked this place.

Coming into base camp was a shock. The giant north wall of Everest towered above with its great white plume of ice crystals flying like a giant flag from the summit. The jet stream was pounding away at the roof of the world. The tent village was alive with Tibetans and Yaks. I believe that we are the last expedition to arrive on the scene. Driving through the moraine fields, the dust was like that of Aconcagua… ubiquitous and permeating every orifice.

View of base camp from the top of the terminus

Our site was the furthest up the valley situated directly behind the terminus of the glacier. One giant yellow tent was where we would eat. At night, the electricity from within made the tent look like a giant glow worm. The shower tent, also yellow, was almost the best sight at base camp. Consisting of two rooms, there are water heaters and fresh water to make for a very pleasant experience. The toilets, one sit down and one long drop, are housed in a red wooden structure. Alex, the team leader, had become famous for the construction of the perfect Base Camp toilets. And so they became known as the Abramov toilets. All of these structures had been built to provide comfort and protection from the pounding wind characteristic of the north side.

The dining tent is extremely comfortable with two gas heaters and tables, chairs and electricity.

Today, April 15, was a lazy day spent acclimatizing and officially opening base camp with the puja ceremony. A lama from the monastery came. Incense and juniper burned while the lama recited old prayers. Rice tsampa and alcohol were offered to Chomolungma. Followed by drinks and food blessed by the lama. It was a ceremony which had bells, drums, clapping, chanting and rich scents all designated to please the God of the mountain.

April 16 began with a hike up to the halfway point to intermediate camp. We had excellent weather. Seemed that the team was pretty spread out. Lorenzo and I were blazing ahead with Robert picking up the rear. Up higher we were treated with views of the giant North Wall and Pumori. I was feeling quite good until we returned.

Intermediate camp on the Rongbuk glacier

I think the headache was mainly due to fatigue. I ate a lot for lunch and then showered and slept as best as I could. That night we had dinner and wine. The alcohol helped to rid the pain in my head.

Saturday, April 17- Harry took the English speaking group up to the caves above base camp. He wanted to meet other expeditions but none were interested. The ongoing joke was the all woman Indian Team doing the shoulder and hip shake as they climb the mountain.

We headed up the frozen river up the valley. At the top of the small hill we found the cave where the Buddhist monks would lock themselves in and ponder life. As well we saw the chortan for Mallory and Irvine. The view of base camp from this vantage was excellent and the color coordination made it look like the game risk. We descended to the tent village and went into one of the tea houses.

A tea house is nothing more than a large square tent, lined with beds set up as couches. The floor was earth and tables looked to be abused antiques holding mugs. Everything in sight in the tent was for sale. Rugs, jewelry, stuffed yak dolls, jackets, beer, coca-cola, and of course tea. The room was dark and some very strange characters came and left. Afterwards, we returned to camp for lunch.

I spoke with Marlies around 8PM.

After lunch, I decided to walk to the Rongbuk monastery. It was such a relaxing 8KM walk. I was again alone. Unbelievable, the wind and dust and

The Rongbuk Monastery

rocks/ moraine dropped by the receding glacier. I must have walked for 30 minutes when the Nepali storm began to hide the North face of Chomolungma. The total walk was 90-120 minutes of total isolation. About half way I passed some old ruins which I had mistaken for the monastery. There was just a sign which said scholar and magic cave. Eerily perched atop the sign were several crows. I stopped for a moment trying to decide whether to climb up the small hill. After a minute, I decided to continue down the road, as the clouds were coming in rapidly. I knew I could at least get a ride back to base camp.

I arrived at Rongbuk amd when I strolled through the entrance, spinning the prayer wheels, I noticed a chanting eminating from the center of the complex. Continuing deeper into the monastery, I realized it was afternoon prayer time. Peeking through the doorway, the lamas looked at me and two signaled for me to come in and join. I first had to remove my shoes and dusty baseball cap.

Monk at Rongbuk

The chant/ signaling was regulated by the beating of a drum and the monks/ nuns were reading from ancient texts. You would think that these people were really serious but many were laughing/ joking/ dancing during the ceremony. Some came and some left. Every chant/ song was ended with the clash of cymbals and the blowing of two giant horns. I pray for strength, endurance, and health. After 45 minutes, I got up to make a small donation and met the chief lama who performed our puja a day or so before. I returned to base camp on the back of a motorcycle. That night I found out that Karo was staying at IBC. Frustrating. Now I am a day behind, I thought. It took a lot of energy to stay calm. I finished Dan Brown’s Deception Point.

April 18- I woke this morning feeling tired. I did not sleep well. Today, I decided would be a rest day and tomorrow would run up to IBC and spend the night. I slept, ate and packed bags for the yaks. Alex arrived today. Not much else happened- phoned with BT. The connection was really bad.

April 19- Slept well! Woke at 9 AM. Ate breakfast and packed. Harry and Noel gave me a fair amount of shit for going with the Russian team. I left at 10:45 and was first to IBC. It was great being alone for the majority of the day. The hike was long and much like Aconcagua. Morraine, glaciers and scree. Luckily the wind was light and the path was well worn. I made a decent time, though this was not my goal. I took three breaks and really tried to follow the pace I learned in Alaska. The surrounding peaks and ridges are nothing like I imagined. The north side is littered with crumbling red ridges. Many giant stones seemed to balance themselves atop piles of rocks like giant columns. It is almost against the law of gravity the way the columns stand, I thought.

At my first stop, I had a case of diarrhea. This really gave me a scare. It went away though, luckily. At each break, I had to pee. Very good that I am urinating so much but also makes it difficult to sleep.

The route was flat until the East Rongbuk met the Main Rongbuk. At the junction, the path turns left and up a hill- this hill is the main altitude gain. Once over the ridge, a flat section leads to the yak camp, ½ to middle camp. The rest of the way is about a 200 meter gain but traverses moraine hills (some 50 meters high) and the frozen river. At this point, you are walking atop the glacier, though the glacier is covered with boulders and stones. Occasionally the glacier looks serrated showing the blue/ green ice of Everest.

By the time I reached the middle camp, I realized that I had to descend and climb 50 meters to get to the middle of the glacier where the camp was. The camp sits right up against large ice formations which resemble penitents or shark fins. The only difference is that these shark fins are 25 meters high. Everything here manages to make me feel small.

I arrived at 4:15 though I had to search for the site. Marco and Vicki were in the main tent. After a cup of tea, I grabbed a sleeping bag and mattress and set up my tent. I tried to sleep. No luck, but I felt very good. Now I am sitting in the main tent and none of the Russians has arrived. Just the yaks, sherpas and Nikolai.

The Russians apparently made the mistake I did only they did not ask for directions. Sura, Sascha, Igor and Sergei. Sura is a highly regarded climber with the looks of a Russian Kevin Kline but extremely quiet and soft spoken. Sascha is as well know but rather for base climbing. He is a grey haired guy in his late 30s and has a very hard time looking you in the eye when you speak with him. Both speak no English though Sascha, having ½ of his family in Hamburg, speaks a bit of German. Igor is a bit older. Short and round and bearded, he carries a fatherly personality. He comes across as well educated— working as a doctor in the Ukraine and speaking English very well. Sergei, muscle boy, is younger, blonde and a very cool guy. He tries to communicate with me and always greets me with a smile and a high five. He is sponsored by Salomon and intends to ski down the North Col.

Noel & Lynne near Intermediate Camp

They arrived all arguing with each other and to add insult to injury, Nikolai said, “If Dickey (my nickname in Russian— translates as wild) could make it alone and first, why didn’t the dream team make it?” They had wandered through middle camp on up to Chang Tse Base Camp, where they called base and were told to turn around. All in all they were walking 8 hours from 5200 meters to 6000 meters. I could understand their frustration.

The following day I rested in the shark fin landscape, admiring my first real view of the route we were to climb. I was to recover and wait for Karo. I needed to recover as the night before was filled with yak bells, the persistent cough of a yak driver (who obviously had inhaled too much yak-shit smoke), and the smell of his fire (burning yak shit).

It was a strange ritual to watch just before dusk, the herders would erect this canvas, two-pole tent. It was pyramid shaped and looked like it was tan in its early years. The tent had no floor and the roof was slit to allow for the smoke from the fire to escape. When it got cold, the guys would throw a couple of patties onto the fire and pump O2 onto the fire to make the shit burn. I was kept awake by the whoop-whoop whooping of the fan and shortly after, all would exit the tent, billowing smoke and hacking from the fumes. They all had the pungent smell of this smoke and I believe it will take a couple of washes to rid the smell from my clothes as well.

Shishipangma pass --- 5000 meters

Dear friends-

Here is the recorded experience from my expedition in 2005 to the Northeast Ridge of Everest. It is long and therefore must be broken into several posts. I hope you will enjoy them.

I would appreciate it if you pass on the word to your friends of my various initiatives to raise money, corporate sponsors and participate in this blog.

I appreciate everyone’s support.

Many thanks to Harry Kikstra- I have used many of his photos from our expedition to help document my blog.

Jamie

April 3 –Brunch at Reitschule

Last Weissbier and ready to roll

Beautiful weather, sunny and warm. Andreas, Stefan, Marlies, Andreas, Jeff, Christiane, Brendan, John, Anete, Stu. Left, short walk through the English Garden. Took a nap & finished packing. Left home at 17:30. Arrived on time. Check in. Beer & last cigs with Marlies, Brendan, Andi & Jessi. Flight departed no problems. Was really not believing that it was here now. I almost did not want to go.

April5-

Today we woke after a night of reunions. Karo chartered a helicopter for 5 of us yesterday so that we could go and see Everest for the 1^st time. 5:30 AM wake up and off we went to the airport.

When we arrived, the helicopter needed replacement parts after trying to take off the first time. By 9:30 we were in the air. The air was warm and the sky hazy, but we could still see.

As we flew out over the suburbs, we passed a terraced countryside up through the valleys still unable to see the higher peaks which lay ahead.

It was an electrifying experience to be with the guys in this smallish helicopter. What were we going to see?

The first stop was Lukla and everyone looked at us as we set down for a quick drop of fuel for another team. Five minutes later we were off again. Next stop Tengboche, where the others would go for a three hour hike. We landed on a small circular rock platform and removed our gear. Stunning views abound!

First view of Everest

The first glimpse of the summit of Everest presented itself. A small plume of ice chrystals was blowing off the summit and the profile showing the south ridge and north. It became clear why the south is harder. The approach from the south is far steeper. As well, we had a great view of Ama Dablam a 7000 meter spike in the range.

The others took off on their hike and I stayed to relax and take in the scenery.

Tengboche seems to only exist for trekkers, expeditions and tourists. There are three or four little shops selling everything you could imagine! Signs offering beds, hot showers and freshly baked bread are painted on the walls.

The sounds of the bells fill the air. Yak trains and monastery bells sending out the vibe that you are somewhere special. The ridge which marks the outside of the village are lined with colorful prayer flags and chortan monuments to the dead.

Soon the team will be back and I will close with O mani padme hum and simply enjoy this view while I still can.

The monastery is closed until 3 PM so I am back and trekkers have arrived. Many have been to base camp, many turned around, attempting Island Peak. Apparently, a flu virus went through an entire group- water problems I think. An elderly couple from Groenigen spent some time here as well. The other group is drinking beer and talking about their adventure. Now the bells have quieted and local music interspersed with occasional western music pours out of my little café. Funny that the theme from Star Wars played and I am thinking of my non-corporate sponsors saying, “Use the force dude.”

April 8- The day of the 6^th was the first day that we were all gathered in one place. It was our first meeting and we were already being told bad news. The Maoists who control the countryside have called for a strike and our drivers were refusing to take us to the border. The risk of driving and being caught was having your hands cut off. So we went out and bought the last items and had our farewell dinner.

Waiting for our window to leave KTM

We went to a few bars during these days here. Sam’s, last night, was definitely one of the cooler places. Each bar was usually partly terrace, partly inside, but everyone was crowded usually outside. The walls of Sam’s was covered in graffiti and had similar music to Rum Doodle. Filled with 20 & 30 somethings and mostly western, everyone was either arriving from somewhere or leaving for somewhere. There were very few who were stuck in Limbo like we.

On the previous night out, we had gone to Babylon and Imagine. Two local night clubs, the bars were filled with Nepali girls begging for drinks in return for their company. They were not prostitutes as you would think but rather working for the club trying to drive the business. At the end of the night, they lined the bar to get their cut of the revenues they were responsible for.

Nepalis in general are a small squatty people with dark skin and can be either very thin and attractive or very fat. None show their true age.

On the night of the 7^th, Volodia invited a dancer from the band that was playing at the restaurant for a drink. Bimala is a local celebrity as it turns out making her living respresenting Nepali cultural dance. As well, she models and has her own TV show. 19 years old, Bimala was also studying arts and medicine, hoping one day to become a nurse. Volodia was very taken by her and the seductive nature of the Nepali dance.

The men are similar in stature; either very thin from pedaling rickshaws, working construction or working the streets to “catch” tourists and help them spend their money, or “fatter” businessmen running stores.

Bouda in Kathmandu

Yesterday we found that we were stuck for a few days. I went out to tour the city and explore. A rickshaw driver caught me and agreed to a tour in the back of his machine. The tour took me through Thamel to Durbar Square (where we stopped and viewed the old King’s Palace and the Freak Street area) to a large Stupa and back again. The tour was 7 hours and cost 20 Euros approximately.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember his name, but he waits for me outside the hotel gates to “catch” me or one of my team mates. He is a skinny little guy who speaks very little English and is very gentle in nature. At the main attractions he managed to keep beggars and other guides away so that I could spend my time understand what I was seeing and experiencing.

The streets were lined with small to very small grottoes from which people sold their wares. The larger shops were generally outdoor shops, selling a mix of real and knock off products. Pashmina/ cashmere, t-shirt shops, local dress and “garbage” that only ignorant tourists would buy for souvenirs. The smalles of shops are butchers sitting in caves with carved up animals lying on tables next to a set of scales. Carved is not really the word to describe— somewhere between carved and mutilated.

Local restaurants defy the imagination as hygene standards are completely disregarded. No exhaust- the walls above the stoves are dripping with condensed oil and blackened from the smoke. Meat hangs in the open collecting dust from the streets. The only thing safe to buy from the people seems to be bottled drinks.

In the evening of the 7^th we found out that we will rent a helicopter to the border where we will fly to meet our gear which will travel tomorrow. The idea is that we fly over the problem. Our next meeting is at 13:00 today when we find out about logistics and how much weight we can bring with us on the helicopter. We will wait at altitude for our gear and passively acclimatize. Waiting here at 600 meters will be worse than waiting at 3500 meters. As well, the additional cost of the use of the helicopter will be offset by reduced spending. We have all had enough alcohol and dust from Kathmandu that everyone’s health is beginning to suffer as a result. It will be almost a relief to get away from the horns, the beggars and tourist traps and begin the journey.

April 10- Today was a bit frustrating. Apart from my camera dying, my rechargeable batteries do not want to recharge. Now my only pen broke too. I guess I am getting all of my bad luck out of the way at once.

As well, a pack of Maoists Alex and Sergei on their way to Zangmu. Small explosives detonated in the car at the end of the convoy (I believe they were hand grenades) as the “terrorists” attacked with machine guns. Sergei was hit by falling rocks and both have wounds from the shrapnel. This has made its way to CNN.

The camera looks as if it has broken from the cheap Chinese batteries. I will go and buy a cheap camera as well as rely on the rest of the team for pictures from now on L.

Armed escort (tank) to the border of China

The trip from Kathmandu was interesting as we were escorted by the military to the border. We stopped there and unloaded everything. It was carried by foot across the friendship bridge into China. We had our first night in Zhangmu which was ok but really felt like we were leaving civilization. Zhangmu is a border town for truckers. Overrun with money changers, billiards halls, and beauty parlors. It is exactly what I imagined of a Chinese border town.

In the morning, we had delays as our group visa (22 people) only was valid if we all cross together. Two were missing. We had to cross two from the list and go without them.

We got in the jeeps and moved out. The road weave3d its way straight up from 2200 meters to 3700 meters. It was a dirt road and looked as if it was often washed away. At one point along the road, there was firn which crossed the road. The Chinese had just cut a hole in it. No trees… just a dusty road between the rocks and snow.

As for team building, the Russian/ English/ Sherpa divide is forming and the language differences are making it tough to bond with non- English speakers— almost makes me nervous. There is a lack of communication and coordination driven mainly by the language problems. As well, there is apathy for group gear and coordination of that gear to the destination.

Everest 2005- Nyalam

Nyalam is a small town on the fringe of civilization. The shops are small and confusing. Fake everything is available and most stuff is out of date. Every shop is the same, however the things that they are selling is spread everywhere and in different ways (if there is some order, I can’t seem to recognize it). The doors/ entrances are covered by colorful sheets and inside the buildings it is not any warmer than outside. There are dogs everywhere.

Crossing the Chinese border- Porters carrying 14 tons of gear 1 mile

This land reminds me of scenes from Raiders of the Lost Arc. It is a dusty and windy place. As the cold wind kicks up, it gets under the tin roofs and walls and shakes the buildings. A stark contrast to Kathmandu, from the blowing horns and flashing lights, it is bleak and cold and most sounds are generated by the wind. There are many things that seem strange, but I am particularly interested in all of the Buddhist symbols. The Nazis apparently stole the swastika from Tibet. All trucks are red and adorned with swastikas and firey symbols.

Today we woke at 8:30, breakfast at 9 AM and left for a day hike at 11:15. We walked up a hill from 3700-4300 meters by 13:00. I carried about 10-12 kilos of garbage with me. The route was a non-technical scramble which made its way higher to better views of Shishipangma and the Friendship Highway. It seemed like everyone wanted to race up and down. I was the last of those who went the whole way to reach the top. Lunch waiting, I did not spend much time and beat my retreat down together with Karo, who had patiently waited for me.

April 12- Today we woke and drove from Nyalam to Tengri. It was again an interesting journey. The drive started on a winding, dusty road with great views of Shishipangma. There was no traffic so we made our way quickly from 3700-5050 meters. Our first stop was at the top of the pass, where there was a huge sign and prayer wheels constructed like pinwheels turning with the wind. As well thousands of Prayers flags were everywhere. This is what I imagined of the Tibetan Plateau. Empty long stretches of dirt road surrounded by the high peaks of the Himalaya- stones and flood plains from the glacial melt, lots of dust and dirt that into everything. At first, we road with the windows down, and we enjoyed music. After two hours, the dust overwhelmed us.

We passed through a few towns along the way. The people seemed to be plowing the land— 2 yaks and a plow steered by a man. What in the world could actually grow here? The building were all one storey structures usually with one window on each side of the front door. The front door usually has a heavy piece of cloth to keep the cold out when the door was open. The roofs were lined with wood and yak shit cakes (both being used for fuel). Inside and out are generally colorful geometric patterns though inside is usually dimly lit and not well heated. It gets really cold at night and the people are dressed in a jacket indoors and many have a few pair of pants on— to the point that the top does not close nor does the zipper zip.

Still some division and stress within the team. Communication and coordination is pretty bad. The group is too big and too diverse and no one is stepping into this role as leader. The leader in the team is somewhat weak and the senior climbers seem to appreciate micro management and communicating what needs to be done. We had many discussions around this topic. The main stress around coordination and logistics would be eased if some simple things would happen. That said, the issues are really minor and everything is running according to plan… just two days behind schedule thanks to the Maoists.

It is really sometimes to think about a Russian- American expedition on Everest in China. The cultural differences are so vast for all of us here and China is not really a Russia/ America friendly place. You could see the micro revenge in the visa charges at the border. For separating a group visa the fees were:

Russia 450 RMB

USA 250 RMB

Britain 310 RMB

Other 100 RMB

Truck with our gear--- 14 tons of it

It is a constant war here regarding prices. A bottle of water in one town here can cost approximately 5 RMB or in another 10 RMB. It seems that people can see the need in your eyes and this experience really has taught me to ask for a lower price. If you don’t get it, walk out like you don’t care and don’t need it. If you seem to be in a rush, the price doubles.

Begging and whining happens quite a lot as well. These people play on your sympathy saying they need food etc. If you are in the countryside, they probably do. If you are in the city and buy a bottle of milk for 10 RMB and give it to the beggar, he will turn around and sell it back to the shop for 5 RMB.

10. The keys to heaven don’t lie on the summit… 

You won’t find Saint Peter or the keys to heaven on top of Everest but you may expedite your meeting with the almighty.

If you are seeking a way to kill yourself, this is a good way to increase your chances of success, but you won’t find St. Peter there with his keys to heaven. The statistics are quite impressive Today, Everest has hosted close to 3,000 successful summits. Over 230 people have perished giving a fatality rate of 9.3%.

Some other great statistics:

Photo and statistics thanks to Everestnet and FARS.

Each year, over 400,000 people die of diseases causes by smoking or another form of tobacco use— 20% of deaths in the USA

Each year, approximately 14% of all deaths in the USA are related to poor diet and physical inactivity… second only to tobacco use. Nearly 59 million adults are obese in US, and the percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last 20 years. Fifteen percent of Americans aged 6–19 years are overweight.

Approximately 22,000 of the 205 million registered drivers are killed in car crashes every year, of which over 4000 are motorcyclists. Pedestrians account for 4700 of the total traffic related deaths (41,000). You can make up your mind how safe walking around town is.

It is hard to assess where the risk of death fits in here regarding Everest, but it seems to me that you might be better off climbing Everest than starting to smoke or eating your 10^th Big Mac this week. Lay off the chicken nuggets.

9. I really want all 21

Likelihood of frostbite is elevated on Everest not only because of the cold, but also because of altitude issues. The extremities are increasingly at risk the higher you go. For men, this also includes the all important 21^st digit— the penis!

 The pace of technology has done great things to mitigate simple effects of cold by making insulation and closures better. Imagine climbing without zipper technology or wind stopper. More often there are stories of people spending the night exposed on Everest and thanks to the new boot technology toes and feet somehow remain unharmed while toes, parts of ear & nose and other extremities must be removed.

The fact is that while you wait to let your body acclimatize to the altitude, your body is making you fit at altitude but increasing the risk of thrombosis and frostbite. Why? It is essentially building more red blood cells to combat the reduced air, causing your blood to thicken like syrup and reducing circulation to the extremities. Natural re-warming of the tissues takes longer when your blood thickens.

8. Its so cold that not even bacteria can live there.

Temperatures low on the mountain are very bearable, especially when the wind dies down and the sun is shining bright.

Higher up the mountain, it is evident that there is no thaw. The only eroding force is the wind. There is no decay either as no bacteria live above 5000 meters, thanks to oxygen levels and cold. This means be careful where and how you go to the bathroom as you may be adding a permanent landmark to Everest. Soon enough the North and South Cols may be a permanent shade of urine yellow. The fantastically decorated fields of feces are not receding like the glaciers lower on the mountain.

7. Two months in tents.

I thought it was quite luxurious the idea of my own personal tents at base and advanced base camp. The truth is that no matter what people say, it is still a freakin tent on the side of a giant cold mountain. It may be your own tent… but you start to smell yourself after a while too. It is only 6 square meters of space too.

6. You will find places on your body where you never thought could get dirty.

People often ask, “How do you stay clean?” Although there is the opportunity to shower while at base camp, you never really get completely clean. The shower facility is fantastic and it is a great psychological boost to remove weeks of dust and grime, to wash your hair, and to experience hot water on your body. However, I will never forget the look on people’s faces, when I arrived in Munich. The secretary of my boss did not even wish to give me a welcome hug on the day I stepped off the plane from Kathmandu. It took me a few days to really return to my normal hygene.

5. Your clothes will never be the same again.

Yak shit drying for use as fuel in the winter

There are no washing machines there, but clothes do get washed. For a few Yuan the kitchen boys will wash your clothes and hang them up. However, no hand washing will ever get the smell of days of sweat and puss from broken blisters. But… the worst of the worst, which still doesn’t come out of your clothes after months of trying, is the smell of the burning Yak shit which is used to heat the Tibetan houses and tents.

4. You will realize that you won’t want to be mummified.

Sleeping on Everest is done in mummy shaped sleeping bags. While efficient in conserving body heat, they restrict movement dramatically. I will never forget the relief of being able to sleep spread eagle style on a bed in a 5 star hotel on the Chinese border. Restriction of movement while sleeping really drove me crazy and I never want to be mummified.

3. Chess really is not that interesting a game.

Everest is 90% waiting and 10% climbing/ hiking. I became quite good at chess while on Everest, wrote in my journal and as well I read 6 books. I think that I could have occupied my time better walking, hiking and moving around more. Lethargy and lack of motivation and the ease of committing to a “quick” game of chess seemed to be the general agenda every day. A chess/ backgammon board is a lightweight form of entertainment which every expedition has in the mess tents on Everest. I found out quickly that my love for chess was not very deep— and I forgot all tactics which I learned in those 2 months in Tibet.

2. Momos are great for about a week.

These damn things taste good, until you have had 100 of them.

Cuisine is better than most would expect at Everest Base Camp and Advanced Base Camp, where large kitchens are kept. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, sandwiches, soup, meat, rice, some vegetables, and of course the Tibetan/ Nepali staple THE MOMO. These are like the “hot pockets” which everyone laughed so much about in the Austin Powers movies. You can only eat so many momos and somewhere along the way, we named the team the FAT BASTARD TEAM.

Regardless of how well we were fed and how much we ate, despite the quality of the food, our bodies transformed quite dramatically along the way. I lost close to 10 kilos on Everest in 2005, almost 15% of my body weight… We all lost our hunger the higher we went.

1. You will definitely have to sacrifice something very important to you to take part.

I lost many things as a result of my Everest expedition in 2005. I say lost because I did not recognize I was actually trading one thing for another. Many climbers quit their jobs, mortgage their houses, put their relationships at risk, sell their car, lose their life or a limb, and many many other things.

In Messner’s Chrystal Horizon, he explains that the shortfall in sponsorship goals was self financed by selling his car. Even the best and most famous give up something for a shot at the top of the world.

My biggest sacrifices were a distancing of myself from my favorite managers and as well a loss of a true friend, who I know I will never recover. These things to me are tough to reconcile, but if you live your life true to your dreams, you will see that sacrifice becomes part of every major decision.

0. It gives “getting high” a whole new meaning

There is such a fine line between stupid and clever.

Yes— this is like the 11 in This is Spinal Tap … Except it is below one. Everyone on Everest experiences a bit of altitude along the way. Dizziness, nausea, headaches are common. What people don’t seem to realize is that these climbers are walking where intercontinental jets fly. At between 30-50% atmospheric pressure, your body has to work hard to get sufficient O2 to function properly. Mental capacity for those like me who don’t already suffer from slightly subdued intellect are reduced to the level of grade school students. Simple math becomes a challenge for most. Logic, emotional control, and general drive is also reduced.

High can mean many things to the climber. The altitude can produce hypoxic dreams — some of the most vivid and crazy things that can possibly go through your head. It can also mean hallucinations— Messner claimed to have seen the Yeti while climbing with his brother in the Himalaya and as well that someone seemed to be talking to him while climbing Annapurna — to me these are great documentations of hallucinations. You don’t need to smoke pot to get high.

I apologise for the long break. I have been very busy with a key transition. Monday was my last day at work, and I left Moscow Tuesday for Munich. I have been busy wrapping up my career as a corporate controller to transtion to full time work on fundraising and more importantly training.

At the Yuri Gagarin Party

I spoke to my boss about two weeks ago explaining these plans in detail. This all came in the middle of a big headcount reduction and restructuring at my company. I wanted to make sure that if someone would go that I would be the one to go and that I would benefit as much as possible.

This began the enormous process of unwinding a life I had begun to build in Moscow. Over the course of one and a half years, I had built a life, furnished an apartment, and formed many close bonds. It is not an easy process, leaving so suddenly.

I have now said good bye to my old team at MTS, given the team building speech I had written for them, signed my exit lists, moved over 100 kilos of personal items from Moscow to Munich and must now return for the last signatures.

I am currently in Munich but find myself with more to do than imagined. It has been a necessary break, as it is an investment in future time to focus on Everest 2010. I imagine that next week, I will have a lot of time for training and preparation.

My current plans include:

A trip to the USA
3 speeches to private donors and customers of the Great Outdoor Provision Comapny
Continued work on the web site
Establishing the Wilde Foundation Journal for my friends who have sponsored the journal
Training & Fundraising

I appreciate everyone’s support and patience. This is where the current story will begin to intesify. I have found my journal (unedited) from the first Everest Expedition, which will be the next big post, coming soon. As well, I have Vinson to bring into this format. I promise that the story will not fade away. This is the beginning of step II in my plan… Base fitness has been achieved, 100% of my time will be dedicated to this project now.

Please help me by checking out the blog on the web site www.jamesdewittwilde.com and invite friends along to follow here. It is free and helps me with sponsors.

Also if you feel like donating any amount, no matter what size, please look to http://96.0.25.157/?page_id=14 — part of my web ite. You can use credit cards etc. A 1 dollar contribution brings me closer to my goal!

Thanks to all who have contributed in one way or another to my cause!

Best,
Jamie