Everest and Himalaya wrap-up: Everest under the law of silence
The route to C1 shall be fixed by now - but we won't see it. Live image over Contact 4.0 of climbers in the Khumbu Icefall courtesy of Andrew Brash (click to enlarge).
Adventure Consultants' Everest team member Robyn climbing a ladder - the team won't post further live dispatches over Contact 4.0 until May 10th. Image courtesy of AC (click to enlarge).
Juanito Oiarzabal in Gokyo area. Image courtesy of Marca.com (click to enlarge).
Horia Colibasanu approaching C1 on Annapurna. Image courtesy of Iñaki Ochoa's homesite (click to enlarge).
Waldemar (left) and Irivan were greeted by some fellow Brazilian friends at arrival in Kathmandu. Image courtesy of Waldemar's website (click to enlarge).
03:42 am CDT Apr 16, 2008
(MountEverest.net) Following directions from China; Nepal’s Army has imposed an iron-fist censorship on Everest teams. The meeting held today in BC between army officials, L.O. and expedition leaders has resulted in a list of regulations meant to cut off all communications between those on the mountain and the rest of the world.
Laptops, sat-phones and cameras will be confiscated and locked up until May 10th, leaving the climbers with just radios to communicate among themselves – and their conversations will be eavesdropped. Mess tents may be inspected by liaison officers in search of forbidden items. Even trekkers marching up the Khumbu valley won’t be allowed to bring their cameras and phones beyond Gorak Shep.
No word out
SummitClimb’s leader Arnold Coster summarizes conditions imposed by the military as follows:
“- Radios are allowed, but we have to give them one so they can listen in on our conversations.
- No Sat-phones or Rbgan until 10th of May. They want us to hand them over.
- No camera's or video until the 10th of May.
- We can't climb above camp 2 until the 10th of May, but Sherpas are allowed to fix ropes up to the South Col between 06:00 a.m. and 18:00 p.m.
- Everybody will get a liaison officer, but they are delayed in arriving in BC because of the elections. They will inspect our camp for sat phones, Rbgans, etc., but they will respect the privacy of our member's tents.
- There will be a check post at Gorak Shep: all trekkers will be checked and not allowed to bring their cameras to BC.
- If the Chinese torch team summits early, then we can just go ahead before the 10th of May. Right now the Chinese are planning to summit on 28 April.”
Tibet: Don't even name it
The measures were declared official during the meeting held earlier today in BC. However, rumors had run wild since the beginning of the season. On April 13th, Canadian climber François-Guy Thivierge still thought computers and lap-tops would be allowed – as long as users avoided inconvenient words.
“As it seems, we will be permited to set up C2 from May 1st, and to climb further up to C3, but without staying there for the night,” he wrote back then. “Computers and lap-tops will be allowed, but we shall not mention the words “Tibet” or “Free Tibet” – we can’t speak about the subject, neither can we say anything which could sound offensive towards China. It is also forbidden to wear T-shirts or to show any symbol referring to China or Tibet while in the area.”
Peak Freak’s Tim Rippel also stated there would be police officers on watch up to C2, in order to properly monitor the climbers’ progress.
The climbers now focus on climbing as high up as they are allowed, and on finding ways to send word home.
“Today we have been instructed by the Nepalese Army that we are no longer to send to dispatches so, unfortunately this will be the last dispatch until further notice,” Adventure Consultants reported today. The expedition’s home crew has suggested all those interested in the team’s progress to call for updates to the company’s headquarters.
Peak Freaks team will go back to Hillary/Tenzing comms:
“Families of the climbers will not be left in the dark,” they stated yesterday. “Plan B is now in effect.” The alternative consists of handing hand-written notes to some Sherpa friends who will hopefully manage to post the news from Namche.
Otherwise, fixing labors at the Khumbu icefall were due to finish today, so that Tim Rippel’s team hoped to lead the way to C1 tomorrow.
Annapurna
Iñaki, Don and Horia were due to celebrate the puja ceremony today in BC. “Next, we hope to go up ASAP toward C2 at 6,200m,” Iñaki told his home team.
Ueli Steck and Simon are still acclimatizing in the Khumbu area. Yesterday they logged in from Namche Bazaar, where they are resting after a tough climb on Tengkampoche’s face last Thursday. The climbers, loaded with 25kg heavy backpacks, reported on difficult conditions and mixed, steep terrain, as well as a cold bivouac on a 70 cm-wide ledge.
Makalu
The British Royal Navy team has set up and supplied C1 at 6,100m. Members Ange and Molly plan to head up to C2 and then return for the night back to C1.
Brazilians Waldemar and Irivan landed in Kathmandu yesterday. Instead of New Year´s celebrations though, the climbers found people in town in a not-so festive mood.
“This climate of apprehension is due to the pressure put by the Maoists on Nepal’s people,” Waldemar reported. “The Maoists threatened to take retaliation against the people in case they lost the elections. Fear spread among the population and thus the Maoist party has obtained a majority of votes on the polls.”
In Kathmandu, Waldemar and Irivan have met up with team mates Colombian Marco Gonzalez Arango, Ecuadorian Santiago Quintero, and Argentinian Carlos Hernan Wilke. Other expedition members will be Colombian Fernando González-Rubio (who will move to Makalu alter climbing Dhaulagiri) and Spaniards Carlos Soria and Rafael de la Coba.
The climbers hope to be airlifted to BC from Lukla by the end of the week.
Meanwhile Spaniard Juan Oiarzabal spoke about his climbing plans after acclimatizing by climbing Gokyo Peak. Juanito remarked the fact that he is climbing independently, although he shares permit with a large Basque team including Roberto Rojo “Gorri”, Ander Goitia, Carlos Martínez, and some other climbers due to join the group within the next few days.
“I am doing it my way,” Oiarzabal told Spanish paper Marca . “I don’t have to reach agreements with anyone; don’t need to give any kind of explanations. I have a high-altitude Sherpa and my own team of porters, so that I’ll go up right when I feel to. I had always enjoyed my climbing mates’ company; I liked having friends by my side - but this time will be different.”
Some weeks ago, Juanito was rejected as member in Al Filo de lo Imposible´s Dhaulagiri expedition (currently on the way and featuring Edurne Pasaban and Ivan Vallejo). The 21x8000er summiteer, who had collaborated with Al Filo Spanish TV series for almost a decade, decided then to attempt Makalu instead.
Dhaulagiri
Polish Kinga and Kasia report on having met Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner at her arrival in Dhaula´s BC on Monday.
Himalaya Maestrat team was airlifted to BC that same day – members are David Ferrer Martin (35), Rafael Guillen (35), Agustí Pallarés (43) and Jesús Morales (36).
Ivan Vallejo and Fernando Gonzalez-Rubio are also back in BC after two nights in C1, and some further progress marking the way to C2. Together with the rest of Al Filo team, they are taking some days of rest before going for the next push up. The Ecuadorian climber reports on clear mornings, clouds gathering through the day, and light snow-falling at evenings.
Links to teams currently dispatching from Everest and Himalaya:
Mount Everest Expeditions •
Mount Everest Technology • Mount Everest Weather •
Mount Everest Medical • Mount Everest Guide •
Mount Everest News Mount Everest Video • Mount Everest
Trekking Agencies • Mount Everest Climbing Permits#8226;
Mount Everest Statistics •
Mount Everest Expedition List • Mount Everest Resources • Mount Everest Community
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