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Everest and Himalaya daily wrap-up: Weather reports kick-off with 100mph winds!
Apr 7, 2005 16: 49 EST
Teams in BC are performing Puja (offering) ceremonies, in order to seek the favor of the Gods for a safe climb. Both Sherpas and climbers are happy to take part in it, for two reasons: First, because all help is welcomed before facing Everest. Second, because the Puja is sort of kick-off signal for the teams to start the climb!
The summit is yet far from reach, but that’s okay: Winds are truly blowing up there - check out our weather reports!
Everest weather
ExWeb’s weather reports are starting early this year, due to number of expeditions already underway on Annapurna.
High winds at the summit
The jet stream is moving eastwards, to a position directly over Everest. The wind is really whipping at the summit! The weather report indicates 30-40 m/s (67-89 mph) winds at 9000 m (29,528 ft). The wind will steadily increase through the weekend, to 40-60 m/s (89-134 mph)!
The weather is somewhat unsettled, with occasional showers, turning into frequent showers this weekend. Conditions are much calmer at lower elevations.
Lindley of the Singapore expedition, confirmed in a sat phone call to exWeb today that the weather at Everest BC was sunny and fine, but very windy around the summit.
Everest North
Czech expedition for Hornbein Couloir
A Czech team of four guys and two women plan to attempt the Everest Hornbein couloir this season. The team members are: Josef Simunek, 40, Sona Bostikova, 33, Josef Moravek ,43, Ivan Foltyn, Peter Hnojna and Lucie Orsulova. Read more about the expedition in a separate ExWeb story published yesterday.
Seven Summits Club
”Progress is being held up due to a strike by the bus drivers,” said Lorenzo through sat phone from Kathmandu. “This in turn is due to the increasing threat of violence by Maoist rebels. The drivers are insisting on armed guards to escort them to Base Camp.”
Espulgues al Everest
“As we reached 4.000 meters we began to feel altitude’s effects. However, we have all gotten to Periche safe and healthy, at 4300m,” reported the team today.
Norway for Everest expedition
“After a nice night in Nyalam, with rats in all the rooms and half of us with diarrhoea, we set off for Tingri and then BC,” reported the team. ”The boys are well shaken by a bus that seems to be immortal.”
Once in BC, equipment was distributed. They will be heading for ABC, 6400m, tomorrow.
Everest South
Adventure Consultants
“Namaste! This morning folks were highly motivated to be on the move to Khumjung, a picturesque Sherpa town 300m above Namche where we are spending the night,” reported the AC team today.
“This afternoon some folks made a trip to the neighboring town of Khunde to visit the hospital. Khunde Hospital is run by the Himalayan Rescue Association and serves as the primary medical hub for the many surrounding villages. Villagers in need of medical attention will sometimes walk for several days to reach this hospital."
"The doctor presently in residence is a kiwi called Tim Fletcher who will be the last of a long line of western doctors who have had the privilege of working in this spectacular location. Very soon the Khunde Hospital will be run solely by Sherpa Doctors.”
Spanish Valencia team
David, Jorge and Haya departed Spain yesterday. “We felt sad checking the empty seats beside us in the plane. I miss Endika, our climbing-mate in previous expeditions. Without him, we won't be able to finish our meal at Kathmandu’s Steak House.”
International Mountain Guides
“The order of the day is .... Puja!,” reports Eric Simonson. “This solemn ceremony is a memorable event and a pre-noon cocktail party, all rolled into one. The sherpas consider it an extremely bad omen to climb above Base Camp without seeking the blessings of the mountain and making their offerings, we consider it bad form to not support them in this, and nowadays, Puja is just what you do at Base Camp when you are mounting an Everest expedition.”
Keith Woodhouse
“Game on!" exclaimed Keith. "This morning we had the Puja ceremony. I'm not a religious or even spiritual person but this service was very moving."
"Tomorrow we will attempt to establish camp 1 high above the Khumbu Ice fall at the bottom of the western cwm and then return to BC. This will take a minimum of 8 hours and we will try and complete the climb before the sun makes it unstable, so a very early start with much of the climbing by head-torch.”
Singapore NUS Centennial expedition
This it the (impatient) team's latest dispatch:
"The four days at Everest Base Camp seem much longer. Everyone is impatient to get up the mountains but that can't happen until after the puja, scheduled for tomorrow. Yesterday, the sirdar introduced us to our climbing Sherpas. This is important as each climber will be working closely with his assigned Sherpa. A quick count revealed that the eight had 18 Everest summits among them!”
Leipzigers without O2
“We can’t wait for our delayed luggage in Namche any longer, so we departed for Phortse in the morning. Tomorrow we will proceed to Dingboche (4400 m).“
Kanatek Expedition
Terry is utterly surprised at the huge amount of teams heading towards BC. “The traffic jams on the Queensway in the morning are nothing compared to the yaks on the trail today. There were dozens and dozens of them. We had to keep stopping to let them by, which gave us a chance to get our breath back.”
Cho Oyu
Ed Viesturs
Ed, Veikka and Jimmy are in Cho Oyu’s Chinese BC. Yesterday he reported on the expedition’s progress:
“Hi everyone! I just returned from a little hike up a neighboring 17,000 foot hill just to get some exercise. The yaks should be arriving some time this evening, and tomorrow morning we'll get 'em loaded up an begin the two day walk to our climbing base camp.”
Adventure Consultants
Singapore Mountaineers w/o O2
Singapore NUS Centennial expedition´s reports
Alpine Ascents Cybercasts
Jim Williams’ Exploradus dispatches
Dirk Stephan and Keith Woodhouse’s reports
Jean Pavilliard and Monica Kalodzi’s dispatches
International Mountain Guides dispatches
Mountain Madness dispatches
Climbing for a Cure’s dispatches
Esplugues al Everest (Spanish)
Jagged Globe dispatches
7 Summits/Harry Kikstra’s dispatches
Ed Viesturs' dispatches
Shaunna Burke and Ben Webster’s dispatches
Czech Expedition - Hornbein Couloir (English on the right side of page)
Gavin Bate’s – Adventure Alternative
Norway for Everest’s dispatches
Valencia expedition’s website (Spanish)
Canadian Kanatek expedition’s website
Sigrid Hammer’s website
Everest Vitesse 2005 (Italian)
Inaki Ochoa (Spanish)
Ivan Vallejo (Spanish)
Leipzig expedition´s news (German)
Silvio ‘Gnaro’ Mondinelli (Italian)
Japanese Team Honda’s website (Japanese)
Gabriel Filippi’s reports through Peak Freak
Live image over Contact 3.0 of the Puja ceremony, courtesy of Keith Woodhouse/Everest2005.co.uk
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| | End of season... Jun 4, 2005 | | Ranulph Fiennes turns back on Everest Jun 3, 2005 |
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