Mexican-Canadian Mt Everest Expedition 2004: Update

	Mexican-Canadian Mt Everest Expedition 2004 lead by Andres Delgado	Andres Delgado is sponsored in part by:

Update by José Luis Abreu from Base Camp

Pictures of the route on the Khumbu icefall

After helping the Sherpas installing equipment on the Khumbu icefall and going back to Base Camp, the traditional PUJA ceremony was held.

Puja is a ceremony to bless the expedition.

It is done in all expeditions.  Sherpas won't go up the mountain before the ceremony.  It is directed by a Buddhist lama who comes from Tengboche or some other nearby town.  During the ceremony  all the climbing equipment which is used in the ascent is blessed.  The ceremony last more than one hour and ends with abundant food and drinks.  It was held at 8:30 am on April 2. 

A stone construction is built in the center of the camp and on it is installed a mast to which all the ropes with prayer flags are tied.  Each flag has a prayer and it is believed that each time the wind blows it, the prayer goes up to the mountain gods.  The mountain behind the mast is Khumbutse.

Everything is ready to start climbing.  Tomorrow, Saturday April 3, at 6 am, the climbers will go up to Camp 1.  They will be the first to arrive to Camp 1 this year.   

On Saturday April 3, the 7 climbers of the team left to Camp 1.  They were preceded by an hour by high altitude Sherpas of the expedition, who carried tents and other materials for Camp 1.  They were the first climbers to get to Camp 1 this year.

The ascent went well, everybody felt strong enough to sleep over at Camp 1.  We keep contact by radio between the climbers and Base Camp every two hours during the day.

In the last communication, before updating this page, Andrés informed us that since everybody is feeling fine, the will help the Ice Fall Doctor to fix the lines up to Camp 2 and they will go back to sleep to Camp 1.  This would result in an excellent acclimatization.  Tomorrow other groups will start climbing to Camp 1, e. g. the Greeks. 

April 10th: Yesterday I climbed to Camp 1 with one of the Sherpas that are fixing the Khumbu icefall.  I had a great time, they accepted me in their group, I helped carry ropes up to 6,000 meters and they were very happy.

On Thursday (today) and Friday (tomorrow) we will be resting at Base and on Saturday we will climb to Camp 1 to sleep.  On Friday we are going to have a Puja (which is like a Buddhist mass) so that the Sherpas are in peace with their gods.  I have already said some Our Fathers and Ave Marias.

The Sherpas and I fixed yesterday one of the most difficult ladders of the route.  We joined five vertical ladders to pass a wall of ice of about 15 meters.  It was really hard but we have passed the most difficult part of the icefall.  It looks like the icefall won't be as hard this year as it has been in previous years.  The Sherpas were very happy when I helped them, they even gave me a rice talisman, sanctified by a very special Lama, to be protected from avalanches, rocks, crevasses, etc.   They told me that I had to carry it always in my coat...  There it is.  Around my neck I carry my wedding ring and an Iñaki medal, those are my real talismans. 

I have to leave you because we have to move the generator and we have to unplug everything.  The Base Camp organization has been a bit busy, everybody comes to me for questions and complaints... I think there would be still a couple of days before everything is stable, I have to be patient.

Andres Delgado

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

 

Altitech2: Digital Altimeter, Barometer, Compass and Thermometer. Time/Date/Alarms. Chronograph with 24 hour working range. Timer with stop, repeat and up function. Rotating Bezel. Leveling bubble. Carabiner latch. E.L. 3 second backlight. Water resistant. 4" x 2-1/4" x 3/4" 2 oz. Requires 1 CR2032 battery. See more here.

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