
Update:
Expedition abandoned
Yes, you’re reading this
right. Marc and Mark had already ceased the climb, as you know. On top of that
several people developed physical complaints. In effect only a couple were in
shape to make a bid for the summit. We were at 23,000 ft. The difficult steep
climb from 21,000 ft to 23,000 went well. Which makes it especially bitter for
us to have to abandon the climb.
At 23,000 ft a discussion
started with the Sherpas. There was too little rope, and the Sherpas thought
the conditions were too dangerous to continue climbing. Last week on of them
had a close scrape with death when an avalanche of about 230 ft wide nearly
hit them as it came down. We tried to persuade them the best we could, but the
Sherpas wouldn’t go on up. Perhaps that was a wise decision, considering the
circumstances, but it surely bummed us out.
Next Saturday Werner will
probably tell his story at length from an internet café in Katmandu. The group
will probably return to Holland as early as next week. Today Werner told his
story to some sort of “Supreme Priest”, who had organized the Yak herders.
These Yak herders had stolen all sorts of things (a bag of clothes, a solar
panel, an oxygen bottle, pots and pans, and so on). Werner has indicated that
the supreme priest (who was being shaven bald during the conversation) is the
one who can arrange the return of the stolen goods. Otherwise he will report
to the Chinese police. And they are, as you might know, not very gentle
people. Tomorrow the supreme priest will visit his men. You will hear more
from that next Saturday. On the upside… the team will return all in one piece.
To be continued next Saturday.
Dispatches
On the Tibet Side of Everest, a Dutch Team will attempt the mountain.
The Dutch team is
Werner de Jong (expedition leader)
Marc Streefkerk (climber)
Mark Thijssen (climber)
Boris Krielen (climber)
Sander Arens (climber)
Ruby Arens-Halfschepel
with another climber joining the expedition...
Few expeditions are successful in Autumn on Everest as compared with the
success in the Spring. See here for a classic Autumn expedition reports:
Autumn Everest 2002
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