Update APRIL 7TH BASECAMP

TODAY IS MY REST DAY, I PLAN TO WASH MY HAIR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT 10 DAYS.

AFTER BREAKFAST, ANDRONICO AND ERNESTO HEADED INTO THE ICEFALL AS ANDRONICO HASN'T BEEN IN YET. I DID SOME WORK ON THE COMPUTER AND THEN HEADED OVER TO THE DISCOVERY CHANNELS TENT. AS I PASSED DAVID S TENT I HEARD THAT BOTH THE DIRECTORS STEPHEN AND JOHN HAD MADE IT UP ONTO THE LADDERS IN THE ICEFALL, REALLY VERY IMPRESSIVE. I POPPED INTO CONGRATULATE JOHN AND THEN HEADED ON TO CHAT WITH BEN AND DAVID FROM DISCOVERY.

I'VE AGREED WITH THEM TO LET THEM FILM MY ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT EVEREST. THEY WANT A VERY REAL PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THE CLIMBS ABOUT SO I HAVE TO LET THEM HAVE FULL ACCESS, IF IM THROWING UP OUTSIDE MY TENT THEY WANT TO FILM IT! I JOINED THEM FOR THEIR PUJA CEREMONY FOR A WHILE AND THEN HEADED BACK HERE TO WASH MY HAIR!

MY FRIEND SIAN WHOM I MET IN DOLE CAME AND VISITED BASECAMP TODAY, SHE IS SO NICE! SHE GAVE ME SOME MINT CAKE FROM WALES, THE SAME CAKE THAT SIR EDMUND HILLARY AND TENZING ATE AT THE TOP OF MOUNT EVEREST IN 1953. I WAS REALLY TOUCHED AT HER THOUGHTFULNESS AND WISHED I COULD HAVE SPENT LONGER WITH HER TODAY.

TOMORROW IM HEADING HIGHER INTO THE ICEFALL SO IM TAKING IT EASY THIS AFTERNOON AS WE ARE GOING IN AT 7.30AM..

Update: APRIL 8TH KHUMBU ICEFALL

WE HAD ANOTHER PRACTICE DAY SCHEDULED IN THE ICEFALL TODAY AND ANDRONICO, MISAIL, AND MYSELF DEPARTED BASECAMP AT 7.30AM. AT THE BASE OF THE ICEFALL WE MET ANDREW FROM DISCOVERY CHANNEL ( HE S THE GUY THAT HAS CLIMBED 10 OF THE 8,000M PEAKS WITHOUT OXYGEN) AND HE WAS PLANNING TO CLIMB WITH US AND FILM US TOO. AS I HAVEN'T SPENT MUCH TIME IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, I GUESS I WAS A LITTLE CONSCIOUS ABOUT HOW I LOOKED AND WHAT I SAID, I DIDN'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT ON CAMERA WOFFLING ON ALL ABOUT “ME” WITH A HUGE BOGEY HANGING FORM MY NOSE OR ANYTHING EMBARRASSING LIKE THAT! I GUESS NOT WANTING TO SEEM LIKE A SNAIL IN FRONT OF ANDREW, WE ALL MOVED A LITTLE FASTER THAN WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE. I HAD THE USUAL DRAMAS ON THE LADDERS WHICH ANDREW HAPPILY CAPTURED ON FILM, BUT ABOUT 4 HOURS INTO OUR CLIMB IN THE ICEFALL, I STARTED TO HYPERVENTILATE. I HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME BEFORE IN HONG KONG WHILST HAVING A HUGE ROW WITH MY THEN BOYFRIEND WHILST ON A TRAINING RUN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULDN'T BREATHE. THANK GOD I KNEW IT WASN'T THE ALTITUDE BUT IT IS SCARY WHEN IT HAPPENS AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE CLIMBING ANY HIGHER. I THINK IT WAS JUST THE FIRST DAY HAVING THE CAMERAS ON ME COMBINED WITH A HUGE PHYSICAL EXERTION OF SPEEDING THROUGH THE ICEFALL IS WHAT CAUSED THIS. HOPEFULLY ILL START FORGETTING THE CAMERA IS THERE AND JUST BE FILMED WITH A RUNNY NOSE AND BOGEYS, AS EVEREST IS THE TYPE OF MOUNTAIN THAT REQUIRES YOUR FULL ATTENTION.

ANDRONICO AND MISAIL CARRIED ON UP THE ICEFALL UNTIL 30 MINS FROM CAMP 1 UPON WHICH THEY RETURNED BACK TO BASE CAMP. ANDRONICO REPORTED THAT THE 5 LADDERS ROPED TOGETHER WAS EXTREMELY NERVE WRACKING, AS NOT ONLY DOES IT BOUNCE UP AND DOWN ( AS IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH) IT ALSO SWINGS TO THE SIDE TOO!

I TURNED BACK ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE ANDRONICO AND MISAIL, AND BOLTED BACK DOWN THE ICEFALL WITH ANDREW OVERTAKING THE KOREAN TEAM WHOM WERE OUT TRAINING TOO. ONE POOR GUY LOOKED SO DELIRIOUS I WASN'T SURE HE WAS GOING TO MOVE ANYWHERE.

ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE ICEFALL, I LEPT ABOUT A FOOT IN THE AIR AS THERE WAS A BIG AVALANCHE, I HID SHAKING BEHIND ANDREW BUT IT IS A CONSTANT REMINDER JUST HOW FRAGILE THE KHUMBU ICEFALL IS.

I ARRIVED BACK AT BASECAMP EXHAUSTED, I HATE TURNING BACK BEFORE THE OTHERS SO I WAS FEELING A LITTLE BLUE. DAVID BREASHEARS WAS WAITING AT OUR CAMP TO SAY HI TO ME AND HE TOLD ME THE TWO DIRECTORS STEPHEN AND JOHN WERE LEAVING THE NEXT DAY TO HEAD BACK TO LA TO CONTINUE WORK ON THE FILM.

I HAD A LAZY REST OF DAY, READING IN MY TENT AND WE NOW HAVE 2 DAYS OF REST AHEAD

Update: 9TH APRIL, BASECAMP

I LOVE RESTDAYS!!! OK, SO OUR PLAN IS ON EASTER SUNDAY, ANDRONICO, MISAIL, KIKO, ERNESTO AND MYSELF WILL HEAD UP TO CAMP 1 AND 2 ACCLIMATIZING BETWEEN THESE TWO CAMPS UNTIL 15TH OR 16TH APRIL UPON WHEN WE WILL RETURN TO BASECAMP.

I HAD BREAKFAST TODAY AND THEN BEGAN THE ARDUOUS TASK OF SORTING OUT ALL MY GEAR TO BE TAKEN UP TO CAMP 1 AND 2 AND THEN A HIGH CAMP BAG FOR CAMP 3 AND 4. MY CAMP 4 BAG HAS MY DOWN SUIT GIVEN TO ME BY MY GREAT GIRLFRIEND KAT POOLEY AND MY MINUS 40 SLEEPING BAG WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY MUM AS HER GOODLUCK PRESENT TO ME, SEEING BOTH BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES AS I THOUGHT OF MY LIFE AT HOME. ONE THING BEING IN THE ICEFALL THESE PAST 3 DAYS HAS MADE ME REALIZE QUITE WHAT A HUGE CHALLENGE TRYING TO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST IS.

AT MIDDAY I WENT OVER TO SEE DAVE, THE PRODUCER FOR THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL AND HE INTERVIEWED ME FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR. THEY ARE A GREAT BUNCH OF PEOPLE AND I SAW SHANNA WAS ON HER REST DAY TOO. I THINK THEY WILL ALSO HEAD UP TO CAMP 1 ON SUNDAY TOO.

I CAME BACK TO BASE CAMP FOR LUNCH AND IM JUST RELAXING DOING MY JOURNALS AND IM ABOUT TO WATCH A MOVIE. ITS AMAZING THE TECHNOLOGY THESE DAYS!!

Update: APRIL 10TH BASECAMP

A NICE LIE IN DAY DESPITE A VERY WINDY NIGHT LAST NIGHT AND BREAKFAST WAS AT THE SOCIABLE HOUR OF 9.00AM. IT WAS STILL VERY WINDY WHEN I MADE MY WAY OVER TO OUR MESS TENT BUT IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY. AFTER BREAKFAST I WENT THROUGH ALL MY EQUIPMENT WITH MISAIL AND THEN WENT OFF TO TELEPHONE MY PARENTS WHOM I MISS TERRIBLY.

I WENT OVER AND SAIDHI TO ELAINE WHO IS DOING SOME WORK FOR DAVID B AND ALL THEIR TEAM WERE AT CAMP 1 AND COMING BACK TO BASECAMP AS WE HEAD UP TO CAMP 1 ON OUR ACCLIMATIZATION PROGRAM.

AFTER LUNCH THE BOYS FROM DISCOVERY CHANNEL, DAVE, BEN AND ANDREW CAME TO OUR CAMP ADN WE ALL DRANK COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF COCOA TEA ( A SOUTH AMERICAN REMEDY TO HELP ONE WITH ALTITUDE!) BY THE AMOUNT WE ALL DRANK WE SHOULD FEEL LIKE WE WERE AT SEA LEVEL!!
ANDREW IS GOING TO FILM US GOING TO CAMP 1 TOMORROW AND WE ARE MEETING HIM IN THE ICEFALL AT 7.00AM.. ANDREWS SURNAME IS LOCK AND HE WILL BE THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN TO CLIMB ALL 14 OF THE WORLDS 8,000 M PEAKS WITHOUT OXYGEN IF HE CLIMBS THE REMAINING 4 WHICH HE PLANS TO DO. HE WAS TELLING US ABOUT HIS ASCENT OF K2 IN 1993 WITHOUT O'S AND OF THE 6 GUYS THAT MADE THE SUMMIT ON THE SAME DAY AS HIM, ONLY 3 SURVIVED, THE OTHER 3 ALL DIED ON THE DECENT. MOUNTAINEERING IS UNBELIEVABLY DANGEROUS AND REALLY FOR THE EXTREMELY TOUGH, IM NOT SURE IF THAT IS ME YET. HE IS A GREAT GUY AND WE ALL LIKE HAVING HIM CLIMB WITH US.

I SPOKE TO NIEL FROM THE IRISH TEAM THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL, HE IS THEIR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AND IS BACK TO IRELAND TOMORROW NOW THAT THE TEAM IS COMPLETELY SET UP. HE GOT TO 20,000 FT YESTERDAY WHICH IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. THE IRISH TEAM WILL BE AT CAMP 1 WITH US TOMORROW.

Dispatches