Mt. Everest 2004: Mountain Madness Expedition 2004

Day 39:  May 4

This is Sarah Henley reporting from Everest Base Camp.  I just got word from the guys and they made it to camp 2 in about seven hours.  This is such great time!  They will have a rest day there tomorrow, then the next day head up to camp 3 to sleep for one night.  The winds are still quite strong up there, so let's hope they die down soon.

INTERVIEW WITH MURRAY RICE:

Sarah:  What is life like at Everest?
Murray:  Lots of time spent acclimatizing, with some climbing in between. Views are good. Lots of reading. Many comforts at Base Camp, like showers and a heater in the mess tent. The food is good.

Sarah:  What were your expectations of the Lhotse Face?
Murray:  Moderately steep, unrelenting ice. I've been there before in 1987.

Sarah:  Now that you have been there, what has been your experience of the Lhotse Face?
Murray:  Since one of my crampons broke and I was unable to do much on the face, the initial experience was a disappointment.

Sarah:  How has the altitude effected you in comparison to what you thought?
Murray:  About the same. I remember being altitude sick for about a month straight in 1987, and it's been about the same this time.

Sarah:  When you are up on the mountain do you look forward to coming back to base camp?  Why?
Murray:  Sometimes, to avoid the cold or to be less affected by the altitude, and just to change camps.

Sarah:  What is it like for you to have the Sherpas as part of the climbing team?
Murray:  Itis good. There is a security in having their strength, endurance, and experience on the team.

Sarah:  Name a special quality of one of the Sherpas.
Murray:  Phendan, Mingma, and Undi all have the characteristics as above. Plus, they are all good natured and helpful.

Sarah:  Share a funny experience you have had on this trip.
Murray:  Let me think on that.

Sarah:  Why Everest???
Murray:  It's a big climb.

Sarah:  Any words of wisdom to friends and family back home.
Murray:  I'll be back before you know it.

INTERVIEW WITH NEMA UNDI SHERPA:

Sarah:  What village are you from?
Undi:  The village of Kharichola, the same as Phendan.

Sarah:  What is your climbing experience?
Undi:  I have taken a Basic Mountain Training course through the Mountain Association of Kathmandu.  This course covered rock and ice.  I became a climbing sherpa in 1998.  Before that I was a kitchen boy for trekking trips.

Sarah:  How many times have you climbed Everest?
Undi:  I have climbed Everest five times but only summited once.  Most of those times I had to bring clients down.

Sarah:  What is it like being away from your family for such long periods of time?
Undi:  I live with my mother, and when I am away I miss her very much.

Sarah:  What are your thoughts about working for Mountain Madness?
Undi:  This is my first time working for Mountain Madness and it is good.  I have worked with Willie four times.

 

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.

  Altitude pre-
   acclimatization

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Black Diamond

   Botas

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   CaVa Climbing Shoes
   Clearance

   Clif Bar

   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Garmin

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps
   Helmets

   HighGear
   Ice Axes

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Lowepro

   Motorola

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Outdoor Designs

   Pelican

   PowerBar

   Princeton Tec

   Prescription Glacier

   Glasses

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Trekking Poles
   Ushba
   and more here