Posted: Apr 28, 2008 09:11 am EST
(MountEverest.net) Climbers on Everest´s south side may be better aware of the torch's whereabouts than the journalists on the north side; by the orders they expect to get any day now that the entire Nepali side is to be closed.

BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher meanwhile reported from China on Saturday, “our organizers either do not want to say or do not know whether the Olympic torch has arrived at Everest yet."

Following a young American climber last week, a BBC reporter has now been kicked out from Nepal's side of Everest. Meanwhile, Chinese media insist that the torch arrived at the Rongbuk glacier base camp on Sunday, and climbers on the south side are now banned also from using their radios.

Himalayan forecasts announce a storm approaching; quite a few climbers secretly hope for it to blow the torch off the mountain.

Their cargo still stuck enroute to BC; on Makalu, some climbers barely manage to acclimatize with insufficient or borrowed gear. The Spaniards have launched a summit push on Dhaulagiri and Pustelnik’s team is inching up Annapurna.

BBC reporter kicked out from Nepal's EBC

The Nepalese authorities have imposed a complete communication ban on journalists from the south side base camp and upwards, including chats with mountaineers reports BBC. "Just a short while after arriving in Everest base camp we were politely but firmly told to leave by an official from Nepal's ministry of tourism," the news source reported. "We knew there were restrictions on video cameras and satellite phones but were now told even pre-recorded radio material on non-political subjects would not be allowed."

Out-of-breath journalists approaching Tibet's EBC

From the north side, a plume blowing off Everest top behind him, BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher made a video update gasping for breath, from 5000 meters near BC. To be granted access, the journalists, on their death-defying trip to EBC with military-escort passing Chinese riot police on the edge of the Everest national park, are left to interview only Chinese-conditioned Tibetans.

11 international and 19 Chinese journalists are taken on this three day trip from Beijing to Everest; some of the Chinese though were allowed to fly out to Tibet four days earlier to acclimatize. The BBC reporter had his pulse read by a Tibetan doctor, who first diagnosed him as being "sweaty in bed" and then concluded digestion problems advising, "that I should cut back on fruit."

The Chinese reportedly say they have no idea when the summit push will begin.

Nepali army troops approaching south side BC?

“The mountain is probably going to be closed from the 1st of May until the Chinese Olympic Torch team summits, so we are just in time to get some more acclimatization,” SummitClimb team leader Arnold Coster reported yesterday.

“Apparently we may be forced to remain in BC from April 28 to May 2nd,” Silvio Mondinelli confirmed. Yesterday, a Sherpa said that word is from the Tiengboche’s monastery Rimpoche that army troops (about 30 men) are approaching BC.

The Italian team also denounces radio restrictions between BC and high camps. “The Army alleges security reasons we can’t really understand; what we do know for sure is that our Sherpas are far from safe, risking their lives without contact with BC.”

Chinese soldiers already there

Beside the Nepali army troops, Chinese soldiers are keeping an eye on climbers as well. “Two helicopters landed in BC,” said a report this weekend. “The visitors were four officers from the Chinese army, one from the Nepal army and a representative from Nepal's Ministry of Tourism. They marched through the camp and after half an hour they were off. No one really knew what this was all about. It looked like the Chinese were checking up whether the Nepali troops had stuck to the rules and dealt with the tourists according to their regulations.”

Reports from BC climbers state that there are approx. 120 tents in C1 and about 80 tents in C2, with check-points along the ascent. Many climbers have now been to camp2. A Sherpa team is working on the route between C2 and C3.

Speed attempt the way to go

Peak Freaks team is still expecting a late-arriving member: Saad Naseer of Chicago. “This is one climber that hasn't been affected by the Chinese closure of upper Everest, “the team wrote.

"Saad is scheduled to arrive in BC sometime before May 8, and to be ready to attempt the summit with only one acclimatization climb to C2 before heading out for the summit. He will be in position to climb immediately upon the opening of the upper part of the mountain. If successful, Saad's ascent will be done in one third to one half the time of a normal mountaineer- without the standard 4-6 weeks of acclimatization and pre-summit bid.”

Also Joby Ogwyn plans a speed attempt on the peak.

David Tait: It's over

David Tait has aborted his attempt due to stomach hemorrhages, possibly caused by large amounts of pain-killers he used to ease previous toothaches.

David vomited blood in the icefall and almost fell into a crevasse. Expedition leader Kari Kobler negotiated a helicopter evacuation with the Army personnel in BC. “Kari returned and announced that the army was reluctant to fly higher than Gorak Shep,” Tait reported. The climber was helped down on foot to the village and airlifted from there to a hospital in Kathmandu. “I had ruptured my stomach lining, and also damaged my kidneys to a small degree,” David posted.

David states the time has come for him to hang up his harness – there will be no more attempts to climb Everest. “Anyone wants to row the Atlantic with me?,” he asks.

Dhaulagiri

Carlos Pauner’s and Al Filo/Edurne’s teams have launched a summit bid. According to Carlos, all available weather forecasts announce a 10-days long storm hitting the mountain from May 2nd. Therefore, both his team and Edurne’s planned to leave BC today, hoping to top out on May 1. Other expeditions in BC may have joined the summit push as well.

Al Filo’s team got essential information from recent summiteer Martin Minarik. Martin said the dangerous traverse above C3 is in relatively good condition. Nevertheless, the Spaniards will carry up rope to fix some sections wherever necessary.

As for Martin, seemingly he left BC just hours after returning from the summit. According to Polish HiMalaya team, “he descended to BC at night and claimed that he had reached the summit. Very early on the following morning, he left BC and headed towards the French Pass and Kathmandu – possibly due to severe frostbites. At noon all his BC equipment and crew had gone as well (this information is however uncertain and comes from Sherpas).”

“We were a little surprised because Martin acted on our permit and it is the expedition’s leader, Ryszard Pawlowski, who registers summit ascents in the Ministry of Tourism and receives summit certificates – but maybe Martin just does not care about papers, which is understandable,” the Poles noted.

Also Gerlinde has finally checked in from Dhaula, where she arrived on April 12 after trekking to BC.

Accompanied by cameraman David Göttler, Gerlinde spent a first night at 5850m on April,19 – climbing further up to 6.750 m on the following day.

The Austrian female climber traversed pass the spot where she was caught in an avalanche last fall. Back then, she managed to dig her way out of the snow, but Spaniards Santi and Ricardo, who slept in tents just meters away, were lost. “It was quiet,” Gerlinde wrote. “Just snow and ice, as if nothing had ever happened there.”

Kaltenbrunner and Göttler installed their C2 at 6.750m, sheltered by a huge serac - a place also chosen by the Spanish and Polish teams. After spending the night there, by last weekend they returned to BC.

Annapurna

Pustelnik’s team is progressing towards the summit. On Saturday they reached 6,700 meters. "We've got about 185m of rope left; perhaps it will be enough," they wrote in a short text message. The team planned to rest on Sunday, and to resume the climb today. 1400 vertical meters away from the summit, the climbers still have some very tough sections a long ridge ahead - with a forecasted storm on their heels.

Russian Bogomolov's team also set up C4 at 6800m on Saturday. "Inaki, Horia, Serguey and Emil are descending to BC," Serguey reported. "The weather is worsening".

Meanwhile, Ueli Steck and climbing mate Simon are done with their “preparatory” climbs in the Khumbu valley. On April 24 they summited Tengkampoche (6500m). Ueli reported they have completed the first ascent of the peak’s north face, alpine-style – without bolts or fixed ropes. In order to open the new route, the climbers remained on the wall for four days.

Ueli and Simon are currently trekking back to Lukla, where they will take a plane to Kathmandu.

Makalu

Ralf Dujmovits was forced to spend a very cold night in C2 with only a light sleeping bag, since most of his altitude gear is stranded on the way to BC, after the chopper accident last week. The result was a long, sleepless night and a severe cold. “Anyway, it was beautiful up there,” Ralf said once back in BC. “I was alone - I had the quietness, the freedom and the sights just for myself.”

“Back here in BC it’s overcrowded,” Dujmovits says. “Each day more people arrive, more expeditions whose members – may I say this? – have not much to do here: an Asian team commanding their Sherpas to fix ropes everywhere, a Military Expedition from a European Island, whose members partly use crampons for their first time, and some other characters that I would have never imagined I would find in a place like this.”

Spaniard Juan Oiarzabal has also done a day-trip to C2 and back. Also lacking essential gear, Oiarzabal borrowed equipment from other teams (crampons, an ice-axe, some food and gas), while his own is stuck in Tashigon village, five days away from BC. “There are many others left without gear, so now I am lending my borrowed material to the next climber wanting to go up – and that's how it will go on until our loads finally arrive.”

As for other teams, one of the British Navy team's Sherpas was reportedly hurt while descending from Makalu la. Latest news located him safely back in C2.

After 10 days lost to paperwork in Kathmandu and Lukla, Portuguese climber Joao Garcia was finally airlifted to Makalu BC on April 23. He is currently acclimatizing at 4800m.

Lhotse

SummitClimb Lhotse team reported yesterday from Namche, on the approaching trek to the mountain.

Links to teams on Everest and Himalaya:

The "Climbers Without Borders" Everest 2008 hotline allows climbers, their relatives and friends to report anonymously from the mountain. Pls call (1) 206-666-2407 (from a sat phone pls dial 001-206-666-2407). State your name and message (your name will be withheld).

Everest

Canadian Mallory
Irish Everest/Graham and Ian
Klimb for kids/Tim Warren
James Balfour
No guts know glory/Rob Hill
Lee Farmer
Peak Freaks
Adventure Peaks
IMG
Alpine Ascents
Adventure Consultants
Summit Climb
Alaskan Granite
Danish Everest
Cordoba Everest
Nepalese 77 year old
Eco Everest/Dawa Sherpa
Coldfeat Fiennes/Cool
Mountain Madness
Jagged Globe
Lincoln Hall rescuers Andrew Brash, Myles Osborne and Dan Mazur
MountainTrip dispatches
Miura senior (Japanese)
Alan Arnette
David Tait
Rodrigo Raineri (Vitor Negrete's mate) and Eduardo Keppke (no 02)
Gnaro's Share Everest
www.marcoconfortola.it
Andalusian Lina
www.stephan-keck.at
Keck at www.alpinist.at
Francois Guy Thivierge
SpaceRef.com carrying news of Scott Parazynski
Scott Parazynski blog
Martin McGarvey's blog
Vietnam Everest

OTHER HIMALYA

Makalu

UK Royal Navy
Waldemar Niclevicz and Irivan Gustavo Burda
Andrew Lock
French Makalu
Santiago Quintero
Blair Falahey
Joao Garcia
Ralf Dujmovits' updates
Spanish paper covering Lolo Gonzales
Andalusia/Basques and Lolo Gonzales dispatches
Latvia:Atis Plakans (leader), Liga Plakane, and Kaspars Klapkalns
News on Juanito on Marca.com

Manaslu

Dutch team expedition website
Katja Staartjes
Menno Boermans
Amical
Maxut's updates on Mount.kz (Russian)

Dhaulagiri

Dhaulagiri west face Babanov/Nick Totmjanin
Martin Minarik
Radek Jaros and Zdenek Hruby
Kinga and Kasia
Gerlinde
Carlos Pauner, Javier Perez and Marta Alexandre
Ivan Vallejo
Polish Dhaula with Artur Hajzer and Ryszard Pawlowski
Himalaya Maestrat
Lithuanian expedition
News on Al filo team on S.Alvaro's blog

Annapurna

Inaki Ochoa
Horia Colibasanu
Don Bowie
Piotr Pustelnik's dispatches
Peter Hamor's website
Piotr Morawski's website
Bogomolov updates on RussianClimb
Ueli Steck
Annapurna 4 ski expedition
Radek Jaros and Zdenek Hruby

Lhotse

DCXP
Rosa's updates on LNE

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