ALPINDUSTRIA: RUSSIAN ADVENTURE TEAM

EVEREST 2003

Normal route, Tibet

Expedition chronicle:

18 April, 2003 Alexander Abramov reports:

April, 17. I had very heated debates with the Sherpas, trying to bring home to them that if they are paid they should
work. But we managed to come to terms. They have carried the loads up - and that is the most important thing.
The weather on the Col is superb. There is almost no wind. We pitched two " Salewa" tents for 6 people.
Elagin has got quinsy, so he descended to Shigatse for cure. Soifer and Moscalev are working on their own schedule:
yesterday they descended from ABC to BC. Today Mikhail Litinsky joined them - he left for BC. That situation is not
bad - all this only contributes to everyone's Himalayan experience.
Larin and Pashkov will go to the North Col tomorrow. So today there are the following members of our expedition who h
ave pitch the tents and are spending night on the North Col: Abramov, Gudzhabidze, Pushkarev - tent #1; Kaymachnikov,
Tsarev, Sergeev - tent #2. Everybody is feeling OK. The tents are up, the stoves are working, the lamps are not exploding
any more. The only problem is to visit a Loo - though it is difficult to understand for those who are not high in the
mountains.
Good-bye.

17 April, 2003 Alexander Abramov reports:

?April, 16. I am reporting to the howling of the snow-storm behind my tent. It seems like the nature confused this day with the 13th. Today everything goes as it was planned: three altitude sherpas started for the North Col with a tent, three sleeping bags, etc. We are going to bring all the rest ourselves on April, 18. Las night Dima Moskalev was coughing, and at 12 o-clock he and Yura Soifer started down for the BC. The rest of us took an acclimatization walk to the North Col, the route to which is already fixed. Two hours later on the descent the weather changed instantly. The real snowstorm started with strong wind (and it still goes on). Igor Tsarev got into his tent and lighted a gas lamp to warm up. But the tent jumped because of the strong wind gust and the roof was caught on fire. Igor managed to throw the lamp out of the tent before it exploded. It-s OK, but the tent has a whole 1m per 1m, and Igor-s beard got burnt. Igor will move to Moscalev and Soifer-s tent for a while.¦

"April, 15. Everybody slept well. It was snowing all night through, and the insides of the tents got covered with
hoarfrost. Today we had the ABC opening ceremony. We put out the flags of Moscow and banners of our sponsors - "BASK" and "KANT"- and our team flag "Alpindustria Adventure Team".
Yesterday Litinskiy's haul bag got lost on our way to ABC. Litinskiy was going to turn to UN for help, but today
yakmen came with his bag and told us a horrifying story about the yak falling asleep on the way to ABC.
Our team is getting acclimatized gradually. I recall yesterday's scene when we saw a Nepalese sherpa carrying down
a sick Chinese in a basket. We hope, he'll be OK. Tomorrow we decided to take a walk to 6600m and leave there some gear for Camp 1. Today is full moon, and it would be great to be on the summit one month from now. Today the night is extraordinarywarm and windless.
Goodbye."

16 April, 2003 Alexander Abramov reports:

April, 14. The sun appeared in the morning. We started for ABC. Today everybody walked a bit slower, except Sergeev and Gudzhabidze. By the way, Alexander Sergeev is almost 67 years old, and his physical condition gives some ground to say that he can become the oldest person to climb Everest.
The way from Middle Camp goes along a prettiest glacier covered with "neve penitentes" 5 meters high. Today all of us walked with the same speed, and by 6 p.m. we had set ABC. Then the snowfall began, it became very cold.
The North Col disappeared behind the snow curtain. Tomorrow we are having a rest day and the camp opening ceremony. Right now we are taking care of our camp and heads, which are aching badly, and trying to find out the information about fixed ropes on the North Col.
Bye.