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ALPINDUSTRIA: RUSSIAN ADVENTURE TEAM EVEREST 2003 Normal route, Tibet Expedition chronicle:
13 May , 2003 Alexander Abramov reports: 11,
May. Moskalev, Latinskiy, Soipher went to the camp at 7500 to have night there,
but strong wind did not let them to reach the camp 2. Abramov, Larin, Pashkov
gone to the top, it took them three hours and a half to get to the North Col.
People from Chine were making film about the expeditions ascending to the summit
of Everest. When we came to the North Col sherps informed us about our sleeping
bag in the crack. The crack was at about 15m deep. We took the rope, Larin insured
and I abseiled down. I hardly pulled out the sleeping bag. The second sleeping
bag was found not far from the first, the third was given us by the Estonian expedition.
Soon the fourth sleeping bag was found by sherp. So things are sorting themselves.
10,
May. Have you ever assessed damages after fire, flood or tsunami and gathered
rest things important for life. We have been busy with this for two days. Our
expedition has been trying to install the camp at 7900m from the 26th of April.
None of the expeditions install the camp above 7500m. According to the weather
forecast the wind is strong today at the top and it is not dropping till Wednesday. "9
May. At the height of 6000m the temperature is at about -15C, -16C, the wind is
blowing. We have some problems in the BC of organization the yaks with the equipment
to the top camps. I am staying in contact with sherps, they have not found out
the tents. We have now four tents, five sleeping bags and it is impossible to
understand how many burners and pans we have. 12 May , 2003 Alexander Abramov reports: "8
May. What a crazy day today! From the morning five members of our expedition had
been gathering loudly from 7.00 to 10.00. In the morning I was not in the mood
to get up it was too cold. Larin, Pashkov, Moskalev, Soipher, Latinskiy were in
the ABC for three days. Of course it is reasonable to spend one day in ABC but
because of the bad weather we should be in a hurry. I had to go to the top and
see consequences after the storm. The members of our expedition went out from
the camp at 10.00 and I went out at 12.30. When I was at the height of 6000m the
snowstorm began. The wind was chilling to the marrow. I put on down jacket "BASK"
and went on. My hands and feet were frozen. When I was coming up to the camp I
found out that my nose was injured by frostbite. I had been in such position in
2000 when Larin and I had been descending from Everest. I went to the by a miracle.
In the camp I was given tea, aspirin, clear soup and vodka. I stopped trembling
only by 23.00. And now results of the storm: in the ABC the half of the tents
was torn, on the North Col two tents were torn to shreds. 8 May , 2003 Alexander Abramov reports: "5,May.
In the morning the jeep from the BC came and took Slava Pashkov, Sergey Larin
and Dima Moskalev, they are our scouts. In the afternoon dust was rushing level
with clouds and strong wind was blowing. It was at the height of 4100m. According
to the information the kitchen tent had been torn and many tents in other camps
had been crashed too. The sherps who had been in the ABC informed us that all
the tents in the top camps had been blown. We do not want to believe in these
facts; we have tents at 7500m and all tents at 7000m there are twelve sleeping
bags and many other necessary equipment. We will not be able to ascend to the
summit without the equipment. Thank God, we did not pulled the oxygen cylinders.
It is said that on the South Col at 8000m all the tents were blown down. Of course
the storms in this place are evident. In 1997 early in May my tent was blown down
with all equipment, oxygen cylinders, camera-recorder and est. Now one problem
of our returning to the BC should be solved. According to the weather forecast
tomorrow will be the last day of the foul weather. We will be waiting news about
the weather from Dima Moscalev. His message will help us to make a decision. "6,May.
We connected with Dima Moskalev at 10 o'clock in the morning. He reported that
all night they were strengthening the kitchen tent and the storm did not stop.
It was an agreement to communicate with Dima at 4 o'clock once more. There is
no doubt that in the village it is warmer and more air for breathing. None of
the expeditions is going to the top. So it is quite reasonable to stay in the
village and gather strength. It takes at about half an hour to get to the BC from
the village. We are not so exhausted by the weather and stone walls protect us
from the wind.
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