APRIL 21--- Greg and I walk 7 1/2 miles up the Rhombok glacier on moraines and loose skree to interim camp at 19,000 feet.. Many yak teams arrive, whistling, throwing stones to keep their animals motivated. I give my wind jacket to a Tibetan porter who is carrying Leo Dickinson's Sony professional video camera.

APRIL 22--- Headed out to Advance Base Camp (21,000 ft.). This final 2,000 ft. and 7 miles along a ribbon of morain between ice cliffs and matterhorn shaped ice formations takes me 5 hours. Stunning views of Everest's North Face. The top of the moraine is jammed with tents: Japanese, Taiwanese, Austrian, British, us, an American team, another British team. In short about 300 people living 1000 ft. higher than the summit of Mt. McKinley in Alaska. I expect to be at advanced base camp (ABC) April 23rd to 30th. Tom Whittaker

Equipment Notes: Tom and Greg are relying on North Face Equipment: Tents, Mountain 24's in Base and Advance Base camps. Himalayan Hotel for the North Col and Mountain 24's for Camps II and III. Sleeping bags and jackets are insulated with Polargard H.V. by Hoechst Celanese. Outer shells, Gortex. Black Diamond has supplied Scarpa boots, Choinard ice axes and adjustable ski poles. Everything is first class and working well. Flex-Foot designed a prosthesis for my 1989 Everest attempt. Since then they have refined and lightened the foot which returns more energy to the user. Rather than using the prosthesis with a boot I have insulated the socket with Polargard H.V., and Dale Perkins of Rehab Systems in Twin Falls, Idaho has attached a vibrum sole to the graphite Flex-Foot. To this, crampons (spiked metal devices so that you can walk on ice) are fitted. These were modified by Black Diamond.

APRIL 23--- Walk up to the start of the fixed lines on the North Col at 22,000 ft. APRIL 24--- Wake up with headache and slight swelling in hands and face. Symptoms of acute mountain sickness.. By 9:00 AM I am OK and climb the fixed lines up to the top of the North Col. Meet Greg on the way down after carrying a high altitude cine camera to the Col. (23,000 ft.)

APRIL 25--- Spent the day filming on the Raphu/la - impressive views of Makalu, the Kangchung face of Everest and the East Ridge.

 

• The Sponsors
• The People
• The Route and Itinerary
• Expedition Log
• Epilogue and Base Camp Pictures