2004 EVEREST EXPEDITION

[TC]

One of the lads from our IT section, (Ray Smith), is currently in Tibet as part of a British team climbing Everest by the North Ridge.

Anybody who wants to follow the teams progress can do so by looking in on;

http://www.adventurepeaks.com/everest2004.htm

I\'m sure that whether you\'re into climbing, or not, you\'d wish them every success and a safe return.


Route up the North Ridge



[Edited on 23/4/2004 by TC]

[Stores]

Guy from our school, Chris Mothersdale, climbed Everest last year. Said the worst part was having climbed it and not being able to tell anyone until they were safely off the mountain, that being seen as the most dangerous bit. Good luck to your guy.

[willywetegg]

Having read the reports, sounds like they are having a great time. Hope they all return home safely.

[alan]

Hope they all have a safe journey up and down,excellent link to there web-site as well Tony

[willywetegg]

You wishing you were there like Tony.

[TC]

You bet, Jim

It\'s hoped that the summit attempt will take place on Friday (21st).

Looks like Ray is in the team of 3 making the summit bid.

[mark]

its not the way up thats hard, its the way down!

have a few friends (some famous!) that have climbed it. Missed out myself due to weather a few years back. spent the month at base camp trying to find a rock to **** under. every rock you lifted already had a frozen turd underneath it! busy place these days.

as you get onto the last ridge your up in the jet stream, winds can reach well over 200mph!

the winds can go from zero to full speed in amatter of minutes and temperatures from hovering just above zero to -50 in an even shorter space of time

the good news once you adjust to the altitude, you can get off your face really quickly, on nothing more than a quick fag!

first time I spotted this, I for 1 can only wish anyone that goes there the very best, only wish I could have another go!


[Edited on 19/5/2004 by mark]

[TC]

OK......update due, I think...........

The team had to call off their summit bid due to the weather conditions.........and a more IMPORTANT REASON.....

They were all prepared for the last push when their expedition became a \"rescue team\".

They met a team of climbers coming down from the mountain (following THEIR \"successful\" summit attempt). Unfortunately, THEY had been caught in the deteriorating weather conditions and had lost several members of their team - KILLED. The survivors were in a VERY bad way and the lads from \"our\" team had no hesitation in calling off their summit bid in order to help the other team back down to safety.

Obviously Ray, and the rest of the team, are dissapointed in not achieving their goal, but what they DID do deserves even greater adulation in my book.

Never mind lads.......Chomo Lungma\'s summit\'s still waiting for you.

[Edited on 5/6/2004 by TC]

[mark]

Admirable to say the least. It has to be a tough call. For most people getting it together to get there is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and to give that over to a more nobler cause is a more worthy achievement than making the summit in my book.

In 97 when a large number of climbers were killed, a party of American \'vanity\' climbers (ie pay enough money and get to the top) walked past several climbers in trouble in order to get to the summit and satisfy their ego\'s, and then walked back past the bodies of the people they could have helped on the way back down