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I am reading your reports with total interest. In fact I read
your first dispatch twice. You motivate me to want to take on the same
challenge. I have shared your email with a few friends. Eagerly awaiting your next dispatch. Your friend, Haytham From: EKapitulik@theprogramathletics.com
[mailto:ekapitulik@theprogramathletics.com] Teammates, Sorry for the delay in getting the first dispatch out, but we just
got our internet working. We arrived at Everest Base Camp (Northside) on
Friday morning. It had been a long 8 day trip from Kathmandu across Tibet
and we are glad to be here. To say that transportation, lodging and food
had been “poor” while in Tibet would be a gross
understatement. The physical/ natural beauty of Tibet is truly awe
inspiring, but infrastructure is nonexistent. We mostly slept in our
sleeping bags and had been eating steamed cabbage, mushrooms and some type of
meat…(I haven’t seen a cat since entering the country, but that is
just an observation, of course…). We arrived in Kathmandu (elevation 4,429’) on Thursday,
April 8th and spent three days getting all of our climbing
paperwork, permits and China (Tibet) visas squared away. We also did a
day of mountain biking in the Himalayan foothills which was challenging, to say
the least. Kathmandu is a typical 3rd world city: overcrowded,
too many cars, too much smog, trash, poverty etc, but it still manages to have
enough 1st world services that make it truly enjoyable to spend a
few days exploring. We left Kathmandu on Sunday and took a bus along the Friendship
Highway to Kodari, Nepal where we passed through Nepalese customs, walked
across The Friendship Bridge into China (Tibet) and spent the night in Zhangmu,
on the Nepal- Tibet border (elevation 7,874’). We woke up the
following day and drove to Nyalam, Tibet (elevation 12,303’). Due
to the severe changes in elevation, we were forced to spend 2 days in Nyalam
hiking the surrounding hills and allowing our bodies to acclimatize. We awoke early Wednesday morning and drove to Tingri, Tibet
(elevation 14,108’) crossing the main Himalayan range and driving over
the Lalung La (elevation 16,896’) where the views of Cho Oyu (6th
tallest mountain the world), Shishapangma (14th tallest mountain the
world) and the Tibetan plateau were spectacular. An hour outside of
Tingri, we saw Everest for the first time. Even though it is situated
amongst the tallest mountains in the world, Everest still towers above.
Unlike after the winning goal of an athletic contest when the athletes and fans
scream, yell and cheer, we could only stare in silence at Chomolungma (Tibetan
name for Mt. Everest meaning “Goddess Mother of the Earth”) and the
sheer immense size of it. After 2 days in Tingri, more cabbage, more day hikes and more
acclimatization, we arrived early Friday afternoon into Base Camp (BC;
elevation 16’896’). We have spent the last few days
acclimatizing on the hills that surround base camp as well as doing a day hike
to the Rongbuk Monastery (approx 4 miles away from BC). We will continue
to acclimatize and then begin our initial ascent of the mountain. Our current plan is to depart BC on Wednesday and hike to Advanced
Base Camp (ABC- a 12 mile climb to 20,997’) where we will spend three-
four days acclimatizing. We will then depart ABC and climb to the North Col/
Camp 1 (elevation 23,031’) where we will stay for at least three nights
prior to returning to ABC for 1-2 more nights and then all the way back to
BC. We will then eat, sleep and physically and mentally recover and then
prepare for the first 5- 7 day window of good (read “good enough”)
weather to make our summit attempt (anytime between the 2nd and 4th
week of May, we hope). I have attached a few photos of the trip so far, in case you were
interested. I will send my next dispatch as time, climbing schedule and
internet availability permits. I hope everyone is doing (1) well…
and (2) “One More!” Regards, Eric “I will not spend my days in trying to prolong them… I
will use my time.” – Jack London _____________________________ Eric Kapitulik, C.E.O. & Founder The Program, LLC 100 Newport Ave Ext Quincy, MA. 02171 Phone: (617) 933- 7306 Fax: (866) 722- 8091 |