Updates From Everest Tumpach Trekking Back to Lukla Wednesday, October 22, 1997 (Namche Bazar, Nepal) Yesterday we trekked back towards LUKLA and we ended up in PHERICHE. By 6pm it is dark here so again we ended up going with the help of head lights. We reached SNOW LAND Lodge at 8 pm. The Italian High altitude research center, a half hour north of Lobuche at 5200meters. In the background is Mount Pumori. In the morning, we sent our YAKS with two porters ahead, because the YAKS walk on the glacier much slower and we knew we would catch up with them. One porter was waiting for us in BC so he helped us carry our climbing equipment. We returned from the KHUMBU ICEFALL at noon. As I said yesterday, we had beautiful weather in the morning, but by the time we reached GORAK SHEP it was cloudy again. We stopped there for lunch and we met with HANS KAMMERLANDER, who had just come down from Mt. NUPTSE. We had a good discussion; he told us that his Expedition did not reach the summit either because of the bad weather. We never caught up up with our YAKS; we were hoping to catch up with them between LOBUCHE and PHERICHE, but I guess we underestimated their speed. When we got to PHERICHE there were no YAKS and the lady in the lodge told us they were there at 6 pm and kept going to PANGBOCHE. Chavi, the cameraman and the Sherpa were ready to keep going, but our young porter was very tired so we end up staying in PHERICHE without our sleeping bags which were carried by YAKS. Luckily they had two sleeping bags in the lodge. They were very old, but better something than nothing. Our Sherpa end up sleeping in the dining room with a couple of blankets. The lodge was full of trekkers and a few climbers from the KOREAN EXPEDITION. It is questionable that the two KOREAN climbers reached the summit of Mt. LHOTSE. The main reason is the weather. Hans KAMMERLANDER was next to LHOTSE and did not make the SUMMIT; the Japanese Expedition to LHOTSE did not make it; and, the French and Spanish at EVEREST did not make it. When the KOREANS came down we met them and they said that two of them with one Sherpa made it, but this morning when we met them again in THYANGBOCHE, one of them said that only one of them with one Sherpa made it and he himself turned back at 8200m. Mr. YOUNG PARK who said he summited on 17th told us that he is setting up a WORLD RECORD to summit seven to eight 8000m summits in one year and that Lhotse was his fifth one this year. News from AMA DABLAM is that one American climber summited and his partner had difficulties and returned. Three days ago several Russian climbers summited AMA DABLAM and then celebrated in THYANGBOCHE; got very drunk and end up fighting each other. The lady of the lodge said that it was ugly. This morning the news from AMA DABLAM was that six members from Japanese Expedition summited. [editor's note: News of Ama Dablam summits is unconfirmed.] — George Tumpach PREVIOUS UPDATE | UPDATES HOME | NEXT UPDATE