Contents [Ski Everest Home] Front page for the Skiing Everest Cybercast [UPDATES] Climbers call from Everest on a sat-phone [The North Side] Climbing guide Eric Simonson describes the Northeast Ridge Route [Meet the Team] The 1997 Everest Ski Expedition members [EVEREST '97] Rich multimedia cybercast from Everest [Sponsors] Companies that supported this effort The Everest Bookstore Click on a book for details and ordering info from The Mountain Zone Bookstore. "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer An epic, first-hand account of the 1996 tragedy. "Everest" by Walt Unsworth Thorough compilation of historic climbs, triumph and tragedy. "Everest Map" by Brad Washburn National Geographic centennial map, Washburn's Everest map and more. "Everest: The West Ridge" by Tom Hornbein The pioneering ascent by Unsoeld and Hornbein. [The Mountain Zone] More stories from The Mountain Zone			Updates From Everest Click here to get the FREE Real Audio Player to hear sat-phone calls. Calonica On the Road to Everest Sunday, August 31, 1997 (Everest North Face base camp, Tibet) [Click to hear the sat-phone call.] Transcript: Hi guys, this is Craig Calonica. It is 8:21 Everest base camp time on the north side in Tibet. We arrived here this afternoon probably around 12:00. Feeling really good. The mountain looks really, really full: a lot of snow up there. Jenn Troillet tried to summit yesterday and the snow was quite deep and it just wasn't possible. He's been here since the last week of July. And as it stands right now: there's a team from Japan, the Swiss team with Jenn Troillet, a Catalan team, a British team, a Colombian team, a Korean team is en route, two more Spanish, some Canadians are showing up, and after a month or so some Slovenians are coming over from Xixabangma — and they're all on the North Col route. Hmm. Going to be pretty crowded up there. A lot of these teams are ten to fifteen to eighteen people. Anyway, we're doing quite fine. Feeling really, really good. It was nice to get back up here and see that big ol' monster face again. Definitely looks very friendly at this moment to me. I can't wait to get up there and start making some turns myself. We'll be heading up to advance base camp the morning of the fourth. We have to wait three days for the yaks to get up here. We'll spend a couple days there, moving about. Head on up to camp I on the North Col, haul a few loads up there for a few days. Stay up there and do the same up to camp II and up to camp III. Turn around, come back down to base camp, rest up and go back and give it a shot for the summit. And I would imagine somewhere around the third week of September is kind of like what I'm feeling is going to happen. Since we're previously acclimatized that's probably what it'll be if the weather stays good. Anyway, I hope you're all okay — we are — actually stronger than you would imagine, so that's good. I'll talk to you all soon. Craig also sent in an email dispatch: As I write you this message I'm looking at the North Face of Everest from Everest base camp (17000 ft). Just arrived today and am feeling great, the two week acclimatizing program in the Manang region was a good thing to do. We drove straight here from Kathmandu, only stopping when we had to change borders, trucks, porters ferrying across landslides, sleep, etc.. Have to wait until Sept. 4th for our yaks and then it's onto advance base camp at 21,500 ft. From there we go to camp I at 23,000 ft. then camp II at 25,500 ft. then camp III at 27,500 ft. After we establish camp III we will come down to base camp and rest for about 4 days, eat some good fresh food and then go back up and give it a try. With some luck I hope to be done somewhere around the last week of Sept. There's lots of snow now and so the skiing should be good. — Craig Calonica, Expedition Leader PREVIOUS UPDATE | UPDATES HOME | NEXT UPDATE

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