Expedition Dispatches
Satellite phone updates from the 1998 American Everest Expedition


Wally Berg
The First Carry
Monday, April 13, 1998 — Base Camp (17,500')

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The Khumbu Icefall
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(photo: Burleson)
This morning we are down to business. The Sherpas began their first carry; some will go to Camp I (19,500'), some will, depending on the condition of the route, will attempt to go all the way to Camp II (21,000'). They left about a quarter to five this morning, and of course we will have them back down here at base camp probably in the late morning hours. So I will keep you posted as to what they found up there and how successful they were on their first day carry.


Base camp chores
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(photo: Corfield)
I'm a bit concerned because the winds are high at the higher elevation today. Certainly at the Camp I level, I doubt it's too unreasonable, but we are listening to quite a lot of high wind, and I've seen evidence above, let's say, 7500 meters, of very high wind out of the west today on the mountain. Not the greatest weather up high anyway, as we begin to stock the camps from base camp today. We'll be here at base camp until Friday — at least that is the plan, and then we will all move up for a fairly extended period of time in the Western Cwm acclimatizing and getting things set up at Camp II.

Wally Berg, Expedition Leader

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