Potterfield

Click to hear Peter Potterfield's audio dispatch from Namche.
From Peter Potterfield's Audio Dispatch:
Here's some gossip. The Japanese team was flying into Pheriche [14,000']; they'd flown into Shyangboche [11,500'], spent two nights, and then got helicoptered into Pheriche. That was two days ago, April 14th, and then today, April 16th, they were going to fly to Base Camp. A weird way to get there.

Turns out the Russian climbers do have a permit on Lhotse middle and Lhotse Shar, so that's one of the most exciting things happening on the south side. [The Russians are attempting a new route that will start on the south side of Everest, connect to the normal route of Lhotse and then traverse Lhotse middle and descend Lhotse Shar. There had been some speculation as to whether they had a permit for the route. See dispatches on the topic from Todd Burleson and Peter Potterfield.]

And here's a tidbit: Anatoli Boukreev was seen running down the hill from Thyangboche. Apparently, he had some kind of falling out with his Indonesian teammates. [Note: later information suggests he was just going down to get a tooth-filling checked and was still fully involved with the Indonesian attempt.] So, talk to you later.

-- Peter Potterfield, Mountain Zone Correspondent