Burleson

Click to hear Todd Burleson's radio dispatch from the South Col.

View from the South Col, 26,300' [Click for bigger image]

From Burleson's Radio Call:
It's May 24th; 4:37 in the afternoon. Last night we attempted to summit and were turned back by winds. Technically, we felt that if we kept going on up higher, we'd probably make it half way, and then we'd lose our chance for another summit attempt.

It was hard for everybody, especially the Sherpas because they worked so hard. It seems like we're doing well. Pretty harmonious day. Freddy just read us what sounds like a pretty good weather forecast -- better than yesterday (or better than today), so we feel pretty good about that.

We're resting most of the day. Wally has done some GPS work; he's got that machine running like crazy down there.

Most of you may have heard, there was a member of OTT [British] Expedition who spent the night, literally, just below the South Summit [28,700']. He walked into camp the next day here... about 8 or 9am. All of us were rather sad thinking we'd be going up tomorrow and probably finding his body. I don't know, in the last couple years, it's amazing what people will endure to survive.

He walked into the camp; we put him in a tent and gave him some Dexamethasone -- about eight milligrams. [ed.'s note: according to Dr. Khoo (of the Malaysian team), Dexamethasone is used in treating altitude and cold related illnesses. He says it is just a very powerful and fast acting anti-inflammatory steroid that reduces inflammation and swelling. It's not exactly known why it works so well on cerebral type problems, but in the case of high altitude rescue, it is used to control inflammation associated with frostbite and any potential edemas.]

Gave him some fluids. Probably has frostbite on his fingers. I didn't remove his boots because, you know, you don't do that up here. People need to walk off this mountain. You don't treat feet up here; you get them off the mountain.

His fingers are definitely a place to start. Other than that he seems very happy. Think he may have frostbit his nose -- we'll find out in a day or so.

He wend down with three Sherpa and Jamie [Clarke] from the Canadian team who is trying to supervise that descent. Hopefully they're doing well. We're trying to line up radio communication with them right now.

Turns out the David Carter [a climber on the NOVA team who summited yesterday] may be sick. Last I heard they were taking a stretcher to Camp III to bring him down, which is very, very significant, I think.

Freddy Blume in Base Camp: update on Dave Carter: he's ok. [Carter was suffering from a constriction of his larynx and trachea due to unknown reasons, and could barely get any air into his lungs (he had summited early and made it down to Camp III) to the point where Ed Viesturs was being tutored by Dr. Dave Bearnley from Base Camp on how to do a tracheotomy. Finally a Dexamethasone injection was delivered to him by a Sherpa late last night, and by morning, he was as good as new.] He's improving and walking on his own to Camp II. Hugo is right now on his way down the Yellow Band in good shape.

Burleson: Fantastic. Fantastic. Good news. Hopefully we can get everybody up this mountain tomorrow and back down safely, and be back in Base Camp within three days.

-- Todd Burleson, Expedition Leader