News from Russian Adventure Team Everest expedition from Moscow

Alexander Abramov reports:

20 May.
According to the weather forecast the strong wind blows from the morning. The crowd of people is ascending slowly for five, six steps in a minute it is too difficult to breath in. The passage to 7500m is complicated and long enough. It is cold and strong wind is blowing. We have met our sherps, they could not install the camp at 8300m again. So we have to ask the other expeditions for the tents at 8300m. Sherps from the other expeditions have been carrying oxygen cylinders and tracing ropes all week. The workmanship of our sherps is poor. Three persons from Japan, three sherps and one Englishman have ascended to the summit today. Abramov, Pushkarev, Tzraev and Kaimachnikov are at 7500m now. Moskalev, Soipher, Elagin and Gudjabidze have gone from the ABC to the North Col. They are following us.

19 May.
Abramov, Pushkarev, Tzarev and Kaimachnikov went from the ABC at about 12 o'clock. It took them three hours and a half to get to the North Col. The weather is perfect, the wind is not strong but with gusts. At about 100 people have ascended to the North Col. We are planning the ascension to the summit on the 22nd of May. We feel good and have keen appetite. The great passage is planned tomorrow.
It is the end of the message,Bye.

18 May.
There was strong wind yesterday. The sherps refuse flatly to ascend. We have decided to ascend on the 22nd of May. We are planning, 20, May - 7500m, 21, May - 8300m and 22, May - the summit. The sherps are installing 8300m. The whole expedition was gathered together in the evening. There was the meeting in the ABC and we made the decision that Abramov, Tzarev, Pushkarev and Kaimachnikov would ascend the first. Moskalev, Soipher and Latinskiy would follow, 20, May - the North Col, 21, May - 7500m, 22, May - 7900m, 23, May - 8300m, 24, May - the summit. Larin, Pashkov, Elagin, Sergeev would ascend, 22, May - the North Col, 23, May - 7500m, 24, May - 7900m, 25, May - 8300m, 26, May - the summit. The period of expectation will be finished tomorrow.

17, May.
Some members from the expedition of Baltic States came to our camp in the morning. We have been playing cards all day and waiting for the better weather. Igor Tzarev wanted to dry his sleeping bag and it was flown away towards the neighbor camp. Most of the expeditions are planning the ascension on the 22nd of May. Yura Soipher and Dima Moskalev came to the ABC in the evening. It is snowing hardly in the ABC. We were invited to celebrate the birthday in the expedition from Saint Petersburg. There were a lot of friendly speeches and the self-made cake. It was an agreement that we would communicate with them during ascension using portable radio transmitter. The wind has dropped and the snow has begun. Our prospects of climbing are perfect.

16, May.
Have you ever seen the film "Groundhog Day"? I get up and notice that every day is the same. We have been at the height of 6500m for nine days already. We are looking forward to the good weather. The height is very injurious for health, energy and brain especially. The expeditions postpone the time of ascension. The problem is that above 8300m there are no railing ropes. Sherps are not able to ascend because of the wind. We have known about the deaths of the climbers in CHO-OIU. Misha Latinskiy went to the ABC at 6 o'clock; the full moon helped him to find the way. We are planning to go out tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

15, May.
The weather is extraordinary this year. Sherps told that such strong wind had been only one day last year. It is strange the sky is absolutely clean and it is impossible to ascend. The west wind is blowing now and soon will be southwest this means monsoon. There were years when nobody was able to ascend the summit. Perhaps the anniversary year is preparing us such gift. The weather becomes warmer. The tent is not frozen inside. The sherps are working; they have carried 20 oxygen cylinders at 7500m and 8300m. We are trying to install the tent today at 8300m. The wind is going to drop for two or three days. Abramov, Pushkarev and Tzarev are not going to BC now; they are staying in the ABC to ascend on the 16th of May. We are planning: 17, May - 7500m, 18, May - 7900m, 19, May - 8300m, 20 or 21, May - the summit. According to the new weather forecast from the 16th to the 21st of May the snowfalls are expected.
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It is the end of the message, Bye.

Expedition sponsors: "BASK" company and "KANT" sports club.

20.05.2003