Alexander Abramov reports: "North, squally wind ruins all our hopes to subdue Everest"
Alexander Abramov reports:
26 May.
North, squally wind ruins all our hopes to subdue Everest. We are waiting for the news from the camp at 8300m. The tents are jumping in the ABC and we are afraid the tents can be blown away. At 12 o'clock was the connection with Sergeev. He reported the wind at 7700m was very cold and strong. It was impossible to climb up so he made the decision to descend. Sergey Larin was ascending from the North Col to the camp at 7500m. Sergeev met Larin and gave him portable radio transmitter because Larin had lost his. At 18.00 Larin was at 7700m and decided to spend the night there in the tent of Saint Petersburg expedition. The expedition of Saint Petersburg had left Everest already. At 22.00 the leader of Italian expedition visited Larin and informed he had seen the Russian climbers at 8300 and they were waiting for the good weather. We have been informed that Lakpa Gelu Sherpa held the new record yesterday. It had taken him only ten hours and forty minutes on the southward to get from the BC (5300m) to the summit.
It is the end of the message, Bye"
25 May.
The weather has not become well, the wind is strong and none of expeditions are working there. Sherps are carrying all the things down. Tinkling of bells is heard all over there are a lot of yaks. The connection was at 10 o'clock in the morning. Gudjabidze, Elagin and Litinskiy ascended from 7500m to 7900m and they are ready to climb at 8300m tomorrow. I advised them to climb 8300m today and ascend the summit tomorrow.
The Day of Independence of Georgia will be tomorrow and Bidzina dreamed to ascend the summit on this important day for him. The connection was at 12 o'clock. Sergeev and sherp ascended from 7000m to 7900m and they were valid to climb at 7900m but there were three persons already at 7900m. Sergeev is 67 years old and if he ascends the summit Sergeev will become the oldest person in the history of Everest. Sergey Larin gathered his rucksack and went to the North Col and wanted to ascend the summit alone.
Only our expedition "Alpindustria" is working on the mountain. Other expeditions refused to ascend the summit and went away.
Gudjabidze reported that they went to the camp at 8300m in the dark and they were trying to find the tent and oxygen cylinders. I explained them there to find all the necessary things. They are ascending to the summit at night today. God be with you! Abramov and Pushkarev are going to try the ascension to the summit tomorrow. We are planning, 26, May - 7500m, 27,May - 8300m, and if the weather is fine the ascension to the summit will be on the 28th of May. It is possible that will be problems with the messages. We ask you not to worry and hope for the best.
It is the end of the message, Bye"
24 May.
Our team (Abramov, Pushkarev, Tzarev and Kaimachnikov) worked rapidly and operated such unbelievable work content that many other climbers were surprised.
21 May. Our two sherps have become ill. The weather is rather bad. We have installed the camp at 7900m. We ascended from 7500m to 7900m with oxygen cylinders, found the area for our camp and installed the camp. It is 17.00; because of the shortage of water we have sore throat and the oxygen dry it. According to the forecast the weather today at night and tomorrow will be fine. We made the decision to go further and install the camp at 8300m. It needs usually one day. We have four hours and a half before the darkness. We started at 17.15 and began to use three liters oxygen in a minute. It was too difficult to go and our team ascended the camp at 8300m in the dark. This mountainside has the rake of 25degree. All suitable area for the tents was occupied. We were gasping for a drink, but there was no shelter to boil the water and find protection from the shrill wind. We had to rake the frozen stones with the help of our hands. Suddenly the oxygen cylinder passed us very closely. At about 100 climbers gathered there.
We tried to make the stone platform for the tents at about one hour and a half. It was - 30C of frost. It was 1 o'clock at night when we fell into the tent. The sleeping begs were not taken we hoped to spend night burning gas-jets and melting water. But all the members fell asleep in the tent. We got up at 3 o'clock, melted the water about 200gr per man and were ready at 5 o'clock in the morning to ascend the summit.
The lights of climbers were seen throughout the rout. The dawn caught us at the height of 8500m. Our team climbed the crest at 8600m. The rout was traced with ropes and ready to ascension. The first barrier was the wall and 20 climbers on it we had to wait for our turn at about one hour. Suddenly the weather changed, snow began to fall down and the strong wind became stronger. We came up to the second step at 8700m there were 30 climbers ascending very slowly. The summit was not seen because of the snow. I remembered the ascension in 1996 only 11 persons were able to stay there because of the weather worsening. I am responsible for the people it was a pity but I had to turn my team back. We started to climb down and some other expeditions ascended down with us. The probability of death and ascension were equal this day. All the members of our team got huge experience this day in spite of slight chilblain. We reached the height of 8700m.
24 May. Moskalev, Soipher, Litinskiy, Elagin and Gudjabize are expecting the good weather. Larin and Pashkov are in the ABC. It is the end of the message, Bye"
27.05.2003
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