We reached the Base Camp at September 19th. It situated at the altitude 5200 meters just before the South Face of Nuptse. Grandiose ground!

Valeri BABANOV reports by the phone provided by BASK company:

September 20th, 14:30
Hello everybody!

Today is September 20th. Yesterday we reached the base camp. It situated at the altitude 5200 meters just before the South face of Nuptse. Grandiose ground! The weather today is pleasure for us. Now is 4 p.m. but the sun is still shining. Yesterday and the day before yesterday it was snowing.

Today we feel much more better. Yesterday we have had a hard day: we left Thangboche (3860 m) and for 5 hours went up more the 1 km. Today is the rest day. I prepare the equipment to start fix my route.

Cook and his assistant make our BC comfort. We are four here: Olga, myself, cook Pasang and his assistant Nuri. Our liaison officer promised to come as well. But till now he is somewhere in other place. No other expeditions around.

As for the route now it is not in the best conditions - a lot of snow. Rocks are in the heavy snow, but I hope that during fixing the lower part the conditions will became better.

I have got the detail forecast in the Everest region from American SMHI company. Thanks a lot!

That's all for now,
Valeri and Olga BABANOV

25.09.2002