The Ups & Downs

No, not emotionally; but physically! From now until we attempt to summit on May 25th, our team will be moving from Base Camp to Camp I, to Camp II, to Camp III, back to Base Camp, then to a village below Base Camp, back to Base Camp to Camp II, to Camp III, to Camp IV – then, finally – Summit to 29,035 feet!

This means for the next 2 weeks, we move up and down in the name of heavy oxygen and “fixing lines” above Camp II. This “Camp Dance” depends upon the Chinese reaching the summit with the Olympic torch on the north side (maybe happening as I speak) and of course on Mother Nature – the weather.

Military guards have been hanging out at base camp for some time now. The reason is to keep anyone from moving up the south side of Mt. Everest before the torch reaches the top from the north approach. The command to “shoot to kill” seems pretty extreme with a bunch of people who are just wanting to climb.

The weather is a big topic every day. For example, today we will climb once again in the Khumbu Ice Fall. Kent told me that it’s necessary to start this climb early, around 4:00 am before the ice heats up creating shifts making crossing ladders more precarious. This is easy for me since I’m an “early bird”, but for many climbers it’s not easy especially if it falls next to a night of bad sleeping.

Jim, a team member who is keeping a fantastic blog, tells it like this:
Climbing through the Icefall is a little weird. It is as hard going down as it is up, there are significant obstacles (crevasse crossing, vertical wall to rappel down, a ledge to traverse, etc.) to clear nearly every fifty feet (no exaggeration), it is amazing beautiful, but also deadly. Whereas the nights have been cold, the days have been unseasonably warm. Warm = more ice movement = greater risk. So, you basically race through the Icefall as fast as you can, to the point where I want to take tons of pictures but instead keep moving to reduce the time spent in this beautiful but dangerous land. The reward for a safe descent is the comfort of base camp… we had intended to breathe the thicker air here for several days before climbing up again.

Jim’s blog has been fun for armchair travelers (www.mounteverest2008.com) – see April 5th about Kent and his previous attempt and check out all the videos (also one of Kent grinding buckwheat!).  (Note:  Thanks to Ken Maudsley and the Communications Team of “Mount Everest 2008″ for all photos!)

Mt. Everest Teammates

Besides Kent Groninger from Colorado, a long-time friend and my personal carrier, there are nine other team members from each coast and in between. Jim Curtin from Georgia (and soon-to-be, Colorado) is the most well-known since he has been posting on his blog great descriptions and pictures. We have received so many well wishes and prayers that surely we’ll all make it to the top! Bravo, Jim! (To sense what it’s like to climb Mt. Everest, see Jim’s blog, his latest entry is on the petit boulangerie at Base Camp and NASA! www.mounteverest2008.com)

On that same coast, there is J. Armand Musey and John Soebbing, both from New York. Moving west, Gregory Konrath of Indiana, and R.C. Scull from South Dakota. Jeffrey Dossett and Charlie Hyde are both from Washington state. Heading southward, Mark Luscher from Oregon and Diannette Wells (another gal with lots of spunk) from California, and myself, of course, Leona from Ancona (Photo below: Colorado via Italy). That makes 10 official climbers and one stow-a-way.

None of us would be sitting at base camp right now zipping hot lemonade and eating apple pie if it weren’t for Alpine Ascents International out of Seattle, Washington. Kent chose Alpine Ascents for the second time to climb Mt. Everest, “They’re worth every penny!” (www.alpineascents.com) Jose Louis Peralvo is our il capo, and one of Alpine Ascents’ most well-loved guides. So, we’re in good hands… I just don’t want to get left behind since my stuff sack is the identical color and material of the tents!

More to come…

Tortellini with Guinea Pig Sauce

Today, we celebrated cutting two hours in our climb from Camp I to Camp II at over 20,000 ft. with a hefty dish of vegetables and tortellini smothered with guinea pig sauce! At least it wasn’t chicken stew! My protector, Kent Groninger, has me safely tucked away in a 4″ yellow stuff sack in his coat pocket. We are climbing Mt. Everest together. He carries me and in return, I give him a few grins and imbue the energy of many who are vicariously climbing with him. If we summit, Kent will be the oldest American at age 66 (and moi will be the first chicken)! I’m already drafting the blurb for the Guinness Book of World Records!

Mt. Everest is the top of the world at 29,035 feet high and is known in Nepal as Sagarmatha, “goddess of the sky.” For everyone who is interested in the history and statistics, please click on the link. But being the mascot of Da Vinci Capers ~ A Personal Renaissance Journey, my enthusiasm is in Kent, his team members and the experience of our journey.

Kent has been climbing mountains since he was a young boy living in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. When he moved to Colorado in the 70’s, he joined the Colorado Mountain Club. He will tell you all about this in the video that we’ll soon be uploading onto the blog. For now, let’s just say that over the last three decades, Kent’s climbing resume includes over 100 peaks in the U.S. and he has been on nine international expeditions – most peaks over 20,000 feet and an attempt to summit Mt. Everest in 2005 (he actually made it to Camp III when they were turned back due to bad weather).

On that expedition he had his lovely wife, Cathleen, with him – now, it’s just me – “Chicken Lite” (Kent’s nickname for me). But, I must confess, Kent was in awe when he first laid eyes on me: hand-painted wings with a red leather comb, folded neatly into the size of a half an envelope and weighing no more than 2 ounces! Loosing weight was difficult at best considering that I was fat and happy just a month ago in the Antarctica! (This chick does get around!) Kent’s only concern was that on the summit, the winds may fly me into Tibet and he would not be able to rescue me. I told him that this would be just fine – I would become a monk and meditate the remaining years of my life.

Windy nights in the tents and a flu bug to boot. More to come…