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I will use a satellite telephone to
call in reports once or twice a week to my wife,
Sharon. Sharon will post my reports on this
page. I
will do my best to make these reports short and
interesting.
If you encounter
problems in registering or in receiving notices of
trip reports, please send an email to
eightsummits@gmail.com
Dan Mazur will
file trip reports on the Everest News website (http://everestnews.com) under
the name Summitclimb 2007. The Everest
News website has lots of good information about Mt.
Everest.
These reports are
dedicated to my Family, Friends, and Students of
Andersen, Clifford, McPherson Magnet, and Town
School for Boys.
| Date |
Report |
| 3/29/2007 |
Kathmandu, Nepal
March 29, 2007
Namaste, which means hello. My flight to from Los Angeles to Kathmandu went well, I met my friend Mark Luscher, who I am climbing Mt. Everest with, at the Los Angeles airport. The flight from Los Angeles to Bangkok, Thailand, was 17 hrs. We had a full hour layover in Bangkok and the flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu was 3 hours. Since I had a hard time sleeping in the economy class seat and since no one was in the business class section, I upgraded myself to business class and got some sleep on the flight to Bangkok.
Kathmandu is the capitol of Nepal. It is a very large metropolitan city, much like Los Angeles. It is hot and the air is polluted.
The area we are staying in is Thamel. The ride into Thamel from the airport was wild. The streets are narrow, barely enough for a single car, and not well maintained. Cars, motor bikes, bicycles, buggies, rickshaws, people and animals all compete for space on the narrow streets. Traffic rules and rights of way do not exist. I was in constant fear of a collision on the ride in from the airport. To give you an idea how chaotic it is, if I lived in Kathmandu, I would be considered an above average driver.
I am staying at the Kathmandu Prince Hotel, however I don't feel much like a prince, I feel more like a pauper. The room charge is $19.00 a night. The mattress and pillow are about as soft as concrete. The room is lit with a single candle until 9 PM when the electricity comes on, but fortunately I've been able to sleep pretty well and have not yet suffered from jet lag.
I am thoroughly enjoying my stay in Kathmandu. The streets wind in every which direction and there is no logic to the street pattern and it is very easy to get lost. The streets are lined with small shops and restaurants on each side of the street that are packed close together and open out to the street. The merchants (unintelligible) and every price is negotiable
We have visited numerous Hindu and Buddhist temples and monasteries. Today we visited a Hindu temple and witnessed a Hindu cremation ceremony in which the body was placed on logs in an open area and burned and the ashes were then pushed into the river.
Tomorrow we will have a group meeting to discuss our climb of Mt. Everest and the following day, which will be Saturday, we fly to Lukla. I will deliver another report in the next few days. |
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| 3/31/2007 |
Phakding, Nepal
March 31, 2007
Namaste,
I checked out of my "luxury" hotel this morning for the flight to Lukla. This is the first time in my life I have looked forward to getting out of a hotel and into my tent and sleeping bag. I haven't slept well but I feel really good. I really enjoyed Kathmandu. We had a great dinner last night--Thai food.
I met my Sherpa yesterday. His name is Tenji Sherpa. He is 24 years old, recently married and has summited Everest 3 times. I was told that he is super strong and could carry me on his back to the summit. After meeting him, I believe this is true. He is short and muscular and looks like a bodybuilder. He is my Nepalese version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is very friendly and nice and speaks reasonably good English. I think I am going to like him.
We flew to Lukla (elev. 9,040 ft.) in a Twin Otter operated by Yepi Air. The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla is about 45 minutes. I must admit to being a little nervous when the pilots gave each other high fives upon successful takeoff. Lukla sits on the side of a mountain. The landing strip begins at the edge of a very steep cliff and proceeds uphill the length of a football field to the face of the mountain. The pilots had difficulty navigating through heavy cloud cover with no radar, but we landed safely. All of the expedition gear was loaded on yaks for the carry to Base Camp.
We had a great breakfast, then began our trek from Lukla to Phakding (elev. 8,400 ft.). The trek was wonderful, as Mark said, "This is sweet." The trail is lined with small stone restaurants and lodges so you can drop your pack and enjoy a cup of hot tea, or cold beer or a good meal. The structures have tin roofs and wood framed windows that are painted in bright colors of blue, red, and green. All of the villages we passed through were super clean and all of the people seemed very friendly and happy. The countryside is stunningly beautiful with rivers, waterfalls, snow capped peaks and flowers and trees in full bloom. The hillsides are terraced where they grow crops. The weather was cool with a slight and welcome breeze. We crossed several extension bridges spanning the Dudh Koshi River.
We arrived in Phakding at 1:40 PM. We are staying at the Sunrise Lodge and Restaurant which is beautiful and clean, both inside and out. Mark and I decided to rent a room rather than stay in the tents. The room costs $7.00 for both of us.
Our Sherpa cooks served us a great dinner of soup, rice, meat, gravy, vegetables and a dessert. Tomorrow morning they will serve us hot tea in our room.
Tomorrow we have a 5 hour hike uphill to Namche Bazaar.
Honestly, it just doesn't get any better than this. So far, I am loving this adventure.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. |
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| 4/2/2007 |
Namche Bazaar
April 2, 2007
Namaste
The push from Phakding (8,400 feet) to Namche Bazaar (11,300 feet) on April 1 was long and difficult. Namche Bazaar is a large terraced village and is populated with small, restaurants, shops, lodges and homes. They sell everything you could want in the streets, and there are lots of mountaineering shops.
Mark and I opted to stay in a lodge and it was very modern and comfortable. We got our first warm shower and shave. Today is a rest day. In the morning, we hiked 1,100 feet up to the Everest View Lodge (14,400 feet) where we had our first great view of the mighty Mt. Everest, with its trademark plumb of ice and snow blowing off the summit for miles to the east. We also had a great view of Ama Dablam.
I was sending my family a message from an internet cafe and Dan Mazur took a picture of me and is filing it with his first trip report on EverestNews.com. http://everestnews.com/summitclimb/everestsouth04012007.htm
Tomorrow is another hard day as we trek to Pangboche (13,100 feet).
I will file another report in the next couple of days.
Bill Burke |
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| 4/4/2007 |
Pangboche
April 4, 2007
Namaste:
I suffered my first setback in Namche Bazaar when I came down with altitude sickness on our rest day. The sight of food caused my stomach to do turn flips. Dan Mazur, our trip leader, thinks this might have been caused by the two large pizzas Mark and I ate upon arrival in Namche. The end result is that I couldn't eat for 1-1/2 days. I wasn't too concerned because this is a common ailment at high altitude. Other than the stomach problem, I felt great—no headache, shortness of breath or any of the more serious problems caused by altitude. The trek from Namche (11,300 feet) to Pangboche (12,700 feet) was very difficult, with lots of ups and downs. Since I was climbing with no fuel in
my tank, the trek was even more difficult for me. By the time I arrived in Pangboche, I felt much better with the additional time for acclimatization. Last night, I ate almost a full dinner. I had the best sleep of the trip, and woke up this morning feeling great. I almost have my full appetite back. As I type this report, I am eating a hot bowl of chicken soup, just like home.
Today, we attended a Puja, which is a Buddhist Prayer Ceremony, led by a Lama, which is a Buddhist Priest. It was very interesting. He was a kindly, elderly man with a friendly, warm demeanor and an easy laugh. When he asked the age of Mark and me, he laughed because he had to look up an appropriate prayer for person of our age. We each presented him with a scarf (with 500 rupees wrapped inside the scarf). He opened the scarf and let the money fall out. He then blessed the scarf, said a prayer and put
the scarf around our neck. I checked this out before the trip with my retired and senior pastor (who is also a beloved friend), and he suggested some ideas that allowed me to honor this tradition, while at the same time respecting and honoring my faith. During the ceremony, I wore a cross that was given to my wife, Sharon, by my granddaughter, Bailey.
The children in these mountain villages are educated through grade 3, and they are trying to increase this to grade 6. There is a high school in Kunde, which is just above Namche Bazaar. Those children with relatives in Namche, and the means to finance an education, can attend this high school. There is only one hospital, which is in Kunde, which makes it difficult for the people in these villages to receive appropriate health care.
Today, we trek to Pheriche, which is an easy climb—only about 1-1/2 hours. In fact, the rest of the trek to Base Camp (5 more days) is a moderate climb.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Bill Burke
Two photos have been posted under "My Everest Photos". Also, Dan Mazur has posted 3 dispatches on the Everest news website.
http://www.everestnews.com/summitclimb/everestsouth2007d.htm
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| 4/6/2007 |
Lobuche
April 6, 2007
Namaste,
As you move up the mountain from Namche Bazaar, the villages, restaurants and lodges become more and more primitive and there are fewer shops and stores. The weather also becomes much colder. The lodges consist of a dining area, an area for the sherpas to sleep and sleeping rooms for the climbers. The sleeping rooms are small and often unlighted. If there is hot water available, which is often not the case, there is an extra charge of 200 rupies. The dining room is lighted with solar power and is heated with a pot belly stove that sits in the middle of the room with a stove pipe that runs up through the ceiling. The fuel that is used to power the stove is yak chips. The stove pipe is not well insulated and the smoke seeps out into the dining room and the sleeping areas, which makes for quite an aroma.
On April 5 we trekked from Pheriche (13,570 ft.) to Dughla (14,610 ft.), and on April 6 we trekked from Dughla to Lobuche (15,680 ft.), which is where we will sleep tonight.
The views are absolutely breathtaking with huge mountains, snow capped peeks and beautiful valleys and rivers all the way up the mountain. Just outside of Dughla we visited a cemetery where rock cairns have been built to honor climbers who died in the mountains in this area. Tomorrow we trek to Gorak Shep, which is our last stop before base camp.
My appetite is completely back and I am feeling great. I will file another report from Gorak Shep.
Bill Burke |
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| 4/10/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
April 10, 2007
Namaste,
I haven't forgotten about you. I have a lengthy report to file, but insufficient battery life on my satellite phone to prepare the report. As soon as our computers and power equipment arrives, which I hope will be today or tomorrow, I will prepare and file a report.
Today we are taking a acclimatization trip up to advance base camp for Pumori Mt.
Everything is going well and I feel great.
Bill Burke |
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| 4/12/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
April 12, 2007
Namaste,
We still have no power at Everest Base Camp, so I'm sending this report by satellite phone. If it seems disorganized, I apologize.
On April 7 we trekked from Lobuche to Gorak Shep (16,300 ft). When we arrived in Gorak it started to snow, so there was no opportunity to climb Kalla Pattar for great views of Everest, but the accommodations at Gorak Shep were great, which was our last day in a teahouse.
On April 8 we trekked to Everest Base Camp (17,100 ft.).
The weather has been cold and windy and it has snowed almost every day.
Our trip leader, Dan, described Everest Base Camp as the worst base camp in the world. He is probably right. It is a large tent city that sits on rolling piles of boulders and rocks with no flat areas.
You have to use large pickaxes to create tent platforms upon which to pitch your tents, and it's still not flat no matter how hard you try. For example, I sleep downhill and am constantly sliding down to the bottom of the tent during the night and have to push myself back up to the top and repeat this process throughout the night.
The rocks and boulders sit on glacial ice which moves slowly down the mountain each day. You can hear the glacial ice creak and groan at night. You can also hear water flowing under the ice. According to my son, the ice at the bottom of the glacier is melted due to the pressure caused by the glacier’s sheer weight, which enables the glacier to slowly slide down the mountain, grinding down rocks and boulders along the way. At night when the heat from the tent interacts with the ice under the tent, it causes loud noises like pop, bam, crack, pow.
At night you can also hear avalanches and rock and ice falls thunder down the mountain, which surround the Base Camp. We still have no power, so we eat dinner by candlelight in the mess tent that is pitched on the rocks.
I took a shower today in the shower tent while it was snowing.
Yesterday we went on an acclimatization hike to Advance Base Camp at Pumar Mountain (also known as Pumori Mountain), which is at 18,460 ft. It was a very long and strenuous day and it snowed the whole way. The snow turned into a snow storm on the way back.
We had some great views however from Pumar and there were many good photo ops.
Today has been a rest day. We had another Puja ceremony, this time outdoors. A 65 year old Lama blessed our group and blessed the climbing equipment which was brought to the ceremony.
Tomorrow we will hike back to Pumar and sleep overnight, all for acclimatization purposes. Then we will take two days rest at Everest Base Camp.
The Khumbu Icefall is awesome and fearsome. It consists of large jumbled blocks of ice called seracs, some that are several stories tall. These seracs are constantly moving. This is the most dangerous part of the mountain.
The Khumbu Icefall is much larger than I thought. The route has been fixed by lines and ladders that are set up by "icefall doctors" who are government employees hired for this purpose. Camp 1 on Everest is just above the icefall.
I feel great and am eating and sleeping well. I find it hard moving uphill at this altitude, but I move slowly and steadily.
Everyone is doing fine. We have a great group. Two new members (Bruce and Phil) arrived today and one additional member will arrive in the next couple of days.
My young and super strong Sherpa - who I sometimes affectionately refer to as Arnold Schwarzenegger - has been a great friend and help to me.
Bill Burke
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| 4/15/2007 |
Namaste:
Feeling really good right now since I just took an outdoor shower and shaved. Fresh again as a Himalayan daisy.
Two days ago, we climbed again to Pumori advanced base camp and set up camp for an overnight stay. The wind blew like crazy all night, but it was a good acclimatization exercise.
Yesterday, we donned our snow gear and ventured into the dredded Khumbu Icefall for some icefall training. Dan described crossing the ladders in the Khumbu Icefall as a terrifying experience, especially when several ladders are strapped together to span a large crevasse. So, I think we were
all psyched for this experience. The practice was great since, once we crossed and climbed several of these ladders in the Icefall, we all felt more comfortable. I found the snow climbing much easier than the trail and rock climbing. I have always preferred climbing in the snow over other terrain.
At 4am tomorrow morning, we will go back into the Icefall and make our first trip to Camp 1. This means crossing and climbing those ladders in the dark. We plan to sleep at Camp 1 and then climb to Camp 2. After we reach Camp 2,
we will return to Camp 1 and spend another night at Camp 1. The next morning, we will return to Base Camp and rest for several days.
I feel really good. I have been eating and drinking as much as possible to keep my strength up and to continue the process of acclimatization. Once we get higher on the mountain, the food will become more basic and the higher altitude will take its toll on our appetites. I have been sleeping great in my tent even though I slip and slide downhill all night.
I am thoroughly enjoying this trip. The Himalayan mountains are just breathtaking. And, as I reported earlier, I really like the group I am traveling with on this trip. It is especially good to share this experience with my friend, Mark Luscher. We have a lot of shared values.
Bill Burke
We practiced crossing ladders today.
This is a picture of bill at 5500 metres in the icefall on a ladder.
(Photo by Dan Mazur on 4/14/2007) |
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| 4/20/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
April 19, 2007
Namaste
On April 16, we moved from Everest Base Camp (“EBC”) up through the Khumbu Icefall to Camp I (19,400 feet). We spent the night at Camp I and on April
17 we moved to Camp II (21,500 feet) . Camp II, also known as Advanced Base Camp, will eventually have a kitchen tent and sleeping tents. Since Camp II
has not been fully established, we returned on the same day to Camp I and spent the night. On April 18, we returned through the Icefall to EBC.
The trip through the Icefall to Camp I was long and difficult. The route is steep and is littered with huge ice seracs, some of which are as large as an
apartment building. To make matters worse, these seracs are constantly on the move as the glacier moves down the mountain. We had to move up, over and around these ice seracs, sometimes using ladders strapped together and fixed to the seracs with ice screws by the Icefall Doctors. In addition, we crossed over many huge crevasses, also using ladders strapped together by
the Icefall Doctors. Despite my initial fear (terror) related to the ladders, I eventually developed a technique and felt pretty comfortable in managing the ladders. In fact, I even looked forward to crossing and
climbing ladders as a break from the constant uphill climb.
We had some excitement on our trip to Camp I. An avalanche came crashing down the mountain into the Icefall and was headed directly toward our position. We closed our backpacks and secured ourselves to the fixed lines waiting to see what would happen. All the while, I was snapping pictures with my camera. The avalance was swallowed by the many crevasses in the Icefall and never reached us. Part of our team, including my friend Mark, was higher on the mountain and got an even closer look. Mark said that, an
enormous snow cloud passed over his group as the avalance fell into the crevasses.
From Camp I, I felt like I could touch Mt. Everest and Lhotse. The scenery is so awesome, magnificent and beautiful.
The weather changes constantly. At times, the sun makes the climbing feel like passing through the desert. Then, the clouds roll in and the
temperature plummets to 30 degrees and out come the heavy jackets, pants, gloves and beanies. It snows almost every day, usually in the late afternoon.
Other than being really tired at the end of an uphill day, I feel great. Everyone else is also doing well.
We will probably rest a few days at EBC. Then, up, up, up. Our next trip will probably be from EBC to Camp II. That will be a long day.
Bill Burke |
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| 4/22/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
April 22, 2007
Namaste
The rock piles are white! Yesterday afternoon, we had an unexpected snowstorm and EBC is covered with snow. Nice change.
In order to keep our bodies in shape and give us something to do, Mark, Bruce and I hiked back down to Gorak Shep and had a nice lunch in a restaurant (I had spaghetti and red sauce). We then hiked back up to EBC, just missing the snowstorm. The three of us then visited the Base Camp Bakery (a new addition to EBC this year) and had coffee and a roll. Don't picture the bakery down the street--nothing that comfy.
Here is the plan for the next few days: Early tomorrow morning (around 4 am) we will move back up through the Icefall to Camp I and spend the night. The next morning, we will move to Camp II, which has now been installed, and spend 2 nights at Camp II. Recall that Camp II is Advanced Base Camp where we have a kitchen tent and cook as well as sleeping tents. Assuming fixed lines have been installed on the steep and icy Lhotse Face, we will then move to Camp III on the Lhotse Face. Camp III is established at approximately 24,000 feet. Our tents have not been installed at Camp III yet. Once we arrive at Camp III, we will move back down to Camp II and spend the night. The next morning, we will return to EBC for several days of rest and acclimatization.
In case you are interested in the culinary aspects of the trip, here is a typical EBC menu. Breakfast: cereal, porridge, toast (jam but no butter), pancakes (no butter or syrup) and a boiled, scrambled or fried egg or omelette. Lunch: coleslaw, flat bread, cinnamon role, beans and canned tuna or salmon. Sandwiches can also be made. Dinner: soup, meat (that is too tough to cut or chew), potatoes, cauliflower, green vegetables, mushrooms, rice and (i) a spring roll filled with samosa, (ii) pasta, (iii) a slice of pizza or (iv) macaroni & cheese. We usually get a desert consisting of canned fruit. No complaints here. I try to clean my plate every meal to build up the energy reserves needed when we move up. As we move up the mountain, the food becomes much more limited and basic—nothing like the above. The EBC cook is Tembu, from Nepal. Everyone likes him and thinks he is doing a great job.
I will take my satellite telephone up the mountain and deliver a further report, probably from Camp II, assuming I can get a decent satellite connection.
At night, I watch movies and shows on my DVD player. I am so glad to have this comfort of home.
Everyone seems to be feeling pretty good. Most of the assorted ailments have passed. I feel 100% right now.
Bill Burke |
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| 4/25/2007 |
Hello,
Bill just called from Camp 2.
He reported they went up again through Khumba Icefall and stayed at camp 1, then went on to Camp 2 two nights ago. Took a little hike yesterday.
It was early morning when he called and today will climb to Camp 3, which is not set up yet and will come right back and will again sleep at Camp 2. They will then go back down to Base Camp and rest for 3-4 days.
He sounded good, said it was cold and he is feeling good.
Sharon Burke |
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| 4/26/2007 |
I received a recorded phone message from Bill in the night. Here is what he said:
It's Bill calling from Camp 2 and there has been a terrible accident on the Lhotse face, which is where I was headed today. A Sherpa from one of the other teams fell to his death. We don't know quite what happened, but apparently he was going up to fix lines, (which is where we were headed) on his way to Camp 3 with his team and did not have an ascender hooked to the line. An ascender is a device that you hook your rope to so that you can go up but can't come go down and then you fix it to your body so that if you let loose or anything like that, you can't fall. You will not come down . He was not using an ascender and apparently slipped and fell. He was hooked to the line with a carabiner, but he fell quite a ways, like 100 ft. and he hit his head on a ice serac, a terrible accident. We were coming up to the line when it happened and they were burying him in the snow. Even today the details are sketchy, no one knows for sure what happened, but he took a fall and was killed. His name is Dawa (sp?) Sherpa, not the same Dawa I was originally assigned to. The team he was working for was an Italian team. Everybody is very sad, this is a very sad day. We just decided to come down and we are probably going to go up again tomorrow and fix the lines.
I actually have 2 ascenders, they are also called jumars. You only use one, but you hook up to the line and to your body and it will not come down, you can go up, but will not go down. These Sherpas are so experienced and are daredevils that a lot of times they don't use this equipment, they should. You see a lot of the Sherpas on the mountain without crampons (the devices attached to your boots).
Anyway, that's about it, I'll leave it to you if you want to mention it in my report in any way, shape or form, it's probably going to be on Everestnews.com, you might want to check,
We will head up again tomorrow and then to Base Camp.
Bill Burke, via a voice message transcribed by Sharon. |
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| 4/29/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
April 29, 2007
Namaste:
The death of Dawa Sherpa on the Lhotse Face was a stunning and sad blow to everyone on the mountain. We arrived just after it happened, and one of our group helped bury him in the snow. They brought his body down the mountain yesterday and a helicopter picked his body up this morning from EBC and took it down the mountain to his family in Solu. He has a wife and 4 children. I hope everyone will pray for his soul and for his family.
The sherpas are the heart and soul of climbing Mt. Everest and the surrounding mountains. They form the backbone of every expedition and, without them, climbing 8,000 meter mountains would be limited to a select few. The shepas are incredibly strong. When I return, you will see from my photos that the loads the men, women and children carry up to EBC from Lukla are phenomenal. The average westerner could not even lift these loads off the ground. From EBC, the climbing sherpas carry all the heavy gear and supplies (e.g., tents, food, fuel, stoves, oxygen, clothing) up the mountain and set up and maintain all the camps. They move multiple times up and down the mountain and do it with ease, like a trip you and I would make to the local market to purchase a carton of milk. They are also a gentle and happy people, always smiling and laughing and ever eager to help with any task. For example, I ripped one of my climbing boots with my crampon. I gave the boot to one of the shepas yesterday and he hand sewed it and had it back to me, just like new, within 15 minutes. It is a real pleasure to be here with these wonderful people.
We moved up to Camp I on April 23 and spent the night. The next day we moved to Camp II. On April 25, we did an acclimatization climb to the fixed lines on the Lhotse Face and then returned to Camp II. Our plan was to climb to Camp III (not fully established) on April 26 and then return immediately to Camp II. We arrived at the fixed lines just after the fatal accident on April 26. Out of respect for Dawa Sherpa we returned to Camp II. On 27, the weather turned nasty, so we descended to EBC where we are resting for several days. So now you are caught up.
Our return to EBC was complicated by the fact that there were several icefall collapses while we were at Camp II. Fortunately, no one was injured. These collapses required the attention of the Icefall Doctors, which involved changing the route and repairing, replacing or moving the fixed lines and the ladders in the Icefall. All these changes were made before we came down, so our trip back to EBC was uneventful.
Yesterday, a huge ice block at the top of the Icefall collapsed. From EBC, it sounded like a sonic boom and a plumb of snow could be seen rising from the location of the collapse like a bomb had gone off. Later in the day, a huge ice serac, calved off from the glacier and thundered down the mountain. It was the loudest and longest fall to date.
We learned yesterday that our kitchen tent at Camp II blew away in the strong winds we have experienced over the last few days. Today, our sherpas are back at Camp II exploring the damage and re-establishing our kitchen tent.
As noted, we are resting at EBC for a few days. After the rest, our plan is to climb to Camp II and spend the night and then climb to Camp III and spend one or two nights. We will then return to EBC for more rest and acclimatization.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/3/2007 |
Everest Camp 1
May 3, 2007
Namaste,
We made our third push through the Icefall and are resting at Camp 1. I thought that the third climb through the Icefall would get easier, but it doesn't. I can't even begin to describe how hard that climb is to get to Camp 1, but here we are. We went through the Icefall (unintelligible) yet again as the ice seracs and ice blocks move each trip.
Mark and I are sharing a tent at Camp 1 and are warm and cozy in our sleeping bags and are extremely tired, but are both feeling good.
It started to snow upon our arrival and has been snowing pretty steadily since. This is a typical pattern for our trip here to Everest.
Tomorrow morning we will head up to Camp 2 and spend a couple of nights at Camp 2. The plan is to then head up to Camp 3, sleep at Camp 3 for 1 or 2 nights and then return to Base Camp.
The collective consensus of the Sherpas here is that we will summit between May 15 and May 21, but that is pretty much just a guess as the mountain and the weather control that outcome.
Thanks for your prayers and support. In the next couple of days I will send another report, probably from Camp 2 or Camp 3.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/4/2007 |
Hello,
Bill and the group are at Camp 2. Check out the latest two audio messages from Dan Mazur.
http://www.everestnews.com/summitclimb/everestsouth05042007.htm
Sharon Burke |
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| 5/5/2007 |
Everest Camp 2
May 5, 2007
Namaste,
The move from Camp 1 to Camp 2 up the Western Cwm wasn't too bad except for the unbearable heat. At one point I was moving out from a heavy cloud cover and snow and I felt like I was going to faint from heat stroke, but we all made it fine. Daniel Kim, one of our climbers, got sick at Camp 1 and moved back to Base Camp to try to rest and recover.
I had some personal excitement on our way to Camp 2 when a Sherpa directly in front of me crossing a crevasse on a ladder fell off the ladder into the crevasse. Fortunately he did not fall far because he had his safety clip attached to the rope, but he dangled for awhile below the ladder, obviously scared. I was unable to help him because he was on the other side of the crevasse so I yelled out to his friends and they came down and after a struggle they were able to pull him out, shaken, but unharmed.
It snowed pretty hard at Camp 2, but we got some a good rest. The three of us who are going to Everest took a rest day at Camp 2, while the four who are doing Lhotse moved up this morning to Camp 3. They will come down tomorrow while we will go up to Camp 3.
I must admit to a bit of nervousness because I have not yet been to Camp 3 and getting there involves climbing the steep and icy Lhotse face, but they have six climbs to the mountain and I understand steps have been kicked into the ice so I feel confident that I will make it just fine. Tomorrow morning Mark, Terry and I head up. We will stay there 1 or 2 nights and then come back, spend the night at Camp 2 and then head back to Base Camp for some rest.
I will file a further report in the next couple of days.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/7/2007 |
Everest Camp 3
May 7, 2007
Namaste,
We all arrived at Camp 3 safely, so mission accomplished with your thoughts and prayers. Thank you very much.
Climbing from Camp 2 to Camp 3 is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It made climbing in the Khumba Icefall seem like children's play, even with building blocks. First, the climb from Camp 2 to the base of the Lhotse face was long and hard. Then we arrived at the Lhotse face where fixed lines are attached to the mountain. Picture yourself looking at a 20 story building made out of ice which you have to climb. They attach lines to the mountain with ice screws. There are two lines, an up line and a down line. Climbers hook into these lines in two places, one with their ascender going up and second with a safety line. So, it is actually pretty safe. It is just long and extremely difficult to climb the steep Lhotse face, even with the fixed lines.
I had a good sleep at camp 3. The food was pretty sparce, including the breakfast the following morning.
The plan is to go down today back to Camp 2, sleep at Camp 2 and then return to Base Camp for probably a five day stay. We may even move down into one of the villages below Base Camp just to see something other than rocks and snow and have some good meals and perhaps be able to sleep inside for a change.
That is the report for now. I will let you know when we arrive safely back at Base Camp which will probably be in the next 1 or 2 days.
Bill Burke
PS
After receiving the above report, I received word from Bill that they made it back to Camp 2.
Sharon Burke |
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| 5/10/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
May 9, 2007
Namaste:
We are all safely back at Base Camp and the Everest/Lhotse teams are reunited.
This last trip up to Camp III was an adventure and a test of the limits of human endurance...or at least this human’s endurance. I feel good to have reached Camp III, and to have slept really well at that altitude (our camp is at approximately 22,500 feet). My appetite is completely in tact, and I have had no signs of altitude sickness. The big test is coming up when we move back up the mountain--more on that later.
It’s great to be back at Base Camp for rest and
acclimatization. Our plan is to move down to Pheriche tomorrow morning. Several reasons for this move. First, thicker air, which helps keep us healthy and acclimatized. Second, a much need change of atmosphere. We get to see green grass and trees instead rocks and snow. We will see real people (even children!) and animals instead of grizzled mountaineers wearing backpacks and crampons. Third, we get to order off a menu and enjoy a sampling of different foods of our choice which will help us bulk up for the big move. Fourth, we will sleep inside in a tea house instead of crawling into a tent and trying to keep warm in a sleeping bag. On this last point, as I write this report, they have moved my tent off its rock/ice platform and are using shovels and pick axes to try and create a level platform so I can sleep well at night. We will probably stay at Pheriche for two nights and then return to Base Camp.
Only one more move up this giant mountain! The tentative plan for the Everest team (Mark, Terry and me) is to move to Camp I on May 16 and then move to Camp II on May 17. Mark or Terry have the option to move directly from Base Camp to Camp II on May 17. I prefer to split it into 2 days since I move slower. I am pretty sure Mark plans to do the same. The Everest climbers will move to Camp III on May 18 and Camp IV (the South Col) on May 19. May 20 will be summit day. All of this is subject to weather and any individual need for rest days. I am guessing that I will need a rest day in there somewhere. The big unknowns, of course, are the moves from Camp III to Camp IV and Camp IV to the summit. These are huge moves and big, challenging and long days. But, I’ll just take it a day at a time and remain optimistic. My faith and trust in the Lord remain strong, and I am ever so thankful for my progress to date and my good health. I feel really good.
I’ll send another dispatch when I have something new to report and, in any event, before I make my final move up the mountain. I miss everyone at home so much and look forward to my return to beloved family and friends.
Thanks for your continued support and prayers.
Bill Burke
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| 5/11/2007 |
Pheriche
May 11, 2007
Namaste,
The six hour trek from Base Camp to the Himalayan Hotel in Pheriche was pleasant and enjoyable. It was a real treat to order off a menu and the food was delicious. I had a tuna and cheese grilled sandwich with french fries and it was so good. It was even more delightful to be able to sleep in a real bed with a real mattress and a real blanket to cover my sleeping bag. Mark and I shared a room and had the best sleep since we entered Nepal.
Today we hiked over to Denboche (sp?), a village just over the mountain, and had lunch at the Snow Lion Hotel and Restaurant. The lunch was absolutely delicious. I had a ham and cheese bragger (that is the correct spelling, not burger) and french fries. Absolutely delicious. (Again...) Mark and Phil had lunch (unintelligible). We had dinner tonight at the Himalayan Hotel and I had a double serving of stir fried vegetables/noodles and pineapple for dessert. (He said the first serving was so good that he had to order another.) The food was excellent. I'm not sure how long we're going to be staying here. Everything depends on the weather in terms of our return to Base Camp and our last move up the mountain.
Today it snowed really hard and was kind of fun to watch the snow fall from the inside of a lodge where we were warm and comfy.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Bill Burke
(Does he sound hungry!--Sharon) |
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| 5/13/2007 |
Pheriche
May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms.
God Bless you and your families.
Bill Burke
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| 5/14/2007 |
Pheriche
May 14, 2007
Namaste,
The mountain is fighting back. Gale force winds took out many of the camps at Camp 2, including all of our camp. Our sherpas were there and tried to hold the tents down, but they were unsuccessful. One of the tents was pulled straight up by the platform, snapped all the lines and disappeared down the mountain. Then an avalanche took out all of our tents at Camp 3, so we are back to square one to establishing camp two and camp three on the mountain.
One of our strongest sherpas caught his crampon on the ice and fell sixty feet down the Lhotse face. After the fall he said he had a "flash vision" and he quit the expedition and headed down the mountain. We saw him passing by on the trail from our tea house in Pheriche and went out and stopped him. But despite Dan's best efforts, he would not change his mind. In tears he told Dan that he is never coming back to Everest. So we are left without one of our strongest sherpas. Fortunately, he is not one of the personal sherpas
It is a beautiful morning in Pheriche and we are headed back up to Base Camp. It was a wonderful stay, we all got lots of sleep in our warm beds and I think I put back on most of the pounds that the mountain took from me over the last few weeks.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/14/2007 |
I found this on
Summitclimb. Take a look at Bill's hat. When in Nepal,
do as the Nepalese....Sharon
Photo courtesy Dan Mazur
Taken in Dingboche at
4200 metres, on our last low altitude from left to
right: Dean Cardinale (summitclimb amadablam 2002), Mark
Luscher (summitclimb everest 2007), Bill Burke (summitclimb
everest 2007), Todd Greene (everestspeakersbureau.com),
Dan Mazur (leader summitclimb lhotse-everest 2007). We
are on our way up, hopefully to the summit. please wish
us luck. thanks. --Dan Mazur |
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| 5/15/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
May 15, 2007
Namaste,
We are all back at Base Camp. Camps 2 and 3 have been restored, although we are missing the tent at Camp 2 that blew down the mountain. Our Sherpas are high on the mountain and have fixed up the tents on the South Col, which is Camp 4.
The weather has not been cooperating so most of the teams are still at Everest Base Camp. It snowed really hard this afternoon and it is snowing as I send in this report. Our current plan is to start up the mountain on May 18 for our final push to the summit. I understand that there are four teams currently on the South Col and they may make their run for the summit tonight. We are all wishing them well.
The trip down to Pheriche was wonderful and really helped
with my acclimatization. I feel stronger and better than ever. We made it up from Pheriche to Everest Base Camp in record time.
As soon as things sort out and I know the schedule for sure I will send in another report.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/16/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
May 16, 2007
THINGS I MISS AFTER SPENDING SIX WEEKS IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT EVEREST
My wife;
My four children and their spouses;
My 14 Grandchildren;
Our extended family (parents, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews);
My friends;
My wife's friends;
Sunsets over the Pacific Ocean;
Date Night with my wife;
That first cup of coffee that my wife brings me in the morning;
Reading the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Pilot and the Wall Street Journal while drinking my coffee;
Attending my Grandchildren's sporting events, especially baseball, basketball and football;
Riding my motorcycles to Cooks Corner for a burger and beer;
Listening to my favorite music (iPods crash at Base Camp);
My Grandchildren making fun of what I say and what I do;
Everyone making fun of how I dress;
Sunday bike rides with Ollie;
Shopping malls (from a distance);
Visiting my son and daughter-in-law and their family in Northern California;
Grandchildren sleepovers;
Homemade tacos;
Family get-togethers;
Bringing Grandma Phyllis to family get-togethers;
Reading and sending emails;
Fright Night (scary movies) with my grandchildren;
Silently admitting that my wife's common sense almost always trumps my logic;
Local, national and world news and sports;
Warm showers every night;
Clean clothes;
My wife's home cooking;
Reading and watching TV from my easy chair;
Dozing off while doing the preceding;
Gingerly crawling into bed at night while my wife's poodle growls at me;
Tiffany (the poodle);
Our recent home remodel;
Daydreaming about my next big adventure;
Fly fishing with my son;
Hiking with my friends from the Sierra Club and San Diego;
Jay Leno's monologue;
Dining with my wife at El Ranchito and Gulf Stream;
Sitting on the back porch sorting mail;
Tossing out junk mail;
Paying bills;
Staying at our condo in Palm Desert;
Watching the squirrel at work in the tree through my office window;
Chili Johns Restaurant in Burbank;
America;
California;
Home Sweet Home.
No, this does not mean that I am homesick and want to come home. My enthusiasm for this trip is at an all time high and I can't wait to get back up the mountain. But, I think about these things a lot, especially while resting at Base Camp.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/17/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
May 17, 2007
Namaste,
Today, Mark Luscher had to end his trip and go down the mountain. He just could not keep his food down at high altitudes. He has lost 32 pounds. Things got better when we went down to Pheriche for a rest, but as soon as we came back up to Base Camp his problems continued and he had to make the hard decision to end his Everest trip.
Mark is going down the mountain with his personal Sherpa who injured himself in the Khumbu Icefall several days ago. He was crossing one of the ladders when his crampon broke and his foot went through the rung of the ladder, badly injuring his knee. He will be visiting the hospital in Kathmandu to assess the injury to his knee.
This is a huge disappointment to me because Mark and I have become very close friends. We planned this Everest trip together and we have climbed other mountains together including the Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia and Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Mark was well liked by everyone on the team and will be thoroughly missed, especially by me.
Today is a beautiful day. The Lhotse team (Dan, Paul, Bruce, and Phil) continued up the mountain for their final push to the summit of Lhotse. We will not see them again until everyone returns to Base Camp.
It looks like Terry and I will head back up the mountain on May 18 or May 19. We will be going just with our personal sherpas. Our goal is to move up the mountain and summit sometime on May 22 or May 23, depending upon weather and our need for a rest day.
I will file my next report from either Camp 1 or Camp 2 and will provide further details when they become available.
All my best to all of you.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/18/2007 |
Everest Camp 1
May 18, 2007
Namaste,
I'm on my way to the summit! Tenji and I made our way up the icefall to Camp 1. The mountain decided to treat us to a surprise. For the first time in the trip (unintelligible). Clouds came in and dumped heavy snow on us for the second half. If I had to choose between the two, I would definitely choose the snow. (I wonder what the first half was, but couldn't understand him.- Sharon) We arrived at Camp 1 in the snow just as conditions turned to white-out. In fact, it is still snowing pretty hard. On the way up the icefall we passed two large groups bringing two bodies down on sleds. I assume this was the two Koreans who died. (unintelligible)
The plan is to push up to Camp 2 tomorrow, hopefully in better weather. Terry is coming up tomorrow from Base Camp to Camp 2 in one push. The plan is for us to we leave with our Sherpas from Camp 2 to Camp 3 on May 20 and then from Camp 3 to Camp 4 on May 21. We will make our summit push that evening or the following day. Things can change based on the weather and how we feel as we make our way up the mountain.
The snow under our tent at Camp 1 melted down to solid ice creating a bowl like effect which will make for a challenge to get a decent night's sleep tonight. Picture me in my sleeping bag in a U formation. It snowed too hard to go out and make things better. I feel great and hopefully the weather (breaks up-unintelligible).
Bill Burke |
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| 5/19/2007 |
Everest Camp 2
May 19, 2007
Namaste,
Terry and I and our Sherpas are here at Camp 2. The climb from Camp 1 to Camp 2 was long and very tiring and the blazing sun did not help matters. I was pretty tired when I pulled in to Camp 2. However, a nice rest and a good lunch and dinner have rejuvenated me and I feel good.
Tomorrow at 9 :30 AM we will move up to Camp 3. It will also be a difficult day as it involves negotiating the Lhotse face again, but we will be rested, our Sherpas will be with us, and we will arrive at Camp 3 safely.
Once I get there, I will call another report. There is not much new to report so I will sign off for now and report back tomorrow.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/19/2007 |
Everest Camp 2
May 20, 2007
Namaste,
This is a PS to yesterday's report.
I've decided to come clean and describe an event that occurred yesterday on the way from Camp 1 to Camp 2.
We were about one mile from Camp 2 and I sent my Sherpa up to Camp 2 since he was our cook for the day. I continued climbing to Camp 2 and decided to rest so I sat on my backpack with my head between my knees and was catching my breath and resting for several minutes. After several minutes I decided it was time to continue up to Camp 2 so I stood up quickly and all of the blood from my head rushed down my body and I was overcome with extreme dizziness. The next thing I remember my face crashed into the snow and my glacier goggles and hat flew off. Strangely, however, I do not recall falling. I remember laying there thinking where am I and what just happened to me. I pushed myself up into a crawling position and looked around and saw snow everywhere and that's when I realized I was on Mt. Everest and had just fainted. I got up and regained my equilibrium and after several minutes put on my backpack and continued up to Camp 2.
Please don't freak out at this news. The same thing would have happened if I had pulled that silly stunt at sea level. I have not had any prior occasions of dizziness and I feel excellent. So it was just the process of having my head between my knees and then standing up quickly that caused the dizziness and the crash into the snow. I got a small scratch on my nose and my lip is a little puffy this morning, otherwise I feel excellent. The guys asked me about the scratch and I was too embarrassed to tell them.
As I think back on the event it makes me laugh, although I am glad no one was there to witness that sorry spectacle.
Okay that's my confession for the day and I feel better for having given it. Remember, please do not worry as this was an isolated event and I learned my lesson. I feel just great, better than ever. Today is a big day and I'll call you from Camp 3. I love you guys. That's it.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/20/2007 |
Everest Camp 3
May 20, 2007
Namaste,
I wish you could see me now. I am in my tent at Camp III on the Lhotse face with an oxygen mask covering my nose and mouth. I had to take it off for the phone call of course. The oxygen mask is attached to a large oxygen bottle. It will be interesting to see how well I can sleep with this oxygen mask strapped to my head. So, from here on, we will be on oxygen for the rest of the trip up the mountain and back to Camp III.
We will sleep on oxygen at Camp III and then attach a separate bottle tomorrow morning when we leave for Camp IV. We have 16 bottles of oxygen stored at Camp IV on the South Col. Tomorrow we will leave for the South Col and from there we will make our summit move, probably be tomorrow. I will report more from the South Col when we get there.
Camp III, on the Lhotse face, is the most dangerous of the camps because it is literally located on the side of the mountain. You never want to venture out of your tent without your crampons on and without being attached to a fixed line on the mountain because the drop is several thousand feet. We have a pretty good camp and everything seams in order at this point.
The move from Camp II to Camp III was just as difficult as the previous. It just never seems to get easier. I arrived in Camp III and totally crashed. But, after some rest and food I feel really good. The oxygen helped.
Tenji, my sherpa, tells me that the supplemental oxygen vastly increases your power while moving up the mountain. Terry, who has used supplemental oxygen before, agrees with this information. I certainly hope they are right.
I keep thinking as I move up the mountain, that the difficulty being so great, at least I would not have to climb up that section anymore.
I will report further from the South Col.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/21/2007 |
Everest Camp IV
May 21, 2007
(6:52 AM PDT)
Namaste,
The four of us are crammed in a small tent before we make our move to the summit.
The move from Camp III to Camp IV was huge. It was straight up the Lhotse face. The oxygen was a huge help. Now we are resting for our summit push which will be in approximately 1 1/2 hrs at 9 PM. I will try to call from the summit.
Thanks your thoughts and prayers for all of us on the mountain.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/22/2007 |
Costa Mesa, CA
May 21, 2007
7:52 AM
I just received a phone call from Bill. He is at Camp 4 and he is fine. They arrived back at Camp 4 a little over an hour ago. He got within 200 ? of the summit, but was afraid he would not be able to make it back if he continued on. Terry did make it to the summit.
The four of them are again crammed in a tent, along with a lot of gear. They will sleep and then continue down.
It was a long night. I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
Sharon Burke |
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| 5/23/2007 |
Costa Mesa
May 23, 2007
1:45 PM
Hello,
I have not heard again from Bill. We are waiting. I know he was very tired and we are anxious to hear that he has made it safely further down the mountain.
Yesterday Dan Mazur reported on Everestnews.com that Terry and his Sherpa summited at 9:00 AM and that Bill and his Sherpa turned around, 200 meters from the summit, at the South Summit at 12:45 PM. Bill told me yesterday that it would have taken him 2 more hours to get to the summit. That would have put him there at 2:45 PM and from what I have read, that is too late to reach the summit and get back to Camp 4 safely. From what I've read, you need to start down by 2 PM. (This coming from a housewife in Costa Mesa..)
Jeff Giger (son in law) found this description of the South Summit:
The South Summit
The climbers' first small victory of the day, the South Summit is a ping pong table-size dome of snow and ice at 28,700 feet. From here the climbers can obtain the view of the final obstacles ahead of them: the Cornice Traverse, the Hillary Step, and the final slopes to the summit. It is traditional to change oxygen bottles here so that one has a fresh bottle for the final ascent and return to the South Summit. If it's late in the day or the weather is deteriorating, this is the place to make the all-important decision to turn around.
I will let you know when I hear something.
Sharon Burke |
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| 5/23/2007 |
Costa Mesa
May 23, 2007
10 PM
Bill is safe and at Camp II.
After I have said that NO WAY would Bill ever try to climb Everest again, I got a call tonight from him telling me that the reason he hadn't called was because he was busy organizing a second attempt!! He wanted to go with two sherpas, but couldn't line up another sherpa. He said was 100 vertical feet from the summit and knows he can do it. He said one of the reasons he was slow was that he had to carry his oxygen bottles from Camp 4 and they were very heavy.
He also said he would have liked to spend a night at Camp 4 instead of just resting there. He feels better rest would have made a difference.
On the way down the Lhotse face he dropped his camera and watched it tumble down the steep ice. It had a memory card in it with all of the photos from Base Camp. He kept climbing down and happen to look over and there was the camera on a very small ledge, but he couldn't get it. A friend that came down after him was able to retrieve it. Bill was thrilled! He doesn't know if the camera works, but he has his photos.
Paul, who climbed Lhotse with Dan, is suffering with pulmonary edema. He is very sick. They will help him down through the Icefall tomorrow.
Bill will stay at Base Camp until his gear gets down. He said it then takes three days to hike out.
He has scabs all over his lips, but other than that "feels great" and his legs could use a "little rest".
I think Bill was going to organize a second attempt and then call to tell me this in the night...... on the recorder.
I'm just thankful that he is safe. He has to get through the Icefall and then head home. He will be writing to tell you about his adventure.
Sharon Burke |
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| 5/25/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
May 25, 2007
Namaste,
I'm now back at Base Camp, I'm now off the mountain and I feel terrific.
Tomorrow, I will send a more lengthy message describing my reflections on what has happened the last few days I just wanted you to know that I was back safely, thanks to your thoughts and prayers. I sincerely apologize for not having filed a dispatch sooner.
Bill Burke
Today on Direct TV, ch 285 at 6 PM PDT, there is a show called Everest ER, about the medical team at Everest Base Camp.- Sharon |
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| 5/26/2007 |
Everest Base Camp
May 26, 2007
Namaste,
The computers are still not up and running, so I cannot send a report of my reflections on summit day and the miracle recovery of my camera, which fell 3000 feet down the Lhotse face. So I thought I would bring you up to date with the latest drama at Mt. Everest.
Paul, one of our strongest climbers, summitted Lhotse on May 21. He became seriously ill after coming down from the summit and returning to Lhotse high camp and then descended to Camp 2 and became more ill. Yesterday it took us 10 hours to help bring Paul down from Camp II to Base Camp where he immediately entered the Base Camp hospital tent. The two doctors examined him and said he had double pneumonia, high altitude pulmonary edema, and he has frost nipped (not frostbite) several fingers on both hands.
He was on oxygen at high camp and has been on oxygen ever since. He spent last night in the hospital tent. The doctors are treating him with various medicines and he has been on a IV drip of a saline solution for dehydration, along with the supplemental oxygen. He is going to do just fine and will recover, however the doctors feel that he is too weak to make the trek to Lukla and a flight to Kathmandu. Tomorrow a Russian helicopter is coming up to Base Camp to pick him up and taking him to Kathmandu where he will immediately enter a clinic for further treatment. I emphasize that he will be just fine and he will recover completely, but he needs to descend from high altitude and continue the proper treatment.
As far as my plans, I want to stay here until Paul has been picked up by the helicopter tomorrow and then I will start my trek from Base Camp to Lukla for a flight to Kathmandu. My trek to Lukla will take at least 3 days. As soon as I have my flight schedule to return home I will send a report.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/27/2007 |
Pangboche
May 27, 2007
Namaste,
Yesterday began with the evacuation of Paul by helicopter from Base Camp. Paul left his tent and had breakfast at Base Camp and we then walked him down to the helipad which, of course, is just a pile of rocks on a flat top. He was on oxygen the entire way but walked under his own power and looked and felt excellent. The helicopter arrived and picked him up and it was quite exciting to watch the landing of the helicopter and the boarding of Paul and the helicopter taking off to take him back to Kathmandu. It was great to see him smiling and waving from the helicopter and I'm sure he had an exciting and eventful ride down to Kathmandu. He looked so much better than he did several days ago.
Base Camp is now like a ghost town with all of the teams exiting off of the mountain. All of our team of eight (unintelligible) -Dan, Terry and me. Following breakfast I began my descent solo and Terry followed me about an hour later with his sherpa. It was a delightful trek down to Pangboche where we had a great dinner and spent the night. It was wonderful to see lush green trees, birds and animals instead of rock, ice and snow. I had a deep and sound sleep in a real bed in my little room. It was the best I've slept the entire trip.
Today we will trek down to Namche Bazaar and we plan to spend two nights. In Namche I will have access to a computer and I will be able to file a more lengthy report. The plan is to be in Lukla on May 31 and spend the night and fly out of Lukla to Kathmandu on June 1.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/28/2007 |
Namche Bazaar
May 28, 2007
Namaste:
Terry and I are in Nasmche Bazaar staying at the "Yeti Mountain Home"-a "luxury" hotel. "Luxury" because there is a shower in the room. $40 per night, which includes dinner. Can you believe those outrageously high prices?
The trek from Pamboche to Namche was great fun. Everything is lush and green and I trekked to the sound of waterfalls and the roaring river below. It's great to hear the birds sing and to see the local villagers. Animals too-yesterday I even saw a dog!
Today there is a Marathon race that begins at Everest Base Camp and ends at Namsche, so we are looking forward to that.
I plan to send a longer report later today.
Bill Burke |
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| 5/29/2007 |
Namche Bazaar
May 30, 2007
Reflections re Summit Day and my Miracle Camera
As promised I am putting together my thoughts regarding Everest summit day and the amazing recovery of my Canon camera.
Before beginning my report, I want to publicly thank my wonderful wife, Sharon, for transcribing and posting my reports over the last two months. This has not been easy for her since many of the reports were called in by satellite telephone and the reception was not always that great. Often, I had to make several calls to finish a report and Sharon had to piece together the information in posting the report. I cannot begin to describe how much I love her and miss her and my family. Maybe I should do this every year just so I have that annual reminder. Just kidding Sharon.
Summit Day-May 21, 2007.
First, I am disappointed that I did not reach my goal-the summit of Mt. Everest. I feel like I let you down. Myself too. But as more time passes, the disappointment subsides and I can put the whole experience in perspective and feel really good about it. A battle has been lost, but the war will be won. God has a plan for me.
My discussion of summit day begins at Camp III on the Lhotse face, not Camp IV on the South Col. The move from Camp III to Camp IV is steep, long and incredibly challenging. The pitch is so steep that fixed ropes are attached to the mountain with ice screws for the entire route up to Camp IV. An ascending device, called a “jumar”, is attached to the fixed rope. This device, when attached to the rope, will move up the rope, but not down. The climber attaches the jumar to the rope and then pulls himself or herself up the mountain, step-by-step. Because of the steepness of the route, I was taking about 6-8 deep breaths between each step.
The altitude gain between Camp III and Camp IV is approximately 3,500 feet. I started up the Lhotse face at 9 am and arrived at Camp IV around 5 pm, totally wasted. Four of us-Terry and I and our 2 sherpas-were crammed into 1 small tent with all our gear. There was no resting in this situation. We had to decide whether to make our summit push on that day or take a rest day at the South Col as some teams do. Needless to say, I lobbied for the rest day. I was outvoted as the weather looked great and my tentmates feared that it could turn bad if we waited. In fact, the wind picked up significantly on the South Col on the following day.
We “rested” in the tent from 5 to 9:30 pm and then started our summit push. The route from Camp IV to the summit can be compared to the route just described from Camp III to Camp IV-steep, long and challenging; and the altitude gain is approximately 3,000 feet. Unfortunately, I encountered problems with my sherpa which contributed to my fatigue as I moved up the mountain. I won’t describe these problems as I really cannot gauge their cumulative effect. As I moved higher up the mountain, my legs became weaker, my pace slackened and I found myself stopping about every 20 feet gasping for breath and digging deep for that last ounce of energy. However, at no time did I feel any form of altitude sickness--put simply, I was just tired from the long push starting at Camp III.
I reached the South Summit of Mt. Everest, which is at an altitude of approximately 28,750 feet, just a couple hundred feet short of the summit. At that point, I decided to turn around and return to Camp IV. This was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life since I am not a quitter. Here is why I made this tough decision.
The route from the South Summit to the true summit involves an up and down traverse which does not involve much altitude gain but still takes about 2 hours. This traverse is called the “Death Traverse” because it is highly exposed (drops of more than 4,000 feet) and there are no fixed ropes attached to the mountain. Steady progress and sure footing are required. It is no place for wobbly legs. Most of the injuries and deaths on the big mountains occur on the descent. It has been said that 1 out of 5 climbers who reach the summit of Mt. Everest die on the way down. Many climbers who have reached the summit of Mt. Everest, including some featured in the book “Into Thin Air,” collapsed on the way down. Rescue at that altitude is difficult, if not impossible.
I considered all of the above carefully as I pondered my situation at the South Summit. If I continued to the summit and ran out of energy, I would put myself, my sherpa and any good hearted climbers who came to my rescue at serious risk of life and limb. I could not in good conscience take this risk. I was also very mindful of my promise to family and friends to be safe and conservative on the mountain. The image of the bodies of the 2 Korean climbers, tightly wrapped in their sleeping bags, being dragged down the Khumbu Icefall in sleds also flashed through my mind. Finally, I was promised a second chance to summit if I did not make it on the first attempt. I knew that I could make it to the summit if I returned to Camp II for a few days of rest.
I descended from the South Summit to Camp IV and the four of us spent a fitful night in our little tent with almost no sleep because of the crowded conditions. The following morning I spoke with Dan on the satellite telephone about my desire to make a second summit attempt. He agreed to make the arrangements and, to that end, we left our tent up at Camp IV for my second effort. We all descended the Lhotse Face to Camp II where I planned to rest for 2 days before proceeding up again. In the end, unfortunately, sherpa support could not be arranged for the second summit attempt.
So that’s my summit day story. Overall, I’m happy with my performance and I learned a lot from the experience. I am confident that I would have made it to the summit if I had taken a rest day at the South Col or if I had a little less weight in my backpack. I also take some comfort in the fact that most of the world’s famous climbers did not summit Mt. Everest on their first effort (for many it took 3 or more attempts), and they were a bit younger than me when they made their attempts. I certainly don’t put myself in their elite category, but their experience informs my first effort to climb this great mountain.
My Miracle Camera
I own a Canon Digital Rebel SLR camera which I take with me on every mountain expedition. I took it with me up Mt. Everest. On the way down from Camp IV on the Lhotse Face, I decided to take a break. I sat down on my backpack and placed my camera beside me on the backpack. As I repositioned myself on the backpack, the camera was dislodged and fell off the backpack. I watched in horror as it tumbled down the steep Lhotse Face and faded out of sight. The memory stick had all my pictures from Base Camp to the South Summit. I was absolutely sick to my stomach.
I moved down the Lhotse Face in total dejection and ran into Vern Tejas, a good friend who was leading an Everest expedition for Alpine Ascents International. I told him about my camera and he offered his condolences. The following morning, Vern and his group passed by our tents at Camp II and he called out my name asking me to visit him at Base Camp as he had something to tell me. The following day, Vern came to our camp at Base Camp and handed me my camera. He said that one of his clients also lost his camera on the Lhotse Face so he decided to look for the camera at the bottom of the Lhotse Face where it joins the Western Cm. This is like finding a needle in three haystacks-a one in a million proposition. He climbed up the mountain and began searching for the camera. He found all sorts of mountain gear-ice axes, gloves, hats, etc.-and a camera. He knew it was not his client’s camera and he wondered if it might just be my camera. The only way to tell was to turn it on and look at the pictures-a one in a billion proposition. He turned the camera on and, unbelievably, the camera worked just fine. He saw my pictures and knew it was my camera!
The bottom line is that my Canon camera fell more than 3,000 feet down the Lhotse Face at Mt. Everest and was found in operating condition. The lens was damaged so it could not be used to take pictures but it nevertheless still worked and could display the pictures stored in the memory card.
All of this is further proof to me of God’s hand in our daily lives-He denied me the Everest summit (probably to save my life) but performed a miracle by giving me back my camera and pictures.
Reflections on the Trip
You may wonder-was it worth it? I loved every minute of this trip. It is by far my favorite of all the expeditions to the Seven Summits. I was blessed with a great group of fellow climbers with whom I have become close friends. I cherish all of my experiences on this majestic mountain and on the trek to and from the mountain. The Himalayan mountains are breathtaking in their stature and beauty. I have some wonderful memories that I will carry with me the rest of my life. My heart and prayers go out to those who lost their lives this year on Mt. Everest and Lhotse and to their families who grieve their loss.
What Now?
Upon my return home, I plan to take a couple of months off. Then Ollie and I will get back to serious training, and I will summit Mt. Everest in 2008. As Arnold (the “Terminator”) would say to Mt. Everest: “I’ll be back.”
My Gratitude
I will continue to file reports as events justify. However, I want to express now my deep gratitude to all of you who followed my progress and supported me with your thoughts and prayers. I thought of you often on the mountain and found my spirits uplifted. I hope you found my reports interesting and that they gave you some idea of the ups, downs, joys, sorrows, thrills and challenges of alpine climbing.
God Bless You and Your Families.
Bill Burke
Post Script on the Team
Here is how everyone on the team performed on Mt. Everest and Lhotse:
Mark Luscher-Mark is my good friend from Oregon. He was on the Everest team. We planned this trip together. He had to leave before making a summit attempt because he could not keep food down at high altitude. He is a super strong climber and a great person. He is 61, married and the father of 6 children. He just received an award as the National Ski Patrol person of the year. I guarantee you Mark will be back and will summit Mt. Everest.
Daniel Lee-Dan is a retired ophthalmologist who maintains a dual residence in San Francisco and France. He was on the Lhotse team. He left early without making a summit attempt primarily because of persistent headaches at altitude.
Phil Link-Phil is from Australia. He was on the Lhotse team. Phil decided he would not use supplemental oxygen while climbing the mountain. He turned around at approximately 25,900 feet. If Phil had used supplemental oxygen, I am confident he would have reached the summit of Lhotse.
Paul Fitzpatrick-Paul lives in New York and was one of our strongest climbers. He is also one of the most kind and gentle persons I have ever met. Paul was on the Lhotse team. He was the first to summit Lhotse at an altitude of 27,883 feet. He became seriously ill on the descent and, as previously reported, was eventually evacuated from Base Camp by helicopter. He has fully recovered in Kathmandu and I am sure is now planning his next mountain trip.
Bruce Manning-Bruce lives in the UK and was on the Lhotse team. He is an experienced and accomplished climber who was fun to have on the team. He summitted Lhotse at an altitude of 27,883 feet.
Dan Mazur-Dan was the overall trip leader and was on the Lhotse team. He played a supporting role on summit day, making sure the Lhotse team made it up and down the dangerous Lhotse summit ridge safely. He reached an altitude of approximately 27,550 feet.
Terry Schuck-Terry lives on a farm in Pennsylvania and was on the Everest team. He is a super strong climber. Three years ago, he summitted Cho Oyu. He summitted Mt. Everest at an altitude of 29,035 feet. Congratulations to Terry!
Bill Burke-I am guessing you know me and where I live. I was on the Everest team. I reached the South Summit of Mt. Everest at an altitude of approximately 28,750 feet.
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| 6/1/2007 |
Kathmandu
June 1, 2007
Hello everyone (I'm off the mountain so I will now revert to English)
Today, Sharon asked me the dreaded question: "Have you lost any weight." I answered, ever so casually, "yes I lost a little weight, but I am putting it all back on." I got to the Annapurna hotel in Kathmandu and took that long awaited hot shower. After I got out of the shower, I was shocked at what I saw. I look like a walking skeleton. My ribs show, my arms and legs are ever so thin and I look like I haven't eaten in ages. I put on my street clothes (jeans and a t-short) and the jeans fell to the floor. I went out to the pool and had a picture taken so you can see. I immediately went in and had a big lunch-a burger (first in more than 2 months), french fries and 2 Everest beers. I have a lot of catching up to do before I get home and face the family wrath.
It has been estimated that, while climbing Everest (as opposed to resting at Base Camp), you burn more than 12,000 calories per day. There is no way you can pack these calories in by food while in the climbing mode since the food at the camps is minimal (soup, porridge, rice). So the body responds by feeding on itself. The body conumes about 3-4 pounds of muscle mass per day to make up the deficiency in calory intake vs. calories burned. Mark Luscher, who left early in the trip because of problems keeping food down, estimates that he lost about 32 pounds on the trip and he left before making a summit attempt. I came on the mountain pretty lean and mean so I lost some major pounds too. If you have problems keeping your weight under control, I have the solution for you!
I am re-working my reservations and will let you know when I will be home-sweet-home.
Bill Burke |
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| 6/3/2007 |
We are picking Bill up at the airport tomorrow, Monday, June 4, at 9:10 PM. We are so very excited to see him come home, safe and sound. I'm sure he will write more when he gets home.
Sharon Burke |
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| 6/5/2007 |
Costa Mesa, California
June 5, 2007
Dear Family, Friends and all of the Schoolchildren and Teachers at Andersen, Clifford, McPherson Magnet and Town School for Boys:
I arrived home last night around 10 PM. Most of my family greeted me at the airport. They even had a Hummer limousine to take me home. What a wonderful treat. I just love being home.
I finally got a chance to weigh myself. I lost about 30 pounds on the mountain. I think I now weigh about the same as I did in grade school!
One last note on my Canon camera. As noted in my earlier posting, the lens broke in the camera's long fall down the Lhotse face. But, the camera was otherwise in good working condition. I have been wondering if the camera would take pictures with a new lens. I had an extra lens at home. So I snapped the new lens on the camera today and it works perfect. Remember the Timex commercial "takes a licking and keeps on ticking"? My story beats that one by a mile! Maybe next year I'll chuck the camera off the summit and see what happens.
I am now loading and editing my photos. I hope they turned out good. All of the other climbers in my group are sending me their photos. After I have all of the photos assembled and edited, I will put together a slide show and let you know how to access it if you are interested. If I put together a slide show presentation, I will also notify you so you can come if you want.
I returned home to find a lot of e-mails that were sent to me after I left for Nepal. Over the next couple of days, I will answer every one of these kind messages.
If you are inclined to give me another chance, stay tuned to this website and I'll give you the details for Everest 2008.
Whatever you decide about photos or second chances, I want you to know that you are now in my thoughts of gratitude and in my prayers.
Bill Burke |
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| 6/27/2007 |
Hi Everyone:
Last night, I was interviewed at home by a reporter for KCAL News about my Mt. Everest trip. They taped for over one hour in order to broadcast a 1 to 1-1/2 minute segment on the evening news. The program will air either tonight or tomorrow night on channel 9 at 10 pm and possibly channel 2 at 11 pm. So maybe you will want to tune in for my one minute of fame on the local stage.
My photos turned out really good, and I now have photos from my teammates to fill in most of the gaps. So I am ready to share them with you.
As many of you already know, I will be presenting a slide show of my trip on July 22 at the Costa Mesa Community Center. The slide show will begin at 2 pm and will run for 2-1/2 hours. The slide show will be followed by refreshments and a social time. Among the subjects I will discuss are: (i) my preparations for the trip, (ii) the 35-mile trek to Base Camp, (iii) the climbing routes up Mt. Everest, (iv) the different types of expeditions (e.g., guided vs. unguided) along with their cost, (v) the climbing gear required for an alpine ascent, (vi) the perils and challenges of climbing the world's highest mountain, (vii) the deaths on Mt. Everest in 2007, (viii) the highlights and lowlights of my trip, (ix) my decision to turn around just sort of the summit and how I feel about it now, and (x) my plans for the future. The Costa Mesa Community Center is located at 1845 Park Avenue, Costa Mesa, California. If you received an e-invitation to this event and have not already replied, we would appreciate a response to the invitation so we know how many people will be coming. If you are seeing this for the first time, please reply to edxceo@aol.com if you plan to attend.
I will be presenting the same slide show on September 8 in the Turrentine room at the Escondido Public Library. The library is located at 239 S. Kalmia Street, Escondido, California. The program will begin at 2 pm and will run for 2-1/2 hours.
If these times or venues are not convenient for you, not to worry. I will be posting some of my photos on my website. I will also be preparing a slide show of the trip which I will send you if you are interested.
I have been truly touched by the outpouring of love and support that I received while I was on the mountain and following my return. I had no idea so many people would be interested in this adventure. Thanks so much, and I hope you will return next year for my reprise on this majestic mountain.
Bill Burke |
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| 6/27/2007 |
The correct e-mail address for letting us know if you plan to attend the slide show is edxceo@aol.com. You do not need to reply to the notice on my website or the e-invitation if you will not be attending. We just want to get a head count for purposes of setting up the seating arrangements and ordering beverages.
Sorry for the confusion.
Bill Burke |
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