It is good to be back ‘home’ to base camp today, after a few days of resting in Debouche, although, the resting was pretty great. After lunch at base camp today, we pulled out our oxygen equipment and practiced using it, before the air gets too thin! This year, we will be using new technology masks (field tested on Everest in 2007). We practiced attaching the regulators to our masks and to the oxygen tanks. It is very exciting to be getting our final stages of preparation out of the way.

To rest and recover in preparation for our final summit push, we decided to hike all the way from base camp (about 17,600 feet) down valley to Debouche at about 12,500 feet. This “rest low and recover” technique was originally developed by Russian mountaineers in the 1970s and it is employed by most teams here at Everest. We hiked for about 13 miles from base camp to Debouche and were rewarded by green grass, trees and a lot more oxygen.

In Debouche we had a very busy time…sleeping in the grass and walking in the lush green forests that we have been missing. Okay, so maybe the life of climbers isn’t so hard, but we sure took advantage of the relaxation. There is a nearby village with the largest and most famous monastery in the Khumbu valley, Tengboche, where we went for lunch and tried to power our computers to send some photos, but the ‘cyber-café’ was closed for the season (I think a yak walked through the cables). At the lodge we were staying at, there was one power outlet, and the power came from a waterwheel, which was often diverted, which meant no power!

As you are looking at the photos that we are posting, I know you are wondering how David, Jeff and I are so stylish while climbing…okay, maybe that isn’t a question anyone is asking! Nonetheless, some people have offered enormous support to outfit us for this expedition. David and Jeff are graciously supported by Outdoor Research (www.outdoorresearch.com) for a significant part of their outerwear, and Melissa received tremendous support from Zappos.com and the amazing design team at Mountain Hardwear, particularly Dan Ramos with endless pairs of gloves and Chris Hillard for super awesome (and warm) sleeping bags. Remote Medical International has also been a great supporter, providing first aid supplies (and letting Melissa leave work for three months)! We are so lucky to have so many professional partners that believe in what we are doing, but like we have said before, it is the support of all of the individuals, and their support of (PRODUCT) ^RED™ that means the most to us.

As we get rested, and as we prepare to head back up the mountain for our summit push, we are all feeling very thankful. We are so appreciative of all of the support that people have been showing, not just for our climbing goals, but for (PRODUCT) ^RED™ and the amazing things that we can all do as consumers to make a positive difference in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Whenever we meet someone in a tea house, it is so encouraging to hear them say, with excitement, that when they get home they will learn more about (PRODUCT) ^RED™ or when they tell us about the (PRODUCT) ^RED™ products or services that they have purchased. These are the people that make the difference and drive the overwhelmingly positive change in the world health crisis of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Melissa Arnot

Today’s EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) expedition dispatch brought to you by Dell and Windows, proud partners of (PRODUCT) ^RED™.

What a different scene we are experiencing today! We woke up this morning to six inches of new snow covering base camp. Even with the snow and the cold, it feels really good to be breathing the thicker air here. We left Camp II yesterday morning and headed through Camp I and the ice fall, to arrive at base camp for lunch and an afternoon nap. As we were descending, a steady stream of climbers and Sherpa were heading up to Camp III, where we had been the previous day. With the schedule and climbing restrictions that we have been facing this season, it has created a more limited window for people to move up, and that was very obvious with the ‘ant line’ of climbers heading up for acclimatization.

The previous morning we left Camp II at 6 o’clock a.m. to head up the Lhotse face to Camp III for our own acclimatization. This was the first day that the ropes were fixed (thank you David and Sherpa!) and climbers could move up. The first hour of walking brought us to the base of the ice, where the wall gets steep. The early morning walking is always my favorite, with crampons piercing the snow and speaking to the mountain. The temperature outside was pretty chilly, keeping our hands and toes cold. Once we got to the Lhotse face, we swung our hands around to warm them up, took a drink of water and started up the wall. The first section of the slope had some soft, new snow, so as we moved our ascenders up the rope it was easy to stand mostly on our feet, but that soon changed. The teams that fixed the ropes the previous day did an exceptional job, and there were two ropes so that even with many climbers, we didn’t have to wait long to keep moving up. Parts of the slope were steep, blue ice that required a lot of attention and a bit of work. After a few hours of walking we arrived at Camp III, at about 23,000 feet. The camp was set up on a small snow ledge, ready for us on our next ascent. After a little rest up high, we began our descent into Camp II. We arrived early in the afternoon, in time for soup and another nap!

We are thankful to be down low again, resting up for our summit push. The next time that we go up will be with the intention of continuing past Camp III, onto four and then to the summit. We will be watching the weather closely, as well as the other groups, to insure our best chance at the summit.

Today we are leaving Base Camp, and heading to a little village, Debouche for some rest and recovery before heading up again. We will be down below 14,000 for about 4 days, eating fried food, drinking some soda, and sleeping in real beds!

Mother's Day is being celebrated back in the states, and we all agree, we couldn’t be here without the support and encouragement that our mothers have given us over the years. Happy Mother’s Day Jill (Jeff’s Mom), Harriett (David’s Mom), and Debbie (Melissa’s mom), we love you.

Melissa Arnot

Some of you may be wondering what kind of a connection exists between Everest Team INSPI(RED) and Mother’s Day. At first glance, it may appear to be an unrealistic leap: a climbing team attempts to summit Mt. Everest on one continent to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in another. The connection is simple: It is the unbreakable bond of our human community.

After all, we are all sisters and brothers, living together, on mother Earth.

The members of Everest Team INSPI(RED), global citizens all, could have answered the call to service in a myriad ways. Instead, they chose to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS in Africa, shine their light on the stories of hope among men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS and inspire each of us to do what we can to help in the fight.

There are 33.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Africa—which has just over 10% of the world's population—is home to 68% (22.5 million). The disease is the leading cause of death in Africa, with approximately 4,400 people dying every day from AIDS. Women—many of them mothers—make up almost 61% of adults living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa and, as a result, women and children are the hardest hit by the disease. An estimated 11.4 million children in Africa have been orphaned because of HIV/AIDS already and this number is growing. More than 1,000 children, most within sub-Saharan Africa, are infected with HIV each day.

But every time an adult begins AIDS treatment including antiretroviral drugs, or ARVs, the survival of children becomes less precarious. It costs just 40 cents to fund the two pills a day needed to keep someone with HIV in Africa alive. Still, more than 70% of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa live on fewer than two dollars a day and can not afford this medicine. AIDS is a preventable, treatable disease in Africa if the means exist to buy and administer the medicine that is needed.

(RED) works with the world's best brands to make unique (PRODUCT) RED-branded products and direct up to 50% of their gross profits to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs with a focus on the health of women and children.

Everest Team INSPI(RED) leader, Jeff Dossett:

Please don't forget that Sunday, May 11th is Mother's Day in the US. I encourage you to visit Hallmark Gold Crown stores or www.hallmark.com/RED to consider the purchase of Hallmark's amazing (PRODUCT) RED cards and gift items. Thank you for learning more about (PRODUCT) RED and for making purchase decisions that can and do make a difference to those living with HIV/AIDS in Africa!

Friends of Everest Team INSPI(RED)

This Stateside Edition dispatch, is brought to you by Dell and Windows, proud partners of (PRODUCT) ^RED™.

Life at camp II has been busy the past few days. Since the Chinese summated on the North side of the mountain, carrying the Olympic torch, on the 8th, we are now free to move above Camp II. As soon as we heard the news, camp became busy with Sherpa dividing ropes to begin fixing the route to Camp III. They worked all afternoon yesterday, allowing us the chance to climb about 1000 feet above camp today.

The fixing continued up to Camp III today, so tomorrow we will be able to climb the Lhotse face, and touch Camp III before heading back to Camp II for our nights rest. Tomorrow holds our most difficult and steep climbing to date, and the air is getting thinner, as we felt today. While Jeff and I took an acclimatization hike, Dave spent the day today on the Lhotse face fixing the ropes we will climb tomorrow. We are all feeling really well, and are incredibly excited to have a chance to move higher up.

We will check in again from Base Camp in a few days.

Melissa Arnot

Today’s EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) expedition dispatch brought to you by Dell and Windows, proud partners of (PRODUCT) ^RED™.

Today is a beautiful morning at Camp II, at 21,500 feet. After returning to base camp from our time spent at a lower altitude, we spent a few days resting and preparing for our big move up.

Yesterday morning we awoke at 4 o'clock am and started our long walk to Camp II. We decided to bypass a night of sleep at Camp I, and endure a longer day, getting us all the way to Camp II. The early morning walking in the ice fall was a really pleasant temperature. The sun came up, shining on the nearby peaks, while a cloud of fog sat over the top of base camp.

After we took a break at Camp I to shed some layers, we began the long, hot walk through the Western Cwm to camp two. This part of the walk is tough, with the heat and the altitude. Before the expedition, Jeff talked about how a big part of mountaineering is being uncomfortable for a long time...that was yesterday. It is hard to say how hot it was, but the sun was hitting us from every side and reflecting off the snow. After a few hours of walking Pemba Nuru, one of our Sherpa, met us with some cookies and cold juice. I think that was the best part of the day! We got into Camp II in the early afternoon, and have been making ourselves comfortable ever since, eating and drinking as much as possible. It is a little difficult to get a good nights sleep at this altitude, but we are all doing well and trying to rest and acclimatize.

Today we are going to work on making our tent platforms a little flatter, as the ice melts underneath them, and rest, rest, rest.

Today’s EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) expedition dispatch brought to you by Dell and Windows, proud partners of (PRODUCT) ^RED™.

Melissa Arnot

What a joy to be sitting at just below 14,000 ft. here in Pheriche. We’ve had a couple of enjoyable nights sleeping in the relatively thick air. In the morning we head back to BC in order to prepare for our next foray up to CII and hopefully beyond.

Over the past couple of hours sitting in Ang Nuru’s comfortable lodge I’ve watched dozens of Sherpa heading home for the next 4 or 5 days. Because of the unusual season this year related to the carrying of the Olympic torch to the summit on the Chinese side of the mountain there have been rampant rumors about restrictions. The expedition leaders have been meeting every few days to try and clarify much of the confusion and we’ve been relatively successful. The schedule for TEAM INSPI(RED)’s climbing at this point has been based on the latest agreements and understanding between the expedition leaders, the military, and the Ministry of Tourism. That being said, as I’ve spoken to some of my Sherpa friends today, the agreements may change once again.

We came to Pheriche yesterday knowing that we would not be able to climb above BC on the 1^st and 2^nd of May. The plan now is to arrive back at BC on the 1^st and then climb to CII on the 3^rd or 4^th. The rumors today from Sherpa friends is that climbing above BC may be postponed until a few days later. As with most information this season it is only speculation until something solid comes about which can happen at any moment. Regardless, we are sticking to a similar schedule that I’ve used during my other four summits, and letting the political cards fall where they may.

So, a wrap up as to our expectations of the next month, subject to change at any minute! We will head back to BC arriving either the 1^st or 2^nd of May. As soon as we are permitted- hopefully the 3^rd- we will climb to CII and spend approximately four nights there. In a typical season the goal is to spend one night at CIII in order to complete an attempt at acclimatizing to 7000 meters (23,000’). This season the fixing of the route to CIII will likely be delayed longer than we can wait for an acclimatization climb. Therefore, we’ll spend the 4 or 5 nights at CII acclimatizing to that elevation and hopefully climbing above to CIII. After this next foray to the heights of CII we will drop back down to BC at 17,500’. Then again we’ll come to Pheriche at 14,000’ for one night and continue even further down to the lush creeks and greenery of Deboche at 12,500’. Just thinking about it makes me smile and relax! After a couple of wonderful nights of movies and cards in Deboche we’ll take two days to return to BC. That will put us back in BC around the 13^th of May to gear up mentally for the summit push. With such a schedule I’ll be expecting a possible summit attempt between the 20^th and 25^th of May. There are many factors affecting this window including first and foremost the weather outlook. Another major factor is of course the health and readiness of the team. And this season we have the restrictions imposed on our movement because of the Chinese Olympic torch summit attempt.

The decision making regarding summit attempts on 8000 meter peaks is as much an art form as a scientific decision. In this day and age our resources for analyzing health of climbers and our resources for predicting weather trends have improved to a surprising degree. But if one is really to be honest there is a great degree of subjective information. Many of those decisions come down to a ‘gut feeling’ based on previous experience and previous processing of similar information. That is where the art comes in; balancing these factors in an attempt to make the summit while ensuring the degree of risk is sufficiently mitigated.

In the coming weeks we’ll be practicing our balance and tapping into that ‘art’.

David Morton

Today’s EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) expedition dispatch brought to you by Dell and Windows, proud partners of (PRODUCT) ^RED™.

After enjoying a breakfast of fried Tibetan bread and eggs this morning, we are all relaxing in the warm sun in a tea house in Pheriche. Yesterday morning, after breakfast at base camp, we decided that since we have a few rest days ahead of us, we should venture to even lower climates, and we decided on Pheriche, at about 14,000 feet, which we stayed at on our trek in.

The style that we are climbing Mount Everest in centered around staying healthy for a summit bid, but also staying strong. When we are climbing at an elevation above 18,000 feet, it is considered ‘extreme altitude’, and our bodies struggle to adjust. Most people think of the term ‘thin air’ and assume that there is a lack of oxygen up high. The truth is that there is a change in the pressure in the atmosphere, which allows the oxygen the spread out, or get thin, so that with each breath we get a little less. In addition to that, our bodies are adjusting and trying to adapt in subtle ways that we don’t even notice. As we trekked up to Base Camp, we spent almost two weeks so that our bodies could adjust from sea level to 17,000 feet. Once at base camp, we spent the first week just resting. As we are resting and adjusting, our breathing increases naturally, to help get more of the available oxygen. Also, though it isn’t something we can feel, we create more red blood cells, which are the carriers of oxygen throughout our bodies. While resting at base camp, we try to do some light activity every day, which helps the acclimatization process.

After the week spent at base camp, our bodies were well enough adjusted to climb to higher elevations. We climb only a few thousand feet each day, and then sleep there, giving us a chance to adjust before going higher. It is almost impossible for any human to permanently adapt to the pressure changes and ‘thin air’ above 18,000 feet. It gets difficult to sleep and eat, and you need more calories just to sustain minimal activity and keep warm. That is why we only spend a few nights up high and then return to Base Camp, to eat, sleep and rest, before heading up again. It takes weeks for our bodies to start adjusting to the altitude, and when we descend to Base Camp or lower, we retain the benefits of having been up high, so we are ready for the next trip up. Unfortunately the most important benefits don’t last much longer than a week, so tomorrow we will head back to base camp, well rested and feeling strong, and begin our acclimatization trips back up again.

Melissa Arnot

Today’s EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) expedition dispatch brought to you by Dell and Windows, proud partners of (PRODUCT) ^RED™.

We're sitting here in the late afternoon snow squalls at Camp I near 19,500 feet in the Western Cwm (pronounced “koom”). The Western Cwm is the large horseshoe shaped cirque that is created by the West Shoulder of Everest on the north and the Lhotse-Nuptse ridgeline on the east and south. Most of the time it is protected from winds and therefore becomes effectively an oven with the reflection of the sun coming from 3 out of 4 directions. It's hot, it's high, and it's an absolute visual marvel. It is difficult to describe the beauty of such an intense environment. It often feels as if one is in a world of black and white because the only physical landscape is snow, ice and shades of black rock. The man made clothing and tents dot the landscape like little dabs of paint in a monochrome world.

We departed base camp at 6:30am and we arrived here at Camp I yesterday around 11am Nepal time. The trip through the Icefall was smooth and uneventful - just as we like it to be. We were all feeling strong and relaxed. My voice is trying hard to return and every now and then I get an hour or so of a nearly normal voice. We all dozed off throughout the afternoon and escaped the heat of the direct sun by lying in our completely vented tents. The altitude and sun here are so strong that when you relax in your tent for the afternoon one's body and mind seem 'cooked'. It can be hard to read or write or be productive in typical ways. The most appropriate thing most often seems to be to just total relaxation.

It's now about 5 p.m. and TEAM INSPI(RED) is cooking up our second dinner here at Camp I. Tomorrow morning, we will climb to Camp II and spend the following two evenings there at over 21,000 feet. Camp II sits at the base of the massive southwest face of Everest. This season, the southwest face is looking unusually dry and bare. It would be helpful for the route to get some new snow between now and our summit push in late May. If not, we’ll deal with the dryness which mainly results in a bit more rockfall and slightly more difficult footing.

After enjoying a night sleeping in our -40 degree bags and trying not to think of the warming spring back home, we awoke at 6 a.m. to head to Camp II. The route to Camp II starts out rolling up and down through huge crevasses with a few ladders. After about an hour of walking, we crested a hill, which showed us a view of the tents at Camp II, unfortunately the Camp I tents look an awful lot closer! The terrain is really calm, not very steep or crevassed from here to Camp II, but it is slow going at 20,000 feet! We took about four hours to get to Camp II (except Jeff, who had a little extra motivation to move quickly, and let us just say, he was happy to see all the tents at Camp II, especially the toilet tent!).

Once at Camp II we relaxed with soup and lunch made by Ang Tsering (one of our Sherpa staff), who will stay at Camp II to support us for the majority of the season. Time passes slowly up here, and we mostly try to just eat and breathe. After dinner, we sat in the dining tent for as long as possible (which amounted to a few minutes at best) and then headed for the warmth of our sleeping bags. After one day of rest and acclimatization at Camp II, it was time to head down to the tropical lower regions of base camp. We woke up around 6 a.m., to try and finish all of our walking before the heat of the sun would hit us, which worked a little too well, as we walked down a little chilled in the wind. We arrived back at base camp at about 11:30am, just in time for lunch and showers! It is good to be back lower, though we are very thankful to have spent a few days up higher, with all of TEAM INSPI(RED) feeling healthy and strong.

David Morton, Melissa Arnot and Jeff Dossett

Today’s EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) expedition dispatch brought to you by Dell and Windows, proud partners of (PRODUCT) ^RED™.

  

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