Wednesday, May 09, 2007
EverestSA2007 Update 8
There was an article in today's Cape Times, quoting from the newsletter that was sent out by the South African team that are preparing to tackle Mount Everest on or around 21 May - depending on the weather of course!I won't repeat all that was printed, or in the newsletter, except a few highlights, such as:
07/05/05 Just before we left Advanced Base Camp we met Greg Child, the famous Australian climber and then on Saturday we met Conrad Anker, who was the climber responsible for finding the body of George Mallory on the slopes of the North face in 1999.
In Greg's latest piece he mentions Wim Hof - the Hollander who is attempting to summit Mount Everest in a pair of shorts... Kaaskoppe...die zijn gek! But good luck to him anyway!07/05/06 John arrived in Shigar this afternoon from Base Camp and he is well and happy that he has completed his acclimatisation process. It is fantastic that he is back on track.
07/05/07 Ronnie, Mike and Andy drove back to Base Camp, while John stayed on in Shigar for a few extra days’ rest. Ronnie’s back is perfectly healed and everyone is well-rested and ready to tackle the next two weeks - the final push to the summit of the ‘Mother Goddess of the Universe’ Junko Tabei the first woman to climb Everest had this to say, “Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top. It is the willpower that is most important. This willpower cannot be bought with money or be given by others, it rises from the heart.”
We are all critically aware that getting to the summit is optional but getting down is mandatory.
Marcus Aurelius once said, “What a small portion of infinite and immeasurable time is allotted to each of us. It is so quickly swallowed up by eternity. How small is a clod of earth on which we crawl about. Remember all these things and consider nothing great but this do what nature bids you and suffer what life brings.” Warmest regards to each and every one of you.Yesterday I was forwarded an sms that said the following:
The team met with their Sherpa's this afternoon to discuss the summit plan. It went well and everyone is very excited. Tomorrow is the last day at Base Camp, the team will do final weather updates in the morning but there are some big storms heading toward the mountain within the next few days/weeks. The plan is to get to ABC and wait for good weather.
The sms came to me via my mother, who received it from Shez, wife of cousin Mike Patterson... so I can only presume it was him. As mentioned before - John isn't that great with technology!
Its getting tense on the home-front as we listen and wait, from afar.
Labels: 2007, everest, south africa
