The following urgent transmission was just received from
base camp. We believe it is from Werner Berger, the Executive
Producer and the 69-year old Canadian climbing Mount Everest.
This is a very important post, as you will see,
and it is also rather ominous.
We know that Werner would ask that you please "stay tuned" with
these posts along his amazing and very dangerous journey. We only
intend to communicate the very real "behind the scenes" day-to-day
thoughts, feelings, and actions comprising this incredible project.
Werner is living his dream, and we are all praying for him. We ask
that you please support Werner, the team, and the project at
this time by perhaps taking a moment of silence, saying a prayer,
meditating on his ascent to the top of Everest AND making it
back down, safely. You may leave your letters of support and
inspirational comments at the end of the post in the appropriate
form. We greatly appreciate it, especially as the climb
is now becoming a challenge.
Also, because of the way the satellite uplink system works
(or doesn't), the posts often contain unintended spelling errors,
and other typos and oddities. This is because the time allowed
to use the computer is impossibly short not only because it is
VERY expensive but also because they are dealing with a very slim
"window of time" opportunity when the sender has only a few minutes
to type in a post, text message, or short email and then send it
up when the satellite, itself, is ready to receive optimum
transmissions. Time and costs are absolutely critical...
and we are doing our best at this end to mend any unintended errors.
Thank you for your prayers, support, and patient understanding.
Now, here's who we believe to be Werner and his message.
* * * * * * * * *
This is the day we venture into the ice-fall on our way to Camp I.
On previous days we entered the lower regions as training stints
and to acclimatize. We also had practice sessions on crossing
imaginary crevasses on both flat and inclined ladders. At first
this was difficult since both balance and proper crampon placement
were essential. A spike on a rung does not create for much stability.
We got up at 4:30am to get ready for a 5:30 departure. I felt
fine until we started moving. The night had been tough with
little sleep. My BC sleeping bag had somehow lost its insulating
quality and although it was only few degrees below freezing I was
extremely cold. This is partly related to the lack of sufficient
buildup of red bloodcells, the body not yet being fully
acclimatized to this altitude. On the climb my legs felt
like a combination between putty and lead. I had never
experienced this before, and adding to this shortness of
breath...my day lookeed rather daunting. I was struggling and
was hoping the lethergy would go away, soon.
For the first hour we crossed the ice ridges of the lower
glacier without gaining much altitude. I was breathing hard.
Everyone but me and one of the women, who had extreme diarrhrea
seemed to be doing well. At our first rest stop two of our guides
suggested they take some of my load. This was embarassing,
yet totally necessary if we were to stay together as a team.
On past climbs, I was always the one to take the extra weight
of others. We climbed and climbed, deeper and deeper into the
magnifcint ice sculptures. If they were not so menacing we could
have dilly-dallied and stopped for photos. However this is not
something you do in this wonderland. Chunks of ice, as tall as
5-story buildings, leaning downslope by up to 20 degrees,
do not make for great companions.
How anyone found a route through this maze is inconceivable
-- up and over steep, chunky blocks, then down 20 or 30 feet
to the crevasse below and maybe 2 ladders strung together to
ford the abyss, then back up I found really heart breaking.
Endless up and down, always looking up to capture the
magnificence, the brutal beauty of this landscape did
not make the time go faster.
Another set of ladders, another down, another up, some
steep some not so steep. "We need to move fast through
this section. Be aware and ready to run if something shifts."
"I'm almost too exhausted to plod, how the heck could I
possibly run?!" The long and short of it is, this was
the most exhausting day that I have ever experienced...
and yes, the thought did cross my mind, "What am I doing here?"
If the rest is like this, the summit will not be mine.
Did I not train hard enough? Am I too old for this game?
Next, "Ok, ok, this too shall pass, everyone has at
least a few tough days on a climb and this is one of mine.
This is not unexpected."
Nine and a quarter hours later we arrived at camp 1.
I was breathing hard, and I had been doing that all day.
This I what is what I came for. What was most devastating,
in the shufflig of my backpack, some stuff like my journal,
pens, eye glasses and book had become lost. I lounged the
rest of the day away in a warm tent, although it was snowing
outside.
Later my lost articles were found and the day returned to
some degree of normalcy. The great food we had experienced
at Base Camp was replaced by macaroni and cheese.
My appetite for this was not great.
When the sun goes down it gets cold very quickly and everyone
scampers into their tents and sleeping bags...usually around
eigth o'clock. My night that followed was long, with about
4 hours of broken sleep.
--END OF TRANSMISSION--
