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Equipped with satellite communication tools, the team is sending dispatches
and photos back to this Web site. You’re invited to follow the climb
through written accounts and digital images. 
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April 19, 2001Hi this is Tim Boelter. This will be my last
dispatch for four or five days. I’m going to be going back down to Base Camp
today with Mike Chrisp. We’ve been here for nine days at 21,000 feet and
I’m starting to feel a little weary, as is Mike.Last night the winds
were gusting to about 45 miles an hour. And I couldn’t stop coughing. I don’t
know if it was the wind or the cough that kept me awake, but I didn’t get
any sleep. Nevertheless, it is time for me to go down because as this cough gets
worse, at this altitude, there’s no getting better. So I’m going to
head down to Base Camp for about five days.Walter and Phil are back up
here. They’ve been down at Base Camp for about three days and they really
are reenergized and feeling good. They just departed Advanced Base Camp for the
North Col. We’re crossing our fingers that they’ll make it up to the
Col and establish our first camp up on the mountain, which would be good.The
weather has been really, really bad for the last week. But today there’s
not a breath of air, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and the sun is brilliant.
Phil and Walter couldn’t have asked for a better time to go up. However,
because we’ve had a lot of wind and approximately an additional three inches
of new snow there are avalanche hazards above on the Col. So we’re praying
for them and hope that everything goes all right.Mike and I will be leaving
ABC in about two hours. Right now we’re packing up our gear. The satellite
phone will stay here at ABC, so Phil and Walter will be sending dispatches.
Tim Boelter
2001 British American Lightweight Everest Expedition
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