Ah, you make me long for adventures on rock, or in forests, or up in the sky! This suburban prison is blanching away my heart!

Thank you for the vicarious journey!

Dear Gautam

Your excellent writing says you were sufficiently oxygenated. Thanks for sharing this.

Best wishes and love, Heather

Dear Gautam,

With you every step of the way...thanks for sharing your amazing journey with us.

North

Dr Chopra in his books has spoken about the importance of communion with nature. What better way to do it than what Gautam is doing:-

It was nice to know about Rongbuk Monastry
The “spectacular views” can easily beat even the most striking tapestry
As you proceed to create history,
On your way to the top, we hope you unravel many a mystery

Be it a monastry or some other venue
There is no better spiritual avenue
Then the spectacular mountainous view
That is the best place to renew

The ambience can make anyone calm and still
Not just Gautam Patil
In addition to serenity, it can give many a thrill
Communion with nature is best on a hill.

The picturesque view by itself fuels you on as oxygen
Hope Gautam remains in top condition
And continues his exciting rendition
Of this unique experience and exciting expedition.

Multi-faith climbers to take on Everest for peace

By Deepesh Das Shrestha

KATHMANDU, April 5 - A team of nine mountaineers from seven different countries representing five religions is planning to conquest Mount Everest - the world's highest peak - for the cause of world peace.
Termed as the Everest Climb for Peace, the climbers from five different faiths - Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism - will set off to achieve the feat on the second week of April.

"Our goal is not to preach religion or politics- instead, this multi cultural team intends to inspire the international community through their climb, sending out a profound message of peace, teamwork, and cultural understanding from the top of the world," said Lance Trumbull, the expedition's leader of the Buddhist faith from the United States, at a press meet in the capital Wednesday.

On the summit of Everest the peace climbers hope to unite and plant the United Nation's flag- a symbol of unity.

"The message is clear: that in an atmosphere of international peace-cultural, religious and political barriers can be surmounted; and through friendship and teamwork even the tallest mountain in the world can be climbed," said Trumbull.

The climbers, eight men and one woman, come from the United States, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Israel, Palestine and Nepal.

"Throughout time, mountains have been spiritual places. It is where the gods and goddesses lived. It is where people have gone to feel closer to and to speak to God," said Trumbull as a reason why he chose to organize the "peace climb."

The project which is organized by Everest Peace Project will also be filming their climb and will make a full-length documentary about their endeavour that will be shown all across the world.

They will climb Everest from the Tibetan side and the expedition will last around 65 days.

Besides Trumbull, the other climbers are Jamie McGuiness, co-leader, climbing director and atheist climber from New Zealand; Namgyal Sherpa, Sirdar and Buddhist climber from Nepal; Ali Bushnaq, mulsim climber from Palestine; David "Dudu" Yifrah and Micha Yaniv, Jewish climbers from Israel; Gautam Patil, Hindu climber from India and Tonya Riggs and Selebelo Selamolela, Christian climbers from USA and South Africa respectively.

Ali Bushnaq will be the first Palestinian to climb Everest with Isareli counterparts Micha Yaniv and David "Dudu" Yifrah.

The members of the multi-faith team said that they are hopeful that they will make it to the top of the 8,848-metre-high mountain.

"Getting up Everest is only half the battle, you have to get down alive," said McGuiness. "We have a great team behind us, we are well supplied and I think we will succeed."

Posted on: 2006-04-05 08:38:16 (Server Time)

~~~
Dear Gautam and fellow "PEACE" Climbers,
sending you all prayers for reaching your goal.

In Spirit,
Cinda

Rather cliche I suppose, but my initial interest in climbing started with reading Krakauer's book, "Into Thin Air." From there I started to consume everything I could get my hands on about climbing - Reinhold Messner, Chris Bonnington, David Breashears, Chouinard, etc. I don't climb mountains but I do climb library stacks, and this is the section which I personally refer to as the literature of death.

Interestingly, I was watching the Discovery channel last night that had yet another special on Everest and the events that took place there in 1996. In it Krakauer said that he would never ever go to Everest again.

Mallory's infamous retort about why climb Everest, "... because it is there," was just a tad flip for a place that was to become his burial ground, and that of so many others that have followed.

I know that some are simply hardwired to do what they do - be it climb mountains, cross oceans, whatever. And people do it for their own reasons - to escape depression; feel an adrenalin rush; to seek peace, to break boundaries, set new records or simply because they find they are good at it.

I wish you a safe journey, and tho' an armchair adventurist, I know the risks that you take. There are but two types of climbers, really: dead ones and live ones. I hope you remain one of the latter.

Good luck.

BTW, I don't want to diminish the importance of multi-faith anything, but is it not ironic to be doing something death-defying in the name of peace. Personally, it seems like an angle on sponsorship - but peace always comes at a price doesn't it - including human lives. And frankly, these are too oft the prices of admission to Everest, K2, Nanga Parbat and all the elite mountains of the world.

Gautam, wish you luck. Har Har Mahadev. God bless.

Dear Gautam,
Your post is refreshing cool air to this girl on a very warm late April spring day.

I am almost tempted to join in the expedition, as I have been training on long walks, and carrying packs to challenge my ability to breathe and exercise. Nothing compares to your training for the climb to Everest's top.

Thank you as always, for sharing here at intent. Keep safe and warm. I look forward to your next post.

Love,
~ Kate

FYI...from National Geographic.com

Everest Cents
Thinking of adding your name to the list of 1,200 climbers to summit Everest since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's first ascent in 1953? You'll need a healthy savings account (not to mention conditioning and experience). The oft-quoted fee for a guided climb is $65,000, though the price varies depending on the size of the expedition and the outfitter. Here, seven-summiter Eric Simonson, co-owner of International Mountain Guides (www.mountainguides.com), gives us a glimpse of his hidden costs.

—Michael Benoist
Crew:
1 Lead Guide
$25,000

"This is a starting point," Simonson says. "Big names command bigger bucks."

2 Assistant Guides
$10,000 to $15,000 each

7 Climbing Sherpas
$5,000 each

This is an all-inclusive figure, accounting for food, equipment and "bonus" carries, when a Sherpa goes beyond his required number of trips from camp to camp.

3-4 Cooks
$3,500 each

1 Liaison Officer
$3,000

This mandatory agent ensures all expeditions are in full compliance with local regulations. One was even present on Reinhold Messner's 1980 "solo" climb.

Doctor
$4,000

Simonson, like other expedition operators, seeks out doctors willing to volunteer their services for six to eight weeks in the Himalaya. (See "Everest MD" >>)

Transportation and Lodging en route to Base Camp:
Travel for Guides from U.S. to Kathmandu
$2,500

Includes plane tickets, travel expenses, and meals.

Excess Baggage
$8,300

Includes 60 duffels at $120 per bag on Thai Airways and $840 to haul the bags from Seattle to Los Angeles by truck.

Hotel in Kathmandu
$600

Two nights' accommodations before and after the climb for entire expedition.

3 Helicopter Charters
$16,500 R/T

Transportation for gear and climbers from Kathmandu to Lukla, a two-week trek to Base Camp.

1 Plane Charter
$600-$700 R/T

Shuttle from Kathmandu to Lukla for excess gear

150 Yaks
$7,500

Each yak carries up to 120 pounds while negotiating Nepal's rugged terrain on trip from Lukla to Base Camp, an expedition in itself.

Trip to and from Base Camp
$5,000-$6,000

Food and fuel during march from Lukla to Base Camp.

Permits and Fees in Nepal:
Climbing Permit
1 person - $25,000

(Prorated per person)
2 people - $40,000

3 people - $48,000

4 people - $56,000

5 people - $60,000

6 people - $66,000

7 people - $70,000

Sagarmatha National Park Entrance Fee
$100 per team

Khumbu Icefall Fee
$2,375 per team

Paid to Sagarmatha Park, which maintains the route.

Radio Permit
$400 for 8 walkie-talkies

$50 per walkie-talkie paid to the Nepalese Ministry of Communications.

Satellite Phone Permit
$2,300 per phone

Paid to the Nepalese Ministry of Communications.

Sat Phone Rate
roughly $2.50 per minute

A modest e-mail takes about two minutes.

Insurance
$100 per Nepalese staff member

Clients can get theirs through the American Alpine Club, www.americanalpineclub.org.

Garbage and Human Waste Disposal
$4,000

Includes deposit, returned after Sagarmatha Park officials weigh incoming and outgoing waste. Then, burnable garbage is taken to the nearby town of Namche; bottles, cans, and batteries are transported to Kathmandu; and human waste is carted to Gorak Shep, where it is buried in bundles at $1 per kilo.

Supplies:
Fuel
$3,000

(Base Camp runs on kerosene and propane tanks. Fuel cartridges, at $6 each, power stoves and lanterns.

Oxygen
$30,000

Oxygen costs and requirements vary per climb and per climber. This tally includes 65 1,100-liter bottles, split between Camps 3 and 4 and a 10-bottle emergency reserve.

Oxygen Masks and Regulators
$300 per set

Seldom replaced but constantly monitored.

Batteries
$1,500

Lithium batteries can be a lifesaver by illuminating a dark descent or reviving a walkie-talkie that could lead a lost climber to teammates and safety.

Base Stations
$400

Powerful radios that form the communications hub of Base Camp and Advanced Base Camp.

Food Bought in Nepal
$3,000

Fresh fruit, meats, vegetables, and grains.

Food Brought from U.S.
$3,000

High-tech, high-nutrition meals.

Medical supplies
$1,000

To replace outdated medications or to buy improved ones.

Climbing Gear
$500

Each team contributes rope and anchors for the Lhotse Face route and above.

Tents
$4,000

Simonson replaces about a third of his 50 tents each year.

Miscellaneous Expenses:
Ritual Expenses
$300

Sherpas perform a wide array of rituals to appease the mountain, considered the great protector of the Khumbu Valley and a purveyor of long life. A donation is made to the local monastery, juniper is burned by the bundle, prayer flags color Base Camp and a day-long puja, or ceremony, led by a lama from Pangboche Gompa, marks the beginning of an ascent.

Helicopter Evacuation
$5,000

"It comes down to your teammates to get you to Base Camp," Simonson says. After that, it's a precarious ride in the thin air with the Royal Nepalese Army.

Emergency Contingency
$1,000

"Just-in-case" petty cash

Climber's Costs:
In addition to the semi-standard $65,000 guided climb, climbers must account for a mountain of equipment. Starting from scratch, a climber can expect to pay roughly $8,000 just to get the basics (See Alpine Ascents International's gear recommendations at www.alpineascents.com.) Tack on a sat phone, digital camera, laptop and other luxury items and the bill rockets to about $15,500. But no one climbs Everest from scratch. Most expedition operators require an extensive climbing resume, which often includes an 8,000-meter summit bid with the company before an Everest attempt is made.

Guatam,

You are a brave and courageous man! Only hoping for your safety here, can't wait to see some pictures! Jealous Me2 can only imagine the view, I can't taste the adventure. Good luck!

Hi,
I found some comments from the other climbers in Gautams group, if interested, read on:

Tomorrow - April 24th will be a rest day – although I doubt any rest will be had as we need to sort and pack everything for our journey to advanced base camp; we leave for ABC on April 25th and we will spend the first night at “interim camp” (5600 meters/18,500 feet) – and so we will arrive at ABC (6400 meters/21,000 feet) on April 26th. We may not have any dispatches for a few days and so don’t worry and be patient for it will take a while to set up our advanced base camp.

Health and hygiene update:

Lance: I am happy to say my stomach problems have passed and I am feeling stronger. I finally shaved a couple of days ago, although I did a bad job. I am quite stinky as I have not had a shower in at least a couple of weeks and I am not too proud to admit that I went 1 week without brushing my teeth! I think my wife is lucky she is not here!

Jamie: is going for the bearded Grizzly Adams look – he is acclimated and doing fine as nothing seems to affect him (he was the only one not to get sick - probably because he lives in Kathmandu and has been to Tibet so many times.)

Tonya: is in good spirits and seems to be ready to go to ABC (advanced base camp). She shaved her legs the other day – she proudly told everyone, for if she didn’t - she was going to be able to put it in dreadlocks soon!

Gautam: although he says he is fine, Gautam has developed a cough, which is not good at this elevation.

Sele: is doing well – he is a very calm and mellow guy and it seems that one of his favorite hobbies is sleeping! We have told him that he should write a book and call it “the art of sleeping” by Sele. We think it would be a bestseller.

Ali: is probably the cleanest person I have ever met! Somehow Ali manages to shave and trim his goatee everyday! Ali is doing well – he is still getting some headaches, but Brad has a theory why: Brad thinks that Ali is going through caffeine withdrawal. It seems that Ali normally drinks 4 to 5 cups of coffee a day!
Ali is the feature of the Gulf News Friday Magazine

Micha: is strong but is still getting his “daily 12 o’clock headache”. It could be altitude related, but perhaps he too is going through caffeine withdrawal?

Dudu: is also strong and does not have any current issues with health other than a slight headache every once in a while.

Brad: is doing well - his stomach issues seem to be behind him (so to speak…) – nothing seems to phase him!

Namgyal: our official Nepalese peace climber is doing well.

From Everest base camp,

Lance

Do you have access to internet to read the comments of your readers to your blogs? Or you dictate your blogs on telephone to friends who post these on the web. We read you. Can you read us?

hey !! Gautam .. good to know you have started your accend and are rapidily proceeding towards the summit. Hope all is well with you and your group as things in the capital Kathmandu are a bit tricky. Do keep writing.
Manish

hey !! Gautam .. good to know you have started your accend and are rapidily proceeding towards the summit. Hope all is well with you and your group as things in the capital Kathmandu are a bit tricky. Do keep writing.
Manish

Hi All,

In reference to Cinda's EPP post and Gautam's health, I wanted to send an update. I spoke with Gautam earlier this morning and he is doing really well. He said he does have a slight cough which he thinks was induced by the cold weather in conjuction with the day hike. He said he is wearing a bavaclava in order to moisten the air around his mouth as he breathes it which should help tremendously.

Take care!
Becca

Dear Becca -- and Gautum

Thanks for the update -- that stuff about Gautum's cough had me worried.

love, Heather

With you in joy and Spirit Gautam, as you climb high for all of us, not able to!!

May health be with you, good weather, and lots of added strength to climb!

God Bless you Gautam, for daring to LIVE your Dream!

North