|

|

|
|
Jochen Hemmleb observes the climbers making their way
from Camp V.
|
Waiting in Silence
by Liesl Clark
May 1, 1999
The first call came in at 5:00 a.m. "We're ready to go," said
Dave
Hahn in
the early morning light from Camp V. "We're putting on our
crampons."
"Did you sleep well?" inquired Jochen
Hemmleb
from Base Camp. "Negative." Hahn's voice came in crystal
clear. "We didn't come here to sleep. We came to climb and
search." It was a "go" for Hahn, Andy
Politz, Tap
Richards, Conrad
Anker,
Jake
Norton, and Thom Pollard to climb up out of Camp V and aim for the
location of a body found in 1975 by a Chinese climber. No one
has expressly climbed to this location, since then, to search
for the remains.
We knew we would have to wait in silence until 7:00 a.m. for
their next call. The previous night had been unsettling, as
our tents trembled quietly in the wind, light gusts sending
ripples through the rip-stop fabric. Today, the gusts have
turned more vigilant with the rising sun, blasts of cold
penetrating through even the thickest of down jackets. We
wonder how cold it must be up at 27,000
feet where the climbers
are headed.
7:00 a.m brings the first news about the team's progress.
"Thom made it about 15 minutes out of camp and then I think he
turned around."
At 9:20, Hemmleb is able to see the climbers through his
telescope. "They are climbing in the gully at the same
elevation as the snow terrace where the body is. They now have
to traverse over to the right about 825 feet to reach it."
First, Norton called to report that he had found a long oxygen
bottle with remnants of blue paint, like the 1975 Chinese
bottles—a clear indication that the climbers were on the
right route. It was only 10:45 a.m.
Then Anker called over to his search mates: "Can you see what
I'm pointing at on the ledge?" Moments passed as we could only
guess at what Anker was referring to. Then Richards came on
the radio: "I've found two bodies at the base of the fall
line."
"Can you determine how old the bodies are?" asked Hemmleb. "I
see red, white and blue nylon on one and a jumar on the
other," responded Richards, "so I think they're at least 20
years old."
Hemmleb thought for a moment and then responded: "It sounds
like you've found the Chinese climber who died in 1975 who
fell from the First Step. My guess is that the other body is
that of a Russian climber who also fell."
With his eye glued to the 200-power telescope, Hemmleb was
able to follow the climbers as they broke into three straight
lines. Anker was on the bottom of the snow terrace, Politz at
the base of the Yellow Band, and Hahn, Richards, and Norton in
between.
In less than an hour, Anker called in again. We caught only
pieces of his transmissions: "Why don't you come down for
Snickers and tea?" he seemed to be asking the other climbers.
When no one responded favorably he came in a little more
clearly: "Mandatory group meeting." This was the last we heard
from the climbers for the day.
It became clear that what seemed like a normal series of radio
calls was actually a signal that something was up. From his
telescope, Hemmleb could see the five climbers coming together
on the bottom edge of the snow terrace where Anker stood. Was
"Snickers and tea" a code for something found? We are very
aware of other expeditions listening in on our frequency, and
had previously agreed that if the body were found we would
keep the radio transmissions to a minimum. This "mandatory
meeting" which sent Politz some 330 feet down from his search
position could only mean that Ankers had found something. But
what?
We now know that we will have to wait two days to hear the
news from Anker and the climbers when they come back to Base
Camp. The wind continued to blow outside as Hahn came on the
radio for the last time tonight, leaving Jochen Hemmleb,
finally, with what he's been waiting for all day:
"Jochen, you are going to be a happy man."
*Members of the press: click here for NOVA/PBS ONLINE "Lost
on Everest"
media relations contacts.
Unanswered Questions (May 25, 1999)
Forty-Eight Yaks (May 21, 1999)
On Top of the World (May 17, 1999)
Summit Team Moves Higher (May 16, 1999)
Still at Camp V (May 15, 1999)
Snow Bound (May 14, 1999)
Outsmarting the Weather (May 13, 1999)
Last Trip Up (May 12, 1999)
Up to ABC/The Rescue (May 11, 1999)
The Image of Mallory (May 8, 1999)
In Extremis (May 7, 1999)
Pieces of the Puzzle (May 6, 1999)
Dearest George (May 5, 1999)
Mallory's Discoverers Return (May 4, 1999)
Mallory Reported Found (May 3, 1999)
Waiting in Silence (May 1, 1999)
Up to the Search Site (April 30, 1999)
To the North Col (April 29, 1999)
Waiting out the Wind (April 28, 1999)
Search About to Begin (April 25, 1999)
Pitching a 1933 Tent (April 23, 1999)
Early Camp Found at 21,750 Feet on Everest (April 20,
1999)
Up to Base Camp (April 23, 1999)
Photo: Liesl Clark.
Lost on Everest
|
High Exposure
|
Climb |
History & Culture
|
Earth, Wind, & Ice
E-mail |
Previous Expeditions
|
Resources
|
Site Map
|
Everest Home
Editor's Picks
|
Previous Sites
|
Join Us/E-mail
|
TV/Web Schedule
About NOVA |
Teachers |
Site Map |
Shop
| Jobs |
Search |
To print
PBS Online |
NOVA Online |
WGBH
©
| Updated November 2000
|
|
|