Itinerary and Dispatches

Our team climbed Manaslu during the pre-monsoon climbing season of 2002. Using data gathered from previously successful climbs we determined that the optimum time to be vying for the summit is between May 1st and May 12th, and therefore our itinerary was planned to place us in summit position beginning May 2nd.

Using a satellite phone, a rugged computer and a digital camera, we provided periodic dispatches from Nepal; see the links to our dispatches below.

(Notes: The start of the team's trek from Gorkha was delayed one day from the planned itinerary shown below. On April 14, the team reported a need to conserve battery power due to a problem with its solar-powered battery charger. On April 23 the team reported continuing difficulties with the solar-powered battery charger and the batteries powering its laptop computer. Pending resolution of those problems the team "phoned in" dispatches. On May 8 the team reported that the system again allowed composition and transmission of dispatches.)

The team would like to give a special thanks to our webmaster, Bob Monn (seen here with team members Scott Boettcher and Tom Fitzsimmons):

Day	Date	Planned Activity	Actual Activity with Dispatches
1	Apr 5-6	Fly from Seattle to Tokyo to Bangkok	Fly from Seattle to Tokyo to Bangkok
2	Apr 7	Fly from Bangkok to Kathmandu	Fly from Bangkok to Kathmandu
3	Apr 8	Customs and tour	First hours in Kathmandu
4	Apr 9	Drive to Gorkha; trek to Khanchock	Delayed one day in Kathmandu; reflections on leaving
5	Apr 10	Trek from Khanchock to Arughat
6	Apr 11	Trek from Arughat to Yari Khola	First full day of trekking
7	Apr 12	Trek from Yari Khola to Phidim, Deng	Sante Bazaar to Labubesi
8	Apr 13	Trek from Phidim, Deng to Namru
9	Apr 14	Trek from Namru to Sela	More trekking; lunch at Jagat
10	Apr 15	Trek from Sela to Samagaon
11	Apr 16	Trek from Samagaon to Base Camp
12	Apr 17	Rest and acclimatize	Samagaon
13	Apr 18	Rest and acclimatize	Rest at Samagaon
14	Apr 19	Establish Camp 1	Samagaon to Base Camp
15	Apr 20	Establish Camp 1 (continued)
16	Apr 21	Establish Camp 1 (continued)	Established Base Camp
17	Apr 22	Establish Camp 2	Established Camp 1
18	Apr 23	Establish Camp 2 (continued)	Resting at Base Camp
19	Apr 24	Establish Camp 2 (continued)
20	Apr 25	Establish Camp 3
21	Apr 26	Establish Camp 3 (continued)
22	Apr 27	Establish Camp 3 (continued)	From Base Camp
23	Apr 28	Establish Camp 3 (continued)	From Base Camp
24	Apr 29	Establish Camp 4
25	Apr 30	Establish Camp 4 (continued)
26	May 1	Establish Camp 4 (continued)	From Camp 1
27	May 2	Summit Attempt Climbs
28	May 3	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)
29	May 4	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)
30	May 5	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)	Camp 3 Established
31	May 6	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)
32	May 7	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)	From Camp 3
33	May 8	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)	Back from 22,000'
34	May 9	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)	Preparing for the Summit Push
35	May 10	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)
36	May 11	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)	Summit Attempt Underway
37	May 12	Summit Attempt Climbs (continued)	Summit Attempt Underway
38	May 13	Return to Base Camp	Summit Day (7:00 AM) From the Summit! (11:45 AM)
39	May 14	Return to Base Camp (continued)
40	May 15	Trek to Gorkha; drive to Kathmandu	The Descent The Descent (continued)
41	May 16
42	May 17		Trek from Base Camp to Samagaon (photo)
43	May 18
44	May 19		Fly via helicopter from Samagaon to Kathmandu (photos)
45	May 20		Celebrating in Kathmandu
46	May 21
47	May 22
48	May 23
49-50	May 24	Fly home	Fly from Kathmandu to Bangkok to Tokyo to Seattle

Note: A calendar day is "lost" on the trip from Seattle to Kathmandu and a calendar day is "gained" on the return trip. Local time in Kathmandu is 12 hours and 45 minutes ahead of Pacific Time.