Everest Video Update: Base Camp Summit Bid Launches

ByMary Anne Potts
May 14, 2009

The weather has broken on Everest and after 12 long days of waiting, Ed Viesturs and the First Ascent team are making a move. They left base camp about fifteen hours ago and should be getting close to Camp 2 by now.

“I’m a little bit nervous,” admitted Melissa Arnot, who is trying to become the first American woman to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen “But mostly just excited to get up there and get climbing.”

Teammate Peter Whittaker echoed her sentiments. “It’s awesome to be putting the final touches on our preparations. We’ve been sitting down here for 12 days—a tough 12 days—just resting and waiting for the weather line up. We’ve got a forecast that we like and we’re going for the summit.”

They hope to reach the highest point on planet earth on the 18th.

Read daily dispatches, view photos and video, and see detailed Everest maps at adventure.nationalgeographic.com/everest

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