Julian in red suit stands at the summit mark of Mt Everest with team member Dale Darling from USA, in orange suit. Julian spent nearly thirty minutes on the summit and awaited most of his fellow team members. Conditions did not allow him to remain there until the fourth kiwi made it to the top. Fingers froze if ungloved for more than two minutes so photography was not easy.

Julian, in red 'down suit', approaching the "second step" three to four hundred metres below the summit. The time is 0430. The sun is just rising and has barely reached the north side up which they are proceeding. The climbers had left Camp 4 just after midnight in very cold and windy conditions.

Summit Dispatch (1 June 2004)
On the 13th of May with the winds still high we headed for ABC to be poised for a summit push. I decided to do the 22km walk from 5200m to 6400m in one day. I arrived at ABC at the end of a long hard day of walking. The air was noticeably thinner and the temperature noticeably colder. However I settled in to my tent and made myself as comfortable as possible. The other team members arrived over the next three days. Looking up at the mountain we noticed that other teams were at the higher camps ready for a summit bid. Indeed the weather did allow a number of people to summit during those first few days we spent at ABC. We felt a little left out of the action, yet at the same time confident that the right decision was to wait and allow the crowds to take on the unsettled weather. We had a weather report that stated a drop in the winds but snow to the mountain over the next few days. We wanted to wait to allow the snow to pass, as the combination of wind and snow would be dangerous high on the mountain, with the added risk of avalanche to the North Col and camp1-2 slopes. While frustrating, we waited. In the back of my mind, I had always anticipated leaving ABC for the summit push on the 18th or 19th of May. To me these dates seemed logical when looking at the weather situation and our timing arriving back at ABC. As it transpired Russell called a meeting and advised us that the 22-24 May would be good summit days and that we should aim for them. So the game was on, two summit teams with the first leaving on the 19th. I was in the first team. On the 17th the snow that was forecast did not arrive. On the morning of the 18th, no snow, just very fine weather- we decided to leave a day early. With enough food for five days and all the correct clothing and equipment, the first of the Himex summit teams departed in good weather for the North Col. We arrived after a 3 hour climb and settled into our tents. I was teamed up with Woody a NZ mountain guide, (on his first 8000m mountain). The team had a good night and woke to warm conditions the next day. Reluctant in our super-warm down-suits we departed for Camp 2 (7500m) a deceptively long snow slope leading to the North Face. We expected this to take 3-5 hours. Russell did say that the weather may deteriorate. I moved quickly up the slope feeling good. However in the third and final hour the weather deteriorated to such a level that I had my down-suit fully zipped and my down-mits on with frost-bite a real concern. The wind was gusting to 50 knots and it was snowing steadily. These were the first of conditions that over the next 3 days killed 6 climbers from other teams. At camp 2 I collected snow in atrocious conditions and then settled into my tent, which was perched on a 35 degree snow slope hopelessly exposed to the elements. This is where we stayed for two nights as this unexpected storm refused to relent. We departed for Camp 3 7900m in good conditions on the morning of the 21st. While others in the team had been sleeping with the aid of supplementary oxygen, Woody and I had not, and further we climbed with no supplementary oxygen to 7900m (the highest I had gone with no oxygen). I felt quite good climbing to camp 3, but I did notice that the performance of those who had been sleeping on oxygen was markedly improved. The two nights we had spent at camp 2 with no supplementary oxygen in the storm had been hard. Camp 3 7900m is like being on the moon. The landscape is windswept, rocky and barren. It is an inhospitable place, but it was to be our home for one night. Soon after I arrived the wind picked up to a healthy 30 Knots, we felt as though we were in for more of the same camp 2 treatment. There was some confusion about the tents that we should use and the ones we should leave for the Sherpas. I did my best to sort this situation out, as the winds picked up even further and it started to snow- familiar blizzard conditions. The situation was not helped by the emergence of a missing and confused Bulgarian woman. I gave her some shelter and hot water while I tried to ascertain where the rest of her team was. This was happening at the same time as a number of other searches for missing people from other teams, many for presumed dead climbers. I looked through all the empty tents in the camp for signs of her team or a place for her to stay. Unfortunately there was no sign of her team nor a tent for her to stay in- she had to go down to a lower camp. The next day dawned with no improvement in the weather. This worried us a great deal. Dean our NZ Guide team leader made the decision that we should try to reach Camp 4 8300m. We had been sleeping using supplementary oxygen at camp 3 and now we would use oxygen constantly until after summit day. We departed in very poor conditions, but as we traversed the North Face the weather improved. We moved as a team slowly to camp 4, arriving in reasonable weather conditions, relieved that our chance of reaching the summit of Everest was still alive. We woke at 2330 and began preparing for a 0030 departure. Unfortunately I had not slept. I had my boots and down-mits inside my sleeping bag to keep them as warm as possible and hopefully avoid frostbite. Woody and I enjoyed some soup and hot water, while we readied ourselves for the big day to come. Soon we were running out of time. With my oxygen mask on I emerged from my tent to put my crampons on- an important but excruciatingly cold exercise, (on Cho Oyo I froze a finger) my new crampons attached with relative ease. I was ready to go. There was quite a wait while the remainder of the team readied themselves. Soon we departed for the exit cracks to the summit ridge. We were into it, climbing Everest. And a real climb it turned out to be- all the challenges left for the summit day. The climbing was much more technical than it had been. But we moved quickly up onto the ridge. In the darkness the weather was quite good. Soon we were on the ridge and the First of the famous three steps was in front of me. I wasted no time in climbing this steepish step of rock. To me on summit day there was only one way to go and that was upwards and forwards. Soon the first step was behind me and I was heading along a narrowish corniced North Ridge to mushroom rock where we dropped our first 4 litre bottle of oxygen and use the 2nd and last. The time was approx 430 and the sun was beginning to rise. The wind had picked up to a vicious 40 Knots, frostbite was now a huge concern, I was worried that we would have to turn around. Instead of standing around getting cold and freezing fingers I signalled to the lead Sherpa that we should move on. Solum and I charged onwards along the ridge towards the 2nd step- the crux of the climb. When we arrived at the base, I was a little surprised at the height. But I wasted no time in starting to climb, the start seemingly the most difficult part. Soon I was climbing the final segment, up the new ladder. As it happened, Solum being the first and I the second climber on the new ladder, - what a privilege. At the top of the second step, there was a very obvious dead Bulgarian climber, sitting on a rock, still attached to the fixed rope. This was very unsettling to Solum and he walked past and stopped saying that we had to wait for Pulbur the Sirdar. So I waited in full view of this Bulgarian for half an hour. Finally I decided to move on regardless. I caught up with Solum and persuaded him to move on. Along this stretch to the third step there were no fixed ropes, so I moved carefully with my Ice-axe. The third step presented only a moderate challenge. Then the snow slope, where there was deep snow. Pulbar was now in front, with Solum and me. We moved slowly in now hot conditions making steps. We then traversed mid way up the snow slope to a rock ledge that traverses the upper part of the North Face with huge exposure. This ledge leads to a dihedral that leads to the final ridge to the summit. Yes this was a bit scary, but I really didn’t feel that worried, even looking straight down 3000m to the Central Rongbuk glacier. If you fell it would be all over, but you make sure you don’t. Soon I was moving on the exposed summit ridge, again one slip and it’s all over. As I climbed the final few vertical metres to the top of the world, I felt waves of emotion, but I had to control these feelings making sure that I did not make a mistake. Then suddenly there I was on top of the World, the summit of Everest. Three of us; Pulbar, Solum and Me. I made the radio call: “North Col, this is summit Julian speaking, safe and sound 15KPa (plenty) of oxygen remaining” I spent approx 30mins on the summit; it was a hectic time as more climbers arrived. I had a nagging feeling that I should get down off the mountain safely and quickly. So I started the down climb. The down climb was tiring and required a great deal of concentration. The second step was tricky especially grappling on to the top of the ladder. With the excess of old ropes, one had to be very careful not to snag or tangle a boot or crampon as you could then end up upside down in a very dangerous situation very quickly. So concentration was the key. I was at camp 4 before lunch, but still a very high camp. I wanted to get as low on the mountain as possible for safety. By 1600 I was at camp 1 7100m and I elected to stay there for the night. During the down climb, at the second step, I came across the Bulgarian woman. She was alone and had run out of oxygen. She was struggling in the fixed ropes but her intention was to go up and she could not be persuaded otherwise. At 1600 she was seen on the upper snow slope, unfortunately she has not been seen again. Early the next day I climbed down to ABC. I was safe, the climb was over. Time to rehydrate in comfort and enjoy some good food. I felt tired but, recovered quickly.

Summit!! (23 May 2004)
A message has been received from Himex that Julian and others from the expedition have summited. Congratulations to them all. As at 1300hrs BST Julian was back down to Camp 1.

Dispatch 4: Departure for summit attempt (20 May 2004)
In ten minutes we depart from ABC for Camp 1. From there we plan to climb to camps 2, 3 and 4 and then the summit. We plan to summit on 22 May. The weather has settled and other people have been summiting so things are looking good. I am in good health and have a good tent mate... another kiwi. I will be in touch after this next trip up the mountain. Julian

ABC & N.Col. Everest summit is not in view, it would be in the middle of the photo, if the clouds were not there.

Dispatch 3: Base Camp and beyond (10 May 2004)
It has been a long time since the last dispatch. My apologies, but there has not been a great deal to report. Anyway, I will now bring you all up to date with the progress and some of my reflections from the past few weeks. After we settled into Base Camp at 5200m we then headed for our Advanced Base Camp at 6400m. 6400m is an extremely high place to dwell. In fact the human body can not survive for extended periods of time at such an altitude. On arriving at ABC (after the two day trek), I felt quite good. I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible in my tent, especially as sleep is so crucial to good acclimatisation. The first few days went really well, and soon I felt as though I was ready to head up to the Camp 1, the North Col for a day trip. The North Col at 7100m is approximately 5 hours from ABC via fixed ropes and some steepish terrain. Five of us made a day trip to the North Col in not- so good weather conditions. We all felt good at 7100m and made a swift return to ABC for the remainder of the day. We then had 3 days of rest before our next trip to Camp 1 for one night. I had hoped to carry my down suit to Camp 1, spend the night, then tag Camp 2 7500m, return to Camp 1 for another night and then return to ABC early the next morning,( as I can descend to ABC from Camp 1 in approx 1 hour). We set out in good conditions for Camp 1, and arrived in 4 hours at about 1500. We settled into our tents, melted snow, prepared meals and then went off to sleep. (The nights at these high camps can be very long boring when you go to sleep at 1800.) We all slept well, but the others in my team did not feel so good the next morning. They elected to descend to ABC instead of trying to go higher. This left me to make the same decision to descend. But before we left we did climb to the upper part of camp 1 to look at the route up to the North Ridge. Those of you who have cycled our climbed, will know that when you look from a forward facing slope towards another facing slope across a hollow, the slope always looks more severe than reality. This is certainly the effect when looking at the North Face of Everest, from the North Col;- it looks formidable, but there is no place for even a hint of irrational thinking in this game. Things must be put into perspective at all times. And this is what we had to tell one of the stronger team members who looked up at the route that morning and said; "I'm going home, I just don't feel as though I have the drive to go up there!" Incidentally he is still here, (we can all have a bad day in this place.) We took some photos, and spent some time pondering the route. In actual fact to spend one night at Camp 1 at that stage of the expedition is in line with the normal acclimatisation plan. But I did feel as though I should take the advantage of some extra acclimatisation as my body felt able. This was a conclusion that I had come to because of the uncertainty of the weather ahead, my commitment to a strong acclimatisation plan, and also because of the extra acclimatisation that I had done prior to the expedition. However, one has to be flexible and I returned to ABC. The plan, at that stage was to rest and then make the final acclimatisation trip to Camp 1 for a night, Camp 2 for a night, tag Camp 3 at 7900m and then return to ABC. So one more 2 night trip on the mountain, before a big rest and the summit push. During the 3 days we rested, the remainder of the team made their one night trip to Camp 1. This is when the game changed. We were sitting having a picnic, of high altitude scones (that disappointed me and did not rise as well as they should have), the weather was sunny, warm and calm. We felt as though our "batteries" were almost charged enough for our final acclimatisation trip. But high in the sky, cirrus cloud was forming- an ominous sign of high power activity in the upper atmosphere, the atmosphere that Everest shares. This was the start of the high wind activity that has put us out of action for almost 2 weeks. The upper mountain has been hammered by winds over 100km/h and on average above 60km/h, winds that are too high for us to climb in. Russell made the decision to move back to Base Camp, where our bodies can relax and recover, the weather is warmer and the winds lower. However we anticipated a 5 day rest. But the winds have continued and do not show an immediate sign of dropping, so 12 days later we are still here. I have no hesitation is stating that it has been a challenge spending almost 2 weeks at Base Camp, with very little to do, with Everest staring at us every time one ventures from a tent. As the time has passed we have had to rethink our plans for the mountain. There is no longer time for a final acclimatisation trip. The next time we climb on Mt Everest, will be with the intention of reaching the summit. So, the pressure has been cranked up on us, and it is the same for all expeditions here. This poses questions of; oxygen perhaps at lower levels, the possibility of a congested route and also the big question of when the wind will drop and the opportunity(s) presenting themselves. I have passed the time here at Base Camp, much in the same way as other members. By reading, listening to music, playing scrabble and taking walks in the valley. However, I have also had the opportunity to practice my profession. One morning, the wife of one the Yakmen presented with an abscessed lower first molar. Using some lignocaine for anesthetic and some extraction forceps from Russell's First Aid Kit, I was able to remove the tooth. The patient remained very calm throughout the procedure and recovered very rapidly. She is very happy to have the tooth removed. A member has also had trouble with a loose Gold Overlay. I cemented it two times with a temporary cement while we waited for Fuji I Glass Ionomer (GC) cement to be sent from Kathmandu by Mingma. The day the Fuji I arrived I recemented the Overlay, I do not expect that the member will experience any further problems. There has also been the odd cold sore and ulcer to deal with. I will, depart for ABC in the next few days. In my view, as time goes on I would like to be rested and in a position at ABC to take advantage of any change in the weather. Of course there is no point in being at ABC too early as the altitude there is very hard on the body. But the weather is getting warmer and we have spent a great deal of time at altitude so I believe ABC will be a much more comfortable place than it was previously. And this brings me to the point about our lack of a final acclimatisation trip. Our bodies have had a benefit from the rest and time at Base Camp at 5200m. While this is not necessarily as good as a trip to Camp 2 for a night, we have still attained a benefit from the time spent here. Whenever plans change, doubt is cast in one's mind. Most importantly to me, is to take time to consider the changes and review how I am going to react to those changes. I have certainly had time to do this. There are things that I can do, especially with the use of supplementary oxygen, that will negate the fact that I have not spent a night at Camp 2. They are changes to the way in which I had intended to climb the mountain, but to be successful one has to be flexible. The most important aspect to me is that I still believe that I can climb Mt Everest safely and enjoyably. Finally, thank you to all of you who have sent messages to me. It is a great boost to know that my friends and even people that I have not met are behind me in support. I hope to be in touch with all of you as soon as I can after the expedition. Until then I wish you all well.

Dispatch 2: Base Camp (19 April 2004)
Dispatch 2, Base Camp: We arrived safe and sound at base camp two days a go. The drive from New Tingri offered spectacular views of Mt Everest but none of the views more spectacular than the view we get from base camp. Mt Everest towers above us, a constant reminder of the purpose of our expedition. We are all very happy to be at base camp. For our team it is a return to the superb conditions that we experienced from Russell and his team on previous expeditions. The tents are good and the food amazing. I am particularly happy to meet again Sherpa friends from Cho Oyo last year. I am looking forward to climbing once more with these very strong climbers. Today most of us went for a walk up some of the surrounding hills. I felt stronger than I remember feeling last year at similar altitude on Cho Oyo. It is very early days but I am glad that I have taken the time to prepare for this expedition in New Zealand and in the Langtang valley. One of the encouraging factors about our team is that we have all been on a 8000m mountain before, now we are looking to build on that experience and achievement. For this reason we all have a similar understanding of what lies ahead. We do not need the same level of information as those who have not been to such altitudes. I believe this experience will bring good momentum to our team. From here: We will depart for advanced base camp ABC in approx 4 days time. ABC is at 6400m and is the platform from which will launch our attempts to climb the mountain.( ABC is set up to the same scale as BC.) However the first phase of the expedition is acclimatisation and familiarisation on the mountain. We will attempt to reach camp 3 at 7900m. This will be achieved in incremental steps moving higher up the mountain. Russell talks about creating comfort zones on the mountain where one is happy to rest and spend time, importantly this creates a level on the mountain that one can return to and be sure of safety. Once we have tagged camp 3, we will return to base camp to rest and build energy reserves for a summit push- phase 2 of the expedition. We do not expect to make a push for the summit until May. At this point weather and snow conditions will determine our schedule. A summit bid will be made from camp 4 approx 8300m where we will spend only a small amount of time. We expect that we will use oxygen above camp 3 at 7900m. It is amazing to be here at Everest base camp. For all of us this has been a place we have dreamt of for many years.

Langtang Valley (4300m) and Mountain (5145m)

Dispatch 1: On our way to Base Camp... (5 April 2004)
I departed NZ on the 21st of March for Kathmandu to join the Himalayan Experience Everest North Ridge Expedition. However I did arrive in Kathmandu early in order to do some trekking and acclimatisation before the official expedition start date of April 1. I decided to go to the Langtang Valley North of Kathmandu for this trekking phase. The Langtang Valley lies approximately 100km directly north of Kathmandu. However the bus ride was a gruellimg 9 hours following a tortuous course avoiding impassable terrain, the flow of the journey constantly disrupted by the many army checkpoints where all locals are searched for weapons and supplies in support of a rapidly uprising dissident party. However I did arrive safe and sound in Dhunche. The next day I began a three day trek to Gosainkund 4300m. I stayed at Gosainkund the site of the sacred lakes for four nights. It was a perfect place to acclimatise and stretch the legs climbing the numerous minor peaks in the vicinity up to 5200m in height. The family at the lodge were very good company and I enjoyed my time there immensely. The height, the enviroment and the people combined to allow for excellent preparation for the long and demanding expedition that lies ahead. As I left Gosainkund I felt ready to climb Mt Everest. I returned to Kathmandu this time by Toyota Landcruiser a less interupted 5 hour journey with lower chance of contracting illness. The pollution and congestion of Kathmandu makes it a tiring place, it seems to drain one of good feeling. The other expedition members arrived we all met, we all packed our gear and on 3 April we left for the airport to travel to Lhasa. We then waited for 4 hours with no explanation of a late departure. Finally we were informed that the aeroplane was cancelled due to snow on the runway at Lhasa. Lhasa airport is often marginal, due to its altitude (3500m) landing speeds must be much higher to allow for the thin air, a small amount of snow closes the place down. So we spent another night at China Airways expense in Kathmandu. The logistics of the transfer back into Katmandu was greatly complicated by the political activity there. Yesterday we arrived in Lhasa after no major delays. Lhasa seems bigger and brighter than it was even 7 months a go. Our hotel is good and we and had an excellent meal last night. (We are all treading very carefully to avoid stomach problems.) The teams; There are two teams of 12, one of members who climbed together last year on Cho Oyo and the other of new members to Himalayan Experience. We are all happy with this arrangement. We spend another 2 nights here in Lhasa and then travel to Xigase for 2 nights, then "New" Tingri for 2 nights and finally base camp where we will spemd 7 nights. I will keep you all updated. All the best to all of you in our respective parts of the world. Julian

Mount Everest 8,848m

Everest Expedition (17 March 2004)
Hello everyone, This is a short note to let you all know that I leave for Kathmandu on Saturday to join my fellow expedition members to attempt the North Ridge of Mt Everest. The expedition officially starts on 1 April. You can watch our progress on Mt Everest at www.himex.com there will be a specific page for our dispatches you can also subscribe to this and the latest dispatches will be sent to your email address. I also hope to send my own personal dispatches from time to time they will be available at www.haszard.co.nz. We expect to make attempts for the summit during the month of May. The expedition ends 7 June. I hope you all have a good few months. Regards, Julian