원정 개요

Left C3 at 1:30 am alone, got top 10:30 am and down to C3 about 2:00 pm and slept in C2.

Bell was "a difficult person to get along with" - had bad judgement and did stupid things [according to the IMG team].

Independent climber in John Race IMG group.


Letter to Miss Hawley
January 3, 2002

In answer to your questions I found the most difficult sections of the climb to be the 2 most technical parts. These were the ice wall between Camps 2 and 3 and the yellow band just above C3. Since these sections were fixed they did not present any problems to ascend. The weather was cloudy at the summit by the time I arrived. Heavy clouds prevented me from seeing Everest but I was able to top. I found the prayer flags and a black bird resembling a raven came to investigate my arrival looking for food. I did not expect to see a bird at this altitude. My oxygen ran out just above the fixed lines on the yellow band. I am not sure about my exact time of arrival at Camp 2 on the 26th. I remember having plenty of daylight to prepare hot water.