Approaching Sajama Base Camp, 4800m
20 June Update from Base Camp
Yesterday, the weather station team departed La Paz for the village of Sajama. We arrived in Base Camp about 1800 h, after a two-hour walk. The following update reflects the expedition progress from our perspective.
On 14 June, B. Francou and Phillip (ORSTOM) made a quick one-day ascent to evaluate and establish the route. Lonnie Thompson, Todd Sowers, and others reached the summit the next day, on Sunday. All this week, equipment has been moving from Base Camp to High Camp (about 5600m) and then to the summit. The weather has been quite windy, which has caused some delay in the movement of supplies and equipment. Streamers of snow blowing off the mountain are visible today from Base Camp. Further details of progress high on the mountain are not yet available, due to battery problems in the FM radio link between the summit and Base Camp.
At the base of the mountain, Bruce Comstock and others are busy preparing the final supplies for the balloon flights, which will be used to retrieve the cores from the summit. Enthusiasm seems high among the pilots.
Prior to departing La Paz yesterday, the weather station team did more equipment preparation, and arranged our logistical support for the expedition to Ilimani -- which will follow this trip.
Sajama is considerably snowier than last year in September, and indeed the Altiplano is noticably greener. We were lucky in being able to arrange for transport of our equipment to Base Camp by mules within hours of our arrival. Six mules (and a one-month old bambino) accompanied us on a beautiful walk to Base Camp, with low-angle light on the peak. Under a full moon, the temperature last night dipped to approx. -10 C. This morning there is a slight breeze, and bright sun through the thin cirrus overhead.
Tomorrow we hope to move up to High Camp, where we may spend a second night before ascending to the summit. Stay tuned for exciting images and updates on the ice core drilling!
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Document maintained by Doug Hardy (dhardy@geo.umass.edu)
Last updated: 8 October 1998
http://www.geo.umass.edu/climate/bolivia/june20.html