Students' Live Q&A Video
On April 28, 2000 Grade Six students from two Toronto schools questioned Byron via a live satellite hook-up from the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto.

What type of medications do you bring on an expedition?

To compile a list of medications and medical supplies for a high altitude expedition takes a lot of thought as you do not want to be short of supplies, nor do you want to have an ounce of extra weight.

Typically I try to substitute as much as possible. For example triangular bandages common in most First Aid Kits take up space and weight but a safety pin can be used to attach a T-shirt or long sleeved underwear to serve the same purpose. Thermarest mattresses can serve as cervical collars, etc.

What is the distance between the various camps on the mountain?

Camp II

These are estimates only...
Basecamp and Camp 1 ...... 2 km and 3 hours
Camp 1 and Camp 2 ........ 4 km and 3 hours
Camp 2 and Camp 3 ........ 1 km and 4 hours
Camp 3 and Camp 4 ........ 1.5 km and 4 hours
Camp 4 and the summit .... 1.5 km and 9 hours.

As you climb higher it takes much longer even though the distances are not very far. Also remember the steepness.

What is the difference in climbing Everest from the south approach and from the north approach. Is one side more difficult to accomplish over the other?

Want to know more? Everest: the north ridge Everest: the north side Everest's south camps

The north side is very different from the south side. Climbing permits are cheaper to purchase on the north side than on the south, although logistically it's more difficult to get to the north side. When climbing the north route, from Tibet, you drive into Basecamp (approx. 5,100 m) over incredibly bumpy and jarring terrain and then have to trek 18 km to Camp I (approx. 5,200 m). Also, the winds on the north side are much colder.

Summit dates on the north side are later, generally the last week of May, where the south side summits are usually in the second week. Although the north side is more difficult technically, some people prefer it because there are fewer climbers and you don't have to go through the very dangerous icefall.

Why do expeditions push for the summit in May?
This question is from Gail

For most of the year, the jet stream (a high, narrow current of swiftly moving air) tears directly across the summit of Mt. Everest.

Want to know more? Weather watching Weather reports Life on the Mountain: Weather

If you were to be climbing Kala Patar, a nearby peak, at the end of April, you would be astounded at the constant roar of overhead jets. In fact, no planes fly overhead in this region of the Khumbu but the jet stream is so loud you would swear there were. We are talking 100 mile an hour winds at least.

Sometime near the beginning of May the jet stream is pushed north by the warm winds coming from India and the Bay of Bengal. Those warm winds also bring the monsoons near the end of May. So, in between the jet stream and the monsoons lies "the window." Sometimes it is two weeks, sometimes it is two hours, but that is why most people summit in May. There is only one other time of year that the government of Nepal allows people to climb Everest - in November, just before the winter storm season.

How common is it to discover the bodies of climbers who have died on previous expeditions? What kind of impact does it have on you?
This question is from Len in Edmonton, Alberta

Working as a mountain guide since 1982 and here in the Himalayas since 1991, I have seen my share of deaths and bodies while guiding. The first time, I actually watched some one get lost and spend the night and the next day outside. From where we were there was nothing we could do except watch through our binoculars as he just sat at the top of our route. We didn't have fixed ropes up yet and he just died. The hard part was that I knew him, as he spoke a little English and would come around our camp and play cards and drink tea. His death, I have come to learn, is part of climbing in the mountains.

Now I pass bodies of unfortunate climbers who made the wrong choice of going for the summit in bad weather or were in bad shape, or should have turned around, and I look at them and ask myself 'how did he die?,' and then I think 'it's not going to happen to me.'

I've been on Everest five times now and have climbed on both sides of the mountain and there are a lot of dead bodies that you pass on your way to the top. People ask me why no one takes them down. First off it's impossible to bring bodies down as it's hard enough to be here yourself and secondly they are good reminders of why I value life.

Do climbers who've reached the summit still leave behind special gifts, as did Hillary and Tenszig?
This question is from Carly, 8, at Alta Vista Public School in Ottawa

It depends. Some climbers, like Tim Rippel, believe you should only leave footprints. Others, having climbed such a long way, and suffered through a great deal, like to leave small momentos such as a poem or picture. Research groups sometimes leave larger things, like GPS [Global Positioning System] units.

On your 1998 climb why weren't you able to reuse the rope that got you to the South Summit to finish the climb?
This question is from Stephanie & Scott

Climber on fixed rope above Camp III

The rope we use on Everest is called fixed rope. That is, we do not walk with it looped around our shoulders and passed through our harness from one climber to another as you normally would in glacier travel.

Everybody is on their own, independant, and each person clips into rope which is "fixed" by ice screws and ice pickets to the mountain. Once the rope is fixed it cannot be easily removed.

Once everybody has gone up and come down the mountain then a few people, usually Sherpas who have not summitted (but not always) remove the ropes. As well, in 1998, Byron could not remove rope because there were people behind who needed it.

How much does it cost to climb Mt. Everest? Is there an age limit? This question is from Samantha

Climbing Everest is expensive, unless you are a Sherpa, in which case it is free. The going rate for a spot with a commercial expedition, which includes the cost of a climbing permit, food, oxygen, and Sherpa support up until the end of May is $65,000 US.

There are ways to get on teams without paying that much but it means you have to make a special contribution, either by being a mountain guide, or a photographer, or maybe a doctor.

To launch your own expedtion, the biggest expense is the climbing permit from the Nepalese government. The permits cost $10,000 US each but each expedition is obligated to buy at least seven, so the total permit cost would be $70,000 US. Then you have to organize your own trek in, all your supplies and Sherpa support.

There is no age limit for climbing Everest. The youngest person attempting to summit Everest this year is 14 years old and he is a Sherpa.

How is the team going to keep warm as they climb higher and higher?
This question is from Mrs. Bruner's Enhanced Learning Class, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Public School, Brampton, Ontario.

More on clothing

The first line of defense is to keep dry. Therefore clothing next to the body is designed to "wick" or move sweat away from the body. Next are insulating layers. Because the insulating layers close to the body also may become wet with sweat they are designed to be warm even when they are wet. Wool is warm when it is wet but also takes a long time to dry, so it has mostly been replaced by fleece.

Over layers need to be very warm for the high altitudes, but still breathable. For this we use down, or some warm synthetic fibre with a breathable shell over top.

At high altitude, we eat a lot. The body burns a lot of calories to stay warm. Finally, above 24,000 ft or 7,000 metres, the use of oxygen helps maintain good circulation and prevents heat loss.

However, even with all this warm clothing, food, exercise, and oxygen most climbers will tell you they remember the summit of Everest being very cold. The special weather reports we are getting from England tell us it's minus 37 degrees Celsius.

Is it difficult to keep in touch with friends and family when you are staying at Basecamp?
This question is from Mitchell, age 12 in Abbotsford, B.C.

Sometimes it is difficult to stay in touch, when the satellite phone is not working, or the weather is bad, or it is just too cold to type, like it is getting for me tonight.

What do you eat and does your diet change as you climb higher on the mountain?
This question is from the grade four students in Mr. Smith's class in Whistler B.C.

At Basecamp we have a kitchen tent and our cooks prepare very good Nepali food which is a lot of potatoes, garlic, onion, eggs, some winter vegetables, and lots of soup. For desert we have canned fruit.

Higher up the mountain the climbers eat dehydrated meals, similar to those you can buy at outdoor stores. They are light-weight which is very important when you are climbing at high altitude. As well, most meals are just 'add water dishes' which means no pots, and no dishes to wash. When the temperature is minus 15 to 30 outside, washing dishes can be dangerous, and melting snow for water can waste valuable fuel!

What is the most difficult part of the climb and how do you face it? This question is from Man-Wai Cheng

There are two parts of the climb which are very difficult. The most objective hazard is the icefall, a river of ice and seracs which are constantly in motion. One third to one half of people who die on Everest do so in the icefall.

The second very difficult part is above Camp III where the altitude makes it difficult to breathe and it's extremely cold. It is a mental challenge which few people are ready to face. Appropriate clothing and oxygen help combat the cold. Perseverance and good judgement are the qualities which allow one to summit and return safely.

While you are on the mountain, where do you go to the bathroom?

Here at Basecamp we have special facilities as there are a great many people who produce waste. The toilets are pillars made of stone with a hole in the middle. Inside, we place a large plastic bucket lined with a garbage bag. When the garbage bag is full it is placed on a yak and carried out to the town of Gorak Shep where it is mixed with dirt and leaves and used to fertilize the fields. (see trekking question)

You are not allowed to pee in the bucket, only solid waste is allowed. You are allowed to pee anywhere you like but toilet paper must be placed in the toilet paper bag which is burned here at Basecamp.

Up on the mountain at Camp II the climbers have an outhouse system similar to Basecamp where the waste goes into a garbage bag and gets carried back down the mountain. At the other camps, the climbers use zip lock bags for waste and they are stored and carried back down the mountain as well. The toilet paper is put into the bags. Plastic pee bottles are used for urine and they are also carried back down the mountain.

The whole process takes a little more time and energy than going at home. Plus all that squatting makes it very difficult if you have diarrhea, which is not all that uncommon at high altitude. Strong legs are very useful. Nobody reads magazines while on the toilet here because it is so very cold and hard on the legs.

What can you tell us about the Nepalese customs and traditions?
(This question comes from a Grade 3 class in Calgary)

The people of Nepal are very friendly. The Sherpa people we met while trekking through the Khumbu offered us a warm, respectful welcome, greeting us with the univeral "Namaste."

March 18, 2000 Team doctor Virgina Robinson reviews some Buddhist beliefs at the Monkey Palace in Kathmandu.

Although the country is officially Hindu, most of the mountain people are Buddhist. Throughout the country you find an intermix of Buddhist and Hindu gods.

In Kathmandu, at the Buddhist temple known as the Monkey Palace, we saw worshippers come early in the morning seeking Nirvana, a heavenly state obtained by meditation and living numerous good lives.

Further along on the trek we saw many chortens and stupas which are memorials holding sacred relics. In Tengboche, our lead Sherpa, Lhakpa Tshering, arranged for us to have a prayer blessing at the Buddhist monastery. The monks placed prayer scarves around our necks for blessing and protection. They also played horns and drums and chanted prayers.

One common invocation, or prayer, is Om mani padme hum. This phrase is inscribed in Mani stones, placed in stone walls and at the base of stupas. These monuments are treated with reverence and Buddhist tradition calls that they always be passed on the left.

What is thin air?

Everyone talks about the thin air of altitude. "Into thin air and out of thin air." In fact the percentage of oxygen in the air is the same at the top of Everest as it is at sea level, that is 21 per cent. The difference is barometric pressure.

In the 1600’s a fellow by the name of Toricelli realized the terrible problems people felt on top of mountains were related to the barometric pressure. In his honour, the unit used for measuring barometric pressure, is called the Torr.

Want to know more? Altitude and the circulatory system Respiratory system Effects of altitude Everest challenges: altitude

To understand better, imagine that everything between the sky and the earth is a big ocean of air. We who live at sea level are bottom dwellers, where the pressure of all that air above is heavy. At sea level the atmospheric pressure is 760 mm of mercury.

At the top of Everest, the highest point on earth it is only 249 mm of mercury. What this means is that there is only one third the amount of oxygen to breathe on top. At Everest Basecamp there is one half the available oxygen.

Meanwhile natives to these high regions, like the Sherpa people, rarely suffer from high altitude. How the body adapts to thinner air is a fascinating process which you can explore in our educational section. And we can follow some of the changes as Byron and the team climb higher.

Has Global warming affected the weather patterns and affected the snow or ice conditions on Mount Everest? Has this made it harder or easier to climb?
(This question is from Heather in Vancouver, B.C.)

Unfortunately we cannot give you a definitive answer here from Basecamp. Tim Rippel, one of our climbers, has noted less and less snow on the mountain over the last six years. However, the snow fall fluctuates from year to year and we cannot confirm that it is due to global warming.

Some parts at the top of the mountain are easier to climb because there is less snow and ice and more hard rock. Other parts coming up to the Hillary step are harder because where there used to be snow there is now scree, very loose rock where you take one step and fall back two.

What is the difference between a porter and a Sherpa?

The word 'Sherpa', as commonly used by Nepalese, does not stand for a specific job description, but for a group of people.

The term is a combination of Tibetan words shar (east) and pa (people) - 'People of the east'. The Sherpa people migrated from eastern Tibet and settled in the Solu-Khumbu region of Nepal around AD 1540.

Skilled Sherpas have been hired as mountain guides and porters since the earliest Everest expeditions. They came into prominence when they were hired by the 1921 Everest reconnaissance team. People of other ethnic origins are often hired as porters during trekking so the term "porter" refers to a job description, without designating ethnic origin.

It can cost approximately $60,000 to attempt to reach the summit of Everest. How much of this would go to the Sherpas?

If you wish to participate in a commercial expedition the cost is around $60,000 for the two and a half month expedition, all inclusive. $10,000 of this is the cost of the permit which goes to the Nepalese Government. The rest pays for the Sherpas, oxygen, food, tents, tea houses, etc for two months.

The porters up to Basecamp are paid very little: 2-3 dollars/day. Sherpas are given a $2000 equipment budget and then make around $20 a day below Camp II, $50 a day between Camps II and III. And up to $350 a day above Camp III to the summit.

You might wonder how cooks and porters survive and are actually very happy with the wage they make. Most are subsistence farmers. They leave for a two month expedition and return with $100 cash to their families. Often they are the richest people in the village, able to purchase matches, lanterns, rice from down valley and other things natives to the village cannot afford without bargaining.

Where do you go if you get sick in Nepal?

People who live in the Khumbu region of Nepal have one hospital where they can go for emergencies and a dozen village clinics to look after basic health needs. The Khunde Hospital, built by Sir Edmund Hillary in the 1960s is a very modest hospital with only one large examining room. Right now three or four people are examined at the same time but there is hope to expand to provide a little more privacy.

The hospital has two physicians recruited by the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada who serve a two year term. Unfortunately, there are no Sherpa or Nepalese doctors willing to staff the hospital.

The doctors see 30 patients a day, mostly natives of the Khumbu region. Sick trekkers may also seek medical attention, the consult fee is $40 U.S. regardless of whether you have a cold or are having a heart attack.

The hospital is funded (almost entirely) by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The medical care which they provide is excellent, comparitively speaking. The infant mortality, health education, and maternal mortality are all better in the Khumbu region than in the rest of Nepal (which unfortunately is one of the worst places in the world for health statistics).

Occasionaly the hospital does evacuate patients to Kathmandu, however, this has rarely resulted in improved care for the patient according to the physicians working there. When I visited the main hospital facility in Kathmandu I found the waiting times long (around 3 days for conditions we would call urgent).

Every morning you wait in line for a number, if you don't get one you have to come back the next day. So, even though it's more remote, I would rather be sick in Khunde than in Kathmandu.

While you are trekking where do you go to the bathroom?
(this question is from Ms. Balon's Grade 3's at the St. Henry School in Calgary, Alberta)

The standard bathroom in the Khumbu Region is the outhouse. The outhouse is usually a small brick building with a hole in the ground.

Dirt and leaves are mixed with the human debris for composting. When the outhouse is full and the composting process is complete, the compost is removed and used to fertilize potato fields.

Without this kind of composting, the soil in the Khumbu region would not be rich enough to grow potatoes.

How do we know Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world?

In the spring of 1999 the National Geographic Society and the Boston Museum of Science sponsored an expedition to carefully re-measure the height of Mount Everest. The scientists on the expedition placed Global Positioning System satellite equipment on the summit of Mt. Everest and in the South Col (the lowest depression south of the summit)

Want to know more? NGS press release Bradford Washburn speech Boston Museum of Science

From the simultaneous readings the surveyors were able to calculate a very accurate elevation for Mt. Everest -- 8,850 metres or 29,035 feet. The next highest mountain, K2, which is also in the Himalayas, is a full 239 metres shorter at 8,611 m (28,251 ft)

The director of the expedition, Bradford Washburn, points out this isn't the final word on the height of Mt. Everest. When he presented the new height last November he said: "This year’s new data for the altitude and position of Everest are based on very precise observations ... but remember that even these figures are subject to change -- by a lot and at any moment -- as they are directly dependent upon the behavior of the great thrust-fault system that is shoving India under Nepal and China to create the Himalaya."

How do you get all your equipment to Basecamp?
(this question is from Mr. Crosby's Grade Two class in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia)

As we walk, or trek, to Basecamp we only carry some of our equipment along with us each day -- things like our clothes, the equipment we need for our daily broadcasts and some tents and things in case we decide to camp instead of staying at a lodge.

Yaks carry some of the gear up to Basecamp.

That adds up to a lot of gear for seven people so we do have porters (people who have been hired to carry equipment) and yaks who are trekking along with us.

The yaks can carry up to 50 kilograms on their backs. They have long shaggy hair that keeps them warm in the cool temperatures of high altitude. Yaks can't survive below 3,050 metres of elevation for any extended time.

The gear that we are not carrying with us right now has been sent directly to Basecamp with other yaks and porters. When we reach Basecamp we will sort through all our equipment again and begin setting up our camps on Mt. Everest.

What are schools like in Nepal?

All children in the Khumbu region of Nepal have access to school. Classes run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.

Children will travel up to four hours to attend school and stay at the homes of relatives, friends or in the nearby lodges. They return home on Friday afternoon and go back to school again Sunday morning, in time for class.

The Everest 2000 team visited two schools, the Shree Himalayan Primary School in Namche Bazaar, and Khumjung Secondary School in Khumjung.

The Shree Himalayan Primary School was a single building with three classrooms. The classes covered grades 1 through 5 with the students ranging in age from five to 15. There were about 50 students altogether.

Sir Edmund Hillary built the original school in the Khumbu region in Khumjung. Since then several buildings have been added to represent the new Khumjung Secondary School. Approximately 300 students are registered in grades one to ten. The students range in age from six to 18 years.

This school offers the only high school in the region. There are several buildings which allow the different grades to be separated. Each building has one or two rooms. The subjects offered are Math, English, Nepali, Social History, Environment, Health, and Physical Education. The students usually have one hour of homework each night. After grade ten some students will continue their studies in Kathmandu.

The schools in both villages were similar. The buildings are stone, have no heating, no electrical lighting and no bathrooms. The only source of lighting is a small skylight in the roof. The students sit on a long bench and their desk is a taller plank bench. Some rooms have a portable chalkboard and some rooms used painted planks attached to the wall.

The students have textbooks to assist their studies and enjoy drawing pictures as most rooms had them hanging from string along the ceiling.

The schoolyards are large dirt fields with no playground equipment. Most games involve drawing in the dirt, using rocks or sticks as writing instruments. We also saw a form of marble games. When asked, the students said they like to play volleyball and track and field events.

What kind of food do you eat in Nepal?
(Answer is from Ann Armstrong, initial education coordinator)

The traditional food of the Sherpas, natives of the Khumbu region, is "Dhal Bhat." This is a very healthy vegetarian dish consisting of rice and lentil stew. It is high in carbohydrates and protein.

Tea house in Phakding, Nepal

To western taste dhal bhat is plain but the Sherpas seem to enjoy eating dhal bhat for at least two of their meals each day. During our trek to Basecamp the team has eaten at tea houses which serve delicious and varied meals such as pasta, pizza and Coca Cola.

Other native foods available are traditional Tibetan food, such as momos, which are delicious vegetable or meat stuffed dumplings, and Indian food, such as curries and rice, as well as Nepalese specialties, like garlic soup, sherpa stew and a variety of potato dishes. Menus in the tea houses are large and varied.

(Additional answer from Frances Klatzel, a Canadian living in Kathmandu)
The main food of the Sherpas was buckwheat until the 1850s, then, with the introduction of the potato, the "rigi" in Sherpa, became the main food. Sherpas eat "rigis" in many forms: boiled, fried, in stew, as pancakes, mashed, and mashed and rolled into noodles. They also dry extra potatoes and trade them in Tibet.

Dhal Bhat is lowland Nepali food that all has to be carried by porters into Khumbu. Rice only grows as high as 5,000 ft. Rice is a luxury item that the Sherpas would traditionally trade for Tibetan salt. Most Sherpa families do not eat dhal bhat every day, and the poor people eat it rarely due to the inflation in the price of rice that has been caused by tourism. Their main food is really potatoes.

Do you have a quesiton about Nepal, Mt. Everest or climbing? You can send your questions to info@everest2000.ca. Please make sure your question has not already been answered on the website and for the subject heading, write "Questions Kids Ask."

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