Expedition Update

May 30th
   •Expedition Team honored by US officials and others
   •Tom returns to the US on June 4th
   •Tom shares his thoughts about summit day

Tom McMillan reported by phone from Kathmandu that he is feeling much better, and will be joining the team at a big party in Kathmandu for the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) today. Among other guests at that party will be the Australian Ambassador. As you recall, our team shared our base camp with the delightful doctors and visiting medical students of the HRA. You can find more information about them at their website: www.BasecampMD.com

Tom has also sent us some lovely images from their meeting with the US Embassy group last Friday. Having wished our team good luck at our meeting with them back in March, the Embassy officials--Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Janet Bogue, Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Boggs, Consul Steve Brault, and others from the Mission--welcomed them back with hearty congratulations and a photo session. This image effectively highlights the fact that the success of our expedition

The expedition continues to attract a great deal of interest from the world press. See our Press Room page for the growing list of articles about the expedition.

Here is an email update from Tom that provides more information:

"I am confirmed to depart on June 3rd [arriving in San Francisco June 4th at 1:45pm] and Tim is on waiting list to do the same.

The meeting at the embassy went very well, and it was wonderful to celebrate the many aspects of the expedition's success--success for those of us reaching the summit of Everest, success for the amicable US-Nepali relationship, and success for disabled athletes. We greatly appreciate the friendship and hospitality shown to our team by the US Embassy staff and officials. They have been very helpful and supportive of our expedition's efforts.

Everyone asks us about summit day. Both Nawang and I still remember it like a dream. We can only believe we were there by looking at the pictures that we took.

Most of the final climb to the summit was done at night. My world was just a pool of light, and when I looked up the sky was full of stars. My glasses were constantly freezing up because of the oxygen mask. With the mask and obscured vision, my movemements were so awkward it was as if I had never climbed before.

No matter how fast I climbed, whenever I looked over my shoulder, Nima Tashi Sherpa was right there with me, like a guardian angel. The nearly two hours we spent on the summit seemed like an instant as we were very busy trying to make the important photo and video records, and some satellite phone calls.

Nawang has become quite famous in Nepal as a result of his climb, and this fame will make it easier for him to find some financial independence for his life. Nima Tashi Sherpa (who I climbed with) and Nima Gombu Sherpa (who climbed with Nawang) are some of the finest people I have ever met. It was a great honor for me to spend over two months with these exceptional climbing Sherpas, and the highest honor to have the privilege to stand on the summit of Everest with them."