For many on our team this is the second time that we are getting ready to head off to Everest. Last year we had to cancel just days before we were to cross over to Tibet. This year we decided to move to the Nepalese side of Everest as we could not gain guarantees that Tibet would be open. For Himex this has involved a lot of work to shift all our equipment from Tingri in Tibet to the Khumbu in Nepal. But for me personally I am excited to be returning to the Khumbu where all my Sherpa staff live, and where I spent a lot of my younger trekking and climbing days. In fact my first Everest trip was a 2 man team (with Paddy Freaney) to the West Shoulder of Everest in 1981. Since then I and our team of guides and Sherpas have learnt a lot about climbing at altitude, and so by using this experience we hope to have a safe and successful trip this year.

In the past few weeks we have been sending helicopter loads of equipment to Sangboche where our Sherpa staff have been escorting it to the Himex Base Camp by yak and porter. Already some of our staff are living at BC as they establish our camp to the normal high standards that we have been able to achieve on the North side.

Once again we will be joined by members from Tigress Productions who will be filming our team in order to make a film for Discovery Channel.

The bulk of our members will arrive in Kathmandu on 29 March and we expect to fly to Lukla on 31 March, arriving at BC on 09 April.

Our team is very international and consists of the following members:

MEMBERS
Billi Bierling: German living in Nepal
John Black: British living in South Africa
Antoine Boulanger: French
Stuart Carder: British
Eugene Constant: French
Megan Delehanty: American
Chris Dovell: British
Lance Fox: American
Jon Hansen: American
Asbjorn Hjertenes: Norwegian
Jim Holliday: American
Thomas Jacobsen: Norwegian
Chris Jones: Irish
Robert Kojetin: South African
Chris Macklin: British
Valerio Massimo: Italian living in Britian
Moises Nava Falcon: Mexican
Bruce Parker: American
Zi Qiang Qiu: Chinese living in America
Tommy Rambol: Norwegian
Paul Robinson: Australian living in America
Shokichi Saito: Japanese
Gilad Stern: South African
David Tait: British
Kiyomi Takiguchi: Japanese
Alec Turner: American
Christophe Vandaele: Belgian living in America
Takenori Yoshida: Japanese

GUIDES
Adrian Ballinger: British living in America
Shaun Hutson: British living in France
Hiroyuki Kuraoka: Japanese
David McKinley: New Zealand
Dean Staples: New Zealand
Shinji Tamura: Japanese living in Switzerland
Mark Woodward: New Zealand

FILM CREW
Mark Whetu: New Zealand
Kirsty Mitchell: British
Nick Bonner: British

BC STAFF
Russell Brice: New Zealand living in France, BC manager
Monica Piris Chavarri: Spanish living in Britain, Doctor
Haydn Fisher: New Zealand, Chef

HIGH ALTITUDE SHERPAS
Ang Karma
Ang Nuru
Ang Tshiring
Dawa Temba
Dorji Sonam Gyalgen
Gnima Tenzing
Kami Chhiring
Karsang Namgel
Knima Sona
Knima Tshiring
Lakpa Nuru
Loppsang Temba
Nigima Chhiri
Nigima Chiri
Nima
Nuru Gyalzen
Pasang Kami
Pasang Knima
Pemba Nuru
Phura Naugyu
Phurba Tashi
Rita Dorji
Shera Gyalzen
Son Dorgee
Tashi Tshering 1
Tashi Tshering 2
Tshering Tashi
Yonden Nuru

BASE CAMP STAFF
Chakre
Kainla
Kul Bahadur Magar
Lachhu Basnet
Lhakpa Yongjuk
Lopsang
Phurba Gharti Bhote
Ramesh Basnet