Scott Hamilton Monday, May 10 Everest Base Camp, Nepal

The E-3 team after experiencing its coldest night yet awoke to a morning snowstorm. During the night there were at least two significant avalanches on the slopes of Lhotse that interrupted the sleep of the E-3 team members. By mid morning the sky had partially cleared and a monk who had arrived at our camp the previous evening began an elaborate puja ceremony. Puja's are elaborate prayer ceremonies, performed by a Bhuddist monk, and lasting several hours. Members participate at intervals by joining in the chanting, hurling handfuls of rice, and drinking chang (home brewed beer) as an offering to the Gods' for a safe expedition, and for safe passage of the E-3 team climbers and Sherpas through the infamous Khumbu Icefall. During the ceremony long strings of prayer flags are strung from a pole placed on a chorten (a stone altar) to allow the prayers written on them to be carried by the four winds to ends of the Earth. The ceremony is essential for any climbing expedition because the Sherpa's, and many climbers, will refuse to enter the Icefall without completing a Puja ceremony. It was a spectacular and touching event, attended by all expedition members and support staff, and a number of members for other Everest expeditions.

During the late morning the E-3 team treated its first Everest Base Camp medical patients including a woman with a hypothyroid condition, and an emergency epistaxis situation involving severe bleeding. Dr. Nick Craig was able to render nearly immediate care to the patient and helped transport him to the E-3 medical clinic for consultation with Dr. Ken Kamler. The doctors stopped the bleeding, treated the condition and carefully packed the affected area with gauze. Later in the afternoon the doctors also treated a dental problem. Dr. Chris Macedonia conducted several 3-D Doppler ultrasound exams on climbers with complaints of various sorts. Dr. Javier Davila completed comprehensive blood chemistry examinations including digital microscopy a number of blood samples utilizing an Olympus Digital Microscope, which has performed flawlessly in the extreme environment of Everest Base Camp. Word is spreading throughout Base Camp of the capable physicians and high technology medical diagnostic devices available at the E-3 camp. Coupled with daily audiovisual medical consultations with the Yale University School of Medicine the E-3 team clearly the place to come for those in need of medical care.

The E-3 camp is in much better shape today, as team members continue to improve and refine the organization and operation of the project site. Major projects today including relocating one of the Honda generators to slightly more remote location in order to minimize the noise level in the medical clinic and the FR (radio frequency) interference with our satellite communications gear. Jim Bruton, telecommunications expert, completed the installation of a very complex system that allows full 2-way audiovisual communications with various sites in the USA. In a few days the E-3 team will engage in live videoconferences with groups of schools, universities, and hospitals. The systems are up and working at E-3 Base Camp and we eagerly look forward to continuing our medical research and educational work.

Scott Hamilton

Everest Recipe: For many years climbers in the Himalayas have created special recipes. The students at Wyngate Elementary School have asked the E-3 expedition to provide one of our favorites.... The recipe for "Khumbu Mocha" the favorite morning beverage of the E-3 team members:

Khumbu Mocha:
Two heaping teaspoons of powdered hot chocolate mix
One level teaspoon sugar
One level teaspoon instant coffee
Combine ingredients in a cup with 10-12oz capacity
Add 1/2 hot water
Add 1/2 hot milk Stir thoroughly
Hint: tastes best when served in a tin cup