5/10/2007 7:45:18 AM -- Sherpas behind the scenes
    Every morning our fine staff makes Sherpa milk tea as we wake up and breakfast is ready. Lunch is ready at 12:30 p.m. and dinner is at 7 p.m. on the bell. We have not gone without up here thanks to these guys. Not only do they cook and wash clothes they gather water daily and boil it for our safety. Just so everyone knows, we base camp is sitting on a glacier and these guys have to build the cooks tent by hand, stacking rocks to build their walls. They also have to build the platforms for our tents. It is very hard work chopping the ice and stacking rocks to make our ground flat. Thank goes to Purna Kumar Tanang head cook, Ramash Tamang, Jangbu Sherpa, Kusang Sherpa and Pemba Sherpa for giving us a home away from home. We can’t forget Ongchho who is our Camp 2 cook. He will stay there until the time the team summits. Thanks to all for working hard on the SuperSherpas team.
    Jerry Mika, SuperSherpas base camp manager
   

5/9/2007 8:19:35 PM -- From the Contact Everest file:
    As a 66-year-old grandmother, I am fascinated and have been for years, by the Everest climbings. Thank you for bringing to the Trib readers the diaries and the blogs of SuperSherpas. I can’t wait to read each day’s entry.
    Thanks again, and my prayers are with the whole team
    Dianne Jensen
    Midvale, Utah
   
   Dear Ms. Jensen,
   
   We are very grateful of your interest in our expedition. Your prayers are certainly good as we have the prayers of lamas everyday and your prayers are now added. Thank you. We are very glad that you are interested in the Sherpa people and our history. Our expedition is the first Sherpa-only expedition with a documentary to show our history. We have been the backbone of every expedition to Mt. Everest, but no one even knows us. We work hard to help clients, but we get very few thank you even if we save their lives. Now the world will get to see our history.
    Thank you,
   Apa Sherpa and, Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa
   

5/9/2007 9:22:28 AM -- Day Log
    May 9
    Yesterday the team came down from Camp 3 late in the afternoon. We were very happy to see them. All are doing well, but a little sun burned and tired. Overall, everyone is in very good health. Today we had a great interview for the documentary with Ang Rita, the very famous Sherpa known as the "Snow Leopard". He has climbed Mt. Everest 10 times without oxygen.
   Here are a few questions we had for Ang Rita:
    Question: Why did you climb without oxygen?
    Answer: Because my pack was lighter. I had to carry the clients' oxygen and all their gear so I decided to do it this way and save energy.
    Question: Would you recommend to the young climbers to use oxygen?
    Answer: Yes, because I have lost my memory over the years and feel they should always use oxygen.
    Question: What village in Nepal has the most famous mountaineers?
    Answer: Of course it is Thame. Myself, Apa Sherpa, Ang Purba and Lhakpa Rita are all from Thame.
    Question: Did you climb for financial reasons or for the love of the mountains?
   Answer: I climbed to give my kids an education and to feed my family like all Sherpas do.
   
    The team will rest and see what the weather brings in the next few days. Stand by for the latest and thanks for checking in.
    Base camp out
    Jerry Mika, SuperSherpas base camp manager