Mount Everest Defeated With Help From Satellite Technology

[Satellite News – 4-16-08] Former Near Earth LLC President J. Armand Musey has reached base camp on Mount Everest and is preparing to ascend to Camp 1, 19,600 ft. above sea level.
    Musey, who left Wall Street in 2007, is climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, as both a personal goal and to raise money and awareness for the American Red Cross’s International Response Fund. Musey has received nearly $50,000 for the Red Cross, made up of donations of both money and equipment from satellite industry firms, including $15,000 each from SES and Intelsat.
    Musey spoke to Satellite News News Editor Jessica Pearce April 15 via a Thuraya satellite phone about his trip and how his crew is using satellite technology to keep in touch with the rest of the world, as well as some of the downsides of being able to stay in touch while 7,000 miles away from home.
    After leaving Wall Street, Musey had the goal of climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. For his seventh and final goal, Musey wanted to give back.
    “For the final of my seven summits I wanted to do something that would create a wider impact and benefit others,” Musey said. “I looked at a lot of different charities and the reason I picked [the Red Cross] was because I was looking for a charity that would resonate with people I know. Their International Response Fund aids people who are victims of natural disasters. Satellite communications are a vital component of helping those people, as well as helping the community regroup. I thought this charity would resonate well with my connections in the satellite industry.”
    Although the satellite phone was not donated, Vizada contributed a BGAN SIM card for the phone, and Iridium donated a SIM card as well. Musey said almost all of the 20 groups joining him at base camp have a satellite phone of some kind, with about half using an Inmarsat system.
    Musey’s crew, which includes nine climbers, three guides and about 30 Sherpa staff, who manage the yak herd that carries 1,700 pounds of provisions, have satellite telephony and some broadband connectivity. The broadband connection has been especially helpful, Musey said.
    “When we get the broadband connection set up it helps us keep in touch with friends and family, which is good for morale,” Musey said. “Morale takes a hit when people haven’t been in touch. It also helps us get weather reports, which is extremely important. We get wind and temperature and the like, as much real weather information as possible.”
    Musey also uses his satellite phone to call in periodic blog updates, which are written up and posted on his Web site. In a way, this part of the technology may make it harder for family left behind, Musey said. For instance, on April 9, a post on the blog announced that Musey and his crew had reached 14,000 ft., and were preparing to set off for base camp, with the intention of arriving April 12. The blog was not updated again until April 14, with the news that the team had made it to base camp. Where before families would have had to get used to having months of silence from climbers, now three days can cause concern.
    Musey will leave base camp on April 18 for Camp 1, but in the meantime he and his crew are keeping busy, setting up camp and practicing walking across the long ladders that the group will use to cross the large crevasses on the way to Camp 1. He expects to reach the summit in May and be back to the United States in June.