Everest

There were two elements to the Kanatek-sponsored expedition to Mount Everest – the trek through Nepal to Base Camp, and the assault on the peak of Mount Everest.

The expedition party arrived in the exotic city of Kathmandu, Nepal on Monday, March 28th 2005.

The party flew into the remote mountain town of Lukla (9,350 feet) to begin the trek into the Khumbu region of the Himalayas. They followed an ancient route that took them through tiny villages, across high mountain passes, and through remote valleys, villages, and monasteries. The views grew even more spectacular as they ventured up the Dudh Kosi River to Namche Bazaar, the gateway to the Khumbu region at 11,300 feet. They spent a night next to the Thyangboche monastery (12,887 feet), where they were rewarded with spectacular views of Ama Dablam, Mt. Everest, and Lhotse.

Arriving at Base Camp on Friday April 8th, the expedition party quickly set about its objectives.

The researchers from the University of Ottawa and Ryerson University were conducting business research about extreme sport tourism and entrepreneurship as well as physiology research about climbers and the effects of high altitude on the human body.

Sean Egan led an audio conference with schools across Canada via a satellite link and short-wave radio.

Kanatek demonstrated the use of a unique computer architecture for remote back-up of data from a laptop at Everest to a storage disc back in Ottawa.

And, just for fun, the party played a game of ball hockey – the highest game of hockey in the world – on the Khumbu glacier at 17,575 feet

On Monday, April 12th, the hikers started their descent back to Kathmandu leaving the climbers behind. The climbers then spent two weeks acclimatizing to the altitude making slow descents up the mountain from Base Camp.

On Friday, April 29th, disaster struck. Sean collapsed and died as he was descending the mountain in an attempt to recover from a respiratory infection. On Wednesday, May 4th, Harold Mah, Sean’s Base Camp partner and fellow climber, returned to Kathmandu to meet Sean’s son and daughter.

The dream was over but the legacy will live on, with your help.

On May 30th, Gabriel Filippi, a friend of Sean’s reached the summit of Everest around 10:00 am (Nepal time). Gabriel left a kada (a scarf blessed by a monk and worn by the climbers) on which he had written 1942-2005, in memory of Sean Egan, on the summit.  He also inserted Sean's ashes in a small pocket and Sean is now where he always wanted to be – on top of the world.