Destination: Adventure

Today we departed the thriving village of Namche Bazaar for our new destination, the small village of Tengboche. We woke to beautiful blue skies and were excited about the opportunity to see unobstructed views of some of the world’s highest mountains.

Once we completed the steep climb out of Namche, we enjoyed a relatively flat trail along the mountainside. Hiking north, the terrain rose steeply to our left and dropped off precipitously on our right. After just one hour of pleasant hiking, we rounded a corner and had the first truly “wow” moment of the trip. Lying in the distance ahead of us was a pristine view of the peak of Mt. Everest with a stream of wind-driven snow blown by the jet stream, billowing off the top. Directly in front of Everest was Nuptse, which looks like long jagged wall protecting Everest, and Lhotse (the fourth highest mountain in the world). Off to the right was the dramatic profile of Ama Dablam and the jagged Thamserku. Pictures truly cannot capture the scale and majesty of the sights we were seeing.

After taking a lot of pictures, we continued our trek to Tengboche which lies at an elevation of 12,700’. Unfortunately, we had to go steeply down into the Dudh Koshi river valley before crossing another suspension bridge and regaining all the altitude lost before climbing steeply up to Tengboche. Fortunately, the acclimatization hikes we did in Namche prepared us well for today’s test. Everyone in our group maintained a good “Sherpa Pace” and completed the climb with relative ease.

Another interesting thing about today was the weather… it changed dramatically throughout the day. What started as a clear sky with warm sunshine, gradually changed as the clouds rolled in and began to obstruct the views all around us. During lunch, right before our big climb to Tengboche, it was completely overcast with a cool breeze. Finally, during the ascent, we had to put on our rain gear due to a steady rain. Continuing upward, the rain turned to snow for our arrival at Tengboche. As I write this blog entry, I am sitting in the main room of the tea house, near the only heat source… a wood burning stove in the middle of the room, while the snow continues to fall heavily outside.

More adventures tomorrow as we head off to Dingboche…

 

Today we woke to a beautiful blue sky and a fantastic view of the mountains. Since we were heading to a viewpoint above Namche Bazaar, we were hopeful that the weather would hold and we would get glimpses of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. After a nourishing breakfast and 2 liters of water (… we are strongly encouraged to drink 4 to 5 liters per day), we headed upward and out of Namche to the Shyangboche viewpoint. This was a good test for us because we ascended from 11,285’ to 12,765’ which will be similar to the altitude we will be at tomorrow when we go to our next stop along the way, Tengboche.

Our Sherpa guides are doing a fantastic job of helping us maintain the “Sherpa Pace,” as we hike. This slow, but steady pace keeps our breathing under control and has allowed everyone in our group to feel strong throughout our hikes.

Along the way we passed a small, dirt airstrip that serves as the resupply hub for construction materials and other heavy items used in the villages above Namche, and the various mountain expedition base camps. This regional trans-shipment point is unlike anything you would see in the U.S. Instead of trucks for transportation, everything is loaded onto yaks, or Sherpa porters. The loads these men carry can be up to 100kg (220lbs)!

Ultimately we made it to the viewpoint, but the clouds had moved in. We were able to get a few brief glimpses of Ama Dablam and Lhotse. Finally we headed down, took a brief rest and enjoyed a cup of hot tea, then returned down the trail to Namche.

Tomorrow we are on the move again and are looking forward to more new experiences and sights.

Today was the first of two full days in Namche Bazaar, a large, vibrant village located in a steeply terraced u-shaped bowl. This thriving community of about 1000 inhabitants is the capital of the Sherpa people.  It is also the commercial and transportation hub for the many trekkers, climbers, and expedition teams who are hiking or attempting to climb a wide variety of the local mountains.

For us, it was a relaxing day with a short hike to the Sherpa Museum that sits on an overlook above Namche Bazaar. On a clear day there is a spectacular view of Mt. Everest and Kongde Ri. We did get brief glimpse of Everest between the clouds, but not good enough for a clear picture. Our head guide, Kalden, said that Chomolungma (the Nepali name for Everest that means “Mother of the World), was shy today. We will have another opportunity to see the mountain tomorrow, so hopefully we will have clear skies. After our short excursion we returned to town for lunch and an afternoon of shopping.

Allow me a brief interlude to talk about our lodging and meals… as I may have mentioned in previous postings, we are lodged and fed in local tea houses in villages along the trek route. As we climb higher, the accommodations become more and more basic. Thus far we have been comfortable and well-fed, even though the rooms aren’t heated and mostly don’t have electricity. Depending on how adventurous you are for meals, there is usually a wide variety of menu items to choose from. We have been cautioned, though, to avoid meat and cheese in the villages above Namche Bazaar for the simple fact that they receive less frequent re-supplies.

All of the villages above Lukla, our start point, are solely supplied by porters carrying incredible loads supported by a strap around their forehead, and various yak or donkey trains. It is humbling to see these porters carrying tremendous loads, usually wearing sneakers or sandals, speed by you as you are climbing the same trails.

Day 2 of our trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp was a hike from Phakding to Namche Bazaar, the largest village on our trek and a major resupply point for trekkers and climbers. It is amazing to see so many people from all over the world sharing the same experience. We have talked to people from Australia, Germany, Ireland, India, and Iran. I am certain that this is only a small sampling of the nationalities represented.

Unfortunately the quality and availability of WiFi varies greatly and this impacts the ability to share pictures. When possible I will include pictures, but for now the blog posts will not include pictures. If possible I will retroactively upload photos when the coverage improves.

We woke up to beautiful views of Thamserku, a 21,712’ peak. This single mountain, which seems to be average for the Himalayan range, is still 1400’ higher than the highest mountain in North America, Denali. As we passed through many small villages during the day, we encountered Nepalese families living their lives. We had fun greeting the children who were outside playing and doing chores, and we enjoyed sharing some of the gifts we brought along.

After lunch, we began the climb up to Namche Bazaar which lies at 11,283’. The climb included crossing a very high suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi river. All I can say is you better not be too afraid of heights when crossing a 3’ wide metal bridge supported by steel cables that sways and bounces with all the people crossing.

We will spend a couple days in Namche Bazaar to help with acclimatization for the days ahead when we go to even higher altitudes. So far, everyone is doing great and feeling strong… I’m sure a result of our serious pre-trek training.

Today we had an early wake up in order to get to the airport for what was scheduled as a 7:35 am flight to Lukla, where our trek begins. Once at the airport it quickly became apparent that there were no flights in or out of Lukla due to a very low ceiling and less than an eighth of a mile visibility. This airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world due to the combination of it’s elevation (9334’), length of runway (1729’) slope of runway (11.7 deg gradient), and a steep drop off at the approach end of the runway.

Since there were no flights to Lukla, the departure terminal quickly became a crowded hub of anxious trekkers who were concerned about how the unknown delays could affect their plans for the weeks ahead. There were no flights the previous day either, so there was a large backlog of folks needing to get on a plane. For our part we immediately began to weigh options. After awhile the weather had lifted enough for helicopters, so we exchanged our tickets and reserved a helo.

We finally lifted of around noon and landed an hour later where we were met by our guides Kalden Sherpa, Nigma Sange, and Tsering Dorjee Sherpa. After a quick lunch, we were finally hiking around 2pm. With the late start, our head guide, Kalden, determined that we would hike to the village of Phakding for our first night. Although a bit shorter than originally planned, we were finally on the trail!

Although the days ahead will feature some significant elevation gain, during today’s hike we actually descended from 9334’ to 8539’. It was a bit overcast and rainy, but we were all very happy to be on our way. We passed through many Nepal villages and got to see and experience this fascinating culture up close. Finally around 6pm we entered Phakding and found our lodging for the night, the Royal Sherpa Resort… although not “royal” or a “resort,” it was comfortable, had good food, and the opportunity for a good night’s sleep.

The real adventure begins tomorrow, but today was exciting and interesting in its own way. We all enjoyed a good night of sleep after arriving last night. This morning we woke to the sounds of a heavy thunderstorm, which quickly cleared.

After a nice breakfast we hiked 2.5 miles thru the city to Swayambhunath Stupa, a Buddhist temple that legend says evolved spontaneously out of a primordial lake nearly 2500 years ago. The walk thru this vibrant city of 2.5 million was a bit of an obstacle course of muddy streets, honking cars and motorcycles, and various construction projects (… Nepal is still rebuilding from the 2015 earthquakes). And for any aspiring electricians out there, I would not recommend getting your license here… the electric lines look like a tangled mess of black spaghetti, creating an overhead maze of wires.

At the temple we got some practice climbing at altitude while ascending several hundred stairs. Along the way we encountered pilgrims, merchants and monkeys… yep, you read that right, monkeys, damn monkeys! In fact one of these monkeys was so bold it actually swatted my hand while I was taking its picture. Our guide, Dilip, said that these monkeys will often snatch things right from the hands of unsuspecting visitors, so I was pretty lucky he didn’t succeed in taking my phone!

Later we picked up some last minute equipment at very good prices, and tomorrow morning we head back to the airport for our short flight to the village of Lukla, where we will met our guides and yaks (which we have already given the good Nepalese names of Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Mo)… stay tuned for what lies ahead!

After a 13.5 hour flight, we arrived safely in Dubai, UAE for two days of rest and an opportunity to adjust to 8 hour time difference… CUT, CUT, CUT!… that whole part about “rest” is a total lie!

In actuality, we arrived around 9 am, and after making our way to the hotel to check-in and drop off our bags, we were off to explore Abu Dubai during the day, followed by 7pm tickets to go to the top of the highest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, and finally ending up back at the hotel around 11:30 pm.

By my count, we were essentially awake for 30 hours with a few opportunities for short naps to re-energize throughout the day.

After a well-needed good night of sleep, we set out to see some of the major sights in Dubai. We began the day at the souk, the main shopping area where merchants from all around the Persian Gulf, sell their wares. We got very good at fending off aggressive merchants who strongly felt we needed a fake Rolex or Omega watch, or Lacoste and Polo shirts!

Then it was off to a desert adventure that included riding ATV quads in the desert, an exciting ride over the sand dunes in a Toyota Land Cruiser with a self-proclaimed “expert driver,” and finishing the night enjoying a desert safari show that included camel rides, traditional dancers, and a desert barbecue.

Tomorrow it’s off to Kathmandu to start the Nepal leg of the trip… tallest building in the world, checked off the list; highest mountain in the world awaiting in the weeks ahead!

Today we embark on our adventure… months of planning and preparation will now be put to the test on the trail between Lukla and Mt. Everest Base Camp. Hopefully, all of our hikes and gym prep will pay off so the next couple weeks won’t be too much of a struggle.  Today it is off to Dubai for a couple days in order to adjust to the time change.  Looking forward to sharing our experiences with you!

Baggage weigh-in was a fun little opportunity for a competition to see who was the most efficient packer… results below:

• 1st place: Don @ 17.4 kg
• 2nd place: Tie between Karen and Deb @ 18.2 kg
• 4th place: Alan @ 18.6 kg
• Last place: our Army logistics expert, Ron @ 20.4 kg

For those new to the blog, this is a re-post of the very first blog entry to provide some context for what this adventure is all about.  Ron, Karen, Don (me), Alan, and Deb leave the U.S. on Apr 3, 2018, with a two day stop in Dubai before arriving in Kathmandu on 6 Apr. Once there, we will join up with 2 additional clients and our Nepalese trek staff, Kalden Sherpa (Head Guide), Nigma Sange (Support) and Tsering Dorgee Sherpa (Support). We will do our best to provide regular updates and include as many spectacular pictures as the limited availability of WiFi allows…

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Re-post of 1st blog entry from Nov 10 2017:

Let’s start with some history… This crazy idea for a bunch of 50-somethings to voluntarily hike over 70 miles at altitudes ranging from 9,300 to 18,200 feet above sea level started with Ron (the oldest in our group at 57). Simply put, Ron has a lifetime goal to visit 100 countries and thought that a trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp was an exciting way to experience one of those countries, Nepal. He asked me (Don-54) if I was interested and without hesitation I agreed. Then we shared the idea with the rest of the family and were surprised at the interest… In the end, Karen-55, Alan-53, and Debra-53 (Alan’s wife) all decided that this would be a great adventure, made better by the shared family experience.

In Nov 2017, we began to explore trekking options… We discovered that there were quite a few trekking companies who offered guided trips that included all of the logistics (transportation from Kathmandu, lodging, food, porter services, and expert knowledge of the culture, climate and terrain). For our part, we had to commit to a dedicated fitness plan to prepare our bodies (as much as we could) to endure two weeks of hiking at high altitude.

We selected Ian Taylor Trekking, based in Vail, Colorado, made our deposits, and now we are committed!!…

First of all a disclaimer for those of you who expressed concern about all the medications shown in the picture above… see “I sure hope I don’t need any of this!…” for an explanation!

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Technically we are limited to 15kg (33lbs) of gear during our Nepal trek. The main reason for the limit is the flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (a small, high altitude airfield that we fly into to begin the trek). The airline limits us to 10 kg for checked baggage and 5kg for carry-on. Everyone has begun the process of packing and weighing gear. Although we may be slightly over our individual limits, we can probably figure out some creative ways to “reduce” our overall weight by wearing/carrying some items so they won’t be included in the baggage allowances.