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CHAPTER 12 - NEPAL PART II
67 rupees = 1 US dollar
Th 3/25/99 - Kathmandu (1270m)
In the last episode: John and I arrived Kathmandu after fifteen days trekking the Annapurna Circuit. I and
the Nepali environment have suffered greatly from gastrogrotesqueitis. We had booked (an
exaggeration) again into the Annapurna Guest House the night before. In five days, Tuesday, we have air
tickets to start the Everest Base Camp Trek from Lukla, another thirteen days trekking.
Our next adventure trekking should include flying us from Kathmandu to Lukla, then walking for about
eight days as far as Gorak Shep, where we can attack Kala Pathar, a mountainside bump, for a close view
of Everest and then trek over to an area called "Everest Base Camp" where we can't see Everest, but
hopefully instead see expeditions preparing for the summit. Of course there we will feel the aura of this
peak that has claimed so many lives, and take a photo of Blacky there. This all will not be easy, it
includes seven nights at over 4000 meters, and sleeping at 5140 meters, nearly 17,000 feet, and altitude
sickness is a concern.
My health was waning and required some serious self imposed rest and relaxation I spent most of the
day sleeping and reading Grisham's "The Street Lawyer". John was ordering food from the hotel kitchen,
but I couldn't eat, couldn't face the food from another Nepali kitchen especially with my imagination
likening it to Chabarbu's kitchen. I did manage to eventually walk to the main street and drop my gray
hiking / tramping / trekking / bushwalking / walking shorts and my cotton Nepali pants (crotch blew out)
to be fixed. I was actually excited about breathing new life into my favorite shorts and when I asked the
tailor how much, he had replied with a serious but somewhat questioning, "175". I couldn't argue, I
didn't even feel well enough to wander about, I agreed. I didn't accomplish any of the long list of tasks I
gave myself to prepare for the next trek.
I did accompany John into central Thamel for dinner and I managed a chicken and pasta with tomato
cream sauce dish. It was a daring choice, I was really on the cutting edge of the unknown. This was the
first meat since arriving Nepal, but I figured the restaurant was decent looking and I was already sick
anyway. Afterward we found ourselves sitting in the lobby of a hidden hotel watching HBO, lounging out
on their couches, John and the front deskman fighting over the volume with individual remote controls.
We admired the comfort and speculated about the cost per night.
Fr 3/26/99 - Kathmandu (1270m)
John was up and out earlier and had checked out the hotel from last night. He returned with a huge
smile and a proclamation and a list of our newly acquired comforts - clean room with balcony, carpeting,
clean sheets, own western toilet and shower, HBO, Cinemax, CNN, and nineteen other channels!! My
god, like a real hotel room! Cleanliness and movies are high on John's rating sheet, and I wasn't
complaining. Our room rate increased from 200 rupees to 670 ($US10). Hotel Swoniga!
I still wasn't feeling great, but email contained a rumor about a care package sent poste restante. Of
course this was from Sue and of course it would contain good American junk food and of course
obtaining this package was more of a priority than recovering from the disgusting spread of contagious
bacteria. After throwing our bags into the room, I was off to the General Post Office (GPO) to the poste
restante office. "Poste Restante" is the international catch phrase written on letters and packages. It
means "general delivery". For this to work properly, it is important to clearly print the last name and
underline it. Otherwise someone may have a package under "Bob" instead of "Roklan". The system
works and long lost travelers are extremely appreciative to receive mail and goodies. Get the hint?!
The hotel desk had said the post office may be closing early because it was Friday. I found it hard to
believe they would close before two o'clock, and asked if it was open tomorrow. "No, tomorrow is a
holiday". I thought, "Damn, Saturday as a holiday?! That may mean Monday. Which day are we leaving
for Everest?!". And their next comment was, "But they are open on Sunday". And I thought, "Closed
early Friday, Saturday is a holiday, and open Sunday. We're not in Kansas anymore!".
I went off to try to beat the closing. I didn't feel like walking, and I didn't know exactly where the GPO
was, so after little haggling I jumped in a rickshaw, those colorful three wheeled pedal buggies. Of
course there is that downside. You sit high on the narrow bench seat, higher again than the short locals,
even higher than all the Westerners. I felt like the Queen. I felt like Rickshaw Buddha. I felt like another
big dopey gawky white guy, too lazy to walk. I liked it, it was me, my calling. No, really, I felt
embarrassed, but I had a mission, there were Oreo's wrapped up tight and suffocating in the back of
some dusty third world post office in dire need of mouth to mouth resuscitation. Tally-ho! Get along
little rickshaw driver! I quickly became accustomed to the stares from Westerners and patted my own
back for helping the local economy (20 rupees, 30 cents). It wasn't so bad, until we hit a very small hill
and I felt like a bigger dopey gawky white guy, too lazy to walk. The rickshaw man had to hop off and
push to struggle up hill. What was I to do?! Get out? He didn't tell me to! I looked around for
condemning glances. I looked at the pitiful little hill and wondered how long to crest it. I had solution.
Like a kid I shimmied my ass back and forth a little to help make the hill and console my tortured mind. It
probably annoyed more than helped.
Twenty minutes into the ride we stopped at a main intersection, near a dirty yellow large one story
building. Incredulously, I glance around. Post office? Where? There wasn't much fanfare to mark the
location of the main post office of the countries largest city. There weren't any signs. I cautiously walked
toward the building and felt relieved when I saw three post boxes where all mail is posted.
"Kathmandu", "Other Nepal", "Other country not Nepal". I made my way inside and marveled at the
simplicity and filthiness of this government building. Maybe forty years and never cleaned. No lights. I
looked for a "poste restante" sign and found none. I walked to the closest window. The slow and
annoyed looking lady there was stamping letters and didn't speak English. I was there for five minutes
before finalizing my information - the poste restante closed ten minutes earlier and there was no
helping me. Damn
I bought eight stamps for the postcards I wrote on the trek, then went outside to stick them on. No way
was I licking these third world stamps. I was already sick wasn't chancing someone with butt germs
handling the them. I puddled spit on a couple and carefully wet the others. It was time consuming, but
they were on straight and stuck pretty well. I proudly walked with my stack and disease free tongue
towards the postboxes near the street. As I reached my hand to drop them in I was stopped by a black
women with bright blue-gray eyes, "You must first have them stamped inside". Damn. I strolled back to
the building front, and inside to the unhelpful lady. As I walked to her window she quickly walked away.
I stood bewildered and my head followed her as she trooped around the large square of windows and
headed for the front doors. I managed to cut her off and showed her my stack of cards. She looked at
them, at me, grimaced, and went home.
I rickshaw-ed back to the hotel.
Throughout the day life worsened, every inch of my digestive system rumbled and expanded and pained
and asked for relief. This became even worse early evening and the sounds produced at each end were
actually nothing short of amazing. This caused extremely painful cramps and was accompanied by even
more evil matters although I never vomited. I had to stay close to the loo, wasn't hungry, and therefore
stayed in for the night. I was really not good and I started to worry about the upcoming trek. If I wasn't
better in a day or so I wouldn't have time to re-strenghten. I read the Lonely Planet's section on diarrhea
and once I happily digested the information, I assumed bacterial infection and started antibiotics we had
bought in New Zealand. The book said relief normally comes within hours of starting the drugs.
fun fact: A yeti is similar to Bigfoot, a yeti that eats cattle is called a dzutch
Sa 3/27/99 - Kathmandu (1270m)
I was only up a few times during the night, echoing the porcelain and bathroom walls like fine
percussion. That was an improvement, the medication was working. Still I was very tired and weak and
not interested in living so slept most of the day. And because I slept, there is most of a day I do not have
much to type about, and we can all praise the Lord for that.
I finally left the room with John for a 6pm showing of "Payback" with Mel Gibson. The movie mimics
Dragnet with a late sixties flavor, short muffled lines within a slimy city setting. The "cinema" was simply
a bad nineteen inch TV halfway between black and white and color along with very poor audio quality in
a cafe. This all enhanced the effect the movie directors tried to create, and if I had been able to catch
more than half the lines, I may have enjoyed it.
By the time we arrived back at the Hotel Swoniga I was feeling much better and instead of finding
another good nights sleep I stayed awake until 2am watching a bad made for TV terrorist movie called
"Under Siege".
Su 3/28/99 - Kathmandu
I had stayed awake until 2am, an error under the circumstances, and thought sleeping late was a great,
comfortable idea, but in a half asleep realized John was out and the bladder demanded attention. I
wanted to ignore everything and sleep on. I had no idea what time it was and desired unconsciousness.
Then I thought about laundry, it had to be downstairs by 9am, and I had my beige cum black shorts and
hiking socks to do. I reached over to my daypack, pulled out the little computer and turned it on to
check the time, 8:50am. Damn, no more sleep I guess. I ran the clothes down the four flights, argued
about paying 43 rupees for my fleece which they called a sweater (ya, I'll show them a sweater, the new
Nepal sweater weighs over a kilo), and ran into John.
We breakfasted in the hotel. Curiously, the kitchen is open glassed at the fancy restaurant entrance, an
announcement of the order and cleanliness I presume. Corn flakes with hot milk, two fried eggs, ham,
fried tomato, and basket of bread - 120 rupees.
At breakfast a women near us garnered too much of our attention mainly because she was sitting lone
and typing on a large Macintosh notebook. We asked for her story. Her name is Katala, from Northern
Mexico, and heading to Everest. Not just trekking to Base Camp like us, but actually to Everest to climb it
- 29,028 feet. I checked out her right calf, wow! She was in baggy clothes, but I imagined eight years of
climbing must have her in great shape. In her Latin accent she explained that she is part of an
international team (Argentineans, Finish, Russians, etc) sponsored by Acer and Iridium amongst other
corporations. If she summits, Katama will be the first Mexican women to ever do so. She was near
summit last year and estimates an attempt around May 20th. The more we talked to her, the more
attractive this girl became. Her team will start climbing the first week of April and until then will do
some lower altitude walking, about 5000 meters. She said she updates a website area off the Acer main
sight so we'll have to keep tabs!! We asked her for a dinner date, and she sounded interested, but we
later found ourselves blown off.
Cleaning my beige shorts meant wearing my gray shorts and I was excited about that. I had breathed
new life into them by having them repaired, and now they were clean. Like new! Actually, better for
they are been further personalized! An hour into them today and I put three fingers through a pocket, a
very big hole.
Hey, it's exciting day in Kathmandu! It's Sunday and the post office is open and there are treats waiting,
if all works properly. John and I walked to the post office, no rickshaws today. The walk was about thirty
minutes through a mass of small shops with everything imaginable from souvenir to building materials.
I was about to find that the rescue of this care package was to be a fight between a mere Western world
mortal and third word bureaucracy. Pretty funny actually.
The Nepali people are actually very nice and helpful and mild mannered.. They are normally very gentle
when interacting, and hearing "sir" many times is normal. But when it comes to governments, a system,
good or bad, is a system established and "the way it is".
I walked into the dark and dirt filled building and simply asked, "poste restante?". I was pointed behind a
counter and to a corner room and thought, "Hey, quick service, someone will ask my name and hand me
my package". There was a person, but he just sat and watched and didn't offer any help. There were two
sections of cubby holes ordered by first letter last name, one for letters, the other for small packages. I
flipped through the three cubby holes labeled with "R", assuming first that nothing was under "B", and
eventually found a slip of paper with the name "Bob Rolalan" on it. This must be mine, "Bob" is not
common for Robert in other English speaking countries other than the United States and the last name
spelling was close. I brought the slip to the overworked man near sleep at his desk and he pointed
outside the room. There were two outside the room and I discovered that waving a piece of paper was
simply the easiest detour around the language gap. One of the men called me over and asked me to sign
my name and passport number to a piece of paper. He then turned in his chair to unlock a cabinet.
"Ahhh, my package awaits, sweets to eat immediately, letters, and more good stuff. It should be locked
safely. Mmmm...". He handed me another piece of paper and said to go to the "other building". He
pointed to the front of the this building. I walked across the main lobby and thought, "There isn't
another building, where was he pointing to?". I went to a different teller window, showed my paper and
was pointed to the main doors. Ok, outside I looked left and right and left and asked at a window there,
the reply, "The building is to the left". At that corner John found a walkway along the building. I had just
put my fingers through my pocket and as we turned the corner I then caught my pants on the barb wire
that separated the walkway from the garden of dirt with some weeds, of course the garden needed
harsh protecting. John laughed at me and spit over the wire. Everyone spits in public here, especially
young, pretty women, hawking when you are admiring them. In the building back was a large dirt yard
with a couple of not post office looking trucks and a heap of walkup windows. I tried one and waved my
paper and was directed into the far yard corner.
Even if my eyes were adjusting to darkness, recovery was only negligible, with the little light screwing
down the connected hallways it was very dark. I waved my paper, I was directed to a desk. I filled
another form with name and passport and was sent to another desk adjacent to the first. Another form
but with a twist, "10 rupees please". I didn't imagine I would have to pay to retrieve a package, but
compared to the value, 1.3 cents was okay. With my fourth form I was sent to a back office that actually
contained windows and outside light and a few desks. I smiled and waved my new paper. I large women
wrote notes on my fourth form and sent me back. Silly me, I returned to my old spot and was instead
directed to the other side of the table. Finally, from this angle I could see stacks of packages in another,
different adjoining room. I waiting for another ten before a curious package resembling a Wisconsin cow
came forth. The small Gateway computer box was placed on the floor on the other side of this table.
Ahhh, my hands were almost on it.
Most of this time John had been sitting in the first chair he could find, a fine spot for speculating the big
event. I stared at the box and the one man slowly working this counter. The box, the man. Box, man.
Box, box, man. Damn man, give me the box! It was just there, an arms length away, my box, I wanted it!
And if I had it I could leave and carry on with my day! I would be out of here and the pain would end.
Man ... box, man, box. Hey! Yes, he lifted my box and put it upon the table, took a knife - eeek! - to it,
sliced it like the gut of a villain in a Hollywood movie. He quickly glanced inside and returned it to the
floor on his side. A minute later my form had new cryptic notations and I was sent to the backroom
without my box to the fat lady, "54 rupees". I replied, "Huh? I just paid them ten!". I emphasized the
"ten" to make it sound exorbitant and to be sure everyone in that room knew people in the last room
had collected, legal or not. "Yes, 54 rupees". I had a hard time believing I would have to pay twice in the
same post office. Okay, so it was only another buck or less. But she didn't want the money, the man
behind me did. I anti-ed up and was sent back to the last room where the box man taunted me.
Of course I returned to the same spot, the spot closest t MY BOX. But, NOOO, I had to leave my box and
see the man, which one?, the one four men ago, and with a quick calculate behind the eyes, "13
rupees!". By this point I wasn't too interested in prolonging this agony. I started laughing and assumed
the plight was near end and now I think about it the man who wanted my 13 rupees was laughing too.
Why? I could see my box, I wanted it. I gave him the money, I got my box.
Outside I walked to the closest flat object for the attack which happened to be a motorbike seat. Ahhh, I
dove into the box and the motorbike tittered - Drake's funny Bones!! I tore straight into them, handed
John one and kept one for myself. And there were Drake's Yankee Doodles, Hershey's Almond Kisses,
Dove Milk Chocolate Promises, a few Fall River Herald News newspapers, computer printouts of news
stories, a letter, a picture. Great! I went for the instant gratification and would read everything later. I
packed my loot into my daypack and left the empty box on the motorcycle and headed back to Thamel.
Within two hours the Funny Bones would be finished, by bedtime the Hershey's would follow, and the
Doodles would be compromised.
Glorious day! After nearly five months of traveling and seven watches, I purchased a real-life Casio.
Reliability, independence, and fashion. I'm a hot traveler with a new 650 rupee Casio, under $10. Very
excited.
John has been bingeing and I blame the new surge of junk food consumption on him. This started as
soon as we made the new hotel. He had been talking about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for days,
and two days ago he walked the room with smooth Skippy, Smuckers, and white bread. And even
though I was still feeling real bad, such an well established childhood foodstuff would fix any illness or at
least raise my spirits. I enjoyed a sandwich. But then he had bought Pringles, and Coke, and finally
Peanut M&M's. This last I couldn't resist and since we have been through three big bags (155 rupees).
Then he had a few more Cokes, more containers of Pringles, and PBJ sandwiches. And when Sue's
package came, all control was absolutely lost!
We stayed in our third world luxury room watching the tube for the night. I bravely ordered pepper
steak from the restaurant for dinner, very yummy, then spent late hours flipping through "Rogue
Trader" by Leeson,
finally throwing it on my nightstand when I saw the time at 1:30am.
fun fact: Nepal elevations range from near sea level to the top of Everest
Mo 3/29/99 - Kathmandu (1270m)
Kathmandu Post...
sunrise 5:58 NST
sunset 18:19 NST
high temperature yesterday 27.5C (82F)
low temperature yesterday 8C (46F)
(and it has only rained once so far while in Nepal. It rained lightly and briefly on our last trek night in
Ngadi.)
I spent the day slowly moving between chores and filling the gaps with street sightseeing and picture
taking. The important accomplishments include repairing my trekking shorts, ordering business cards
(finally), checking email, eating lunch!, and buying little items: water, T.P., chlorine, Ventolin, pollution
mask, boot insole for heels, bacterial diarrhea medication (120 rupee), etc. I now have flash blue pockets
in my shorts down by an old man in his hole in the wall shop. Another shop embroidered "Thurong La
Pass 5416m" on the leg in gold. The shorts are within a constant metamorphosis and weight gain. The
Ventolin is made in India, actually called Venterlin, and cost just 112 rupees ($US1.67). I wonder of the
quality.
I met John later at the Hotel. We ate a nice meal at "Three Eyed", an Nepali and Indian restaurant near
the center of Thamel. During dinner he worried about his gut not feeling quite right. Oh, oh.
fun fact: The King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and John shared the same birthday (Dec 28)
Tu 3/30/99 - Kathmandu (1270m) to Lukla (2840m) to Phakding (2652m), Day 1
I was consciously aware of John moaning when he said, "Bob, it's after six". I was planning on getting up
for awhile still and rolled over for more zee's. When did get up a sad John then said, "I don't think I'm
going to make it". He now had a digestive problem at a bad time, the beginning of a two week trek, but
at least we learned from my experience and the advice is if you're starting a gastritis takes medication
immediately. I had abstained during my war on the Annapurna Trek then went three days into the
second round before indulging in the benefits of science.
I knew he would go. He'll moan and look sad on the trek but will do as much as possible then he'll be
fine. What are the options? We have invested $136 into flights each, and I would have gone without
him, we had disgusted the idea at the end of the last trek, and then he would be fending for himself,
which he could do as well as the next, but I do not think he would appreciate.
We found a taxi just after 7am for our 8:40 flight which departed at 9:30am. I was the fourth person to
board the seventeen seat DeHavillon Twin Otter and grabbed a window seat. I had been looking forward
to flying in the country and sight seeing from a window but the weather was stubborn with low clouds
and bad visibility. Flying to Lukla cuts one week from the Everest Base Camp trek, and since we had a
date in Bangkok on April 16th, we had no choice. We were glad we could fit both the Annapurna and
Base Camp treks into out schedule.
The airstrip in Lukla has a reputation for hairiness. It sits on a mountainside at a steep angle, one end is
200 feet higher than the other. The plane, made in Canada, looked fairly new inside and out, and I
reasoned that a new plane should be worthy, until I considered maintenance. Does Nepal follow the
same strict maintenance standards as the States? Ah, I didn't worry until we made the approach and the
plane's noise dipped and the engine raised to a higher pitch. Hey, shouldn't we be decrease air speed?
Passengers were pointing frantically out the windows in different directions. I looked in the back to John
and saw a confused white dude. I smiled and shrugged and tried to find the landing strip through the
pilots window and could only see ground and mountains all around us. There was a tremendous noise as
the tires bore the weight of the plane and cargo on the heavy gravel strip. A little initial bounce and ten
seconds later we were at walking speed. 10:30 am.
We adjusted our packs, walked off the runway, straight through the village, and continued on to our
second trek. The Lonely Planet targeted Phakding for the first day. I had a fuzzy memory of hiking times I
saw on a bookstore map, we should be doing six hours a day. So, that's what I thought, six hours today
and we would arrive Phakding.
John struggled along behind me and I thought of how I had felt this last week - at least he was on
antibiotics quickly. We stopped so John could rest for ten minutes, then bang, we were in Phakding! It
was only two hours walking slowly. It is unfortunate that John is ill, for we could have walked onto
Namche Bazaar today and then put a day in our back pockets. We rocked up at the Namaste Lodge for
50 rupees. Phakding is a pretty tourist village as are the other small villages we passed through such as
Chablung.
Highest Peaks in the World - The fourteen 8,000 meter peaks
Everest 8848 Nepal
K2 8611 Pakistan
Kanchenjunga 8598 Nepal
Lhotse 8501 Nepal
Makalu 8463 Nepal
Dhaulagiri 8167 Nepal
Manaslu 8156 Nepal
Cho Oyu 8153 Nepal
Nanga Parbat 8125 Pakistan
Annapurna 8091 Nepal
Gasherbrum I 8068 Pakistan
Gasherbrum II 8035 Pakistan
Broad Peak 8047 Pakistan
Shisha Pangma 8013 Tibet
We 3/31/99 - Phakding (2652m) to Namche Bazaar (3440m), Day 2
The last few hours of the morning I laid half asleep conscious of my aching bladder and too lazy to deal
with the dark lodge. People started moving about at 6am, especially the three Canadians from Alberta in
the room next door. This lodge was perhaps the breeziest we have seen. We could see through space
between the window and wall. The interior walls were no better. Through a crack I saw a red sleeping
bag rolling about and the noise from the Canadians on our other side felt as though it was in the same
room.
We were trekking once again, and life carried the familiar feel. Up early, order breakfast, talk with
others while waiting, then gorging. We had met a couple from Seattle last night and although he was ill
and in bed, Tina spent awhile talking with us about traveling. Tima and her husband plan on one and a
half years away but with a short visit home in the middle. They've seen New Zealand, Australia,
Thailand, Bali, Malaysia, and plan on seeing China, Laos, then onto Africa after their visit home. They sat
near us at breakfast and again we enjoyed the company.
On the wall were a few older framed original photos. One showed Edmund Hilary, son Peter, and
Tenzing Norgay. I found them interesting. I assume they were taken nearby.
I figured today would be the real first day of trekking since we only had two hours yesterday. We were
also to gain 800 meters and I counted on a killer hill such as we saw at Ghorepani and Tatopani. The trek
started easy, crossing the Dudh Koshi many times, passing through quaint colorful villages, but slowly
gaining altitude. I recognized our gain and wondered if the whole day would be similar, a long incline.
The scenery here is similar to the Annapurna, rocky steep paths, cute villages, mass mountains. The
differences so far is the people. There seems to be many more trekkers crowding the paths, and the
locals are Sherpa, which describes the locale of people. The lodge owners last night were Sherpa.
The Sagarmartha National Park entrance charges us 650 rupees, better than the 1000 at the Annapurna.
As in Annapurna, I searched inside for pie charts and straight charts and other numbers of statistics for
trekking. The only information available was totals by month and I jotted them down...
YEAR 1998 Park Entrance by Month
Jan 553
Feb 705
Mar 1863
Apr 2784
May 1103
Jun 142
Jul 94
Aug 195
Sep 1108
Oct 5987
Nov 3694
Dec 1513
total 20,014 for the year
YEAR 1999 Park Entrance by Month (Stats posted on way out)
Jan 594
Feb 781
Mar 2255
We had crossed the river a number of times over new looking steel suspension bridges, one reportedly
made by the Swiss. These long silver aids are built so robustly, I have total faith in them. I figure they
were designed to hold herds of yaks, and that I would be safe especially if the beasts weren't on the
bridges. We went low, near the riverbed as it opened into a broad expanse of churned stones. A bridge
had been rebuilt only a few years ago and proudly proclaimed the deed and who was responsible with a
small sign. This bridge was of standard Nepali style, the floor was of various width boards. From this
viewpoint, upriver, was a spectacular sight. A suspension bridge also of less modest construction
spanned the gorge at what looked like an unbelievable height. Ten minutes later we were crossing it,
And then it happened. Our slow ascending day inevitably changed tempers and handed us a killer hill. I
reminded myself no to complain, that this was just the beginning of the trek, and that this should be
expected. We’ve done this many times before. So, my frame of mind was healthy, and when John
stopped to add a jacket, I went on to slog alone. I broke from tradition and went slowly, very slowly, so
slowly I was able to continue on and on and up and up. The trail was switchback after switchback.
Endlessly, I would come to the end of a switchback and look up to be disappointed, for there wasn't a
sign of this ending, just another leg up. I kept tabs on the time, half hour, forty minutes. I came up to a
group of porters for a trekking group carrying the standard wares of pots and chairs and a mass of
backpacks. They were enjoying themselves, talking and laughing loudly. I was bit faster, but decided to
let them pace me. The porters on this trek carry a practical walking stick in the shape of a "T". When
they require a rest, they then sit on it. This sticks are of hard wood and appear to be very old. A boy
porter had an old one and I imagined them being passed down .
Nearly an hour later on a long dirt hill cut into the hillside was a clump of buildings with a declaration
"Welcome to Namche Bazar". I was relieved but skeptical. Lodge owners can be sly, at best we are at the
outskirts. Within ten minutes a man and John pulled up. I was sitting outside a tea house and read aloud
from the Lonely Planet, "One important aid to acclimatization is to avoid getting exhausted; therefore, it
is important to walk slowly on this hill. Many fit trekkers have spoiled their trek by racing up this hill and
becoming exhausted or worse". The other two chuckled and John added, "That's good because were
unfit trekkers".
Another fifteen minutes up and we were in the village. I tried to use the book for as a reference to find a
decent lodge. John and I wandered the town for too long and in the end simply asked an English girl,
Celia, who passed as twice where she was staying, "View Lodge". It was central, the room was big, it was
us.
Just below the lodge is Herman's Bakery one of three. After lunch, mid afternoon, John and I readily
agreed to dessert there. The bakery layout is open with bright wood and two full walls of windows with
views down the mountainside. There were a couple of small groups there also for hot drinks and sweet
stuff, a really cool spot, not too mention the apple pie, banana pie, and hot chocolate.
We when arrived Namche, the skies were darkening. Early, while trekking we had great weather, blue
skies with broken clouds. After our afternoon snack, about 4pm, it was darker still and drizzling.
We spent the night around a long table in the dinning area with a group of nearly middle aged women
from England and Canada, and a German man. The English women, Celia, has a fare complexion, short
reddish blonde hair, and very warm personality, was staying in Namche for the week, a prelude to
running the Everest Marathon on the April 11th. She had never run a marathon, but ran loads and does
triathlons. The marathon starts Gorak Shep, our last overnight before a day trip to Base Camp, to
Namche, with a loop to Thamo and back to Namche. Celia had never run trail before, but I believe she's
prepared and will do well. She lives in Kathmandu with her husband who is a British army officer
working with the famous Gurkha's, Nepali mercenaries who serve the English and Indian armies.
Most of us ordered yak steaks for dinner. Yak steaks are a popular item in Namche, and I only consented
after a little research. The animals we call yaks, large animals with long hair and longer horns, the same
we nervously passed on the trail because of those menacing horns, are not full blooded yaks, but a cross
between yaks and cows, called khirkoo. The khirkoo are then crossbred again and out pops some other
strange named animal, from which the prized cheese and butter originates. A female yak is a nak, that
sounds cool. Getting back to the yak burger. Since we are in a predominately Hindu country, 90 percent,
the killing of cow is illegal, and since 'yaks' are crossed with cows, the 'yak steak' is a misnomer, invented
for the tourist. We ate chopped buffalo meat. The poor animals are walked for eight to ten days to
Namche to provide meat for the big Saturday market where traders from afar, maybe even Tibet, come
to trade. The next question - what happens to the meat after Saturday? The hotel owner explained that
Namche has had electricity for five years now and the lodges have refrigerators. The night before a
couple of people in our group had yak steaks and were still kicking. I indulged and really enjoy the meal
including vegetables and chips (fried potatoes), 200 rupees.
fun fact: Candy bars in most demand: Snickers, Mars, Twix, Kit Kat
Th 4/1/99 - Namche Bazaar (3440m), Day 3
We were in the sack with lights out by 10pm, and besides the 3am bladder interlude with the loo, I had
slept great. I took a cue from Monica, who always travels with ear plugs, and stuck the cotton I received
on the Lukla flight into my ears. I have never tried that before and liked it, except for laying on the ear
which gives a little ache.
At 6am I craned my head to peer out the window, curious about the weather. The sky was a deep clear
blue. The sun hadn't reached over the mountains to the village yet, but it looked great.
Namche Bazar is such an exciting Himalayan village. It originate as a trade center for goods from India to
the south and Tibet, only on the far side of Mt. Everest. It's situated in an amphitheater shaped
mountainside, the village wraps around like an open "U", the open side thrusting down into the river
valley below. Of the main tracks to Namche, the southern one which we labored up yesterday heads to
Lukla, then Namche sits in a fork with main northern tracks like tines branching and following rivers to
Thame, Gokyo, and Everest.
Near Goyko, at Goyko Ri (5483m), is where Monica trekked for a view of Everest. The view is further
away and more expansive than Kalar Pattar where John and I are heading.
Namche Bazar was fascinating when I first came into the horseshoe shaped village. I had looked across
to the northern side and stared at neat and colorful buildings on terraced hillside. Roofs painted green
and blue or left naturally gray, and trim painted different bright contrasting colors like brown, red, blue,
white green. It's a magically place and if we don't fall ill, it may be a Nepali village to fall in love with.
Because it sits on a u-shaped terraced mountainside and because of the high snow covered peaks such
as Kwangde (6187m) to the west and because the buildings are painted so cutely bordered by a mass of
stones walls, and because of the narrow streets, and fun shops and bakeries, it really is a sweet place.
I left John writing his journal, I made a list of places to visit and ventured out while the sky was still
cloudless. I headed up above the village, the first stop was the police checkpost to have my paperwork
inspected, stamped, and my vitals entered into their ledger.
It is currently 10am on the 1st of April and lucky me, as I type I can see my first view of Everest, a very
exciting day in my life. I have crested the highest hill in the area, above and a kilometer still away from
the lodge which is east and towards Everest, and am sitting alone upon a chorten (stone pile of prayer)
with old prayer flags in the small trees beside me. Everest is about 25 kilometers away, and there are
closer, tall, and impressive peaks shouldering the highest mountain in the world. In fact, nearly
circumferencing me are tall, jagged, mostly snow covered peaks. A truly impressive sight, great to gaze
at on a warm sun filled day.
This mountain has been firmly planted in my consciousness for years. I have read numerous accounts of
mountaineers on Everest, have seen movies and television programs of it. Being the highest peak in the
world is a magnetic to many people, 20,000 trekkers a year, and hundreds of summit attempts, and I
have been extremely captivated. John and I have changed our walkabout itinerary to see Everest and
the Himalayans, have arranged our schedule and booked plane flights to assure ourselves of meeting
this mystic. I was very excited and wished I could share the same excitement with someone else. Ahh, at
least I had Blacky.
To obtain the views above Namche of Everest, the walk is simply described by trekkers as "walking to
the Everest View Hotel", a lodge an hour’s walk from the village, catering to wealthy Japanese who can
afford the $US200 a night lodging bill and the helicopter ride from Kathmandu. Optionally, the rooms
are pressurized and oxygen supplied, and although I haven't looked around the hotel yet, it was
reported as being gosh. It looks okay from a distance. But that lodge is not all here. I was not so
surprised to see a couple of other lodges, but was surprised to see a large village, perhaps this is
Khumjung which we may pass through tomorrow. In the distance below my view of Everest is an
impressive terraced mountainside, and on plateaus the villages of Teshinga and Tengboche.
I walked across the hilltops toward the Everest View, carefully watching Everest as if it would change or
disappear and I would lose it forever. The Everest View is a high class hotel, the stones to build it were
machine cut, the first time I have seen this in Nepal. I walked up the long set of stone stairs and into the
main lobby and straight out the back to a patio and loads of people trying to drink tea and eat snacks,
but the attention was solidly pressed to Everest and the surrounding peaks. Towering before us was
were magnificent mountains, Thamserku (6808m), Kangtaiga (6776m), Ama Dablum (6854m), Lhotse
Shar (8393m), Lhotse (8501m), and Taboche (6542m). Everest sits behind Nuptse (7861m), but still
appeared to be the highest distance peak. The smaller (22,000+ ft!) and closer were bearing down right
on top of us, they look enormous.
I turned and found Michael and Tina and their guide/porter Jenbu. Jenbu pointed out the peaks and
village in sight, and we marveled at the sights. We sat and had tea, then they asked if I would like to join
them for a walk back to Namche via Khumjung.
We followed Jenbu through the sparse forest and down into Khumjung stopping first at "The World's
Highest Bakery" for lunch. We were then the proud spectators of a Yeti scalp hat in the gompa (Buddhist
Temple), displayed to us in its glassed housing inside a locked cabinet by an old lama with a bulging
(diseased?) neck. In 1960 this scalp was brought to the USA and checked for authenticity by Hillary. The
gompa was pretty cool, the main wall an alter of Buddha’s and all walls adorned with colorful carvings
and objects such as old books. Next stop, the Khunda Hospital where we stood and looked at each
other, questioning why we had stopped. We walked out of the village over a hilltop and through a
bizarre, eerie change in scenery. The vegetation was sparse and trees short, knotted and coarse, maybe
all a result of a high wind area.
We were then on top of the north side of Namche, Tina was tired, and they bee lined for their hotel. I
followed a narrow contour path through short bush to the area above Namche on the other side, near
the police outpost in hopes of finding a photo exhibit I read and heard about.
After a rear attack into the Hotel Sherwi Khangba over falling stone walls and fences made of tree
branches, I eventually found someone who worked there and was charged 50 rupees for admission to
the Sherpa Cultural Museum, the Sherpa Photographic Gallery, and the Everest Documentation Center. I
spent a couple of hours, first with a brief visit to the museum, the building and contents a recreation of
a Sherpa house pre-1950, when the western world started its invasion. Few objects were labeled and I
left unfulfilled. The photo exhibit focuses on Sherpa culture, like wedding ceremonies and pictures of
dwellings. The real gem was the Everest Documentation Center, filled with historical articles, photos,
and newspaper clippings of summit attempts. After circling the room and viewing the photos, I sat alone
in one of the white plastic chairs and slowly went through the articles.
News of the successful summit came Coronation Day for Queen Elisabeth II, June 2nd, 1953. British
Colonel John Hunt organized and led the British expedition to Everest through Nepal, arriving
Kathmandu March 1953, and Thyangboche (Tengpoche) Monastery March 27th, Base Camp for training.
Hillary and Norgay departed Camp IX at 6:30am on the 29th, after spending the night alone at 17
degrees F, and dining on sardines, tinned fruit, chocolate, and other foods. By 9am they had reached the
South Summit and the famous Hilary Step, a ridge 300 feet below the top, never seen before.
"A few more whacks of the ice-axe in the firm snow and we stood on top. My initial feelings were of
relief - relief that there were no more steps to cut - no more ridges to transverse, and no more humps to
tantalize us with hopes of success...In spite of the balaclava, goggles and oxygen mask all crusted with
long icicles that concealed Tenzing's face there was no disguising his infectious grin of pure delight as he
looked all around him. We shook hands and then casting those Anglo Saxon formalities aside, Tenzing
threw his arms around my shoulders and we thumped each other on the back until forced to stop for
lack of breath. I glanced at my watch: 11:30am"
Article titled "One Dies on World's Highest Hash", dated Nov 1983, newspaper no identified. "A
Malaysian lady, Mrs. Cheong Soon Yee (36) died Friday afternoon at an [event] called 'The World's
Highest Hash' .. she seemed quite fit the day before ... suspected to be combination of pneumonia and
altitude sickness... [179 members mostly from Kuala Lumpur and Australia, 45 Sherpas, over 400 porters
for the beer drinking event].
Before I was able to finishing copying quotes from the news article, the hotel owner came in outraged
that I was copying information and he tossed me out. Did I mention the Enquirer article about aliens
landing on Everest? Pretty coveted information there!
The hotels in Namche do not have running water. They have a large blue plastic bucket, one in the
kitchen and one in the toilets which are constantly filled by a waterboy we lugs water from the tap
somewhere in the steep village into the hotel. He seems to work through the day. So, after using the
western style toilet, one must scoop water from the blue bucket with a smaller pale and toss it in the
bowl.
I found John and Celia talking in the dining room when I arrived back at 4pm. They raved about the
"bucket" bath they just had in their rooms and I signed up. The difference was that they had a large
metal saucer shaped pot and I was then given an old two gallon green bucket. I looked at the old two
gallon green bucket and was skeptical of the outcome of the project ahead. I brought the bucket to our
room. Celia said she could have sat in hers, maybe she did, but I could only reach my hands into the
water and splash my head in an effort to wash my hair. I figured I would start high and work my way
down. I was naked and cold and water was flying everywhere, but hey, it was the hotel's process, not
mine. I forced water into my hair and then shampoo, rinsed and tried again. I had noticed I was dousing
John's side of the room and moved to the other end. Downstairs in the dining room, a German couple
was sitting and drips started splatting their table. They moved a bowl to catch the drips and looked at
the electric light where the water originated then suggested to John that someone should explain to me
what was happening. John came knocking at the door, and since I was suspending in an awkward
position over the green bucket, I refuse to allow him entry. He told me the scoop and I jumped up to
move across the room again because I had imagined an electric current running along the water to my
privates.
We dined with Celia, then made our way to the Paradise to tentatively meet Tina and Michael. I bought
a can of coke for 150 rupees, an extravagance. In the dark bar with an Aiwa compact stereo playing
Bryan Adams, I stared at the Coke can and acknowledged that a porter had carried it seven days to
Namche. Tina and Michael didn't show and we left after only an hour to our beds.
Fr 4/2/99 - Namche Bazaar (3440m) to Pangboche (3930m), Day 4
I did it once again. I laid in bed with the bladder calling, but I refused to get up and therefore slept
poorly for the last three hours.
Breakfast was typical, all meals are becoming typical, I had two fried eggs, toast, and oat porridge. Our
bill came to 1660 rupees. This includes two nights lodging, four meals and a little laundry, $US12 each.
The good book suggested Tengpoche as the next stop and described the day as relatively flat. We
trudged up the hill to the back of Namche and enjoyed the flat for an hour and a half, then we
descended to the Dudh Kosh River and stopped for water and biscuits on the near side of a bridge. How
it could be relatively flat when we were now faced with a two hour climb, also described by the book, I
did not know. This ascent was a real effort, painful as the up before Namche. Near the top I caught a
short girl with a huge pack and commented. She sounded American and I claimed she had a funny
accent and we got to talking. Minutes later we were in Tengpoche (3860m).
Lauri, a surgeon from Vail between residency and boards, is on the Henry Todd Everest Expedition, one
of six on a fairly self sufficient and independent expedition. She is from Colorado and came to Nepal last
fall, spending five weeks summiting Cho Oyu (8153m), and then did a quick ascent of the wild looking
peak Ama Dabam (6856m).
In Tengpoche, Lauri asked if we had seen the sixty foot Buddha in the monastery, and I thought seeing
the gompa was a good idea and we followed. The Buddha had shrunk since Lauri was last here and we
later kidded her about the discrepancy, her retort was that he as sitting down.
John and I were taking Celia's suggestion of staying at Aba Dabla twenty minutes beyond Tengpoche in
Deboche (Devuche) where Lauri was heading for lunch. We walked and exchanged traveling and
trekking and climbing stories. I was captivated by talking to someone who was attempting the Everest
summit, I am so intrigued by preparation, logistics, and determination needed to be successful.
John and I walked quickly to the Ama Dablan and joined Lauri for lunch. We kidded about following her
to the top of Everest and she suggested we walk with her after lunch to Pangboche and meet some of
the other crew. As we walked to our lunch spot Lauri had stopped and chatted briefly with numerous
people, either she is a Khuma socialite or is part of the climbing scene or both. Actually, since she was
here last fall and part of the Henry Todd group, she is part of the comradery between climbers and the
Sherpa people Todd deals with each year. Lauri personally knows the Sherpa families and delights in
being part of their lives.
At the Ama Dablan there was a group from the OTT (Out There Trekking, England) Everest expedition,
yet another expedition we have come across. John and I paid our lunch tab and joined Lauri.
At Pangboche, Henry Todd uses the Himalayan Lodge, and we met Nick who Lauri knows from last fall’s
Cho Oyo summit with Henry Todd. The four of us were alone in the dusty lodge, and told stories but
mostly I simply listened to Nick and Lauri and their stories of fellow climbers.
Nick is from Aspen, retired at 60 from real estate rental management. He has an extremely active mind,
full of details of climbs and climbers, of geology and Nepal. Nick is one of three on the Henry Todd
Expedition who will peel off at South Col to attempt to summit Lhotse (8501m).
The Henry Todd Expedition comprises Henry Todd, guide Andy, 2-4 Sherpa guides, Lauri, Nick, eight
more clients, and a set of yaks. Todd's Everest Expedition is more of a do-it-yourself compared to others,
clients carry a lot of weight, and the standard cost is $27.5k while most others charge $45-60k. $10k is
for park fee alone and the more expensive expeditions have more guides and climbing sherpas per client
than Todd.
interesting fact: The mean lifespan for Nepalese, 52.5 years.
Sa 4/3/99 - Pangboche (3930m) to Dingboche (4410m), Day 5
The day started early with feet scuffling above our heads, smoke seeping down from the kitchen, yaks
with bells ringing outside, and Nick with a booming voice saying, "It looks like another clear day!".
A breakfast of two fried eggs, two pieces toast, and a bowl of oat porridge. The room charge was 20
rupees, total for the two of us 700 rupees. Nick, Lauri, John, and I were on the trail at 7:45am
The walk was a fairly flat walk along the valley until we met the branch to Pheriche where we ducked
down to cross the Dudh Koshi on a low wooden bridge and up again to follow the Imja Koshi River
A half hour later a brown high alpine scene unfolded with Dingboche, a maze of stones walls, in the
distance. The four of us stopped at a mani wall to exchange excited comments about our surroundings,
then we strolled into the village for tea and to discuss a strategy. Nick went on ahead to Chukung, but
after an increase in altitude of 500 meters I wasn't keen on another 300 meters. The basic rule is to limit
ascents to 300 meters per day over 3000 meters. We were off the Lonely Planet schedule which
suggests two nights in Pheriche (4240m), but still we want to mimic their suggestion.
We were really lazy, the three of us washing clothes by hand in cold water, eating lunch, then I waited
for a couple of hours before my 150 rupee show was ready. This entailed walking around back to a box
with a blue plastic bucket on top. There is a hole in the barrel bottom with a black plastic hose running
out and duct taped to a short copper pipe with valve and broken shower head. The last person had
disconnected this apparatus so that when the first of two buckets were poured into the barrel, the
water quickly ran onto the floor. I wasn't in the shower yet and the young man ran around to see what
the deluge was all about, he pushed the piping back together but I was then short changed on water, it
ran out while I was totally soaped. I wrapped the towel around myself and was about to walk through
the cold to the kitchen and complain but instead looked into the barrel and saw a couple inches I could
move by tipping the barrel. I then ran back around to rinse as best as possible.
In the courtyard we met Lone and her son Mark, and Vincent and his son. Lone's husband and Vincent
work together in Kathmandu, all from Denmark, although Vincent is from Greenland originally. Mark is
ill from bacteria probably, and Lauri lent a hand in helping out. We would bump into them a number of
times on the trek.
Lauri felt guilty with such a short day of trekking, so enlisted John and I for a walk around the general
area. We went back down the village, between the stone walls that border the dry grazing and rice and
potato plots. Above the Snow Lion Lodge we transversed the hill to a stupa and chortens. Ascending
again there was another stupa and more chortens. We strolled, enjoying the views and talking. We
made a ridge where I snapped a pic of chortens with the valley extending into the distance. At the base
of a chorten appeared to be a mani stone, but on closer inspection we found carved into the stone, "N
Recordo Angela Artana".
Below in the flash Snow Lion we met and re-met a number of expedition people, many from the
nineteen client OTT. We then found a few of the Henry Todd contingency, including Todd's life partner,
Peta. We asked if there was a possibility of John and I staying at Base Camp, and Peta replied positively.
Staying overnight on Everest would be a special thrill for us, fingers crossed. Imagine sleeping on the
side of the highest mountain on the world?! I think we're turning golden. Peta, Nick, and a couple others
are to summit Lhotse.
fun fact: The Nepal literacy rate is 26% for over 15 year olds (38% male 13% female)
4/4/99 - Dingboche (4410m), Day 6
Henry Todd recommends that his clients that stay in Dingboche and acclimatize by climbing Chukhung RI
(5546m, 18195 ft) north of Chukhung. We shook our heads at our decision and played along even
though it was our rest day.
We left Dingboche about 7:30am, walked up the valley towards Island Peak (6189m) and Lhotse
(8501m) over flat terrain filled with round stone and short shrub. We made the village of Chukhung, a
320 meters rise, an hour and a half later and popped into a tea house for ... tea. From Chukhung to the
peak Chukhung RI was a steep 816 meters up, a real chore. As we ascended however the valley and
peaks exposed themselves more, turning into the most impressive sight I have ever seen.
Unfortunately, my Nikon had burped while loading. I took one picture of Ama Dablan and then the film
was done, I had no film for this hike.
(Not my picture, from Google Earth)
As we climbed the killer hill the views exploded. At the top of the valley is the ice covered lake Imja
Tsho, and towering above is Island Peak (Imja Tse) (6159m), a roundish mountain and popular climb. In
each direction are fabulous ridge lines and peaks. Following to the right of Island is a dramatic ridge with
peaks and ice falls and glacier sweeping off. There are seven glaciers at the end of this valley. Of
particular curiosity, is that a large flat expanse of the ridge line has a very long series of vertical lines
carved into the ice and snow creating a long fun pattern. Further along the altitude increases and this
bowl of peaks climaxes with Ama Dablam. To the left of Island are the higher peaks, some of the highest
in the world - Lohtse (8501m), Lhotse Shar (8393m), Nuptse (7861m). The world has fourteen peaks over
8000 meters and three of the highest are within a few kilometers of us! Now realize why this is the most
spectacular scene I have witnessed. Adding to the beauty are the smaller peaks in front of these two big
guys, each with unique shape and character, add the clear dark blue sky found at high altitude, and a
few puffy cumulus.
At the top of this endless set of switchbacks was a long ridge dotted with chortens. The ridge added
another view over the far side which was interesting, but both John and I were weary. We sat on stone
and looked out toward our original view. Lauri estimated our destination peak was ten minutes and we
laughed. The peak nearly touched Heaven, and both of us questioned our excitement. Lauri, never lazy,
started up and we both hesitated but followed. I had been a little dizzy on and off during the climb, but
through this section, maybe another 150 meters, dizziness was full on. I can't explained it, I wasn't just
dizzy, I was completely fatigued. Lauri had left her half empty pack behind and flew up. John was feeling
similar to me, dizzy, weak, and questioning the desire of this last climb. To make matters scarier, there
was a steep ridge line with very sharp drop-offs made of broken and loose flat stones, turned by glaciers
ions ago and not sensitive to a couple of white boys walking on top. The climb here was a few steps,
stop, rest, and repeat. In places the stones slipped away flying downward. Lauri, the Khumbu goddess,
made the top within fifteen minutes and after the hellish climb we were atop in half an hour.
This was a milestone, 5546 meters, 18190 feet, and we will never be higher although close on Kalar
Pattar. The top had three chortens and prayer flags. I had to comment on someone’s effort of making
the climb then building these stone piles, what an effort! As I stood dizzy amongst God's grandest
country, I was literally on a natural high, the high of altitude. I felt a slight headache and with that Lauri
strongly suggested we descend. John and Lauri immediately descended, and I hung back to feel the joy
this peak offered and to talk with couple who had just arrived. Descending while dizzy on the loose
scrape was interesting, aim a foot at the top of a sharp rock and hope the foot falls true and the stone
stays secure.
John and Lauri had resumed our previous position on the stone wall running along the ridge. I joined
them in gazing at the glaciers, moraines, peaks, and other glorious creations of Mother Nature. I
explained, "This is where I love to be, up high and just gazing at a beautiful sight. Simply relaxing and
looking. There is no place I would rather be!". A half hour later John was cold and wanted to descend.
We had spent over an hour and a half above 5400 meters, which was a good amount of time
acclimatizing.
We were down to Chukhung within half an hour and then we were half running westward down the
valley with a strong headwind. This seemed longer than coming up, where was Dingboche? As we
neared Dingboche the wind dropped, the sun shone directly at us, warming us, and lighting the Ushaped glacial valley with it's low rays, a warm and pretty sight.
During the night, with nature calling, I crawled out of my sleeping bag, and walked through the patio and
onto the path. The sky was dark and clear and the stars bright to the silhouette the mountains.
Surprisingly, I saw a flash across the sky, then another and again. George Lucas?! For a moment I
thought the flashes were created in my eyes or mind, but figured on distance lightening although the sky
was clear to the horizon. John and Lauri experienced the same, so I guess this must be a phenomena of
high altitude, or storms hidden my the tall mountains. Very neat.
fun fact: Population of Nepal: 1994, 1 million, growth rate 3.4 percent (high!)
Mo 4/5/99 - Dingboche (4410m) to Gora Shep (5140m), Day 7
We woke to another bright blue day, great peaks surrounding us, breakfast outside in the sun on the
patio.
From Dingboche, at 8:20am, we crossed a hill north of the village and entered a wide, flat, and high
plateau. This was a pretty scene, walking on the open, grassy plateau, the terrain mostly flat and to our
left followed the river valley, wider than the plateau, and 400 meters below us. I heard a helicopter and
searched the sky above the valley for it. I couldn't see it, craning my neck, where in the sky was it? Ah,
remembering a similar situation in Switzerland at Gornergrat, I looked down and saw the whirly bird
flying south through the valley below us. As I watched and wondered about the great views from the
helicopter, it turned east toward Dingboche and the Lhotse Glacier. Of course this was even more of a
tease, now they were to fly through yesterday's view we had from Chukhung Ri.
We left the plateau to cross a river and skirted the bottom of the Khumbu Glacier, a geographical
appointment that we would follow to Everest Base Camp. Across the valley we ascended up to Thukla
(4660m) for a snack, a nicely positioned lodge after the river and before a couple hundred meter slog to
the Thukla Pass. The pass was a slow haul, but the top of the pass was a magical spot, a flat and open
area full of chortens and views. Many people milled about along with us to admire the spot and take
pics.
The surroundings changed to a gradual incline with open terrain, stones, and very short dark green
shrub. The round stone had a fair share of green lichen, the paths followed between the larger boulders,
and occasionally we would walk to the required left side of mani stones. We met our first view of Kala
Pattar (5545m), which is our quest for the trek along with Base Camp, and is the most popular viewpoint
of Everest. At 5545m, it will also be one of the highest points reached while in Nepal, not an easy
acquisition for a sea level dog. From this distance Kala Pattar looks like a simple bump on Pumori, but
Pumori (7165m) look like a large, wonderful, and formidable snow covered mountain
We passed along a few moraines, mountain slides of stone, and within an hour from Thukla Pass, stuck
beneath a hill of stone and near a dried lakebed is Gorak Shep (5160m), a very desolate village
surrounded by views of a handful of great peaks including a piece of Everest. Desolate because as we
ascended higher, the vegetation lessened and glacier stone increased, the village was just a couple of
stone buildings amongst high alpine and more stone. We were in the midst of mountains of
mindboggling heights, peaks christened white, but not mountaineering virgins for some peoples sake as
maybe they should be.
The lodging in Gorak Shep, the launching point for Kala Pattar and Everest Base Camp, are sparse
buildings with dormitory style sleeping arrangements. Lauri led us into the first lodge, the Himalayan,
and hearing the coughing and knowing the possible consequences, asked if we could bed in a second
building. Like a miracle, we left a hacking mess to a nearly quiet dormitory building. The main kitchen
was in the first building, our building held the smoky sherpa's kitchen and a room of bunks. The interior
was actually humorous, especially if you can find pleasure in sod floors. The walls were covered with
tapestries and posters, an attempt at making this seasonal lodge comfortable.
After a little rest, we walked the short distance back to the first building for dinner. A long bench of
people behind a long table lined the front wall which had windows, but the room was dark. Another
shorter table ran adjacent along the end wall and in the dark corner was the kitchen. Smoke filled the
room, but still there were a lot of trekkers in good moods laughing. We talked lightly with the others,
ordered food, and retreated to the adjoining dorm room to eat for this room was brighter and less
smoky. Around a wood stove huddled locals, Lauri smiled and spoke Nepali, probably recognizing some
more faces.
We are at 5140 meters (16,859 feet), an increase of 730 meters, much more than the maximum
recommended increase of 300 meters. John and I expected a cold and sleep broken night because of the
altitude.
The general recipe for climbing Everest follows. This takes weeks to acclimatize, and waiting for good
weather for a summit attempt can takes days to a month.
Acclimatization climbs:
1) BC, tag Camp One, BC
2) BC, sleep Camp One, tag Camp Two, BC
3) BC, sleep Camp One, sleep Camp Two, tag Camp Three, BC
4) BC, sleep Camp Two, sleep Camp Three, tag Four, BC
The Climb) BC, sleep Camp Two, sleep Four, Everest, Sleep Two, BC
Following are the camp and feature altitudes:
Base Camp 5400m (17712ft)
camp 1 6000m (19680ft)2
camp 1 to 2 - Khumbu Icefall
camp 2 6400m (20992ft)
camp 2 to 3 - Western Cum (Glacier)
camp 3 7300m (23944ft)
camp 4 8000m (26240ft)
camp 4 - South Col (Pass)
camp 4 to summit - SE Ridge
The balcony 8500m
South summit 8750m
Hillary Step 8500m
summit 8848m (29028ft)
Tu 4/6/99 - Gora Shep (5140m) to Everest Base Camp (5200m), Day 8
We left early without breakfast to the view site of Everest, Kala Pattar, reasoning that a full lodge would
have a slow breakfast. This walk was it, a main goal of our trek. Kala Pattar is a long steep walk up a
grassy slope. I was feeling totally fatigued, not any soreness, but a total lack of energy throughout my
body. Ascent was dreadful for me, constant walking and resting. Lauri, madly in shape hadn't a problem,
and even though John was ahead, he later said he felt poor. Maybe my problem was lack of food, or
dehydration, or altitude.
The views opened behind as we ascended, and after a hellish hour we reached a ridge lined with
chortens, always a welcome fun sight. Reaching this ridge was an unexpected bonus, for beyond the
ridge was a second extreme view. Everest and it's neighbors were to the east and behind us, now to the
west was the Changri Nup Glacier and the Changri Shar Glacier, appearing us a large and long valley
beneath us. Beyond the valley we saw a very long line of mountains including Chang Ri (6026m),
Lobuche West (5812m), Lobuche (6145m), and Lobuche East (6119m).
Along the ridge to the right and toward Pumori (7165m) the ridge width narrowed and ascended to a
point. I didn't look forward to continuing the climb, but after eight days of trekking to reach this hill,
nothing but forward was acceptable. So, up another couple hundred feet over loose rock, huffing,
puffing, and whining to myself. How could this hurt so much, my lungs feeling useless, muscles not
responding? I concentrated on not missing a breath, when that happened my insides would panic and
threaten to fall.
Before the peak, John was already coming down, having had enough of the cold, leaving Lauri and I to
the views. The prize at the top of the Kala Pattar was absolutely incredible. A small outcropping of rocks
coming to the high point, only large enough to have four people sit, an extreme location of exposure,
and to anyone's opinion - awesome. 5545 meters, 18,188 feet. We found a bit of butt room, sat, sighed,
and relaxed.
At this point of rock there was a full 360 degree view and sheer drop-offs in all angles but our ascent of a
dizzying and endless fall. Changing positions was a slow and deliberate process on all fours.
Continuing along from Kala Pattar's peak toward Pumori, the ridge dipped downward sharply and on a
knives edge wound up and down before ascending sharply into a snowline to the top of Pumori, three
kilometers away. My first thought was of the Baxter Peak in Maine and the two mile trail to Paloma
Peak, billed as having a 2,000 foot drop-off. So, I had to imagine walking across to Pumori, but the
senses and rationale of even this man's imagination screamed stop!, my stomach rolled and I couldn't
even imagine it. Pumori is truly beautiful, the ridge line bouncing along to raise full of snow to 23,500
feet. My eyes followed the smooth lines of the white peak, and fell along a steep line on the right side.
Pumori was very close, 'in our face'. I can't emphasize enough how wonderful and scary this sight of
Pumori was, and to be at such a point of exposure, was literally breathtaking. My nerves were taut with
excitement. But, wait! Andy, the lead climber of Henry Todd's has soloed up the closest ridge line, over
the top, and down the far line. My mind was spinning!
Of course most people's attention was to the east, to the granddaddy of them all - Everest, a big 8848
meters, 29028 feet, the height of transoceanic jets, in the jet stream! This view was the goal of many
trekkers who have toiled to over 5,000 meters, people who suffered through altitude sickness, through
blisters, sprains, yak trains, and cold. To spend so much time and money and effort for a view of one
mountain must be considered ridiculous to some, crazy even. But when I looked down at the many on
the ridge along the chortens, the many slowly weaving up the mountainside, the few who practically
crawled into the little space at the very top of Kala Pattar, I felt a great sense of well being, of being a
part of a whole paying homage to Nature's greatest, an effort not in the least in waste - the Mountain
Mecca.
Everest appears as a dark triangular peak, too steep to hold much snow, partially hidden behind it's
Western ridge. Off the top to the right runs a gradual line followed by the Hillary Step at 300 meters
below the top. Everest has a definite look to it, between the profile and dark color, it is very distinctive.
We were high on Kala Pattar, imagine climbing another 3,000 meters to the top of Everest?! And Lauri
was one of who were to attempt this year.
Looking toward Everest, eight kilometers away, the view skims the Khumbu Glacier and valley. It's a long
mass of stone on top of ice, like a tongue laying down the U-shaped valley. The southern or right edge is
a line of white from a distance, a mass of seraks at closer inspection. At the top of the glacier, below the
bowl of surrounding mountains we could see spots of yellow, blue, green. Just dots, three miles away,
but there it was, the second goal of our endeavors, Everest Base Camp. There were about a hundred
spots of color, mostly tents. Crashing down Everest, from the right of the valley end, around Everest's
western ridge, is the famed Khumbu Icefall, a huge incline of giant blocks of ice and crevasses 700
meters in height. Even from this far, the icefall looks daunting.
Another huge peak, close and spectacular and across the glacier, is Nuptse (7861m), sheer, steep, high.
Nuptse is just south of Everest and is separated from Everest by the Khumba Icefall. Unlike Everest,
similar to other peaks around, Nuptse is lighter in color, gray granite where snow is absent. The other
big peaks forming the monstrous amphitheater between Everest and Pumori are Changtse (7550m),
Khumtse (6665m), and Lingtren (6749m). And to think of this teases my mind. Lhotse, Everest,
Khumbtse, Lingtren, Pumori, Chumbu all border China, Tibet was only a few kilometers away!
I had to think of Lauri. Here is this girl who must have a totally different perspective than John and I. She
would never say it, but others had, John and I were "just trekking". As excited as John and I were, as
much anguish we suffered in eight days, fifty kilometers, and 2700 meters in altitude, we really are only
"just trekkers" and not here for the big haul. Her mind could never say that this walk to Kala Pattar was
difficult, that the walk in was though, that the time monotonous. Bigger questions must loom. Every
dimension must be with different perspective - distances, heights, time. For Lauri to meet her goal, the
effort was not just fifty kilometers, a few thousand meters, eight days. No, let's put our trekking into
perspective, for Lauri it would be unknown repetitive long kilometers, an addition 3,000 meters above
Kala Pattar for the final assault and many partial ascents, a minimum of six more weeks of preparation,
living in close quarters with others, and waiting. I felt my efforts were inconsequential in comparison.
How could I complain of the frustration of weakness at this altitude? How can I complain of asthma?
How dare I think of taking Dimox when I sleep poorly (I haven't) ? I have read of the sacrifices of those
that challenge Everest, but to live them as she will?! How could one really know?
The view at this pinnacle was incredibly awesome, I wish I could have stayed for the afternoon laying in
a flat-ish cubby and warm, but the wind would tease by coming and going, so after forty five minutes we
descended to the ridge line to warmer views for a bit.
Of course descending was a hell of a lot easier than climbing at 18,000 feet. The time was nearing 11am
and a line of people were still weaving their way up. I noticed the weather picking up, light clouds
forming across the sky that would soon thickly cover the sun. These people were too late for the view,
for pictures, for weather.
John was sitting in the smoky dinning area / kitchen and had already eaten. There was a dozen or so
there, bundled, sitting , and talking. After our breakfast we headed to Base Camp.
The walk took two and a half hours. It started by walking across a small dry lakebed, the sand fine
enough for volleyball, maybe thirty courts, but only a few people and yaks were there. Soon we passed a
memorial to Rob Hall, a hilltop chorten with prayer flags. Rob Hall died while attempting to save client
Doug Hansen on top of Everest in May 1996. While immobile before perishing near the summit, a phone
call was relayed to his wife at home in New Zealand where they named their forthcoming daughter. The
story was made most famous in Krakauer's "Into Thin Air".
The trail ascended at the lakebed end to a fun flat walk along a long narrow hill parallel to the glacier.
About an hour and a half into the hike, the we dropped into the glacier itself, a moonscape of varying
sized round boulders. We were cautioned to carefully follow the cairns and yak dung or else we would
easily be lost. The walk slowly ascended towards the head of the valley and to Base Camp.
Base Camp is surreal, a wide expanse of ground glacial stone stretching the length of the valley and to
the edges of the steep mountains. Laid with a fair amount of surrounding space are the colorful tents,
group by expedition, along with support buildings such as kitchen, mess tent, communications building,
supply building, and loo. These buildings are made and year re-made of flat stone walls and tarpaulin
roofs.
Three of us stood on the edge of Base Camp and surveyed the city and looked for signs of the Henry
Todd Expedition. There were a few sets prayer flags centered on chortens, to the right was a tent
reading "OTT", not many other descriptive signs exist.. From one end of Base Camp to the other must be
a kilometer, and finding Henry Todd easily took asking people for help. We were directed left and away
from the Khumu Icefall and after a few minutes of stumbling over stone Lauri recognized a expedition
member.
We met Henry Todd and the expedition lead climber, Andy Lapkas. They welcomed us, made us feel
comfortable, and had no problem with us overnighting. We met a few others who happily greeted us. At
4pm, the
tea bell rang and we all files into the mess tent. There was large pots of hot water and tea and packs of
biscuits. Henry mentioned something about the biscuits under his breath and left for a moment to
return with a nice large tin of English biscuits. Our eyes must have lit - a whole container of fancy
cookies! A bit later Ray said that they didn't get the special biscuits, we must be important. We weren't
complaining, and we definitely ate more than our share.
When Graham found that John and I were computer, he told of a problem with linking his computer to
the satellite phone. John jumped at the opportunity, eager for the challenge and with confidence he
reassured them of success.
During tea a large government representative showed a young boy into the tent and introduced him as
the fifteen year old Nepali boy that will climb Everest. This boy was slight in physique and manner and
simply smiled proudly when I looked at him. I thought back to the Everest Documentation Center where
I found a photo of the first Nepali female to summit Everest - she died the following day, alas, a hero.
This boy seemed too young and too soft for such a challenge. He has not climbed a major mountain.
Henry later told me that the government representative asked for Henry's help with summiting the boy,
Henry politely refused.
At dinner we saw Nick and met the rest of the crew, a handful of really nice people, jovial, interesting.
We had heard a wonderful rumor about the food at Base Camp being good, better and safer then the
tea houses, and we were now able to experience for ourselves and found the rumor to be true. Great
steamed momos (like Chinese dumplings) and potatoes were preceded with soup. Henry's expedition is
the least expensive to Everest so I have to wonder what the luxuries of the others are.
Below is a list of the members of Henry Todd's Everest and Lhotse expeditions. All have done at least
one 8,000 meter except Karla. I do not know each and every accomplishment, I did not formally
interview anyone, but gathered the following in conversation...
Lauri (35) - Cho Oyo, Aba Dablam, lives at 9,000 feet in Vail, leads 5-11 rock climbs, ice climbs, very
strong climber
Nick (60) - Cho Oyo, attempting Lhotse. Incredibly fast, from Aspen.
Henry Todd (55) - Owner of Himalayan Guides, based in Edinburgh, organizer, socializer. depth of
mountaineering stories, knows the people involved. Knows Mark Pheitzer from Newport, together in
May 1996, the disaster year for Rob Hall and Scott Fischer expeditions. Mark abandoned attempt after
cracking ribs from altitude problems, later summitted Cho Oyo for confidence builder making Mark
youngest to summit 8000 meter. Mark recently wrote book. Henry Todd motto, "If you're not having
fun, you're in the wrong place".
Peta (48?) - descended temporarily because of cold, lead climber for Lhotse. Henry's life partner.
Andy Lapkas (40) - lead climber, soloed Pumori up one side and down other, did Everest about ten years
ago, Cho Oyu with Henry and Lauri last year.
Dave (55?) - good humor man from Bahamas, sponsored by Barcadi, owned sky diving company for a
few years. Funny, into advertising Barcadi with blow up bottles and Barcadi blimp in mess tent
Ray (49?) - Kiwi in Perth, did Everest Marathon a few years ago and came in third, falling six times and
twisting knee black. Did Antarctic Marathon near Russian Base near South America. Secondary school
teacher says kiddingly, "looking for respect". Sat next to Edmund and Lady Hillary on flight to
Kathmandu.
Graham (53?) - filming for BBC. did Everest from north, if successful, first Englishman to do Everest from
both sides
Karla (45?) - Italian, teaches math university of Colorado
Elsa Carsolio (30?) - Mexican, a number of 8000 peaks under belt, but hasn’t climbed since 1992.
attempted Everest and came within 45 minutes when she realized oxygen regulator wasn't allowing
flow. husband has done all fourteen 8,000m
Viviana (28?) - Mexican, support only
Mike Truman - subexpedition, connected to Henry mostly by paper, with 3-4 others
fun fact: Nepal religions: Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim 3% (1980)
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