Darcy and Marty's Everest Base Camp Trek

End of the Trail

2009-11-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

Nov 1, 2009

On Oct 27th, we flew to Pokhara to visit our Nepal House Kaski facility.

There we renewed acquaintance with Shiva & Basanta and met the other counsellors Veena and Laxmi (who was just recently hired).

The facility is in the Pokhara suburb of Kaski and although just off a main road, is down a lane and in an almost semi-rural setting with tranquil views of farm animals, fields being farmed, and an incredible view of the sacred mountain, Fish Tail. The play therapy & art therapy rooms are brightly painted and present a very cheery atmosphere for the children. We also met Leslie Chessick, from Vancouver, who has been in Pokhara for a couple of weeks and will be staying another 2 months to provide additional training for our counsellors.
The day after we went to NHK, the counsellors went to prepare (paint) the therapy room which they will be using at the AIDS facility to counsel children with AIDS.
We really enjoyed meeting everyone and seeing the facility now operational -what a great way to finish off our trek.

While everyone was busy painting, Marty and I were treated to a Nepali lunch at the home of our guide, Shiva Thapa, and his beautiful wife, Sharmila. (If anyone is planning on visiting Nepal, we would highly recommend Shiva and suggest you visit his website at http://www.dreamdiscoverytreks.com/)

The last couple of days we have been real tourists - riding on the back of an elephant in Royal Chitwan looking for rhinos, which is a bit safer than on foot, like a French group discovered. They came across a rhino and her baby and all 14 of them had to scramble up a tree. Our guide also calmly told us that 8 days earlier, one of his friends got trampled and killed by charging rhino.
I think our favourite part of the Chitwan tour was seeing how the Tharu people live. Their homes have thatched-roofs with walls constructed of elephant grass and covered with a mixture of mud and dung. In contrast we did notice that many have electricity and tv antennae's perching on their roofs.

All in all, we have had an amazing journey but we are ready to board our plane and head back home to family and friends, and huge green salads.

Kathmandu

2009-10-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

Oct 27, 2009

Yesterday we arrived back in Kathmandu. We had the 1st flight out but when the incoming plane landed, there was mayhem and everyone, including ourselves rushed through the doors and on to the tarmac. Some people were waved on to the plane and the rest of us just waited. Then we were told there were 2 seats left and we could board. As we were three (Darcy, Marty & Shiva our guide) we declined to which the agent said "OK three!" So on we got and the plane immediately started to roll. The take off was a little longer than usual which makes me think we were slightly overloaded with 3 additional passengers as we lifted off with only a little runway to spare (after which there was a steep drop off over a precipitous cliff).

It was a great shock to get back to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu but great to be able to have a fresh salad and a room with hot water. The variety of food is much greater and the costs are about 40% of what they were up country. Darcy is happy not to be eating Sherpa Stew 3 times a day!

Today we are leaving for Pokhara where Nepal House Kaski has their facilities. This will be our first visit there as last time we were here in 2006 the idea of Nepal House was just a glimmer in the imagination of a few dedicated people.

We'll report again once we've had our visit.

Marty & Darcy

Back in Lukla

2009-10-25T01:59:00.000-07:00

October 25th, Lukla
This morning we hiked our last stretch of the trek from Phakding to Lukla in 2 1/2 hours. Marty was like a horse heading for the barn - never saw anything so fast the entire trip.
The last two days have been very interesting for us as we retrace our steps and see how our perspective has changed since we started on the journey.
On our return, our room in Namche with a private bathroom and hot shower felt like we were living at the Ritz, whereas on the way out, our thoughts were probably more like "this will do".
During our trek, as we gained altitude the harsh realities of life on the mountain sunk in rather quickly. Beyond Namche it was pretty well squat toilets all the way. Marty killed himself laughing when I got excited after the porters told me I had an ensuite in Machhermo and then I discovered that the ensuite was a rather smelly squat toilet and that's it. A number of the squat toilets had rather spongy urine-soaked plywood floors with a rough rectangular hole cut in the middle. One was so wobbly, it conjured up images of the scene in 'Slum Dog Millionaire' and we were both rather tentative in using it.
Lukla is a permanent community, unlike places like Gorak Shep, or Thangnak, or Lobuche which pretty well close down when it is not trekking season. The cyber cafe we are using is in a place with a sign advertising that it is a Starbucks. What are the chances they will have my Earl Grey Tea Misto?
Ciao for now. Marty will try to write a little tomorrow if we get to Kathmandu.

2009-10-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

October 24^th Namche Bazaar

WE DID IT! Our trek is almost over and it has been one of the most exhilarating, challenging and eventful experiences we have ever shared.

Rather than take the more common eastern route to Everest Base Camp, we decided to take the circular route, starting up the Gokyo Valley to Gokyo Ri (Peak), where we got our first glimpse of Mt.Everest. This route necessitated our climbing the steep mountain pass, Cho-La, to cross over to Gorak Shep on the eastern side, the starting point for our Everest Base Camp (EBC) and Kala Pattar treks.

Since leaving Namche, the weather has been clear and the scenery breathtaking. We’ve come to recognize many 6000, 7000 and 8000 metre peaks along the route – Thamserku and Kantega, Cholatse and Tawoche, Cho-oyu and Machhermo, Nuptse and Lohtse, Everest, and our favourite – Ama Dablam. Having only seen the summit of Everest from the western side, Nuptse and Lohtse seem more imposing. Colourful prayer flags indicate that we are approaching either a new settlement or a peak. Cowbells ringing in the distance announce the arrival of an approaching yak train.

The trails are heavily trafficked by animal trains of yaks and jhokpas, porters and trekkers. Many of the trails are narrow and not for the faint of heart as they cling to steep, precipitous mountainsides. One misstep and one could fall 1000 ft into a river below.

Speaking of missteps, Darcy has had a few. In her inimitable fashion, she got sideswiped by a motorcyclist in Kathmandu (before leaving on the trek), just moments after commenting that one never sees any accidents on the chaotic streets. She has a rather large, colourful bruise on her right leg but no permanent damage.

Then 5 days into the trek she sprained her ankle while trying to photograph yet another yak while walking. (The message here could be no “yakking” while hiking). After hiking to Machhermo, we decided to spend an extra day to acclimatize, to let Darcy rest her leg and also to visit the local clinic about her foot. The doctor said it was a classic sprain and taped it up. Beyond that, our choices were to continue on or get helicoptered out. (We have heard on average about 2 helicopters per day evacuating people with AMS or injuries from nasty falls)

Continuing on, Darcy managed to climb the very steep Cho-La (ChoLa pass) with little difficulty in spite of her ankle and then on a rather flat section of path, slipped on a patch of ice breaking a bone in 2 places at the base of her pinky. Luckily a Swiss couple had some tape and with an aluminum tent peg, fashioned a splint which she used until we visited a medical clinic in Pheriche, 4 days later.

After all these events, Marty thinks Darcy should answer to the name “Lucky”

While we originally thought EBC would be our greatest challenge, it was Cho-La that caused us the greatest concern, after other trekkers warned us how difficult it was and learning that the week prior it was closed due to hazardous snow conditions. It was a steep, snowy and rocky ascent up to an elevation of approximately 17,500 feet. Starting in Thangnak and finishing up in Tukla, it was a tiring, but satisfying, 10 ½ hour day.

After hiking up both Gokyo Ri and Cho-La (both roughly the same elevation as EBC), we both felt confident that we would be able to face EBC and Kala Pattar.

The hike to EBC was different and more challenging perhaps than we’d imagined. It was very rocky as we had to cross the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier which was a mixture of ice and rock. Because it is not the Everest climbing season (usually April May), EBC was virtually deserted – just prayer flags, memorials and 2 tents set up for workers who were removing the aluminum ladders from the Khumbu Ice Fall after an autumn attempt on Everest by an Indian expedition. When we arrived at EBC, we met up with a British Royal Navy team who were filming a documentary called “Battlescarred”. Ben, a 22 year old, who’d lost an arm and leg in Afghanistan was to be featured in it. We’d first seen Ben on the 5^th day of our trek and found it pretty emotional to see that he had made it on his prosthetic leg.

The following morning we decided to climb up Kala Pattar for sunrise. Starting at 4 am, with our headlamps, it was step, breathe, step breathe, taking small steps, walking steadily uphill for almost 2 hours to the summit of 5,550 metres (18,315 ft). At times, we’d turn off our lights and watch for falling stars. Venus shone brightly to the right of Everest. Arriving before sunrise, we sat on the peak and froze for about 20 minutes in the -10 C, watching the sun rise over various peaks. It was then that Shiva said it will take some time for the sun to hit Everest. We were about to descend when we heard a deafening avalanche release just beside us on Pomori. It was an incredible sight to witness.

To avoid AMS (altitude mountain sickness) we tried to follow the recommended regime of ascending 1000 meters every 3 days and then have a rest day (which could include a small hike at similar altitudes). We also used Diamox throughout the trek. Three young climbers from Calgary thoughtfully suggested that we shouldn’t be concerned about AMS as “older people” usually hike too slowly to be at risk. They were right. However, Marty did say he got “altitude headaches” from bashing his head against the low doorframes!

Internet connections here are very spotty. We will continue when we get to Kathmandu

Acclimatization Day

2009-10-11T05:25:00.001-07:00

Oct 12th
A heavy mist covered Namche this morning as we headed out for our acclimatization hike to the green roofed villages of Kunde (12,672 ft) and Khumjung (12,475 ft). We were out of breath right away as we had to climb up steep steps carved in the hill above the town for more than an hour. After that it was up and down until a final descent into Kunde. Along the way we passed (always on the left) numerous miniature stupas (shrines) called "schorten", usually preceded by stone "mani walls" laden with flat stones inscribed with the prayer "o mani padme om". At the final schorten above Kunde, we added our own prayer scarves to the collection to ensure our safe journey. At Kunde we visited the small medical clinic funded by Canadian members of the Sir Hillary Foundation. As we walked to Khumjung we passed fields bordered by low stone walls festooned with hand flattened cow dung, which was being dried for winter fuel. After a stop at the local monastery, we headed for Everest Bakery to enjoy some tasty ("mito" in Nepali) apple pie and cinnamon buns before returning home. The hike back started with an initial short, but steep ascent and ended with a spectacular view right above Namche.

We are getting into a daily routine of rising at 6 am, breakfast at 7 am and starting off on our hike by 7:30 or 8 am. It is cold in the mountains late in the afternoon, so as soon as we arrive at the guesthouse, we shower (but today will probably be our last for 10 days), change into our warm clothes and sit in the restaurant eating, sipping tea, and reading until we hit the sack at about 8 pm.
We have really enjoyed the trek so far, chatting with other trekkers along the way and hearing their amazing stories - like Bill, another Canadian, who is 77 years old and hiking to Everest Base Camp for the fifth time.

Tomorrow we head off to Dole, a 7 hour hike which will be relatively easy until the last 2 hours or so when it ends with another steep ascent of approximately 1600'.

This could be our last blog for a while as there may be no internet access beyond this point.

The trek really starts

2009-10-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

Oct 11th
Today was our first real challenge. We left Phakding at 8800 feet and finished up at Namche Bazaar at approximately 11,500 feet.
It was a gloriously sunny day, warm enough to hike in shorts and t-shirts. Initially the trekking was quite slow because of the johkpa traffic (the yak/cow cross we talked about yesterday). The path led us through small villages, along rushing rivers, and over a number of long suspension bridges, with their faded prayer flags blowing in the breeze. There were hundreds of trekkers on this portion of the trail but apparently it thins out after Namche as people go on different routes.
After about 3 hours of hiking we started our climb to Namche Bazaar, an altitude gain of roughly 700 meters, which took us about an hour and 45 minutes. While this is less of a gain than the Grouse Grind at home it is a little more challenging as we are just beginnnimg to acclimatize to the altitude.
The operative word is still "bistari bistari".
Namche is a colourful town hanging on the side of a steep hill (one that we will be climbing tomorrow as we make an acclimatization hike to Khunde and Khumjung and back). We feel we are staying in luxury at Khumbu Lodge as we have what appears to be a real bed and we both had an incredibly hot shower.
Next blog tomorrow after our day hike.

Yahoo!!!

2009-10-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

We actually made it out today. It was a glorious flight and not quite as hair-raising as the You-Tube video suggests. We stopped for tea in a beautiful little teahouse in Lukla while our porters Indra and Gurkha went to retrieve their gear and then we headed out for a leisurely (and easy)hike downhill to Phakding. So far, the trail reminds us of the Annapurna trek - winding pathways passing through tiny villages of stone buildings with bright blue trim, women drying corn on roofs or on the ground, and porters weighted down with huge cargos of anything from a satellite dishes to chickens to trekkers gear. Instead of goats and cows, today we were accompanied by pack animals that looked like small yaks but were actually a cross between a yak and a cow.
We are staying in a guesthouse tonight with our own private bathroom with a western toilet and possibly hot water. Life is good.
Tomorrow will be one of our toughest days as we have a 6 or 7 hour hike ending with the equivalent of a Grouse Grind at the end at 3450 metres. Our word for the day will be 'bistari' (slowly)
Namaste until tomorrow.

Groundhog Day

2009-10-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

In many of the tourist shops in Kathmandu they sell a t-shirt that says "Same Same...but different". That pretty well sums up today.

We feels like we are in the movie "Groundhog Day". We got up, and headed to the airport for the third time, past the same cows at the side of the road, past the same dog lying in the middle of the intersection, past the same street hawkers, and pushed our way through the crowd (we are getting better at it) to get to the ticket booth and then waited for our plane to be called.
Today the weather was sunny and clear in Kathmandu and our porters, who are patiently waiting in Lukla, said the weather was also good there. However, by the time our 10:30 flight was ready to leave (at about 2:30), the winds had picked up and the airport in Lukla temporarily stopped accepting flights and eventually closed down at 4 pm. So, since we arrived in Kathmandu our daily experience has been sitting at the airport from about 8 am to 4 pm munching on spicy cheese puffs and drinking malasa tea and commiserating with other disgruntled travellers .

What we have realized is that the flights run way behind schedule, the earlier flights seem to get out each day, and the later flights are essentially on standby. Today, we raised a bit of a fuss with the airline manager and he has "guaranteed" us that we will be on the second flight tomorrow.
We shall see..

The Not-So-Young and Restless - and still in Kathmandu

2009-10-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

October 8th
We were not quite as excited as we headed for the airport this morning as we heard the rain hitting the tin roof all night and it still hadn't cleared as we maneouvered through the morning traffic to the airport. Check-in was comparatively easy today - perhaps because most people had given up hope. Our 9 a.m. flight was re-scheduled to leave by 10:30 which stretched out to noon by the time we received our boarding call. We boarded the bus, were driven to the airplane, but before we had a chance to get on the plane, Lukla airport was closed again and we were driven back to the terminal.
Another hour and another masala chai later, our flight was announced again. We were hustled onto the bus, driven to the plane and actually got on this time. As the plane was taxiing we got a call that the last plane was turning back and the Lukla airport was now closed for the day.
Shiva, our guide, who always looks at the brighter side, pointed out that we had at least made progress today. While it is a little disappointing, we knew beforehand that this is a common occurrence for Lukla.
They say third time lucky so we will keep our fingers crossed and try again tomorrow.

No Luck, No Lukla

2009-10-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Oct 7, 2009
This morning we excitedly left for the airport at 9:00 AM to catch a 10:30 flight to Lukla, the starting point of our trek to EBC.Our vehicle had a flat on the way, which the driver changed in record time, even though he had to do it on a busy road AND remove all the baggage from the trunk to allow acces to the spare.
The scene at check-in at the domestic terminal was total mayhem - reminded Darcy of her trip to Africa. There was no semblance of a queue anywhere with everyone pushing and shoving and passing luggage over the heads of others to get to the front of the line.
The weather was rainy but flights were still doing the run back & forth to Lukla (but late), a flight of approximately 35 minutes. The flight before ours finally made it out and back but flights started getting delayed because of visibility problems and ours never got called.
We, along with about 400 unhappy trekkers, all scrambled to get refunds and rebooked for the next day.
We'll try again tomorrow. Hope we have better Lukla.

Vancouver to Kathmandu

2009-10-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

October 6th.
Namaste.
The most eventful part of the trip was getting out of Vancouver. First Darcy got randomly chosen for an enhanced security check which included a full patdown and the emptying of the entire contents of both her carry-on backpack and purse. Because we thought we were running late, we decided to try to our Nexus passes thinking this would be quicker. Big mistake. Marty was then chosen for a random check and this entailed pulling off all of our luggage from the flight so that it could be electronically scanned. They discovered we had dried fruit in our luggage (for the trek) which we didn't declare as "fruit" as we were only in transit through Seattle for 2 hours and the Air Canada attendant said it was unnecessary. A very officious young woman quoted the laws verbatim and told us we were in contravention and could lose our Nexus passes. Not to worry - we don't plan on using it again!
We flew Korean Air from Seattle to Seoul, where we overnighted, and then on to Kathmandu the following morning. This airline was a delight - very attentive service, good food, and real cutlery!

We arrived in Kathmandu where we were picked up by our guide, Shiva Thapa, who we met three years ago on our Annapurna trek. Kathmandu can be overwhelming the first time you go there, but for us it was familiar and exhilarating to revisit this vibrant, yet chaotic city - cars, motorbikes, street vendors, shopkeepers and pedestrians all vying for space on narrow half-paved streets, the width of a pedestrian mall.

One can easily suffer from sensory overload with the constant honking of horns, the mingling smells of incense, garbage and food, and the colourful displays of pashminas, hiking gear, and other assorted paraphenalia hanging out into the streets. While the street vendors greet you with 'Namaste" and want you to go in to their stores, they are not aggressive and a simple "no-thank you" suffices.

Today is a day of rest to catch up on jetlag. Tomorrow we fly to Lukla at 10 am (assuming the flight leaves - see You Tube link previous entry) where we immediately commence trekking downhill to Phakding. Next blog will probably be from Namche Bazaar.

2009-09-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Sept 30, 2009 (Marty)
Well we leave in a few days and the excitement is building. Amazing to think we’ll soon get to see the highest point on earth. Having the time and the health to do this trek is a privilege.
Darcy has been diligent in making sure we have adequate training in preparation for the trek. We’ve done some beautiful hikes in the last couple of months - Singing Pass & Musical Bumps (Whistler), Ice Line & Emerald Triangle (Yoho Nat’l Park), Panorama Ridge (near Black Tusk), Ptarmigan Ridge (Mt.Baker), Elfin Lakes (Squamish) and numerous early morning hikes up Grouse before work. Unfortunately, it all becomes a bit of a blur as the day of departure draws near.
I feel we are adequately prepared physically but there’s always the unknown of Altitude Sickness which can strike even the most fit individual. We will be taking Diamox to prevent this but this presents the problem of having to drink copious amounts of water – more water to purify and carry with us. The trick will be to acclimatize slowly to the altitude and keep to a slow steady pace. We will be flying in to Lukla at 9400 feet but will immediately hike down for 3 or 4 hours which should make it an easier adjustment. Speaking of Lukla, the nearest airport to Everest, it’s supposed to be a pretty hairy airstrip – 12% grade – landing uphill dead ending against a barrier and taking off downhill over a cliff. Try this link to have a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqgZvb37NX0 .

2009-09-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

September 21, 2009
It is hard to believe that we only have 12 days left before we head off to Kathmandu.
I guess it is time to start making some serious decisions about what to take and what to leave behind.
Due to higher elevations, it is recommended that porters only care 12 to 15 kg, including their own gear (and obviously the same or less for us). With a 4 lb backpack and almost the same weight for our sleeping bags, we are a little nervous that we won’t be able to take all what we think we will be the absolute essentials: a down jacket, a gortex jacket, rain/wind pants, a fleece, long sleeve thermal top, long underwear, 2 t shirts, 1 set of hiking clothes, 1 set of camp clothes, hats, mitts, 4 pairs of hiking socks, towel, toiletries, first aid kit, camera, diary, water pouch, nalgene bottle, high energy snacks

After picking up our preventative medications at London Drugs, we wonder why we don’t have shares in the company. We have: Diamox to reduce the risk of AMS (acute mountain sickness), dexamethasone in case we do get it, Dukoral (to prevent travellers’ diarrhea), cipro just in case we do get it, Simbicort and Flovent for my asthma, prednisone in case those medications don’t work well enough…you get the idea

Courtney and Chelsea put on their “Into Thin Air” fundraiser last night at The Cellar. About 130 people showed up to support the event and while the final count isn’t in yet, they raised over $1,000. The D.J’s, Nathan and Sean, were great but I have to admit that my voice is still hoarse from trying to talk over the music and I think I am only now getting my hearing back