Wednesday March 28
We just said goodbye to Laura, Renee, Jane, and Sasha... And Naga, our Buddhist monk/ guide. It is so sad to see them walk away- they are heading downhill, and we are heading back up hill-although after a relatively warm night, we aren't looking forward to more cold nights.
We will be off-grid for the next few days, so check out Linden's blog for his sat phone call posts.
Love to you all and wish us the best karma!!!
Xoxoxo
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Pheriche, again!
Tuesday, March 27
Corell and I rocked our borrowed down suits this morning at breakfast- we woke up so cold, despite the, theoretically, warmer night. We were also very pleased with ourselves because we only broke free of the tent once each during the snowy night. The path to the toilet tents is a bit precarious, and I was worried that in my exhausted stupor, I would somehow slip off one of the rocking rocks. Corell is still winning in the sleep department, not sure why.
Today was a long day...we said goodbye to Jeff, although we Island Peakers hope to see him on trail in a few days...still, I hate to say goodbye! We have loved having him with us... We left EBC all bundled up, freezing, and then had to navigate the "minefields" of glacial moraine. Still think we are lucky that no one has injured themselves-- but I must admit that in the past couple of weeks, we have each drastically improved in the "mountain goat" department. My vote for Best Trooper? Renee. With recently injured ankles, she has such courage to brave the incredibly uneven terrain every day. And today, as I said, was long. We dropped about 3300 ft over the course of ?11 miles and about 7-8 hours of walking- most of it on treacherous ankle-snapping terrain. We walked down past Gorak Shep, this time covered in snow, and then on to Lobuche for lunch. After lunch we walked past the memorial grounds at the top of the Thukla pass, and headed down the other side. The clouds came in, alternately covering us and then breaking. By the time we reached the valley where Pheriche is located, the landscape was eerie. Rocks and fog, and a few stone-walled compounds. Our tea house was a most welcome site.
Corell and I are thrilled to have, in comparison to our last visit, a room with light-colored walls. No doom and gloom- what a difference!!! We bolted to the showers since we will be un-showered for the next 5 days as we tackle Island Peak. After another delicious dinner of Dal Bhat, Corell hit the bag a bit earlier than usual while I am staying up trying to figure out why sending these posts is so problematic. 14,000ft or simply idiocy? I will try again in the am...before we leave for Chukkung... and before we say goodbye to the rest of our teammates who are walking down to Namche Bazaar tomorrow and then onto Lukla on Thursday.
On a fun note, we met up with Mark Tucker, RMI guide and Base Camp Manager again this year. Mark was one of the senior guides on the expedition skills seminar I took on Rainier in '09- so it is fun to see him here. In addition to no showers for our Island Peak adventure, my understanding is that there will be no Internet or cell connectivity as well. I will post blogs, I hope, once we re-enter civilization. Linden will be calling in on the sat phone, so check out RMI's blog for news while we are off-grid. For the record, I am nervous about this climb--- being cold and tired and weak. Jeff and Linden have made a great effort to help me be at my best- including limiting my carrying my own pack- and you know how that gets me! So, I am working on my "PMA"- positive mental attitude and hope that this time, I will have a successful summit. If not, I will have another story to tell! It's late, and I need to get to sleep... Hope all is well back home--- and thanks for the blog comments- we love them!!!! Xoxo
Corell and I rocked our borrowed down suits this morning at breakfast- we woke up so cold, despite the, theoretically, warmer night. We were also very pleased with ourselves because we only broke free of the tent once each during the snowy night. The path to the toilet tents is a bit precarious, and I was worried that in my exhausted stupor, I would somehow slip off one of the rocking rocks. Corell is still winning in the sleep department, not sure why.
Today was a long day...we said goodbye to Jeff, although we Island Peakers hope to see him on trail in a few days...still, I hate to say goodbye! We have loved having him with us... We left EBC all bundled up, freezing, and then had to navigate the "minefields" of glacial moraine. Still think we are lucky that no one has injured themselves-- but I must admit that in the past couple of weeks, we have each drastically improved in the "mountain goat" department. My vote for Best Trooper? Renee. With recently injured ankles, she has such courage to brave the incredibly uneven terrain every day. And today, as I said, was long. We dropped about 3300 ft over the course of ?11 miles and about 7-8 hours of walking- most of it on treacherous ankle-snapping terrain. We walked down past Gorak Shep, this time covered in snow, and then on to Lobuche for lunch. After lunch we walked past the memorial grounds at the top of the Thukla pass, and headed down the other side. The clouds came in, alternately covering us and then breaking. By the time we reached the valley where Pheriche is located, the landscape was eerie. Rocks and fog, and a few stone-walled compounds. Our tea house was a most welcome site.
Corell and I are thrilled to have, in comparison to our last visit, a room with light-colored walls. No doom and gloom- what a difference!!! We bolted to the showers since we will be un-showered for the next 5 days as we tackle Island Peak. After another delicious dinner of Dal Bhat, Corell hit the bag a bit earlier than usual while I am staying up trying to figure out why sending these posts is so problematic. 14,000ft or simply idiocy? I will try again in the am...before we leave for Chukkung... and before we say goodbye to the rest of our teammates who are walking down to Namche Bazaar tomorrow and then onto Lukla on Thursday.
On a fun note, we met up with Mark Tucker, RMI guide and Base Camp Manager again this year. Mark was one of the senior guides on the expedition skills seminar I took on Rainier in '09- so it is fun to see him here. In addition to no showers for our Island Peak adventure, my understanding is that there will be no Internet or cell connectivity as well. I will post blogs, I hope, once we re-enter civilization. Linden will be calling in on the sat phone, so check out RMI's blog for news while we are off-grid. For the record, I am nervous about this climb--- being cold and tired and weak. Jeff and Linden have made a great effort to help me be at my best- including limiting my carrying my own pack- and you know how that gets me! So, I am working on my "PMA"- positive mental attitude and hope that this time, I will have a successful summit. If not, I will have another story to tell! It's late, and I need to get to sleep... Hope all is well back home--- and thanks for the blog comments- we love them!!!! Xoxo
Lobuche
Friday, 23 March
Well, after eight days on the trail, little things mean a lot. When we walked into our tea house in the windswept small village of Lobuche, we were all excited by our rooms. Light walls, sky-lights, carved and painted doors, wallhangings, and carpeted hallways all made us feel like the queens we are. Renee and Jane, however, had the ultimate throne room- complete with a Khumbu walk -in closet. And yes, they did hold audience, as only they can.
The rooms were so warm that we had a difficult time ignoring our yearnings to enjoy the sunlight and crash on our beds. Instead, we decided to follow Jeff and Linden's advice- to get out and walk around. At first, we told our chief Mother Earth Goddess, Renee, that we were going to town to check out the museum...and we "got" her! We felt pretty good about fooling her for that brief nanosecond until we realized that WE were the walking museum relics...sad, but true.
We went out to explore this tiny village, and it was a challenge to choose between the barren landscape and the barren landscape for our "photo shoot" backdrop. There is lots of laughter with this group- with Renee, Sasha, and Laura making comments that often bring me to my knees. My "standard" is "going to ground," but it is so dirty here that I try to avoid dropping that far when I lose strength from laughter. That said, I came close to the ground yesterday as the girls chose to do a squat pose for the shoot. (If I can ever get a strong enough signal to post photos- that one would make the blog!) As it is, after a week on the trail, we are the most awesome squatters around.
We laugh at ourselves because we cannot make it til 8:30 each night. Renee swears that we've yet to debase ourselves by "early-birding" because we dine nightly at...6. (Phew, so glad we dodged THAT label!) Each day, we begin with the shakedown of how we've slept, and each evening we end with our individual talks with Linden- when he measures our heart rates and oxygen saturations, and reviews our daily symptoms and med choices.
Today we hiked from Pheriche to Lobuche, and the landscape became rockier and all traces of green disappeared. We started out on a low grade incline- walking up along, and in, the alluvial fan of the Khumbu glacier. The middle part of our trek involved a steeper climb, and I was instructed by Jeff to "lose the pack" once my heart rate reached 135 bpm. I had been doing well before that, but once he said that, I went into what I call "vklempt" mode- when my heart rate speeds up and my throat constricts. So lose the pack I did- but I hated doing so. I don't like not carrying my own weight, but in addition to saving my energy for the Island Peak climb ahead, it allows me to better keep with the team- and minimize "accordioning" the line. Still, it pisses me off.
The neat part of the hike today was reaching the top of the Thukla pass. We climbed for about an hour after our tea break, and then crested out at a large chorten. On the far side of the chorten, I was surprised to see a football-sized field of chorten memorials for climbers who have been lost on Everest. We saw the chorten for Scott Fischer- a guide who died in the disastrous Everest season of 1996. The spot was moving, and Linden commented on just how sobering it was to pass through there last year on his way to his own summit of Everest.
The rest of the hike was up and over rock- sometimes a bit of a scramble, but mostly ankle-snapping territory. This world is desolate- that is, if you ignore all the yak trains and herders and Trekkers. We are fortunate to be walking early in the season--- less noise in the tea houses and less dust on the trail.
As far as those little things? Happiness is: sunlit rooms, hot lemon tea, hot water bottles for our sleeping bags, indoor plumbing, toilet seats, pistachios, Sherpa bread with rosemary and honey, and "warm days" ( it's all relative...).
It's "bag time"--- love to all back home!!
Sent from my iPad
Well, after eight days on the trail, little things mean a lot. When we walked into our tea house in the windswept small village of Lobuche, we were all excited by our rooms. Light walls, sky-lights, carved and painted doors, wallhangings, and carpeted hallways all made us feel like the queens we are. Renee and Jane, however, had the ultimate throne room- complete with a Khumbu walk -in closet. And yes, they did hold audience, as only they can.
The rooms were so warm that we had a difficult time ignoring our yearnings to enjoy the sunlight and crash on our beds. Instead, we decided to follow Jeff and Linden's advice- to get out and walk around. At first, we told our chief Mother Earth Goddess, Renee, that we were going to town to check out the museum...and we "got" her! We felt pretty good about fooling her for that brief nanosecond until we realized that WE were the walking museum relics...sad, but true.
We went out to explore this tiny village, and it was a challenge to choose between the barren landscape and the barren landscape for our "photo shoot" backdrop. There is lots of laughter with this group- with Renee, Sasha, and Laura making comments that often bring me to my knees. My "standard" is "going to ground," but it is so dirty here that I try to avoid dropping that far when I lose strength from laughter. That said, I came close to the ground yesterday as the girls chose to do a squat pose for the shoot. (If I can ever get a strong enough signal to post photos- that one would make the blog!) As it is, after a week on the trail, we are the most awesome squatters around.
We laugh at ourselves because we cannot make it til 8:30 each night. Renee swears that we've yet to debase ourselves by "early-birding" because we dine nightly at...6. (Phew, so glad we dodged THAT label!) Each day, we begin with the shakedown of how we've slept, and each evening we end with our individual talks with Linden- when he measures our heart rates and oxygen saturations, and reviews our daily symptoms and med choices.
Today we hiked from Pheriche to Lobuche, and the landscape became rockier and all traces of green disappeared. We started out on a low grade incline- walking up along, and in, the alluvial fan of the Khumbu glacier. The middle part of our trek involved a steeper climb, and I was instructed by Jeff to "lose the pack" once my heart rate reached 135 bpm. I had been doing well before that, but once he said that, I went into what I call "vklempt" mode- when my heart rate speeds up and my throat constricts. So lose the pack I did- but I hated doing so. I don't like not carrying my own weight, but in addition to saving my energy for the Island Peak climb ahead, it allows me to better keep with the team- and minimize "accordioning" the line. Still, it pisses me off.
The neat part of the hike today was reaching the top of the Thukla pass. We climbed for about an hour after our tea break, and then crested out at a large chorten. On the far side of the chorten, I was surprised to see a football-sized field of chorten memorials for climbers who have been lost on Everest. We saw the chorten for Scott Fischer- a guide who died in the disastrous Everest season of 1996. The spot was moving, and Linden commented on just how sobering it was to pass through there last year on his way to his own summit of Everest.
The rest of the hike was up and over rock- sometimes a bit of a scramble, but mostly ankle-snapping territory. This world is desolate- that is, if you ignore all the yak trains and herders and Trekkers. We are fortunate to be walking early in the season--- less noise in the tea houses and less dust on the trail.
As far as those little things? Happiness is: sunlit rooms, hot lemon tea, hot water bottles for our sleeping bags, indoor plumbing, toilet seats, pistachios, Sherpa bread with rosemary and honey, and "warm days" ( it's all relative...).
It's "bag time"--- love to all back home!!
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
A Day in Base Camp
We slept surprisingly well last night in our tents- the largest hurdle was getting out of our sleeping tent to walk across the rocks to the toilet tents. RMI has set up quite a mountain home here- with a lending library, movies, board games, and outdoor games. Solar-lit pathways and a communications tent make it seem very high tech. And then with Kumar the chef and his crew, dining is a highlight each day. For the first time in 10 days, I didn't have boiled eggs for breakfast!
It was great to have the morning to lounge a bit, but then Lucy, Corell and I went it on the glacier with Linden and Phura for some ice climbing training. While I had had some practice with fixed -line travel in an expedition skills course on Rainier a few years ago, Lucy and Corell hadn't. Linden set up a course with a few sections so that we could practice ascending, traversing and rappelling. I really enjoyed the ice climbing, but I am worried about the 500-800 ft head wall that we'll need to tackle on the way to the summit of Island Peak. It's not the Lhotse face on Everest, but it's a helluva lot of wall for me. Hopefully my knees won't give out mid-way. Our arrival in Everest Base Camp marked a transition for us- most of the group will be heading down and out tomorrow, but Lucy, Corell and I are gearing up for this climb. We are still hoping for those down suits, but alas, I think they will stay at EBC.
After a wonderful lunch, Corell and I did our devotionals, and we are struck once again about some of the similarities between Buddhism and Christianity. The concepts of dying to self, of compassion, and of oneness resonate. After our brief discussion, I again spent some time trying to get out these posts but the coverage was very spotty and my luck has been poor. Instead, we headed out to the horseshoe pit that Jeff created, and proceeded to play as we watched the snow cloudscape drift ever closer. Thank God for those downsuits, because weather became almost immaterial. As Sasha says, "They are the bomb!". And so we played snowshoes...and the game is very different on ice because the shoes slide and bounce. It was great fun, and I know we all looked fantastic in our suits! For the record, Sasha and Laura are the ringers, but Laura is now the Khumbu champion!
I felt better today, so I was better able to appreciate the food that Kumar prepared- fried cauliflower, pasta, meat pie--- and for dessert a chocolate cake! It's amazing that he can pull all of this off- with the aid of an oven, a pressure cooker and huge stove- all at 17,000 feet. Impressive. Muscles evaporate at high altitude, so food is an ultra -important part of each day. It is obvious that they take great pride in their work, as each course is served with a slight bow, and a shy smile.
Its been a tiring day, even though we actually didn't do too much. At this altitude, walking to the toilet tents wipes me out, and tugging on my snow boots leaves me gasping for breath. The snow has been falling since late afternoon, obscuring the landscape and our earlier footprints. Linden and Jeff tell us that it should be warmer tonight because of the heat trapped by the cloud cover- so here's hoping I won't need to sleep in the down suit!
Love to all!!
Sent from my iPad
Monday, March 26, 2012
EVEREST BASE CAMP!!!!!
Excited to leave our fine digs in Gorak Shep, as soon as the sun hit, we hit the trail. I've been feeling a bit iffy the past couple of days- my gut in an uproar- so while I was eager to depart Gorak Shep, I wasn't eager to leave even gross rudimentary toilet facilities behind. But...onward. Jeff sprinted ahead because, well, he can- and he wanted to make sure base camp was set up for us. Our hike today was over similar rocky terrain, where concentration was critical to avoid injury. Our trail was flanked by huge mounds of dirt and rock on both sides- evidence of the immense power of the glacier- one huge construction site courtesy of God's bull-dozer. It really is impressive. Since we had had intermittent luck with cell service in GS, we made several breaks along the trail dictated by the pings of incoming texts. (I still have difficulty sending out my blog updates, so there may be a blog flurry when we return to Pheriche in a couple of days.)
I am still monitoring my pulse, and if it reaches 135, I have been dutifully following Jeff's advice and reluctantly yielding my pack. Today was no different- I carried it for half the trek, but gave it up at the crest of a hill when I maxed my pulse. (I think it has become obvious that I need to visit a pulmonologist/ exercise physiologist when I return.) It has been an interesting study-just not one in my favor.
After a couple of hours, we climbed down off the lateral moraines and onto the glacier itself. Here we were surrounded by the meringue of icy pinnacles formed by ice melt and the heave of glacier moving downhill, the surface ice pools (also formed by ice melt), the ice fall itself, and those mountains!! Surreal and other-worldly, we picked our steps carefully, inching ever closer to Everest Base Camp.
It seems that the Nepalese government issued a new restriction last week on trekkers spending the night in base camp. The outfitters reacted negatively, of course, and the restriction was stayed for this season. But we may be the last season of trekkers spending the night at EBC. Glad we came now.
We made it to "base camp rock"- an arbitrary rock on the glacier where trekking groups often turn- and we took a break. This time, Linden found a string of buried prayer flags, and Phura helped Corell and me string them up in memory of Tara. It is important to not step on these flags, even though they are often underfoot, and really bad karma to step over, rather than under, the streams. Made it kind of tricky for us on the summit of Kala Pattar...
Jaya, one of the base camp cooks, greeted us about half way on our final slog into base camp with warm mango juice. Talk about a treat and a warm greeting! When we finally pulled into RMI's site, the farthest one it seemed, we were further welcomed. The sun was warm, and we took advantage of a bit of down time to bask in its warmth until lunch was served- and lunch was delicious! A far,far cry from the ubiquitous tea house fare. Salad of fresh carrots and cucumbers, stuffed pastry, and I can't remember what else ( remember the three A's? Alzheimer's, age or altitude? Actually, there is a fourth "A", but alcohol is, for us at least, a non- issue at this altitude!).
After lunch, we settled into our tents- which Corell and I appreciated all the more after some of our tea house stays. That is, in good weather, of course- and we have been blessed with warm sunny mornings and afternoons, when the clouds roll in, where we've been relatively tucked away inside. Corell, Lucy and I- the three heading to Island Peak, had a short training session with Linden- going over equipment. Hard to believe that we'll be tackling another mountain in 4-5 days! And I am just a wee bit intimidated because Corell and Lucy are so much faster than I am, and if they slow down to my granny pace, Lucy will freeze. Guess we will have to see how that all plays out...
Before dinner, and while I was futzing with this iPad trying to catch the evanescent cell signal, I was called down to the dining tent. Linden and Jeff, in their great wisdom and, I think, love for this team of ours, presented us with the best gift of all- down suits! We are all so thrilled with them, regardless of the blimp look. We have had great fun trying to work the "trap doors" and managing the bulk. A few of us swore we'd sleep in them. It is amazing, but the cold hardly penetrates these babies! Corell, Lucy, and I hope we can borrow them for Island Peak- but we haven't heard the word on that yet.
Unfortunately, my gut has been on the warpath all afternoon - yet I am not sure what it is- so I've been popping every GI pill I have. Just praying to make it through the night without having to visit the "blue tent" too often so that I can get some sleep.
Lala Salama! (Oops, that's Swahili for "sleep well"--)
So, in Nepali- Ramro sanga sutnos!
Love to all!!!
Sent from my iPad
I am still monitoring my pulse, and if it reaches 135, I have been dutifully following Jeff's advice and reluctantly yielding my pack. Today was no different- I carried it for half the trek, but gave it up at the crest of a hill when I maxed my pulse. (I think it has become obvious that I need to visit a pulmonologist/ exercise physiologist when I return.) It has been an interesting study-just not one in my favor.
After a couple of hours, we climbed down off the lateral moraines and onto the glacier itself. Here we were surrounded by the meringue of icy pinnacles formed by ice melt and the heave of glacier moving downhill, the surface ice pools (also formed by ice melt), the ice fall itself, and those mountains!! Surreal and other-worldly, we picked our steps carefully, inching ever closer to Everest Base Camp.
It seems that the Nepalese government issued a new restriction last week on trekkers spending the night in base camp. The outfitters reacted negatively, of course, and the restriction was stayed for this season. But we may be the last season of trekkers spending the night at EBC. Glad we came now.
We made it to "base camp rock"- an arbitrary rock on the glacier where trekking groups often turn- and we took a break. This time, Linden found a string of buried prayer flags, and Phura helped Corell and me string them up in memory of Tara. It is important to not step on these flags, even though they are often underfoot, and really bad karma to step over, rather than under, the streams. Made it kind of tricky for us on the summit of Kala Pattar...
Jaya, one of the base camp cooks, greeted us about half way on our final slog into base camp with warm mango juice. Talk about a treat and a warm greeting! When we finally pulled into RMI's site, the farthest one it seemed, we were further welcomed. The sun was warm, and we took advantage of a bit of down time to bask in its warmth until lunch was served- and lunch was delicious! A far,far cry from the ubiquitous tea house fare. Salad of fresh carrots and cucumbers, stuffed pastry, and I can't remember what else ( remember the three A's? Alzheimer's, age or altitude? Actually, there is a fourth "A", but alcohol is, for us at least, a non- issue at this altitude!).
After lunch, we settled into our tents- which Corell and I appreciated all the more after some of our tea house stays. That is, in good weather, of course- and we have been blessed with warm sunny mornings and afternoons, when the clouds roll in, where we've been relatively tucked away inside. Corell, Lucy and I- the three heading to Island Peak, had a short training session with Linden- going over equipment. Hard to believe that we'll be tackling another mountain in 4-5 days! And I am just a wee bit intimidated because Corell and Lucy are so much faster than I am, and if they slow down to my granny pace, Lucy will freeze. Guess we will have to see how that all plays out...
Before dinner, and while I was futzing with this iPad trying to catch the evanescent cell signal, I was called down to the dining tent. Linden and Jeff, in their great wisdom and, I think, love for this team of ours, presented us with the best gift of all- down suits! We are all so thrilled with them, regardless of the blimp look. We have had great fun trying to work the "trap doors" and managing the bulk. A few of us swore we'd sleep in them. It is amazing, but the cold hardly penetrates these babies! Corell, Lucy, and I hope we can borrow them for Island Peak- but we haven't heard the word on that yet.
Unfortunately, my gut has been on the warpath all afternoon - yet I am not sure what it is- so I've been popping every GI pill I have. Just praying to make it through the night without having to visit the "blue tent" too often so that I can get some sleep.
Lala Salama! (Oops, that's Swahili for "sleep well"--)
So, in Nepali- Ramro sanga sutnos!
Love to all!!!
Sent from my iPad
Gorak Shep
Saturday, March 24
We had a short trekking day today- from Lobuche to lovely Gorak Shep. Motivated by the cell tower in the village, we were all looking forward to communicating with our families. The timing has been difficult- 6-7 AM here works with ~ 8 PM back home, but mornings are hurried with the gear shove and breakfast. In the evening, there is another window, but that corresponds to getting-ready-for-school time back home.
The trail was rocky today, as we continued up the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier. We stopped several times for yak trains, often in the worst possible spots on the trail. We'd scramble uphill, and attempt to get out of the way, but we don't have much yak trust these days. Lucy, however, has found a new role to add to her many talents- she is our " yak whisperer". When the yaks go by, she gives them encouraging words, admiring their head gear and earrings, and is generally most supportive. She is also the one to be found petting any dogs on the trail- some of whom have been darn cute.
The tea house where we are staying in Gorak Shep is dark and dingy. As Jeff says, "You can't use enough hand sanitizer in Gorak Shep.". And that is how it felt. As soon as we dropped our bags in our plywood-surround rooms, we went for our acclimatization hike up nearby Kala Pattar (18,200 ft). As many times as I've read about Kala Pattar, I was surprised about what I saw- a huge pile of dirt and rock rising a couple of thousand feet above the "Gorak Shep desert" behind the village. Apparently the name " Kala Pattar" means something like "large black rock."
The climb was steep initially, but we were rewarded with views of the Upper Khumbu valley and Everest. I can't believe we are finally here!!!
After our break at the " bench", we climbed further to the summit- and the last several hundred feet were complicated a bit by,you guessed it with this crew, some high winds- with gusts up to 35-40 mph. Considering we were often climbing from perch to perch, it made for some solid footwork and balance. ( Which brings me to my shoes: a couple of months ago, as Corell and I, or Sasha and I, we hiking the Priest trail (on the Appalachian trail), we noticed how we often felt unstable going downhill in our traditional hiking boots. For me, it often felt as though I couldn't feel the trail, and when I'd try to balance on a rock, the stiffer ankles on the boots would often kick me over. So, we migrated to hiking shoes and trail shoes- and what a difference! I can actually feel the trail beneath my feet, and my balance is worlds better because these shoes allow me to self-correct any mis-step. And so, on Kalar Pattar, and on the rocky rocky trail to Everest Base camp, they have been a god- send.)
Back on Kala Pattar, we scrambled to the summit in those winds, and then, as often happens to me on peaks, tried to find a little niche somewhat protected from the winds. The views were tremendous- base camp, up the icefall, and Everest. Still boggles my mind that Linden stood on top last spring! It was a gorgeous day, and our views even carried us into Tibet. Pretty wild to be here.
After the climb, we headed back down the mountain in time to place our "safe" orders for dinner. I wandered around to an internet cafe to type a blog entry, but after an hour or so of typing, that wonderful gift of a cell-tower went down, and my entry was lost- so I've had to retype.
So, for now, hope all is well back home. We love and miss you!
Xoxo
Sent from my iPad
We had a short trekking day today- from Lobuche to lovely Gorak Shep. Motivated by the cell tower in the village, we were all looking forward to communicating with our families. The timing has been difficult- 6-7 AM here works with ~ 8 PM back home, but mornings are hurried with the gear shove and breakfast. In the evening, there is another window, but that corresponds to getting-ready-for-school time back home.
The trail was rocky today, as we continued up the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier. We stopped several times for yak trains, often in the worst possible spots on the trail. We'd scramble uphill, and attempt to get out of the way, but we don't have much yak trust these days. Lucy, however, has found a new role to add to her many talents- she is our " yak whisperer". When the yaks go by, she gives them encouraging words, admiring their head gear and earrings, and is generally most supportive. She is also the one to be found petting any dogs on the trail- some of whom have been darn cute.
The tea house where we are staying in Gorak Shep is dark and dingy. As Jeff says, "You can't use enough hand sanitizer in Gorak Shep.". And that is how it felt. As soon as we dropped our bags in our plywood-surround rooms, we went for our acclimatization hike up nearby Kala Pattar (18,200 ft). As many times as I've read about Kala Pattar, I was surprised about what I saw- a huge pile of dirt and rock rising a couple of thousand feet above the "Gorak Shep desert" behind the village. Apparently the name " Kala Pattar" means something like "large black rock."
The climb was steep initially, but we were rewarded with views of the Upper Khumbu valley and Everest. I can't believe we are finally here!!!
After our break at the " bench", we climbed further to the summit- and the last several hundred feet were complicated a bit by,you guessed it with this crew, some high winds- with gusts up to 35-40 mph. Considering we were often climbing from perch to perch, it made for some solid footwork and balance. ( Which brings me to my shoes: a couple of months ago, as Corell and I, or Sasha and I, we hiking the Priest trail (on the Appalachian trail), we noticed how we often felt unstable going downhill in our traditional hiking boots. For me, it often felt as though I couldn't feel the trail, and when I'd try to balance on a rock, the stiffer ankles on the boots would often kick me over. So, we migrated to hiking shoes and trail shoes- and what a difference! I can actually feel the trail beneath my feet, and my balance is worlds better because these shoes allow me to self-correct any mis-step. And so, on Kalar Pattar, and on the rocky rocky trail to Everest Base camp, they have been a god- send.)
Back on Kala Pattar, we scrambled to the summit in those winds, and then, as often happens to me on peaks, tried to find a little niche somewhat protected from the winds. The views were tremendous- base camp, up the icefall, and Everest. Still boggles my mind that Linden stood on top last spring! It was a gorgeous day, and our views even carried us into Tibet. Pretty wild to be here.
After the climb, we headed back down the mountain in time to place our "safe" orders for dinner. I wandered around to an internet cafe to type a blog entry, but after an hour or so of typing, that wonderful gift of a cell-tower went down, and my entry was lost- so I've had to retype.
So, for now, hope all is well back home. We love and miss you!
Xoxo
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Rest day in Pheriche
Today was a rest day...again, a day free from packing exploded bags! This rest day also began with a bit more rest, as breakfast was delayed a bit. I had a fitful night sleep- had a difficult time breathing and even felt as if the sleeping bag was a bit restrictive. This new altitude of over 14K feet can play havoc with my physiology.
We took a day hike up the hill behind the HRA clinic, and when we reached our break, we had an awesome view up the Imja Khola valley to Island Peak- the objective for Lucy, Corell, and me...but all in due time. We will think more about that later. Island Peak, or Imja Tse, looks so...tiny compared to the surrounding peaks. The views from the top must be astounding- and I hope I get the chance to share my reflections on that experience.
Kathryn joined our "heart rate study" today...she's the third subject, well, fourth, including me. Her heart rate, after a steep bit of hill, was 99. Mine? An unfortunate 133. And so the story goes... My calves did feel a bit of burn today on the second part of the hike. We went up to over 15K, and the views were again, amazing. I don't know if I could get tired of these "hills" and my new "mantra song" may be
"Sound of Music"-
"The hills are alive, with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
the hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears.
...
I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more."
And so, I've been singing that one quite frequently. That is, when I'm allowed to, and not being told to focus on my breathing! At any rate, we had to come down from our high point, and we were grateful that this wasn't the Khumbu highway up the valley because we didn't have to dodge any yak trains.
We made it back for lunch, and, like so many days, our major decision was what to select for lunch. We put our orders in an hour or so ahead of time, so that we can sit down and eat without waiting. The Himalaya hotel is known for its good food- at least, we've been hearing about it for days from Jeff and Linden. So we tried our first Dal Bhat last night- lentils, vegetables, curry sauce and rice. And it was delicious! We all took hot showers...probably our last hot showers until we return to Pheriche after Everest Base Camp. There may be some glacial showers up ahead on the trail, but I think we'll choose to pass. As it is, last night's showers were the first the hotel had been able to offer this season because the water has been frozen. Same for laundry. But they love us, because we are spending a ton on laundry, showers, internet, and water. And I didn't bring enough rupees with me up valley- I think that this hotel stay will find me paying with US Dollars. Oh well.
We went over to the HRA for an altitude lecture,and it was fun to chat with one of the docs there about her experience- as it is also one I've contemplated doing...someday. She'll be doing the Diploma in Mountain Medicine program as well, so I'll see her this summer in Whistler. How cool is that?
Every day we're thankful for being in good shape- for not being too sick. Linden actually told us last night that we are the healthiest group he's had at Pheriche. Guess we women take our preventive meds seriously.
That's not to say that Jeff and Linden don't have their hands full with all of us. They keep coaching us to have "PMA"- positive mental attitude, and to not have "UMS"- ugly mood swings (and yes, I asked Jeff if they say that to men as well...and they do!), and to not have a "TTSS" - to the sh** show fallout. Rest days can be difficult because it feels like we're not progressing further, yet we are, as Jeff says, "setting ourselves up for success later on" by becoming better acclimatized. Even though we can appreciate that, it is still difficult to be far away from home for so long. So morale is important. Luckily for this crew, there are lots of laughter and lots of hugs. And today, as a treat for us and for Lucy's son Christopher's 12th birthday, Lucy put together a Skype call- and we all sang to him! They didn't hear us, but they saw our lips moving!
For now, we are about to dine...they are setting our places and lighting our candles. We have flowers, and, our own personal "eye candy"- Jeff and Linden. Eat your hearts out! Our nightly entertainment consists of reading Linden's blogs, looking at the posted photos, and reading the comments. Our favorite one last night was Christian Halsey's "Remember that the world is flat"! Cracked us up! They are our huge morale booster, so post away! After that, it's hot water bottles for the frigid rooms, and stuffing our bags in preparation for our trek to Lobuche tomorrow. I think it's gonna be a tough day, so I'll be spending more time with my new friend Phura, and he'll teach me something new.
So for now..."Pheri betola"- See you later!
Love to all back home...miss you!
xoxo
We took a day hike up the hill behind the HRA clinic, and when we reached our break, we had an awesome view up the Imja Khola valley to Island Peak- the objective for Lucy, Corell, and me...but all in due time. We will think more about that later. Island Peak, or Imja Tse, looks so...tiny compared to the surrounding peaks. The views from the top must be astounding- and I hope I get the chance to share my reflections on that experience.
Kathryn joined our "heart rate study" today...she's the third subject, well, fourth, including me. Her heart rate, after a steep bit of hill, was 99. Mine? An unfortunate 133. And so the story goes... My calves did feel a bit of burn today on the second part of the hike. We went up to over 15K, and the views were again, amazing. I don't know if I could get tired of these "hills" and my new "mantra song" may be
"Sound of Music"-
"The hills are alive, with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
the hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears.
...
I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more."
And so, I've been singing that one quite frequently. That is, when I'm allowed to, and not being told to focus on my breathing! At any rate, we had to come down from our high point, and we were grateful that this wasn't the Khumbu highway up the valley because we didn't have to dodge any yak trains.
We made it back for lunch, and, like so many days, our major decision was what to select for lunch. We put our orders in an hour or so ahead of time, so that we can sit down and eat without waiting. The Himalaya hotel is known for its good food- at least, we've been hearing about it for days from Jeff and Linden. So we tried our first Dal Bhat last night- lentils, vegetables, curry sauce and rice. And it was delicious! We all took hot showers...probably our last hot showers until we return to Pheriche after Everest Base Camp. There may be some glacial showers up ahead on the trail, but I think we'll choose to pass. As it is, last night's showers were the first the hotel had been able to offer this season because the water has been frozen. Same for laundry. But they love us, because we are spending a ton on laundry, showers, internet, and water. And I didn't bring enough rupees with me up valley- I think that this hotel stay will find me paying with US Dollars. Oh well.
We went over to the HRA for an altitude lecture,and it was fun to chat with one of the docs there about her experience- as it is also one I've contemplated doing...someday. She'll be doing the Diploma in Mountain Medicine program as well, so I'll see her this summer in Whistler. How cool is that?
Every day we're thankful for being in good shape- for not being too sick. Linden actually told us last night that we are the healthiest group he's had at Pheriche. Guess we women take our preventive meds seriously.
That's not to say that Jeff and Linden don't have their hands full with all of us. They keep coaching us to have "PMA"- positive mental attitude, and to not have "UMS"- ugly mood swings (and yes, I asked Jeff if they say that to men as well...and they do!), and to not have a "TTSS" - to the sh** show fallout. Rest days can be difficult because it feels like we're not progressing further, yet we are, as Jeff says, "setting ourselves up for success later on" by becoming better acclimatized. Even though we can appreciate that, it is still difficult to be far away from home for so long. So morale is important. Luckily for this crew, there are lots of laughter and lots of hugs. And today, as a treat for us and for Lucy's son Christopher's 12th birthday, Lucy put together a Skype call- and we all sang to him! They didn't hear us, but they saw our lips moving!
For now, we are about to dine...they are setting our places and lighting our candles. We have flowers, and, our own personal "eye candy"- Jeff and Linden. Eat your hearts out! Our nightly entertainment consists of reading Linden's blogs, looking at the posted photos, and reading the comments. Our favorite one last night was Christian Halsey's "Remember that the world is flat"! Cracked us up! They are our huge morale booster, so post away! After that, it's hot water bottles for the frigid rooms, and stuffing our bags in preparation for our trek to Lobuche tomorrow. I think it's gonna be a tough day, so I'll be spending more time with my new friend Phura, and he'll teach me something new.
So for now..."Pheri betola"- See you later!
Love to all back home...miss you!
xoxo
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