We made it to Everest Base Camp and are on our way back down! It was one heck of a hard push at the end. But before we went there we first did our own summit of a nearby mountain peak, Kala Pattar, topping out around 18,500 feet. The air was getting pretty thin up there, but it was definitely worth it. As Adam mentioned the views all around are amazing. The final hike in was difficult, uphill, and rocky, but we all made it to base camp, spent a couple hours there and then hiked back a few hours to our hotel for the night.
When we finally made it to base camp we were greeted by a very happy and active Scott Parazynski. He was bounding across the rocks as we were barely catching our breath. To see him so positive gave us all a lot of energy. We took a lot of pictures around base camp, and the Khumbu ice fall. That ice fall is the first leg of the summit of Everest, and Scott took us to the bottom of it to show us around. It's a very dangerous climb, so we didn't go very far. But while there we did see an avalanche, and got some good photos of the falling snow. We were safely far away (though some of us were still a bit nervous as we saw it coming in our direction!), but still got a nice little snow fall on us. Base camp is built on the Khumbu Glacier, so there was ice, rock and glacier melt all around. Amazing to be walking around on that glacier!
We're finally on our way back down, we all have a lot of energy. As the air gets thicker, and we're going mostly downhill so it's all much easier now. Tonight is being spent around 12,000 feet so compared to the summit of 18,000 feet the air feels thick! We feel great, and are loving the time, though are also looking forward to seeing home once again.
DJ
Friday, May 9, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
"View is here, wish you were beautiful"
Have to give Jeff A. credit for that one, but I'm still laughing from it. :)
How do I even begin to describe this amazing place on my first (and possibly last) blog entry?! The sheer scale of the Himalayas is unlike anything on earth. Routinely I find myself gazing at a ridgeline 5-10k ft above me, only to see the clouds pass and expose a 25k+ peak towering above it. Most people (me included) have named our favorite thus far: Ama Dablam. It's apparently one of the toughest to climb and has an unmistable profile - steep ridgelines leading to a completely horizontal summit spanning 50 ft (or so it appears).
I've lost count at the number of bridges we've crossed as we zigzag across several raging rivers. One in particular was a suspension bridge that must have been over 100 ft above the river. The bridges however, are very well built and could easily handle many times its peak load on any given day.
The credit however, goes to the porters that carry the loads for us to have luxuries such as heated food and internet connections. One of the more noteworthy loads I've seen was a man carrying (by Wheels' and my estimate) 8 5-gallon jugs of diesel fuel. As if the load at that altitude wasn't enough, try walking in an inescapable cloud of diesel fumes. We also saw several people carrying 6 5/8" sheets of plywood appx 3' x 8' on their backs. No, there were no typos in there. I can only imagine what it was like carrying that "sail" when crossing the suspension bridge at 100ft in the air!!
Today is our rest and acclimatization day in Dingboche. We all did a 1-2 hr hike to get the lungs working, then came back to tea house at a little over 14k ft. We are going to try and surprise Laurie tonight with a deep fried snickers bar. After seeing the cooks' facial expression to my explanation however, who knows what we'll end up with. :)
Hope to be able to post again, but not sure about internet availability higher than this!
--Adam
How do I even begin to describe this amazing place on my first (and possibly last) blog entry?! The sheer scale of the Himalayas is unlike anything on earth. Routinely I find myself gazing at a ridgeline 5-10k ft above me, only to see the clouds pass and expose a 25k+ peak towering above it. Most people (me included) have named our favorite thus far: Ama Dablam. It's apparently one of the toughest to climb and has an unmistable profile - steep ridgelines leading to a completely horizontal summit spanning 50 ft (or so it appears).
I've lost count at the number of bridges we've crossed as we zigzag across several raging rivers. One in particular was a suspension bridge that must have been over 100 ft above the river. The bridges however, are very well built and could easily handle many times its peak load on any given day.
The credit however, goes to the porters that carry the loads for us to have luxuries such as heated food and internet connections. One of the more noteworthy loads I've seen was a man carrying (by Wheels' and my estimate) 8 5-gallon jugs of diesel fuel. As if the load at that altitude wasn't enough, try walking in an inescapable cloud of diesel fumes. We also saw several people carrying 6 5/8" sheets of plywood appx 3' x 8' on their backs. No, there were no typos in there. I can only imagine what it was like carrying that "sail" when crossing the suspension bridge at 100ft in the air!!
Today is our rest and acclimatization day in Dingboche. We all did a 1-2 hr hike to get the lungs working, then came back to tea house at a little over 14k ft. We are going to try and surprise Laurie tonight with a deep fried snickers bar. After seeing the cooks' facial expression to my explanation however, who knows what we'll end up with. :)
Hope to be able to post again, but not sure about internet availability higher than this!
--Adam
Dingboche
Sunday, May 4
After two tough days of hiking we are on an off day today. We just completed a short day hike up the river. The views this morning were absolutely amazing. We are surrounded by snow covered peaks.
We are getting much healthier as a group. It seems most of us are over the stomach problems, and we have a couple with colds. As we get higher we are all concentrating on taking good care of ourselves as to not get sick.
We are only two days hiking from Base Camp. We are hearing that it is very busy there and the climbers are getting anxious because of the ban on the mountain until May 10th. We have had such amazing views already and the best is yet to come! Hard to imagine.
-Jason
After two tough days of hiking we are on an off day today. We just completed a short day hike up the river. The views this morning were absolutely amazing. We are surrounded by snow covered peaks.
We are getting much healthier as a group. It seems most of us are over the stomach problems, and we have a couple with colds. As we get higher we are all concentrating on taking good care of ourselves as to not get sick.
We are only two days hiking from Base Camp. We are hearing that it is very busy there and the climbers are getting anxious because of the ban on the mountain until May 10th. We have had such amazing views already and the best is yet to come! Hard to imagine.
-Jason
This was one of our acclimatization days, so we would remain in 
Dingboche for an extra night. Most of us went for an hour trek towards Bibre to keep the muscles active and spend time breathing the outside air. This day also allowed an opportunity to wash a few items, although it is takes a long time for them to dry in the cool dry air. Thankfully the tea house burned the stove for a few hours longer at night to aid in drying our clothes hanging over it.
Dingboche for an extra night. Most of us went for an hour trek towards Bibre to keep the muscles active and spend time breathing the outside air. This day also allowed an opportunity to wash a few items, although it is takes a long time for them to dry in the cool dry air. Thankfully the tea house burned the stove for a few hours longer at night to aid in drying our clothes hanging over it.
Other ativities that passed the time this day included playing cards, conversation, acting a little silly in sleeping bags, and purchasing Pringles which is a very common product available (along with Snickers) at most tea houses.
It snowed in the evening hours leaving a nice white blanket on the ground, but by the morning most of it will be melted by the sunny skies.
Chris
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Tengpoche to Dingboche
Saturday, May 3
A bridge crossing the narrow river gorge of the Imja Khola showed past and present - I was thankful we were crossing "present" as the old bridge looked a little sketchy! This was one of the many improvements in the trail that I have been noticing and been impressed with along the way.
We woke up in Tengpoche for another good look at Mt. Everest. 
The very top juts above the ridge line of Lhotse which hides most of Everest from our vantage point right now. As the sun began to rise and clouds set in, which happened early, Everest again disappeared and would remain unseen for most of the day.
A Sherpa crew left for Lukla with all of our tenting gear. We will no longer be staying in tents and instead be staying in tea houses for the remainder of the trip. Our plan for Everest Base Camp is to do a day trip while staying in nearby Gorak Shep. Speaking of Base Camp, talking with several climbers who have been there already they say there is a good bakery set up believe it or not, but I am sure it is very minimal. We shall see.
The landscape during today's trek
was the most visibly different. We s
tarted in a region with Rhododendrons and soon entered the Kumbu region which is more stark. The hillsides turned more rocky, shallow, and void of trees, with only small shrubs showing the dark green contrast.
The very top juts above the ridge line of Lhotse which hides most of Everest from our vantage point right now. As the sun began to rise and clouds set in, which happened early, Everest again disappeared and would remain unseen for most of the day.A Sherpa crew left for Lukla with all of our tenting gear. We will no longer be staying in tents and instead be staying in tea houses for the remainder of the trip. Our plan for Everest Base Camp is to do a day trip while staying in nearby Gorak Shep. Speaking of Base Camp, talking with several climbers who have been there already they say there is a good bakery set up believe it or not, but I am sure it is very minimal. We shall see.
The landscape during today's trek
was the most visibly different. We s
tarted in a region with Rhododendrons and soon entered the Kumbu region which is more stark. The hillsides turned more rocky, shallow, and void of trees, with only small shrubs showing the dark green contrast. A bridge crossing the narrow river gorge of the Imja Khola showed past and present - I was thankful we were crossing "present" as the old bridge looked a little sketchy! This was one of the many improvements in the trail that I have been noticing and been impressed with along the way.
The trek brought us through the 
village of Pangboche where a 
school was founded by Edmond Hillary in 1963. Further up the trail we stopped in Shomore for lunch (garlic soup, vegatable romaine noodles, and french fries) and hot tea.
village of Pangboche where a 
school was founded by Edmond Hillary in 1963. Further up the trail we stopped in Shomore for lunch (garlic soup, vegatable romaine noodles, and french fries) and hot tea.We arrived in Dingboche at the tea house we will be staying at for the next two nights to 
acclimate some more. We are just above 14,000 feet now which is a higher elevation than most of us have ever been before, but everyone is doing very well. The tea house sits on the hill above much of the village so it is a very nice view including Ama Dablam in front and center. Tomorrow some of us will do a short day trek to help with the acclimatization and to keep the heart pumping.
acclimate some more. We are just above 14,000 feet now which is a higher elevation than most of us have ever been before, but everyone is doing very well. The tea house sits on the hill above much of the village so it is a very nice view including Ama Dablam in front and center. Tomorrow some of us will do a short day trek to help with the acclimatization and to keep the heart pumping. Chris
Namche to Tengpoche
Friday, May 2
After a good breakfast (omelets today) we headed to Tengpoche. 
V
istas of Everest greeted us early but soon went out of view as the cloud cover soon set in. The trek to Tengpoche brought us through portions of Rhododendron forests which host beautiful flowers of many colors. I'm told there are up to seven different colors that exist in Rhododendrons. Several areas along the path were lined with them as we trekked through the region.
Ama Dablam's peak to our right continues to create wonder. It juts into the sky like a trapezoidal chisel with glacial ice that somehow stays resting on what appears to be a 80 degree slope. While it is hard to say it is the most unique mountain peak out here (there are so many) it is one of my personal favorites.
We arrived in Tengpoche after a good incline which again got our heart rates moving. Soon after we arrived it started snowing, but it did not last very long. Tengpoche hosts
one of the most prominent monasteries in the region. We visited the monastery and one of the monks was very happy to tell us about the culture and religion. We gathered the group together and took our first group picture on the trek - what a nice looking group!
We ate well again for dinner and afterwards were surprised by Sabrina and Adam with the ingredients for Smores. After we stoked up a small fire on the plaza we continued to make and enjoy a great desert. It was very funny to watch the Sherpas try them for the first time. They enjoyed them!
V
istas of Everest greeted us early but soon went out of view as the cloud cover soon set in. The trek to Tengpoche brought us through portions of Rhododendron forests which host beautiful flowers of many colors. I'm told there are up to seven different colors that exist in Rhododendrons. Several areas along the path were lined with them as we trekked through the region.
Ama Dablam's peak to our right continues to create wonder. It juts into the sky like a trapezoidal chisel with glacial ice that somehow stays resting on what appears to be a 80 degree slope. While it is hard to say it is the most unique mountain peak out here (there are so many) it is one of my personal favorites.
We arrived in Tengpoche after a good incline which again got our heart rates moving. Soon after we arrived it started snowing, but it did not last very long. Tengpoche hosts
one of the most prominent monasteries in the region. We visited the monastery and one of the monks was very happy to tell us about the culture and religion. We gathered the group together and took our first group picture on the trek - what a nice looking group!We ate well again for dinner and afterwards were surprised by Sabrina and Adam with the ingredients for Smores. After we stoked up a small fire on the plaza we continued to make and enjoy a great desert. It was very funny to watch the Sherpas try them for the first time. They enjoyed them!
Chris
Thursday, May 1, 2008
At Namche Part II
Wednesday-Thursday, April 30-May 1
As DJ mentioned in the previous 
blog, the hike fro
m Phakding was a pretty strenuous one as we ascended over 3000 ft. to Namche. The hike took us past the Sagarmatha National Park Entrance and Tourist Information Center where we showed our trekking permits and got our bags inspected. At lunch time I had the opportunity to show the NASA tattoos I brought with me to two children playing nearby. I think they found the tattoos interesting and proudly displayed them!
blog, the hike fro
m Phakding was a pretty strenuous one as we ascended over 3000 ft. to Namche. The hike took us past the Sagarmatha National Park Entrance and Tourist Information Center where we showed our trekking permits and got our bags inspected. At lunch time I had the opportunity to show the NASA tattoos I brought with me to two children playing nearby. I think they found the tattoos interesting and proudly displayed them!When we arrived to Namche we started to settle in to our tents 
located in town next to one of the tea houses. Some of us took naps and others just sat in awe over the scenery as the mountains seem to screem over the sky. After dinner most folks headed for a good night sleep.
Indira, who owns the trekking company we are associated with, is hiking part of our trek with us for the first time. She will be going no further than Namche. In the morning (6:00) of day 2 in Namche she taught several of us yoga breathing exercises with some stretching moves as she explained it is very helpful in the mountains and healthy for life. After yoga it was time for tea (7:00) followed by breakfast (8:00). For breakfast this morning we had a hot rice pudding, omelets, and flat bread with jam. The meals vary, but are very accomodating given where we are at. It is usually a mix of some american type food and local food.
After breakfast we headed to a very interesting museum in Namche that illustrates th
e history of the mountains and culture. The museum sits atop a little hill, and when we reached it we saw our first glimpse of Mt. Everest! Lhotse was more prevelant as it sits in front of it from our vantage point, but still what a sight. You could see that characteristic peak with the jet stream whipping the snow off to one side. It was quite chilling.
Several of us followed up the trip to the museum with a short trek t
o the
top of a ridge that overlooks Namche which also has a little basin used as an airport for helicopters and paragliders. The rest of the day will be used for more rest and a chance to explore some of the shops in Namche.
Tomorrow we are off to Tengpoche.
Chris
located in town next to one of the tea houses. Some of us took naps and others just sat in awe over the scenery as the mountains seem to screem over the sky. After dinner most folks headed for a good night sleep.Indira, who owns the trekking company we are associated with, is hiking part of our trek with us for the first time. She will be going no further than Namche. In the morning (6:00) of day 2 in Namche she taught several of us yoga breathing exercises with some stretching moves as she explained it is very helpful in the mountains and healthy for life. After yoga it was time for tea (7:00) followed by breakfast (8:00). For breakfast this morning we had a hot rice pudding, omelets, and flat bread with jam. The meals vary, but are very accomodating given where we are at. It is usually a mix of some american type food and local food.
After breakfast we headed to a very interesting museum in Namche that illustrates th
e history of the mountains and culture. The museum sits atop a little hill, and when we reached it we saw our first glimpse of Mt. Everest! Lhotse was more prevelant as it sits in front of it from our vantage point, but still what a sight. You could see that characteristic peak with the jet stream whipping the snow off to one side. It was quite chilling.Several of us followed up the trip to the museum with a short trek t
o the
top of a ridge that overlooks Namche which also has a little basin used as an airport for helicopters and paragliders. The rest of the day will be used for more rest and a chance to explore some of the shops in Namche.Tomorrow we are off to Tengpoche.
Chris
At Namche Bazar
We made it to Namche Bazar, and the mountains around here are amazing. Yesterday was a difficult height, we ascended about 3000 feet, but with all the ups and downs, I think we probably went up a total of 4000 feet. I was dead tired by end of the day... but part of that reason was I couldn't eat much all day, something in my intestines was not very friendly. The scary part is that yesterday won't even be the toughest.
But today we get the day off to acclimate to the altitude, so we're relaxing and we climbed up a little bit to see our first view of the peak of Mount Everest. It's amazing to see it with my own eyes! The winds at that altitude must be crazy, because there was so much snow blowing off of it, really quite a sight.
But today we get the day off to acclimate to the altitude, so we're relaxing and we climbed up a little bit to see our first view of the peak of Mount Everest. It's amazing to see it with my own eyes! The winds at that altitude must be crazy, because there was so much snow blowing off of it, really quite a sight.
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