Everest Base Camp

May 28

Everest Base Camp is a brutal, brutal place. Not only does the altitude (17,500 ft) leave your breathless, but just trying to move around is difficult and taxing. EBC is on a glacier. Basically it’s ice and rocks constantly moving and changing. Just moving around is like trying to walking on loose softballs and bowling balls going up and down to do mundane tasks.



Even the yaks seems to dislike the high altitude and environment.



Although it was snowing yesterday, last night turned cold and clear. The temperature got down to about 10 degrees last night. With the moon out, it was amazing bright last night with the high peaks surrounding the Khumbu icefall.

I had a little headache buth that was resolved with a little Advil. With the altitude, though, I was a bit dizzy and didn’t have much of an appetite.

At EBC, the runners not on the tour (mostly Nepalis) are beginning to show up for the race tomorrow. But there are a few westerners as well, the ringers. Some have been in Nepal for several weeks training for the race. The race organizers had a “mock start” today for the benefit of the media so that they would have some video footage foe their reports on the race tomorrow. It was very disorganized with a lot of yelling and shouting but eventually they got their act together.



A number of Everest climbers were coming down today and thy brought two bodies down. It was somber but things went on as usual.

The weather was sunny and quite warm this afternoon. Everyone was down to shorts and tshirts. Or in the case of Martin the German, down to nothing. I’ll spare the blog the photo. Check with me later if you want to see it.

Gerry and I walked up to the edge of trhe Khumbu icefall where the climbers start their Everest climbs. This is where the danger begins with is seracs and crevasses. We could see the paths that have been established for the climbers into the icefall. You could hear the creaking and cracking of the icefall. I’m not sure that I’d want to go in there.



I don’t know how the climbing expeditions can spend two and a half months here. Even the simplest tasks such as going to the bathroom can be difficult. We’ve been here a day and want to get out as soon as possible. Everest Base Camp: been there and done that. No need to do it again.





Everyone wants to get the race underway. We will have dinner at 6:00 pm tonight and then to bed. We’ll be up at 5:00 am tomorrow for the 7:00 am start. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

High Up In The Himalayas

We haven't had internet connectivity since Dingboche. Since we've finished the everest Marathon and are back to civilization in Namche Bazaar (even with the yaks running through the streets), here are some posts of our adventures up high in Lobuche, Gorak Shep, Kala Pattar and Everest Base Camp.

May 25

It rained most of the night. The sound of the raindrops on the tent was soothing and helped to drown out the night sounds that sometimes keeps you awake -- the snoring of the other campers, the clanging of the yak bells, the tent zippers from other people getting up.

The morning broke clear. The rain from the night befor froze on the tent. We got up at 5:00 am and climbed to the ridge above camp to watch the sun rise. The glow of the sunbeams over Nputse was beautiful. I just haven’t been able to capture it on a photo.



The clouds began rolling in up the valley, so we went back down to camp, had coffee and got a bowl of warm washing water. Even though it was in the 30s, I stripped down to my waist and washed my hair, face and upper body, and shaved. It’s been six days since I’ve had a shower.

We hike to Lobuche today, a climb of 1,641 ft to 16,105 ft. This is higher than any point in the continental US, I believe. It’s at this point that people really start struggling with the altitude. We’ll see how it goes.

The first part of today’s hike is to Tukla, where we will stop for lunch. It’s the same hike we did yesterday in the snow. Along the way, I talked to one of the sherpas, Dogha, who has summated Everest twice. He showed me a picture of him on the summit. After being a Sherpa on a mountaineering expedition, it’s hard to believe that he is a porter for a trekking group.



The walk to day was slower than yesterday because the rest of the group was along an there was no snow to slip and slide on. There was a lot of helicopter activity in the valley, evidently some rescue operation. The copters have been grounded for two days, so someone could have been in trouble for quite some time.

The skies was partly cloudy so the views were once again amazing, You just don’t get tired looking at the scenery.

More trekkers were on the trail today almost all going down. Many of the Everest expeditions are starting to break camp and head back to Lukla and Kathmandu.

We made it to Tukla by 10:30 and had a leisurely lunch. It was sunny and warm and it was nice just to lie around for a couple of hours.



After lunch we had a tough climb up to the edge of the Khumbu Glacier moraine. With the increasing altitude and steepness, it was quite difficult. At the top, there were memorials to many of the climbers, sherpas and foreigners, who have died in the surrounding mountains. It was a very somber place, almost like a church.



The remaining hike to Lobuche was gradually uphill next to the glacial moraine. The landscape has become very barren, mainly with rocks and sand. In a few places where soil has gathered, some small grasses and flowers manage to grow.

Got to camp feeling good -- no headache, nausea, stomach issues or anything. Several in the group have had various maladies along the way. I hope that I can last for a couple more days.

Once in camp, we grabbed our stuff and dove into the tent for a quick nap. A cloud rolled in and it began to sleet and then snow a bit. That’s mountain weather for you.

After the afternoon tea, Gerry and I hike up to the ridge across the valley to see the Khumbu Glacier. Since the glacier is retreating, there is a lot of rock and gravel on top of the ice underneath. The glacier is about ½ mile wide. Even though we were 300 feet above it, you could hear the ice cracking and groaning as it moved slowly downhill. Or the rest of the hike, we will be following the glacier up to Everest Base Camp and the Khumbu Icefall where the climbing expeditions begin.



From the ridge top we could see a large glass pyramid, know as the Italian Pyramid, where scientists study the effects of high altitude. It looks bizarrely out of place here but they do good work there.

I ran into Rob the Hungarian in the lodge. He’s been staying here for a couple of days getting some running in for the race on Saturday. He said that he ran up to Kala Pattar today in 58 minutes and ran back in 19. I think that he wants to give the Indians a run for their money in the foreigners category.

Tonight will be more of the same: dinner at 7:00, Damche’s briefing for tomorrow, a little reading and in bed by 9:00 or so.

May 26

Had kind of a rough night last night. I had a headache and sore throat and didn’t sleep very well - signs of mild altitude sickness and pretty typical.. Most of the people in the group are suffering from something. A couple of folks have been told that they will have to go back down the mountain and not run the race. So I guess things are not too bad for me.

Got up a little later than I have been -- 6:00 -- washed up, had a cup of coffee and felt a bit better. The weather is partly cloudy this morning. A lot of copters are flying up to base camp again. I wonder what’s going on.

The hike today is a relatively short one to Gorek Shep. At 16,859 ft., it is the last stop for most trekking group who will make day trips to Kala Pattar or Everest Base Camp. We will spend one night here before going up to Everest Base Camp for two nights before the race on the 29th.

Several in the group want to climb Kala Pattar because you get the best views of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse there. At 18,185 ft., it will be the highest point on the trek as well. We’ll climb it at the end of today’s hike or first thing tomorrow morning.

The first part of the walk today was up a gradual valley. About a half mile in, a couple of us turned up a side valley to visit the Italian Pyramid, a modern glass pyramid that was built as a research station in the upper Everest region. It is so bizarrely out of place in thus desolate landscape. The facility manager gave us a tour of the labs. They do meteorological and geological research at the site.




The remainder of the hike constantly steepened as we crossed the glacial moraine and a finger of the glacier. The last bit up the steep, rocky trail was difficult. I was huffing and puffing and struggling for breath. You can really feel the thin air at 16,800 ft.

Although it was partly cloudy, it was cool and windy and snow fell periodically. After lunch, I tried to take a nap but my cold and the effects of altitude made it difficult to sleep. It was snowing lightly all afternoon.

A couple of people climbed up to Kala Pattar, but it was so cloudy that they could not see anything. We’ll try first thing tomorrow.

There was a lot of yak and porter traffic today, mostly going downhill. EBC is beginning to break up for the season.

I wandered around the other lodges at Gorek Shep looking for an Internet café. I found one but their satellite was not working. I’ll try again at EBC.

May 27

We climbed Kala Patter first thing this morning for the best views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and the Khumbu Glacier. A group of us left at 6:30 with Doghe, the Sherpa who has climbed Everest twice. At 18,159 ft, it’s a climb of 1,300 ft from Gorek Shep and the highest point that we will reach on our trip. We will actually summit a peak in the Himalayas.

It snowed last night but was cold and clear when we started. The lower part of climb was not particularly tough but at this altitude, we were sucking wind right away. The snow got a little deeper at the top and the climb got a bit more technical be we summitted in about an hour.

The weather was clear so we had great views of Everest, Lhoste, Nuptse, the Khumbu Glacier, and the other surrounding mountains. It was the prototypical pictures that you see of Everest. Just indescribable. This is what we came to Nepal to see.



The weather was good so we spent over an hour at the top taking in the views and taking pictures. A couple of other groups began coming up and it was getting crowded so we decided to go back down to Gorek Shep for breakfast.

The morning was pretty leisurely because we would not be leaving for Everest Base Camp until after lunch. We spent the time in the dining room of the lodge since the porters had already taken down the tents.

Although it was only 5K to Base Camp from Gorek Shep, the hike was tough because of the altitude and the terrain. We climbed about 700 ft across moraine and the Khumbu Glacier. At the end thee really wasn’t a trail, just areas where you had to climb over the rocks and boulders. It was like trying to walk on loose bowling balls.

There were a lot of porters and yak trains coming down fro EBC because most of the climbing expeditions are done and breaking camp. The helicopter traffic was again very heavy due to some of the more well funded expeditions ferrying their members to Lukla for the flight out rather than making the four day trek.

Everest Base Camp is quite a large area -- probably a half mile long by 200 yards wide -- on the Khumbu Glacier at the edge of the Khumbu Icefall. The ice fall is where the climbing expeditions and danger of Everest begins. The ice fall is a maze of towering seracs and crevasses that much be negotiated to reach the higher climbing camps and upper slops of Everest. The icefall is constantly changing so ropes, ladders and bridges must often be replaced or repositioned.

EBC has tents strewn all over the place with little apparent organization. Wherever a flat spot is or can make made relatively easily, there was a tent -- a sleeping tent, a dining tent, or a toilet tent. Our camp was on the site where an expedition group had just left, so there were several flats spots for tents.




Getting to your sleeping tent, the dining tent or the toilet tent was always an adventure. You had to scramble over rocks and boulders, down slippery ice and across glacial streams. At the altitude, it was all you could do to stay upright. Everyone was worried about injuring themselves just trying to move around. To add more difficulty, it began snowing putting slick coating on everything.

We all were tired from the climb and the altitude (17,500 ft) made you breathless and dizzy most of the time. Just a little exertion had you panting. I wonder what the race will be like. We spent most of the first afternoon in our tents just resting.



In my next post, I'll describe Base Camp a bit more, the "mock start" we had the day before the race, and trying to run on loose, bowling ball size rocks for the first 5K of the Marathon.

Everest Marathon -- Done

Just a quick post. Gerry and I finished the Everest Marathon today. Yippee!! It was the toughest thing that I have done. We ran the race and finished together in 7:46. The winning time was 3:41. The fastest time out of our group was by Richard the Aussie who ran 6:09.

Everest Base Camp is a brutal, brutal place. It's all rock and ice. Temperatures ranged from about 10 degrees in the morning to 90 degrees if the sun was out in the afternoon. It was difficult even just to walk around. Just to go to the dinner tent required a rock scramble from your tent. You were always slipping and sliding from the snow, ice and the rocks

The first 5K of the race was a dance over loose rocky moraine. It took an hour to do the 5K which normally would take 21 or 22 minutes in a regular race. Even though the course was overall downhill, from 17,500 ft to 11,200 ft, there was a lot of uphill -- over 3,000 ft. The last hour was was basically a climb with the exception of the last 2 kilometers which dropped straight down 1,000 ft. It was tough, tough, tough.

Since I've been without internet for the last several days, I'll try to update with more info and pictures tomorrow or Monday when we get back to Lukla for our flight to Kathmandu and "civilization".

It's Snowing!

May 24

Last night during dinner, it began to rain. I did a little reading and then went to bed at about 9:00 pm. The rain drops pattered on the tent and put me to sleep.

I woke up at 1:00 am for a nature call (a side effect of being at altitude) and the rain appeared to have stopped. I poked my head outside of the tent and big snow flakes were falling. It snowed through the night and by morning, there were a couple of inches of wet snow on the ground.



Damche, our fearless leader, decided not to move up to Lobuche today because of slippery trails and danger to the porters and yaks. It was probably a wise move.

After breakfast, the race organizers were staging a photo op for some of the Nepal press that are along for the race. Gerry and I donned out very large race tshirts over our jackets and fleeces and enacted the Dingboche water stop with a couple of the top Nepali runners. I looked like the Michelin Man running. One of the reporters from a Katmandu newspaper (I didn’t get the name) interviewed us.

A couple of the boys, Toby the Brit, Gerry the Irishman, Tony the Kiwi, and I decided to get in a little more acclimatization training and decided to hike up to Tukla, a little over 3 miles and to 15,165 ft.

As we got up higher, the snow fell a bit heavier and it was cold. We moved along very quickly and were passing other trekking groups going up. They were moving very slowly. We felt good and strong on the climb.



Just before Tukla, we had to cross a rickety bridge over a raging stream. I was covered with snow and quite precarious. We tottered across trying not to look down.

Nervous Mark


At Tukla, we turned around and retraced our steps. At the bridge, a yak train was approaching. Sure enough, with a little encouragement from the yak driver, they crossed the bridge. I didn’t think that thye would make it.

Nervous Yaks


We were able to run a bit on the smoother sections of the trail on the way back. From the ridge above Dingboche, we had a nice long downhill run into town. It felt pretty good even though I was in hiking boots and carried a backpack.

As we were strolling back to the camp site, Tony stopped to get a Coke at a store. Rich the Aussie walked up to join us and a snowball fight broke out involving some of the locals. It was the Nepalis versus the Westerners. It was a massacre -- three Nepali girls soundly defeated a Kiwi, an Aussie, an Irishman, an American and Frenchman (Christian) who joined in. The fight ended when Tony fell into a stone wall and took out about 10 feet of it. Although we offered to rebuild it, the shopkeeper kept shooing us away. He wanted to rebuild it properly.

By midday, most of the snow had melted in Dingboche (although it was quite a bit deeper further up). Everyone is itching to get going to higher altitude -- we’re still over 3,000 ft below EBC, the start of the race.

After lunch, the rain began again. Thankfully, it’s not snow (yet). I spent a lazy afternoon reading in the tent, writing this post and organizing some pictures for the blog. About 3:00, I’ll go up to the local internet café and upload this and try to call Therese on Skype. It’s expensive --- 50 rupees per minute ($.75) -- but still cheaper than an international call.

Hopefully, the weather will improve tomorrow.

Rest Day In Dingboche

It is a rest/acclimatization day at Dingboche. After eight days, the daily routine is pretty much the same: wake up at first light (4:45), get up enough nerve to get out of the warm sleeping to go to the bathroom; coffee at 6:00, washing water at 6:30 and breakfast at 7:30. Then we pack up our gear and get on the trail for a couple of hours. Lunch stop last about two hours then it’s back on the trail for a couple of hours to our camp site for the night. Along the way are incredible views and sites. At 4:00, we have afternoon tea. Dinner is at 7:00 and then it’s back to the tent and asleep by 9:00. On acclimatization days, we have the luxury of taking walks during the day and not having to rush to pack up in the morning.

Today, Gerry and I hiked up a side valley from Dingboche to an area that is used by yak herders to graze their animals during the summer. We climbed probably 1,000 ft. or so to some stone houses used by the herders. On the way back down, we met a yak herder, Hachbar, who owns 15 yak. He built a bridge over a raging glacial river in order to get his animals to better grazing lands on the other side of the valley. He was an interesting fellow.

The mountain views from Dingboche are indescribable. Although we can no loner see Everest because it is hidden behind the Lhotse Nuptse wall, we can see Lhotse (the fifth highest peak in the world) as well as the very dramatic peaks of Ama Dablam and Island Peak.

We are acclimatizing well to the altitude. Other than a couple of minor headaches, I’m doing well. Gerry complains about the food and not being able to sleep, but he’s kind of fussy anyway. A couple of people on the trip have come down with minor stomach or respiratory ailments. Gerry and I are still in good shape and feel strong (knock on wood).

Beginning tomorrow, we will have two days of climbing to get us close to the altitude of Everest Base Camp -- first to Lobuche at 16,105 ft and then Gorek Shep on Tuesday at 16,859 ft. These are the altitudes that we will be feeling the lack of oxygen. There are no further villages higher up as well. There are a few facilities that have been developed for trekkers but no permanent settlements. I will try to post again up higher but I don’t know what capabilities there will be. It’s very expensive and the connections via satellite are slow.

That’s all for now.

Lhotse Nuptse Wall


Everest Peak Between Mark and Gerry


Ama Dablam

Among the Giants

Just a quick post. We are at a satellite internet cafe (loosely speaking) in Dingboche. It's very expensive and slow, so not many updates and no pictures until we get back to Namche on the day of marathon.

We've had three good days of trekking since Namche. We are at 14,464 ft., over 5,200 ft of elevation gain since we started at Lukla.

We've had magnificent views of the great peaks -- Ama Dablam, Island Peak, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Everest. So far, Everest has been the elast impressive. We can see only the very top behind the massive Lhotse/Nuptse wall.

The trails are pretty rough in many areas. There are alot of long climbs and descents. Yesterday after lunch, we had a 2,000 ft climb to the Tengboche Monestary, the religious center of this region. It is a magnificent structure. We toured the temple where the monks pray.

Many of the monks are young boys training in the religious like. But you can't take the boy out of the boys. After 3:00 prayers, they all went running to the small flat spot to play some soccer with the local boys. Gerry got in on the game for a bit as well.

This morning (May 22), it was 28 degrees. It was tough to get out of the sleeping bag. But today's hike was wonderful -- great views around every bend inthe trail. I really can't describe the scenery. Photos don't do it justice and I don't have the literary skills to paint the picture.

I'll try to post again when we get a little higher. One week to race day!

A Few More Pictures

Second Acclimatization Day In Namche

May 20

Got up early again on Thursday (May 20) morning. The sky was quite clear after the storm last night. After breakfast, we had our first medical check. I’m doing fine -- pulse rate is normal and my blood pressure is lower than my last couple of checkups. Hmmm. Must be the clean mountain living.

A couple of the boys went for a run, but I don’t think that it’s a good idea at this point to run every day. You can do more harm and no good.

I decided to take a hike back up to the Shangboche airstrip and the Everest View Hotel and then back around through Khumjung.

At the airstrip, some sky divers were jumping and landing. It was quite a sight seeing the little planes taking off from the gravel strip.



The skies were pretty clear so I got magnificent view of the high peaks -- Island Peak, Ama Dablem, Lhotse, Nuptse and Everest. The scale of everything is so big it’s hard to describe or get on a photo. Nothing in the Rockies can really compare with how big the landscape is here. Even though we are at 12,000 feet, there is still a lot of vegetation unlike the Rockies or Alps at this altitude. The mountain peak rise up another 12,000 to 16,000 feet above where we are now.





I wandered through Khumjung a bit and took photos of the stupas and mani walls. On the way back, I counted the number of steps we will need to climb going over the last pass in the marathon (315 at about 15 inches per step). I won’t be running up that for sure.

I charged up my netbook this afternoon in the lodge at 150 rupees per hour. I was moving some pictures from my camera to the computer. A couple of sherpas came over and were looking through my photos so far. They liked the videos, especially one I got of a dog running across the Lukla airstrip as a plane was landing.

Tonight, we’ll be packing up for our trek to the Tengboche Monastery tomorrow. As we get into the higher villages, the goods and services available decreases significantly (and when available, the cost rises rapidly). I am not sure when I will be able to post again, perhaps not until the 29th or 30th when we are back in Namche after the marathon.

First Day in Namche

May 19



We had our first of two acclimatization days in Namche Bazaar.

Gerry and I went for a run at 5:15 am to Thamo about 4K away from town. Although it looked relatively flat on the map, we had to run through town and the up the other side past the monastery to a series of stupas or Buddhist religious monuments. It was a tough, tough climb out of town. We did more running than walking. After that it was always up or down. A couple sections were pretty nice and I felt pretty good at the altitude.

It was beautiful being on the trail early in the morning. It was a little cloudy but occasionally we caught glimpses of the high peaks through the breaks. The locals were just getting up. The whole way we saw only four people and one donkey on the trail. We crossed the Bhote Khosi (river) and then climbed a bit before we turned around and ran back.

Coming back into Namche at 6:30, things were beginning to stir. We could hear the clink, clink, clink of the stone masons beginning their work for the day. It was a constant background sound that we hear all day long. Almost all of the building are made of stone, a very abundant local commodity! All of the stones are very precisely cut by hand. It is amazing was these workers produce.

After breakfast, we took a hike up the ridge behind Namche to the Everest View Hotel and the towns of Khumjung and Khunde. Although this was supposed to be an easy stroll, the beginning was very tough -- a switchback climb straight up for 1,450 feet to a total altitude of 12,700 feet. We were huffing and puffing the whole way. There is a dirt airstrip at the top which looks even scarier than the one at Lukla.

We stopped for coffee at the hotel. Because it was still cloudy, we caught only a few glimpses of the peaks. It’s a tease of what is to come. This hotel is very plush by trekking standards but lacks the feel of the local culture. Great views, though, of the surrounding valley and peaks.

After the stop, we walked through this high plateau to Khumjung and Khunde to follow the last 4K of the marathon course back into Namche. These villages are relatively new and develop with the assistance of Edmund Hillary over the years and have a hospital and school. They were built very western style compared to the traditional Nepalese villages. The houses here were spread out each with this plot of land of an acre or so. In most villages, the houses are packed together.

It was probably a mistake to take a look at the final section of the race course. It will be very tough. At 32K, we will cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi and then climb 2,300 feet in elevation to the villages. The we have a final climb of 300 or so feet up some stone steps to the airstrip. We cross the airstrip to the edge of the ridge overlooking Namche. It looks straight down. The final 2K is straight down the switchbacks which are mostly loose rock and sand. Although it won’t be dangerous, it will kills the quads. The final 400 meters or so will be over relatively level ground.



You would think that a run from Base Camp at 17,598 feet to Namche at 11,286 feet would be all down hill. But it’s not. We will have a total of about 4,000 feet of climbing in the race. So in total, we will have 10,300 feet of decent to go along with the climbs.

After lunch, I took a shower at a nearby lodge for 400 NP ($5.70 US). It was wonderful. The first hot shower in four days. It may be the last until we get back into Namche.

I spent the afternoon wandering through town checking out the shops. I met a young couple, Rob from Hungary and Clare form England, who will be joining our group at Base Camp to run the race. They have been here five weeks already hiking and climbing in the area. They are very well acclimated and have been spending a lot of time running the trails.

After dinner, some of the group went into town to play pool. (how they got a pool table up here, I have no idea. I went to bed early (8:30), but woke up at about 11:00 to a fierce thunderstorm. The sherpas were scrambling around the tents putting up rainflys in the wind and pouring rain. It rained quite hard for a couple of hours. But slept quite soundly.

Going to School

First two days on the trail.

On Monday, we hiked from Lukla to Tuktuk, a pretty easy walk. The trails are pretty rough, very rocky and up and down. They are also very busy with trekkers coming and going and the locals transporting goods to higher villages. The loads that the sherpas carry are unbelievable -- 100 kilos or 220 pounds.

We camped at Tuktuk, a tiny village with a couple of houses. The local kids were funny. They entertained everyone on the group.




The second day was the our first major hike to Namche Bazaar, a climb of about 600 meters or 2000 feet. Along the way, the local children were going to school. One young boy, Chandra, befriended Gerry and I and invited us to his school. He was 11 and in the fifth grade. He took us up a steep path off the main trail to his school. The children and teachers were in the dirt play ground surrounded by the classrooms. Chandra introduced us to his school mates and Gerry played marbles with the kids. We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves. It's amazing the English skills that these children have.




After school, we entered the Sagarmatha National Park, which surrounds Everest. The scenery is incredible with rushing rivers, and soaring peaks. We haven't seen any of the big mountains yet and the scale of these foothills is amazing.

We stopped for lunch along the Dudh Kosi (river). A couple of the exhibitionists in the group decided to strip down and go swimming. It wasn't very sensitive to the local people who are very reserved.

After lunch, we began the long climb up to Namche Bazaar. We crossed a long and swaying suspension bridge, hundreds of feet above the river. Fortunately, we didn't have to share the bridge with a yak train.

The climb to Namche took a couple of moved, even though it was only a couple of kilometers. It was a long, long climb with many steep parts. Many of the trekkers were having problems, but the sherpas moved quickly up even with their loads.


We finally got to Namche, the main village in the Khumba region. About 6,00 people live there. The village is set in this huge amphitheatre, with views thousands of feet below to the valley. Our camp is set up at the top and to one side of the village, so we have a wonderful panoramic view of the town.

I'll do another post in the next day or so. We will be at Namche for three nights as part of our acclimitization. Tomorrow we'll try some running.

Lukla

We flew in to Lukla today to begin the trek to Everest Base Camp. We left the hotel at 5:15 and took 30 minutes to weave our way to the city to the airport. The domestic terminal was total chaos. Porters grabbing bags and taking them away, different lines to get into, confusion about who had what tickets and what plane to get on. It was great.

We did manage to get onto our plan, a decrepit Dornier. The thing was ancient and the pilots looked like teenagers. We took off for the quick 30 minute flight to the mountain airstrip at Lukla. We could see some of the high peaks coming in but it was pretty hazy. The landing was quite exciting -- cross over a ridge and then a steep drop to the airport's short (about 500 meters) and uphill runway. You get only one attempt at landing. The runway ends into the mountain. The pilots, though, were quite good. They needed only about three quarters of the runway to stop. The passengers applauded the successful landing.

Getting off the plane was just as confusing. The porters quickly unloaded the gear and took it away and we were led away. A group of passengers were queued for the return trip to Kathmandu.

We spent a short time at the lodge we will be staying at tonight and then Gerry, Dennis (from Kuala Lampur) and I set off to explore the village. It was a pretty amazing site with the shops, sherpas taking their huge loads onto the trails. About halfway through the village we came across an Irish Pub and a "Starbucks". You'll never know what you'll see.

Gerry and I took a quick hike down the trail our of town. There was a lot of traffic--pedestrian, there are no vehicles here. The trails were rough and steep, but people of every age seemed to be moving up and down quite well. It's amazing the size of the loads that the porters carry. But this is the only means of getting supplies to the villages. There seemed to be a lot of beer going up.

We came back into the village and Gerry decided to get a haircut from the local barber. He got a pretty tight cut, a shave, an eyebrow trim, and a head massage with yak cream.

After lunch were headed back out for another hike with the sherpas. They took a to a small village in the valley. On the way we visited a stupa (Buddhist temple) and a government school. Our group was the hit of the school yard, probably because the kids got a little time away from their studies. The school was very basic and rustic but they did have computer lab. As in most societies, the kids were really charming, friendly and cute. I love the very proper uniforms that they wear.

Back up to the village and afternoon tea. We probably did about 800 meters of climbing today. Not bad for our first day at altitude.

Tomorrow, we begin our two day trek to Namche Bazaar, the main village in the Khumba Valley. I will be out of contact until then, but will try to post an update sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Namaste.

Attending a Funeral

After the expedition briefing on Saturday morning, we were taken on a tour of the two most famous religious sites in Kathmandu. We didn’t know what we were in for.

The first stop was the Pashuptinath Temple, a Hndu site, located on the Bagmati River. Under Hindu beliefs, bodies must be cremated within 24 hours after death. The cremations take place on stone bulkheads on the river by the deceased’s family. Once the bodies are completely incinerated, the ashes are washed into the Bagmati River which connects to the Ganges, the holy Hindu river.

When we arrived, one cremation was being completed and the ashes brushed into the water. Another family was arriving with the body of the relative wrapped in the with the ceremonial cloth. They built a wooden pyre, placed the body on top, and lit some straw to help get the fire started. There were many people milling about visiting the temple and taking pictures of the event (our guide said that it was OK). It was a bit strange being in the middle of all of this, but it’s an everyday event to the Nepalis. In another section of the temple, a wrapped body lay on the ground with the family nearby.


Even though this is a sacred site, the place is littered with trash and the river is terribly polluted. Cows and dogs (sacred animals) wander wherever they wish to go.

I certainly didn’t expect to be attending a funeral in Nepal.

The second site we visited was the Bodhnath Buddhist stupa. This is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Kathmandu and for centuries has been visited by pilgrims from Tibet. A stupa is a stone, bell shaped tower with strings of prayer flags draped from the pinnacle. It is a beautiful site to see them fluttering in the breeze.



We also visited an art school where Buddhist monks learn to paint spiritual paintings. The details in these paintings are quite amazing.

We had lunch in a rooftop restaurant overlooking the whole scene. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful setting for lunch.

We returned to the hotel to get packed for tomorrow’s flight into the mountains. We have to be ready to leave the hotel by 5:15 am, but who knows when our flight will be. Flights into Lukla keep only a general schedule. If the weather is good, they fly dozens of planes into the mountain airstrip, just 30 minutes from Kathmandu. If the weather is bad, they may be grounded for days backing up trekkers in both Kathmandu and Lukla waiting to get out.

Once we get into the mountains, internet access will probably be pretty limited. I’ll try to post when I can, but it will probably be fairly limited.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Having Fun In Kathmandu

May 14

After sunset, we went back to Thamel for dinner and some craic. It was more difficult navigating after dark. There still was a lot of traffic but not streetlights. It was a bit difficult/danger to navigate.

We were looking for the famous Rum Doodle Bar but couldn’t find it. Apparently, it relocated. We ended up at every Irish pub in Thamel, thanks to Gerry. Not much craic, though.

On the way back to the hotel, stopped in at the Irish Pub again. It was the most lively place all evening. A band was playing and the place was full of locals, mainly middle aged men. The few women were getting a lot of attention on the dance floor. Ate a few unidentifiable appetizers, but they were vegetarian and not too bad. Gerry didn’t eat any so I finished them off myself and washed at down with a bottle of Everest beer.

Back to the Shanker and in bed by 11:00 pm.

May 15

Woke up at 4:00 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. It was light at 5:00, so we got up and went for a run. Even at 5:30 am, the streets were still pretty busy. We ran down one of the main streets past the National Palace and some government buildings.

We came to a large park and a huge parade field. Around the field was a dirt path. There were hundreds and hundreds of people on the field walking, running, playing soccer or cricket. We decided to do a couple of laps with the locals. We were the only Westerners among a thousand Nepalis.

On the first lap, a couple of boys tried to take me out with a soccer ball. Gerry saw it coming but I didn’t. I stumbled and almost went down. Everyone got a good laugh. Fair play, I guess. We were on their territory.

At the far side of the field, hundreds of people were seated on blankets listening to a swami seated on a stage. It was their morning meditation. It was a really bizarre scene at 6:00 am.

We did four laps and then ran back to the hotel. Ran for a total of 45 minutes with Gerry complaining the whole way about his Achilles or ankle or something. But I’ve never had a run quite like it.

At 9:00, we were briefed by the race organizers about the trek and race. We got our shirts and hats and took the obligatory group photo. There’s about 25 in the group -- one Irishman (guess who), several Brits, a larger contingent of Germans, several Aussies, a French couple, a couple of Indians, including last year’s foreign winner of the race, one Pole, and just two Americans including myself. I’m going for the top American finisher and Gerry hopes to be the first Irishman.

At 10:30, we left for a tour of two religious sites in Kathmandu, a Hindu temple and a Buddist stupa. We ended up attending a funeral. I’ll fill in the details in my next post.

Day 1 in Kathmandu

First day in Kathmandu. The ride from the airport was crazy. Vehicles and pedestrians of every description weaving in an out. Amazingly, we saw no accidents. I wouldn’t last two minutes in the traffic. It’s tough enough as a pedestrian.

Kathmandu is a pretty dirty city. There’s a lot of pollution and trash and rubble everywhere. It’s dusty and smelly. Very third world, but just what I wanted to experience.

The Hotel Shanker is a classic, old hotel. A little warn, but still not too bad. It has “character”. They have a very nice garden area with a pool. The pool was invaded by German tourists this afternoon. Gerry loved it.

After a couple hours sleep, we dodged the traffic to get to Thamel, a commercial area about a half mile from the hotel. Got some rupies at the ATM (the debit card works!). Passed by an Irish pub about a half block from the hotel. That’s bad news with Gerry.

The bustling and commotion along the streets is hard to describe. Crowds of people, buses, taxis tuks-tuks, rickshaws, and scooters all competing for the same narrow space. . Everyone beeps their horns constantly. The motor bikes go buzzing through the narrow alleys; it seems like you’ll get whacked anytime. It’s really nuts.

It’s really funny seeing the school children. They are all dressed in their uniforms with jumpers for the girls and ties for the boys. Very British but very cute.

Anything that you want to buy can be found in Thamel. There are a lot of trekker hotels, gear stores, travel agencies, electronics shops and restaurants. You see so much counterfeit North Face and Mountain Hardware, it’s unbelievable. I bought a topo map of the Everest region so we won’t get lost when we go into the mountains.

Stopped at the Irish pub on the way back to hotel for a quick pint. A sign on the wall said that it was under German management. So much for authenticity.

Back at the Shanker, a big party was going on in the garden. We thought about crashing it, but we would have been too conspicuous -- it was all Nepalis.

Here’s a couple of photos from the first day.

The Long Slog to Kathmandu -- The Epic Journey Before The Epic Journey

Left Richmond a little after 5 pm on May 12th to drive to Dulles. Therese was driving me up so I wanted to leave a little early since she had to drive back home. My Qatar Airways flight didn't leave until 10:50 pm.

No sooner did we leave the condo then a torrential thunderstorm hit downtown Richmond bringing traffic to a screeching halt. We tried a couple of back routes but it still took us almost 45 minutes to get out of town. The first stressor for the trip.

Once we got going, the ride to Dulles was pretty uneventful. Pulled into the hourly parking just before 8 pm. Plenty of time. Get up to the ticketing counter and the agent asks for the credit card that I used to pay for the tickets to check me in. Uh . . . I didn't have it because the bank replaced it a couple of weeks ago with a new number. She couldn't do anything without it.

It took 30 minutes to get through the customer service phone system at the bank to talk to a real person. In the mean time, Therese called Matt and then Katie who looked up the account online to get the old number. After we had the correct number, check in went smoothly. Second stressor for the day. What a way to begin the trip.

At 8:30, I said my tearful good-byes to Therese who had to drive 2+ hours back to Richmond. She will miss me and I'll miss her.

Went through security and took the tram out to the terminal. I thought that I'd better check the credit card I planned to use to get rupies in Nepal. Of course, none of the passwords I thought were correct would work in the ATM. Stressor number three! h well, Therese better move some money into our debit account. I'll need rupies when we go into the mountains because there are no ATMs out there.

Boarding the Qatar Airways flight went smoothly even though 350 passengers were on the plane. They are a class operation. There didn't seem to be many Qataris on the flight. It was mostly Indians and a large, rough crew who looked like they were Blackwater or Halliburton employees.

The flight pulled back a few minutes ahead of schedule and we were on our way. I was near the front, two rows behind the bulkhead seats. Big mistake -- that's where they put the babies and toddlers. There were five babies, at least one of whom seemed to be making a fuss at any given time. Just had to turn up the volume on the headphones.

There were also a lot of really, really old people on the flight. They wheeled about six of the up just ahead of me before I boarded. It took them forever to get to and in their seats and required several of the flight attendants to assist. It also took them a long time to get to the lavs during the flight. You have to give it to them to be travelling half way around the world with their infirmities.

The ride was very smooth the whole way. It was just l-o-o-o-n-g. The meals were not bad; I had a glass of wine; I watched three movies, I did laps around the plane and talked to a couple of other insomniacs in the back galley. Did I say that the flight was long?

I didn't want to sleep on this leg of the trip, but I did doze off a couple of times. Twelve and a half hours later, we landed in Doha. It was dark when we took off from Dulles, the sun rose over the Atlantic and then set as we flew in over the Gulf.

Deplaned and went through transit quickly. The flight to Kathmandu wasn't scheduled to leave for another six and a half hours. Headed up to the Oryx Lounge. It's worth the $40 for comfortable chairs, food and drink, and clean restrooms.

In the lounge, I was able to connect the netbook to the internet and called Therese. Thank God for Skype. It cost about 20 cents for a ten minute call. Not bad.

Gerry had sent me an email that he got out of Dublin and to Manchester on time. The QR flight from Manchester left right on schedule so he should have no problem making our connecting flight to Kathmandu. He said that Sean Wall surprised him and was coming along on the trip as well. For those that know Sean (and Gerry), you get it.

When I came out of the lounge at 11:45, the airport was a madhouse. Not the businessmen that you see during the day, but a mass of humanity trying to board flights to all over Asia and the Middle East. The airport almost looked third world in some respects.

Met up with Gerry and it's the same old Gerry. Just like he never returned to Ireland. The first thing he wanted was the Richmond gossip so I gave him a copy of the Times Dispatch and Style.

We checked into our flight right away and began boarding. There were a lot of Nepalis on the flight. I seemed tall compared to most of them!

We couldn't get seats together, so Gerry sat in the back with the chickens and goats (only half kidding). The flight was uneventful but I didn't sleep.

It was great coming into Kathmandu flying over the hills an into the little airport. The terminal looked like something out of the 1950s. It took a while to get our visa and clear customs. Our guide for Himalaya Expeditions was waiting for us at the terminal entrance along with a thousand other taxi drivers. It was a madhouse scene and truly third world.

The ride in from the airport to the hotel was crazy -- buses cars, motorcyles, bicycles and pedestrians all vying for the same road space. They drive with their horns here. The streets are winding and filled with trash. There are people everywhere and young kids either going to school in their British-like uniforms or begging from the Westerners when the car stops.

We met a Brit named Frank who came in on the same flight as us. He seemed a little odd, probably the same he thought of Gerry and me.

Left Therese a voice mail. I miscalculated the time between Kathmandu and Richmond -- it was midnight there, not 10 pm as I thought. Oops.

I've been up since 5 am on Wednesday, with only a bit of sleep on the plane. I need to try to get a couple of hours now even though it's only 10:30 am. So, I'm signing off for now.

And They're Off . . .

It's May 12. I'm checking my gear and packing list one last time to see what I forgot (many items, I'm sure).

I fly out of Dulles at 22:50. Therese is driving me up (to make sure that I get on the plane). It's a long flight to Doha (13 hours) and a long layover (6 hours) before another long flight to Kathmandu (4 1/2 hours).

Gerry called yesterday to discuss the packing list. We'll see what he brings besides his tshirts (including the Michael Jackson one) and running shorts. His plane leaves Dublin on Thursday morning, the Icelandic volcano willing. We will hopefully meet up in Doha.

Here's the itinerary for the trip. I will try to post some updates in Kathmandu and while in the mountains. There are internet cafes in Lukla and Namche Bazaar and possibly higher up in the mountains.

See you In Nepal!

Mark and Gerry's Everest Itinerary

May 12 Depart Dulles at 22:50
May 13 Arrive Doha at 18:30
May 14 Depart Doha at 1:05
Arrive Kathmandu at 08:30 (4,429 ft)
May 15 Kathmandu touring
May 16 Fly to Lukla (9,383 ft)
May 17 Phakding (8,700 ft)
May 18 Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft)
May 19 Acclimatization day in Namche
May 20 Acclimatization day in Namche
May 21 Tyangboche (13,090 ft)
May 22 Dingboche (14,468 ft)
May 23 Acclimatization day in Dingboche
May 24 Lobuche (16,076 ft)
May 25 Gorakshep (16,961 ft)
May 26 Climb Kala Pattar (18,192 ft)
return to Gorekshep (16,961 ft)
May 27 Everest Base Camp (17,593 ft)
May 28 Rest day at EBC
May 29 Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon at 7:00 am
EBC to Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft)
May 30 Monjo (9,514 ft)
May 31 Lukla (9,383 ft)
June 1 Fly to Kathmandu
June 2 Free day in Kathmandu!
June 3 Depart for home at 19:55
June 4 Arrive Dulles at 16:00

Update on the Bandh in Nepal

Good news. The Maoist party has suspended its bandh -- general strike -- that has ground Nepal to a halt for the past seven days. They are probably waiting for Gerry and I to arrive before they begin again.

One less thing to worry about.

Less Than A Week To Go And . . . A Bandh and A Volcano

I'm wrapping things up before my trip to Nepal and the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon. My training is winding down. Just easy runs for now and then a final long trail run on Tuesday morning. I feel pretty good but will be happy to leave the hot and muggy weather we've been having in Richmond. It's been an early summer.

I have most of my gear and supplies (I think). Just a few more things to buy. Therese will be happy -- no more daily deliveries from Campmor, REI, Amazon, etc. She's asking what I'm going to do with all of this stuff after the trip. I don't know yet. It depends how the race goes and whether I continue with the adventure events (it's my new athletic career!)

I hope that the packing checklist is good. If I forget something, however, I can always pick it up in Kathmandu. I haven't weighed the bag but I think that I'll be fine for the 30 lb. limit on the trek.

So no worries, right? Well, not quite. It turns out that the political situation in Nepal is deteriorating again. The Maoist Party instigated a bandh, or general strike, on May 1 demanding the resignation of the prime minister. The whole country is pretty much closed down -- shops are shuttered, no transporation, offices closed, roads blocked, ete.

Bandhs are pretty common in Nepal but normally last only a day or two. I think that they are often viewed as an unannounced holiday. This one is a little more serious. Food supplies are running short, tourists are having to walk to and from the airport, and the people are now starting to grumble about the disruptions.

So far it's been relatively peaceful and the parties are talking. No one is willing to give in yet. The Maoists are now allowing food deliveries for 4 hours each day but curfews have been imposed in some locations.

Santosh, a representative of the expedition company we are using, says that the bandh really hasn't been a problem for tourists so far. He says that the trek and marathon are on as scheduled and they will meet our flight on the 14th. Yeah, we'll see. I'd better be thinking of some contingency plans. If we can at least get a flight into Lukla, the start of the trek, we'll be out of the urban areas where most of the disruption is occurring.

All we have to do is get to Kathmandu. Not a problem for me. The Qatar Airways flights that I will be taking have been running pretty much on time. Gerry's flights, though, are another matter. He will be flying (hopefully) from Dublin to Manchester to Doha, where we will meet up. However, the Iceland volcano is acting up again and the airports in Ireland were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. He's keeping his fingers crossed that he'll make it out next Thursday.

Anyway, it's all part of the deal. It's the adventure before the adventure. Stay tuned.