EVEREST BASE CAMP "DHERAI SUNDAR" PART 2

Some places you just don't forget... Dingbouche at 14,400' was one of them. As I raced to the next "longdrop" Sherpa toilet something was taking hold of me inside, and for the next day I was submersed in what appeared to be the classic altitude illness. Shaking, nausea, I've never been so cold and I couldn't get warm. The classic headache was even trying to work it's way in. Misery loves company so it was comforting that Andrew felt some symptoms too, so we commiserated together and traded tylenols. We endured the long frosty fall nights- from 7pm until 6 am shivering in our tents through the wee hours not being able to sleep. Luckily we had an acclimation day, I skipped the short hike and "crashed" in my tent. I was fortunate it only lasted a day, with warm tea in the morning and some of the best soup ever we slowly regained our strength to get back on our feet and resume this incredible adventure! P.S. Click on pictures to enlarge

KHUMBILA SACRED MTN. 

LITTLE BACKGROUND: 40-50 million years ago one of the most visible dramatic events was beginning to take place on this planet. India riding on it's own plate collided with the Eurasia plate to create the Himalayas that stretches for 1,700 miles along India, Nepal and Tibet. Since both plates had the same rock density there was no subduction (one plate sliding under another), therefore they jutted up into the sky to create the most magnificent mountain range on our planet!

AFTER SNOW DUSTING

AFTER LEAVING NAMCHE: We crossed more suspension bridges, some higher than others We took a side trip to Phortse, 12,500 and then a half day ascent to Pangboche, 12,890' where we encountered our first snow.

BEFORE SNOW DUSTING

I woke up at 10pm to go take another pee only to see our tents covered with the white stuff. Thinking we were in for a big storm, like the last group, (they had 6 feet of snow dumped on them)  just 2 weeks before, I was a little concerned, but it turned out to be a short lived dusting, we basically had sunny skies, a little wind, and chilly nights, very lucky, weather wise.

TRAIL ON LEFT SIDE

SUPERVISING YAK

OFF TO DINBOUCHE- AT 14,400'  elevation is where the real altitude started to affect almost everyone. So it was important to keep hydrated, and eating food, but if you took Diamox- it is a diuretic, so you had to intake 3-4 liters of fluids a day.  We encountered lots of Yaks grazing on the hillsides with their thick wintery coat. Along the way some of the trails were wide and easy, but others just hung off the cliff, so you had to pay attention.

AMA DABLAM-SEE MAP- TECHNICAL CLIMB, WE ARE ON TRAIL- LEFT

FISHER'S MEMORIAL-1996

We then headed off to Lobuche at 16,100' with spectacular views of Ama Dablam off to our right. There were many groups vying for a chance to climb this technical mountain- at 22,000'. But due to the previous snow storm all attempts had to be cancelled since the footing ice was too deep. Along the way perched on the side of a ridge is where they cremated the bodies of fallen climbers. One in particular was Scott Fisher from the famous disaster of 1996 when they lost a lot of climbers and John Krakauer wrote his famous book, " Into thin air".

We had started to come into ice, on and around the trail, so we made use of our trekking poles for balance on the slippery rocks. The trouble was the views were specatcular so watching the trail presented it's own challenges.

AVALANCHE!!!
DHERAI SUNDAR:  means "magnificent scenery" in Nepalese. We are now starting the 2 toughest days of the journey. We climbed from Lobouche to Gorak Shep- 16,942' and in the same day trekked to Everest Base Camp (EBC) at 17,600' and then back to Gorak Shep for a night in a lodge. A grueling day, put one foot in front of the other all of us at this point were pulling on our reserves for this 8 hour hike at high altitude. "Om Mani Padme Hun" a Buddhist phrase for compassion, and at this point it is was my mantra that I repeated to pull myself through. Along the way we heard a rumble across the valley as we entered the Base Camp valley, louder and louder and finally off to our right we saw this giant avalanche coming down the mountain. After 6 hours we finally made it to Everest Base Camp. 

MT. CHANGTSE IN BACKGROUND

KHUMBU ICE FALL

BASE CAMP- 17,600'
What a thrill to see the famous Khumbu ice fall off to our right, this is where the climbers fix ladders to start their ascent to Everest. The mountain in the back that you see in most pictures at Base Camp is actually in Tibet -and is called Mt. Changtse at 24,700'. Everest is actually up to the right past the Khumbu ice fall and out of sight. The ice fall is constantly changing, due to ice melting, and the ladders have to be reset by the Sherpas. Below the ice fall the climbers actually test their ice climbing skills as they wait for the window to climb during April and May.

BASE CAMP ! 17,600'THE CREW- TOP LEFT--CARY, MELODY, THUPTEN, WES, JOSH
BOTTOM -LEFT STACY, CAROLINE, TINA, DEENA, ANDREW AND ME

 Exhausted at this point we still had to hike back to Gorp Shep at 16,942. Arriving just before dark to the cold and icy outpost guesthouse, thank goodness for the  hot tea and some snacks. Most of us were in dire straights, altitude has a way of making you feel numb. Some had debilitating headaches and were forced to stay stationary in one space.

SUMMIT OF KALA PATTHAR
WITH MT. PUMORI BEHIND US

SUN PEAKING OVER NUPTSE
MT. EVEREST IS ON THE LEFT

THE BRAVE 5: The call came at 5AM! It was freezing cold! and 5 of us would be crazy enough to go out into the hollow darkness and climb another 1,500 feet up to Kala Patthar. The last 100 yards was a scramble over rocks and ice! We pushed ourselves and just as we reached the peak at 18,400' for sunrise, we were rewarded with another "DHERAI SUNDAR" the sun peaked over Mt. Nuptse at 25,790' and refracted like a star across the valley with the most  panoramic mountain view I have ever seen. Straight ahead of the was the great mountain Everest -29,034' spiraling to the sky left of Mt. Nuptse.

INSIDE THE MONASTERY

LIGHTING CANDLES FOR LOVED ONES

TENBOUCHE MONTASTARY: 
On our descent we stopped at the largest monastery in the Khumbu valley where Thupten was a monk for 10 years. We had a chance to light candles for loved ones and thank the gods for our journey and to remind us what a Tibetan monk once said: "Live and die with no regrets" or as Nick would constantly say "live while you live, and die and be done with it"

KHUMBU GLACIER ON RIGHT
LEFT RIDGE MARK IS A FORMER LEVEL

CLIMATE CHANGE: The Himalayans has once again been the center of climate change. A recent newspaper article in the San Diego Union stated the latest IPCC (International Panel of Climate Committee) reported there is no loss of ice in that region. What the article failed to mention is that there is so much black debris on top of the Khumbu glacier that it blocks most of the sunlight. And the overall region is experiencing a dimensioning loss of glacial ice pack. Just look at this picture of where the Khumbu glacier used to be. Research is on going here is a link:  http://climatechange.umaine.edu/khumbu_glacier_nepal
LUNCH 4 LEARNING:
Just wanted to thank everyone that supported me and contributed to the "lunch4learning" group in Uganda. Many students will now have food for lunches and sustainable gardens + clean water because of your support. Here is there link: http://lunch4learning.org/site/

DEENA AND BADRI

MEMORABLE SHOTS:

LONG DROP FREEZING TOILET

YAKDONALD'S IN LUKLA

All we could here from the Sherpa toilet was Deena yelling: damn, darn it, I can't believe it, no way!!!! When she did her thing her nice camera shot out her pocket and into the hole--Luckily, Badri was brave enough to go under the toilet and dig out her pink camera--our hero! And for my own personal drama. At 4 am in the morning, trotting out to the toilet tent for my "long drop". Setting my poor bum on the freezing seat I noticed it was not quite straight over the hole, so I decided to move it a little. Bad idea it caved in my legs shot straight up and I almost landed int he hole myself. REWARD: After 14 days of continual cold nights who would know "YakDonald's" would be there for Josh. By the way Yak cheese is great!
Om Mani Padme Hun: The concept of compassion through the Buddhist religion is magnified in this saying, but it's not just the gentle nature of the Nepalese people that shines through, it was the compassion of the powerful mountains uniting our group to together to take on this great challenge.

YAK TEAM'S ARTISTIC TALENT AT RUM DOODLES

PART 3: Next will be tips for trekking in Nepal or any altitude.