Thinking of Nepal

One year ago today, I was on a plane to Korea - final destination, Kathmandu, Nepal and the trek of a life-time.  Today, I woke up to text messages and emails about a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hitting the region.  To put it in perspective, the Loma Prieta, the '89 earthquake that hit San Francisco, was a 6.9.  The Napa quake that caused quite a bit of damage late last year was a 6.0.  A 7.8 in California would do a lot of damage....in Nepal, it's been catastrophic.  

I took the below photo on our first day out and about.  We'd just finished touring our first Durbar Square (basically the word for palace in Nepal) and were enjoying lunch at a rooftop restaurant.  I took the photo because I liked watching the people in the street below....and there was just something about the multi-colored building across the way.

I found this picture of the same area online this morning.  I recognized the colored building right away.  However, most everything else, including the building I was standing on it seems, is gone.

photo credit: http://time.com/3835621/nepal-earthquake-pictures/ 

It's unsettling to know that many, if not all, of the historical places I visited around Kathmandu are gone, if not forever changed.  From the first day exploring Kathmandu on a seven mile walk to the tour we took with Ron Jon (totally not how it's supposed to be spelled, but that's how I remember it ;)), all of those would be completely different if we took them this year....if that would even be possible now.

And that was before the trek even started.  I read an article somewhere that said the small villages were 80% damaged.  I tried to look for further information, but was unable to find any.  Not really surprising....communication and internet and phone were difficult enough to come by during normal times, I can't imagine now.  Are the lodges we stayed in still standing....in any sort of shape that's reparable?  Are the people who showed us nothing but kindness safe?  I can't help but think of the woman who ran the lodge at Lobuche and knitted wool hats to sell as souvenirs.  She had a horse for rent and let me charge all of my electronic gadgets for the hourly fee, even though they ran over the hour.  Or Namche....what of the bartender who served celebratory beers on the way down, who had moved from Queens, NY, after her Sherpa husband.  And the souvenir shop owners who sold us most of our gifts....and told us we could store it in our guide's house while we were trekking....haha.  I can only hope that they're all safe and able to repair their homes and businesses.

And that's not saying anything of the guides, porters, and kitchen boys who were with us every step of the way.  From the 'sherpa saunas' to clear my congestion to a hand up to the top of Kala Patthar to all twenty-some of them rushing out to say goodbye as we made one last trek to the Lukla airport, nothing was overlooked and they always made sure we had exactly what we needed.  I can only hope, pray, and send positive thoughts that they and their families are safe.

We've reached out via email, but haven't heard back yet.  Of course, internet will be very difficult to come by, and they're trekking with a group, so I'm sure have lots to sort out with their current group.  One of my fellow trekkers checked the site, and we think the schedule puts them somewhere near Gorak Shep, the highest point of the trek.  Hopefully it was Kala Patthar day and they would have been heading back down at the time of the quake.

All the places I've traveled have been special to me.  Nepal, first because of the people and second because of the history.  Never have I been somewhere that just about everyone treated you like one of their own.  I hope that they are able to rebuild and that people continue to travel there, because it truly was a life-changing experience.

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree....

On Saturday, December 6th, North Face gave to me....

Six days of rain...
Five aid stations...
Four course changes...
Three washed out trails...
Two course sweepers...
One adventure on the trails

In all seriousness, What. A. Day.  Really.  In retrospect, I should have known.  Either the six days of rain, or the four course changes that came down yesterday and today should have been my first clue.  If not that, then the no more than an hour of sleep I got last night (stupid stress) or the pepto I was choking down at 3:30am.

But, I figured the course updates would make it easier and I didnt have to do my least favorite trails.  And I figured the lack of sleep and sick were due to nerves.  I went to bed early all week in preparation, so I actually wasnt completely exhausted race morning.

We were up at three and out the door by 3:45.  Out the door and into the pouring rain...what a nightmare this is going to be...can't it be a dry nightmare?  We were parked and shuttled by 4:45.  The nerves were back, so luckily I was able to make a pit stop at the visitor's center bathroom - can you say auto-flush toilet?  Delicacy in the wilderness.

The race started shortly after we arrived, luckily, there was no rain in Marin.  After a couple of announcements, including another course change, we were off.  Dean Karnazes was just inside the start line, he patted my shoulder and said, "yeah, go get it".  At that point, I felt great...I was going to own this race.

The first ten miles were pretty uneventful...some running, some walking, some run/walking.  I felt great, and was a half mile to a mile ahead of my goal pace.  Then I got to the end of the second loop and stopped at the aid station.  And, something just felt off.  I thought it was the ankle brace throwing off my body mechanics, and made a mental note to pull it off when I changed my socks at the next aid station.

After a climb up Miwok and a descent into Tennessee Valley, where we were suddenly overrun by 50k runners, I was at the next aid station where Glenn and Adrienne were waiting to crew with clean socks.  I saw my friend Toby running the 50k shortly before I reached my crew.  I also ditched the ankle brace and my headlamp...but for some reason I was insistent on keeping it with me. Perhaps I was already delirious. Nonetheless, I headed out towards Pirates Cove at a run/walk. That lasted about a mile before I was just walking....it seemed as if my stomach chose that moment to say, "yeah...about those nerves...it's not nerves".  And "you should walk, or bad things will happen".  Awesome, taken down by the one thing you can't plan for.

The lone other 50 miler chose that moment to tell me that the sweepers were right behind us, even though we were way ahead of the cutoff time. So, I took a breath, continued up the hill, and tried to chat with the 50k runner next to me. Who told me what a great day it was and how he had changed his race from the marathon, cause what's five extra miles?  A little too peppy for someone trying to talk their stomach down.

I got to the top quicker than I thought I would, and still ahead of my goal. But, then I met Pirates Cove, which can be sketchy on a good day. After almost a week of rain, it was a mud bath. Think slip and slide minus the pool at the end. Well, there was a cliff and the ocean was past it, so maybe it was the same. I was pretty sure I was going to fly off the cliff and into the ocean. At one point, I decided to take the grass on the side rather than the mud, tried to crawl across a rock and end up falling. Great.  Whatever was hurting in my knee just got worse.

At that point, the sweepers let me know that they were there if I needed anything, but not to worry, I had plenty of time. I told them I was having a rough day, but was going to walk it out. I also started thinking about what plan b was going to be. At that point, I figured I would either make it to Stinson Beach and stop there, or see if I could turn at the 50k and finish the race with them. Not what I wanted, but better than not finishing at all.

I decided to press on and see what happened. The sweepers were nice and alternated between checking on me and keeping me company. I heard at one point via a radio that I had gotten too slow, so I power walked as best I could - out of muir beach, on to redwood creek trail, over to heather cutoff. Which is where the craziness began....picture this - washed out trail, think a river running down it - nearly single track trail, with people going up and down.  Suddenly, the hills I didnt think would be a huge deal to run/walk up and jog down were a mud-filled nightmare.

Going up the hill, there were mid/back of the pack 50kers....and two 50 milers that I hiked past.  No matter what happened, I was no longer last.  I cautiously proceeded up the switch-backs with a group of 50kers....occasionally grabbing on to one another as we jumped out of the way for the in-it-to-win it 50 milers and fast 50kers came down the hill at mach 50.  Really guys?  The leaders passed by several hours ago - I promise, you wont catch them.  Can you slow down so we can all get through the mud bath safely?  At this point, I had lost my sweeper friends to two of the guys I passed.

Shortly into Heather Cutoff, the first trail, a guy came flying down the switch-back above, had zero traction on the curve, and flew off the trail, off the hill, into the brush below.  We all held our breath as he climbed out of the bushes, righted himself, held up his hands and said, "I'm good".  One of the ladies in our group called out, "sir, you have just won the race'.  Countless slips, slides, and crashes later, we were moved on to Coastal trail.

Now, Coastal is a similar trail, but more exposed, so I hoped in better condition.  However, after 1000 people run up and down a wet trail, it's a mess no matter what.  But this trail brought an added challenge - bikes!  Now, really, who rides their bike down a hill through several feet of mud....and a race course.  Apparently several people...including a dad and a kid. Really?  You couldnt find a trail without 1000 people on it to ride on today?  We continued our journey up the hill, at some point I stepped in what I'll call pot holes and ended up in ankle deep mud.  awesome....I think at some point in all of that, I ran into my friend Toby again and Dr. Hal, both on their way down.

Finally, I get to Cardiac...with time to spare.  Decision time.  A- see if I could quickly change out of my soaked socks, grab a sandwich, cross my fingers, and see if I could make it to the next cutoff....or B - realize it wasnt my day, see if I could change my race, head back down the hill and have a chance to finish a race, even if it wasnt the one I wanted.  I had been thinking about it for awhile, and had decided to go with option b.  I couldnt control the fact that I had to have pepto for breakfast and not much else since then, but what I could control was my reaction to it.

I had some PB&J and water, and looked around for someone to ask about changing races.  The aid station captain didnt seem to know, and was too busy force feeding M&M's and telling a 50 miler who was on his way back down that he wasn't allowed to quit because he was tired.  One of the sweepers from earlier found me at the aid station..."there you are!  we completely lost you...we stopped with the other guys and then you were just gone."  A testament to my training that even feeling awful I can still hike myself up a hill just fine.  He helped me find the right person to switch my race, so I found my drop bag and changed out of my wet shirt and singlet into dry ones, and took the dry socks out and stashed them in my pack for a change at Muir Beach, and was on my way.

Going down was just as much of an adventure as going up.  I had a guy pass me who was fiddling with his coat and ipod, holding a water-bottle, and navigating the mud.  I watched him slish and slosh from left to right and knew it was only a matter of time.  A couple more sloshes and down he went.  I asked if he was ok, he told me he was, just shouldnt mess with his stuff while running.  Yeah...probably a good idea.  As I made my way down, I started to think that if these were the trails deemed safe for 1000 people to go up and down, I dont want to see the ones that were unsafe...

I got down and back to Muir Beach, thankful for the aid station.  The people there were so friendly - they helped me get my gross shoes off so I could change my socks and gave me chicken broth since they thought I was cold, and helped me wash my hands.  After that, I was ready to go up one of the toughest climbs on the course.  My game plan...just keep moving (looking at the stats afterwords, I did get my third best time going up that set of hills.  Haha.

About halfway up the hills, Ksenya (who was going to pace me from Stinson, where I never made it to) and Adrienne my other running buddy yelled up the hill to me.  So exciting to have friends to share the journey with!  It didnt take them too long to catch up, and it made the time down to Tennessee Valley pass pretty quickly.  At TV, I got to see the rest of the crew, but I wanted to keep moving, so headed up Marincello after grabbing another PB&J.  It was great to have Ksenya to share the journey with (Adrienne had to move her car at TV).  She kept me going, and before I knew it, we were near the finish line.  I was able to run the last few feet through the finish line and go hang out with my crew.  

All things said and done, I got in a 50k (+ ended up being 37 miles)....I went further than I ever have before...I crossed the finish line.  And yesterday, that was enough.  Today, I wish I could have made the 50 happen, but there will be other races.  Either this one next year...or another before then, since I think I was supposed to do something before the 100 miler.  We'll see....Thank you to the sweepers, for helping me salvage something out of what could have been a disaster of a day.  Huge thanks to our crew, pacers, and friends that came out to the event - could not have done it without you.  And congrats to Brian, who had a great 50 mile race!

Everest Trek - The End of the Road

Annnnd, once again, it's taken me forever to get back and update this....must. get. back. into. blogging. haha....

I guess I've just been busy...running up Mt. Diablo, traveling back to Buffalo for mom's birthday, working on a bunch of stuff for my new job, signing up for a 50k run in august.  And, our lead Sherpa from our Nepal trip came to San Francisco to bring his son to school.  We were able to meet him for dinner, so we took him to Sam's Chowder House - gave him his first experience with chowder, halibut, and key lime pie.  So much fun and so great to see him.

Anyway....on to the end of the trek....

And, we're back in Kathmandu...it seems like, just like that - it's over.

After dinner last night was pretty much a goodbye party.  We had lodge food for dinner, and it made us really, really thankful for our cooks on the trek.  Once we were done eating, the entire team came in to say goodbye and get their tips.  We got to see the kitchen boy who received the coat Brian donated.  He was so happy and proud of his new jacket - he had never had one before.  One of the guides took my shoes, I'm glad someone was able to use them, even though they're small.  As we gave each of the groups their tips (kitchen boys, guides, porters, etc.), they came around and shook hands and gave hugs - some really emotional moments.

We finished the night with a few rounds of sherpa alcohol our guide bought for us, Everest beer, and a championship round of dominos.  A great ending to a great trip, and I still can't believe it's over.

As we left this morning, all of the porters and kitchen boys ran out of the kitchen tent to wish us one final goodbye.  As we walked further up the road to the airport, the guides met us to wish us goodbye as well.  A few more powerful moments as we followed our head guide to the airport.  After weighing all of our luggage and getting tickets, we bid farewell to him and our sidar.  He wished us well and told us he'd see us in San Francisco.

The flight out of Lukla wasn't nearly as terrifying as the flight in.  Granted, we had to wait for them to clean up a bunch of popcorn kernels (the flight before us was carrying people and supplies)...quite funny actually.  Then, we were off - down the downhill runway, kind of like a roller coaster.  Our final guide got us to our van at the Kathmandu airport, and then we dropped him off at home on the way to the hotel, officially saying goodbye to the final person from the trek.

Now that I've been back for awhile, and had more time to reflect, I've realized how awesome all of this really was.  It seemed like each day kicked my butt more than the one before, and I truly didn't think I could do it again, climb one more hill or one more flight of stone steps.  But, then I did...and I made it through the next day, and the one after that too.

The cough eventually went away, I got over the sick, and the ankle has pretty much healed.  But, the memories will last a life time, and the photos longer than that.  I'll never forget Mr. Bean turning around at the top of Kalapatthar and telling me that I had two more steps to go.  My smiling photo at the top will forever remind me that I can do things I thought I couldn't.  

Everest Trek - Lukla - 5/15

So, I woke up this morning with a very angry ankle.  As I unwrapped it, Brian was like, please dont be black and blue, please dont be black and blue.  I, of course thought it was too early for it to be black and blue.  So, of course, it was black and blue.....awesome.  And, of course, I just wrapped it back up and shoved it in my boot.  It only had to make it three hours.

Our last day of hiking was a lot of fun.  It was relatively flat, I'm finally feeling close to normal (of course), and  my foot held up ok.  We also enjoyed seeing everyone come through from Lukla at the start of their trek.  Some looking prepared, some with guides, some without.  One without any warm clothes or a sleeping bag...how are you going to trek without a sleeping bag?  One rather large gentleman who walked by and said, 'I thought I'd give this a go'.....I dont think he had any gear.  And my favorite, a girl in full make-up, short shorts, and a strappy tank top..... good luck with that as you go up the mountain....

As we walked, I tried to take in as much as possible from all of the little towns we passed.  I felt like I missed so much the first time we came through.  The school children, the porters hauling up the latest load (food, candy, beer, etc.), and the people in the village going about their business.  It made me wonder how long the Himalayas will stay as I remember.  Will these somewhat hidden villages stay hidden except to those to trek to them?  Or will the modernization continue?  Cell phones are already everywhere, even at the highest elevations.  And, apparently for the right price, you can helicopter to Gorak Shep (the highest place we slept) and take photos.  How long before the nearest road isnt more than two days walk and there really is a gondola to the top of Everest.

Once we got back to Lukla, we took a bunch of photos - group shots, us with our guide, etc.  Then we had the final meal cooked by our kitchen staff - cinnamon rolls, french fries, and yak cheese...haha...I will miss these healthy lunches.  It's great to be back to civilization...and have the opportunity for a (not) warm shower, but I really cant believe we're already back...and we head back to Kathmandu tomorrow.   I'm sad it's over, but so glad I had the adventure.    

Everest Trek - Phakding - 5/14 - 8,487 ft.

Remember the Real World?  In 1998 (I think), back when I used to watch the show, the Seattle season cast traveled to Nepal.  Today, our guide had on an MTV/Real World/Nepal shirt on.  Turns out he was part of the group from Nepal supporting the show while they were there.  He told us a little bit about what they did, how they took a helicopter up to the Everest View Hotel (cheating....haha), and how it was a quick trip, so he didnt really get to know them, but that there were cameras everywhere.

Today's hike from Namche was relatively easy, but I was ready for it to be done.  It's funny, when we're hiking, I cant wait to stop, because I'm kind of over the whole hiking thing.  But, then we get to where we're going and it's just magical.  I feel like there's so much to learn and see and do.  Today during the afternoon tea, we talked with our guide about Nepal and the power outages.  He let us know that they're upgrading the power in Namche, so it will be out from May 15th until the end of September when trekking season starts up again.  Overall, it sounds like a lot of the power situation is political and is in the hands of the powerful and wealthy few rather than the many.

Phakding is a small town, but somewhat larger than a couple of other ones we've been to.  It's right on the river, so after lunch, we all went down to hang out in the sun at the glacier river.  Or, rather, I tried to...first thing I did was find a rock and roll my ankle over it.  Went down pretty hard since it's so weak from my trail adventure before we left.  Good times....sick and broken.  At least we only have one day left, and hopefully it's an easy day.

I think last night was the last time we got hot water bottles.  It was fabulous in the cold, but I'm ok letting them go - its been warmer at night, and last night, I came back to my sleeping back to find that the bottle had leaked.  Luckily, it was a small river and my towel could take care of it.

Tonight was the last dinner our cook made - tomorrow we have dinner at the lodge we're staying at.  It was nice: some KFC (khumbu fried chicken), stir fry noodles, veggies, and chicken momos...lots of old favorites.  To top it off, we finished with a last day cake, complete with frosting....yummy.

Now we're hanging out in a room at the lodge, playing our nightly dominos and having good conversation.  I'll miss this after tomorrow....that and my daily 3pm tea.  Perhaps thats something I can institute at the office....haha.    

Everest Trek - Namche - 5/13 - 11,200 ft.

So, I'm having a beer...at this point, the hard part is over, or I hope the hard part is over....haha.

Today, we hiked back into Namche.  A somewhat difficult hike since I still cant breathe, but overall bearable.  And, we got to hike down into Namche, which was a nice change.  We got here and got cleaned up, and then went to grab some souvenirs (mainly yak bells).  Then we headed to a bar with some of our fellow trekkers to celebrate our return.  Yeah beer at 11,000 feet....haha.

We're camping at the same lodge we camped at on the way up - yay for a second chance to fall off the terrace.  We headed back there for dinner....yak steak!  I've never had yak before, and it was actually pretty good - kind of similar to salsbury steak.  Or I just really needed red meat.  Or both.

Now we're enjoying more beer and playing our nightly dominos game.  We're in the lodge with two other groups of people on their way up....one group is playing cards in another corner and the other is a group of guys singing to music through their dinner.  Oh to have that much energy again.  haha.  It would be interesting to see them in a week on their way back through....

We met some people at the bar who were also on their way up.  Not sure why drinking was a good call....or not having a buff...but they seemed interested in what we had to say and still have time to buy the stuff they dont have.  They have some tough days ahead of them, but hopefully they have a good time.

Tomorrow, we continue our descent into Phakding...hopefully an easy day since I've been up until a whopping 9pm tonight.

Everest Trek - Deboche - 5/12 - 12,300 ft.

Ok, so before the story....I survived four days of bootcamp this week (it's usually three), but in 'only me' fashion, my jeans didnt make it into my bag.  Awesome...way to rock an athleta inspired look of cycling pants and a nice shirt.  haha....oh well.  It actually worked well somehow.  Also, there were some changes to my job....I'll be working on international stuff and project stuff.  New and different, which is good, but, it's a lot and I dont have my team anymore.  So, mixed emotions, I would say.

And....on with the story....

Today, we continued our descent to Deboche.  We took the upper trail out to base camp, and we're taking the lower trail back, so we've been able to see a lot of different things and places.  Today was a short hike, only took about three hours, maybe a little more.  It was nice to have a semi-rest day, especially after yesterday's long day.

Instead of staying at another lodge, we're camping at the home of one of our guide's friends from his monastery days.  She's let us in her prayer room for meals and in between.  It's a nice, peaceful space, and pretty warm.  Granted, I'm still wearing my parka, but I'm not cold at all.

Tomorrow, we get to visit the Tengboche monastery - that should be cool.  However, it's a somewhat longer day - 5 hours, and has lots of climbing....and here I thought we were descending.

I spent some of the down time today relaxing in my tent (and making sure the laundry didnt blow away in the wind) and thinking.  We're nearing the end of the trek, only four more nights, including tonight.  And, I'm not sure how I feel.  On one hand, we spent a year preparing, and its been a great trip.  Granted, being sick for the entire thing has definitely taken away from some of the fun.  On the other hand, I'm kind of ready to be back in Kathmandu - with a bathroom in my hotel room, where brushing my teeth isnt a major production.

But, what a trip this has been....Everest base camp....Kala Patthar...Nepal...how cool are those things?!  At least we have a few more days in Kathmandu at the end.

Ok, bed time, I think it's the last night to cuddle with a hot water bottle  

Everest Trek - Pheriche - 14,049 ft.

I can't believe it's only been one day since yesterday.  Our day started with a wake-up knock at 4:30am.  I was glad that despite the coughing fits, I was able to get a decent amount of sleep.  However, I wasnt ready to be up yet.  Too bad I didnt really have a choice.

After attempting to force down a small breakfast, we were off towards the summit of Kala Patthar.  To say that I was nervous was an understatement - I was nervous it would be too hard or I wouldnt be able to finish.  It was hard, but not too hard.  One of the guides was in front of me the whole time - he helped me fish out my heavy gloves (I thought it would warm up quicker, so had started out in my lighter gloves), he held the top of my water bottle so I could drink with my gloves on, and when we got to the top, he turned to me and said - just two more steps.  And as with every other day on this trip, I did something I didnt think I'd be able to do - I made it up to the top of the 18,500 foot peak.  I wasnt the first, I wasnt the last, but in the end, it didnt matter.  All of us that set out that morning made it to the top.

And the view....it doesnt get much better than a completely unobstructed view of Everest - the Hilary step and the South Col.  We took great photos and got some group and individual shots too.  Definitely some of my favorite shots from the trip.

Then, we made our way down for what felt like the longest day of hiking ever.  We had some tea and cookies in the lodge at Gorak Shep before we officially departed.  It was hot...it was cold...we were pretty much too exhausted to eat lunch.  Nine miles later, we reached our destination.

Once I reached my tent, I barely had the energy to dust myself off (literally) and change clothes.  We had some tea and then we were off to the Himalayan Rescue Association Hospital.  It was interesting to learn about the center, how many people they support - 600 trekkers each season, plus the locals they treat for free during that time.  They're completely funded through donations and receive no government support.

We had pizza for dinner again - this time with sausage, and spaghetti with yak cheese instead of parmesan cheese.  I thought we were supposed to lose weight on this trip, but these cooks have been amazing.  The things they come up with at several thousand feet of elevation.

After dinner, we had an interesting conversation with our guide about the expedition season ending and the sherpa strike, and he had a very different point of view than we thought.  They're concerned for the impact to the economy in Nepal - lodges, hotels, shops, etc. in future seasons, if people are afraid something similar might happen, and thus decide not to sign up.

Alright, today has drained pretty much all the energy I had, and the cough is kicking my butt.  Off to sleep with my hot water bottle.

And...there are stray yaks.  Awesome.  But, luckily theyve put up a make shift metal fence to keep them out.  Does that actually work?  We shall see.  And, there are some tied up in here with us, hopefully with a thick rope.

Everest Trek - Gorak Shep - 5/10 - 17,100

Quick note....amazing trail run today.  Rock tape has changed running with a healing ankle injury.  Ok, on with the story....

Well, today I proved that even if you sprain an ankle the week before your trek, and get sick the day it starts, you can still make it to base camp.  Base camp was...pretty cool even though just about everything was gone.  There wasnt a sign either, but there was a bunch of prayer flags and stones people had written messages on.

Today was a cool day, but a long day of hiking.  We got to Gorak Shep for an early lunch after about three hours of hiking up and down and more up.  Then about five hours of hiking to and from base camp.  It was rough, even with the excitement of base camp.  Tomorrow is Kala Patthar...based on today, I'm still nervous.  I want to be able to make it up to the top, but between the altitude and the cough, I'm not sure how it will go.  I'm basically huffing and puffing through my mouth, when I really need both my nose and my mouth with such little oxygen.  Hopefully, somehow I'll feel as good as I did on the stairs on the way to Lobuche.

It was interesting to watch the sherpas and guides today, really over the entire trip.  Our Sherpa leader always brings up the rear - helping people if they stop, and slowing down with people if they need.  Like today, I decided I needed gloves, so stopped to pull them out.  He came over, pulled them apart for me (my hands were too cold) and held them up so I could slip my hands in.

Each of the guides takes a turn leading the group, and the others divide up within the line.  They answer questions and keep the Yak/Zopkyo trains away from us if they get too interested.  There's one that always seems to be in front of me - I think he's afraid I might crash through the rocks or something and he wants to be close in case he has to rescue me.  It seems as though each of them also takes a turn running the site and walks with the yak driver and kitchen team for the day. They go ahead and make sure everything is ready when we get there.  It's also interesting to see how they train people - for example, today one of the kitchen boys came on the base camp hike, I imagine to experience what the guides do.

Ok...last night in a lodge - nice one too (read, western style toilet...now if only I didnt have to dump water in it to get it to flush).  And, now I have a hot water bottle in my sleeping bag, I'm exhausted, and it's an early morning....it's bed time.

Everest Trek - Lobuche - 5/9 - 16,100

I have made it above 16,000 feet.  It's actually not as crazy as I thought it might be either, considering there's 50% less oxygen up there than there is in San Francisco.  And, it's already colder at 5pm than it was last night after the sun went down.

Today's highlight was the Thokla Pass. It was about an hour straight up a steep hill and some steps.  In reality, it might have been half a mile, but felt like a marathon with the altitude.  We took it slow, and took several breaks, and it really wasnt as bad as I thought it might be after yesterday.  And as we talked about all through lunch (we had lunch at a lodge and looked at the hill the entire time).  I'm still worried about making it up Kala Patthar though.

At the top, we were treated to not only a great view, but also to memorials of fallen climbers decked out in prayer flags.  There was one for Scott Fischer, one of the guides from the '96 tragedy, one for the Nepalese descended Canadian climber who passed away on her way down from the summit a few years ago.  It was interesting to see the memorials of the people I've spent a year reading about.

And, I just watched a guy ask the lodge keeper if he could use the rest of his daughter's shower water to wash his hair, rather than pay for his own shower.  Dude, it's $5, pay the poor lodge lady and go have your shower.

Speaking of the lodge, it's a nice change to be staying in here rather than the tent.  It's nice not having to crawl in and out of my bed, and be able to see the stuff in my bag without digging.  The lodge lady makes beautiful hats, scarves, and more out of yak wool.  I bought a pretty scarf that will keep me warm in the chilly office.  She also charged my phone and camera battery for $6.  They also have a horse for hire....perhaps I can hire it to take me the rest of the way....haha...

I tried to go for a walk after we had our tea.  A couple of the others from our group said there wasnt much to see...just a horses, yaks, and some stray dogs.  I made it a few feet, and realized that the dogs must have run away with the yaks, because all that was out there were three horses.

The cook made us pizza for dinner tonight.  Delicious at 16,000 feet.  I had another sherpa sauna, hopefully that helps with the dust as well as the congestion.  One of my fellow trekkers brought a pulse-ox meter so we've spent the evening trying that, and then decided that we needed to try it out on the sherpas.  Of course, they knew what was up...and they had ridiculously low heart rates for the altitude.

Tomorrow, we head to Gorak Shep for lunch and then to either base camp or Kala Patthar (depending on the weather).  Then, the other the next day, and then down we go.  I can't believe the days we've been hiking all this time for are almost here...

Everest Trek - Dingboche Acclimatization HIke - 5/8 - 14,213

I got to take a shower today!  Well, sort of...they have a solar heater, so they have a small booth/shed with a sprayer and a bucket.  I borrowed shampoo, conditioner, and soap from another trekker (thanks Adrienne!), and enjoyed getting somewhat clean.  The only thing missing was some clean clothes to put on afterwords, but oh well.  Seriously, best $5 I've ever spent.

Today's acclimatization hike was a climb of just over 1000 feet, and...it was rough.  I was slow, and at one point, I just stopped and needed to rest.  Interestingly enough, everyone behind me stopped to rest too.  We got some great photos and had great views of Makalau and Ama Dablam.  The way down was pretty crazy too...I think we lost the trail at some points and were just coming down the side of a mountain.  Great hike, but like I said, pretty tough.  And made me more concerned about Kala Patthar.  Some of these hills have been pretty crazy, and that's the longest and steepest of them all.

This afternoon, Brian and I walked around Dingboche - pretty small and quiet.  It seemed as though it was just lodges, each one offering a restaurant, a store selling sundries, and various lodge amenities - hot shower, heated room, bathroom in room, etc. which I guess makes sense if these places grew up around the trekkers.  But, I wonder where they all are, plenty of people on the trail today, but no one out walking around.  Nothing like Namche.  We stopped at three places that advertised telephone services, but found out quickly that none of them really do.

Since there wasnt much going on and there werent any souvenir shops, we headed back to the lodge for the afternoon.  Some people from the group are playing dominos with the guides (some are sherpa, some are not).  While theyve been playing, we've been talking to them about the mountains, becoming guides (they typically spend three years as a porter, then move to the kitchen, then guide/assistant guide, sirdar, trip leader), what sherpa means (people from the east).  Our sirdar told us that he enjoys talking with us and answering our questions because it helps him learn and practice English.

In other news, the weather has improved and has offered us some great views of the mountains.  However, the lack of daily rain has kicked up the dust.  Despite wearing a buff nearly constantly, I've added the "Khumbu cough" to my list of issues.  There is dust everywhere....on the trail, in the tent, and in the air.

Tomorrow, we head to Lobuche, where we'll be able to stay in a lodge.  We've been assured it's nothing fancy and wont be heated, but will be a nice change from the tent.  I'm excited not to have to unzip my front door and to get dressed standing up.
    

Everest Trek - Dingboche - 5/7 - 14,213 ft.

We got our first glimpses of Everest today!  Well, really our first glimpse of any mountains.  When we woke up, the fog had dissipated and we could see mountains from our campsite.  At breakfast, our guide told us that if we were able to hurry and make it up the hill behind the lodge in time, we'd get a great view of Ama Dablam.  So, we hurried, somehow I made it up the hill, and what a view we had.

A little while later, after charging up some more hills and stone steps...gosh, I felt slow....but, people in my group told me I was doing fine, so hopefully that's the case.  Anyway, after some more crazy up, the clouds cleared, and we were able to see Everest....and Lhotse.  It was so cool to finally see the mountains I've read so much about over the past year.

With all the rushing, we made it to lunch about an hour ahead of schedule.  That gave us some time to see a nearby monastery.  Our guide knew the monk from his monastery days, so he gave us a tour and explained how everything worked.

The rest of the day was tough but manageable.  The sherpa sauna combined with decongestant worked wonderfully, and I woke up feeling much better than I have in days.  But, because we missed a day with the flight delay in Lukla, we had to combine two days of hiking.  Like I said, not bad, and would have been two really easy days if we had split it.

Once we got to the lodge, I basically found my tent and collapsed on the little mattress that goes under my sleeping bag.  At some point, I said, 'there are a bunch of things I should do (open my wet for some reason sleeping bag, pull out the stuff I want to hand wash when the washing water gets here, etc.) but I'm so tired, all I want to do is lay here.

We're camped by another lodge....it was interesting to learn that the lodges and villages we've stopped at grew up around the trekkers.  They have a main room where we've been hanging out - it has lights powered by solar energy and a small furnace that heats the place using Yak dung.  Surprisingly, it doesnt smell, though, it did try to explode earlier.

Tomorrow we have another acclimatization hike.  It's basically several hundred feet straight up.  Hopefully, at some point I'll be better at these hills. I'm beginning to get a little worried about the Kala Patthar hike at the end of the trip.  Hopefully I have the strength to make it...or they let me crawl.  I gave in and started taking the Diamox, maybe that will help, along with getting over the sick.

Other than that, I paid $6 to get both garmins charged so we can continue to track our treks.  I have no idea what the phone battery looks like, it had half a few days ago, but things tend to lose battery life in the cold.  I'll figure it out the next time I use it, I guess.  Maybe there's a coffee shop with free wifi here too...I'll explore tomorrow.  I don't plan on paying $9 an hour to use it at the lodge.

Ok...time to brave the cold and head to bed.

Everest Trek - Phortse - 5/6 - 12,700 ft

Somewhat long hike today, just over seven miles, I think.  Most of it wasnt bad, but the rest rivaled the crazy hill going into Namche.  It was especially tough going up to lunch and then getting into town and to our campsite (after the hard part was supposedly over).  Of course, our site was at the top of town, which will come in handy tomorrow since we need to leave from the top tomorrow.

I still havent managed to shake the congestion...it almost seems to be getting worse with the altitude.  And climbing hills is the worst, since I already cant breathe.  Hopefully slow and steady will get me through tomorrow.  Two of our guides gave me a sherpa sauna after dinner to help clear the congestion.  Basically, it's a bowl of boiling water with some Vicks that you bend your head over and breathe deeply.  It felt and worked wonderfully.  Hopefully that coupled with some decongestant will help get rid of it.

We still havent really seen the mountains.  We may be able to see Ama Dablam tomorrow if the weather clears.  But, the weather for base camp on Friday looks clear, so that's exciting.

Ok...off to bed.  Hopefully tomorrow's hike wont kick my butt as much and maybe I'll start to feel better.  

Everest Trek - Hike to Everest View Hotel - 5/5 - 12,804 ft

A couple of notes....first, I am really enjoying reliving my trip as I post each of these blog entries.  It was totally the trip of a lifetime, and I hope people are enjoying reading about the adventure.

Second...we got a kitten the day after we got back...typical...haha.  His name is Hubert, he's grey and white with medium length hair.  He's adorable, but he's so skinny and tiny, I'm afraid I'm going to break him.

Ok, back to the travel blog.....

So, the congestion is kicking my butt, and I really need it to go away.  I woke up at some point last night with a really sore throat and needing to pee.  I decided that I should have taken two of my Nepalese Nyquil, since it only put me out for two hours.  I decided to get up and brave the cold and the toilet tent, precariously perched on a small cliff.  After popping actual Nyquil (thanks Heather!), I began my journey.  Almost slid down one flight of stairs, but other than that, made it ok.  The whole experience was a little frightening, I was pretty sure I was going to fall the entire time.  One thing I wont miss - days when getting up to pee at night involves an outdoor bathroom and a parka.  I only had one cup of tea today, so hopefully that will eliminate any midnight adventures tonight.

I woke up at some point later horribly stuffy, to the point that my ear was pounding.  Not fun....cue more Nepalese Nyquil and about a million tissues.  Hopefully the 'easy' day today will help it go away.

Today's adventure was an acclimatization hike up to the Everest View Hotel.  Tough hike up some crazy hills, and some areas that I'm pretty sure weren't part of a trail.  Again, I was thankful for the poles, especially on the way down in the rain.  The way up was pretty tough, especially with the congestion...it really needs to go.

We passed the Tyngboche airport, pretty much closed now, but there was a chopper loading gear that we guess came down from basecamp when the expeditions got cancelled.  On the way back, it was too foggy to see it, but we're guessing the weather was too bad for it to really go anywhere.

The view from the hotel was supposed to be amazing....views of Everest and the rest of the range.  We waited about an hour, maybe a little less for the fog to clear, but it didnt happen.  At that point, we realized that we could make it through the entire trip and never see Everest.  Hopefully bad weather now will mean for good weather later.  We enjoyed $12 cokes and candy bars, then headed back down to Namche.

We were welcomed back with lunch and warm tang (I will miss that stuff), then our guide took us to his home.  He has two houses, one here in Namche and one in Kathmandu.  His house here is steps from the hotel and is a traditional Sherpa home.  It has three rooms - a kitchen, a party room, and a prayer room.  The party room is used to entertain guests and host Sherpa parties, which involve drinking and dancing.  We all left wanting to attend a Sherpa party.  The party room is also used for sleeping if guests stay over.  They have mats they pull out for people to sleep on.

The prayer room was gorgeous - he hand painted everything in the room, and uses the room for prayer and painting.  He told us about the statues in the room, the prayer books, and how they're used.  He also showed us the National Geographic medal his father was awarded for his work on Everest.  He also showed us his paintings, which were gorgeous, and post cards (we all plan on buying those).  Before we left, he answered all of our questions about his religion, Everest, the Dali Lama, and I cant remember what else.

Overall, a great day.  Tomorrow, we depart for Phortse (another village), gain some elevation, and hopefully leave the congestion behind.

Everest Trek - Namche Bazaar - 5/4 - 11,200 feet

Wow....what a day.  The hike was only just over three miles...maybe three and a half, but the total elevation gain was 2000 feet.  There was some scary downhill - slippery slopes and such (very thankful for the poles), but the end was a mile and a half straight uphill.  We took it slow, but it still kicked my butt....whether it was the altitude or the sick, I'm not sure.

The hike ended at Namche Bazaar, the "city" of the Khumbu region.  It's a really cool town cut into the side of a mountain, with stairs everywhere.  Once we got here, I thought we were done with the climbing, but then had to climb up to the lodge where we're camping, snow lodge, I believe.  We're camping on the terraces behind the lodge (because nothing in Namche is flat).  Brian and I are on the upper terrace, maybe ten feet up, with no railing and some steps that I'm sure will be crazy in the dark.  Here's to hoping I don't fall if I make a bathroom run in the middle of the night.

We walked around the village for a little while before dinner - found a couple of places to get a yak bell on our way back through and a coffee shop with free wifi.  I had my first coke in I dont know how long, usually it has way too much sugar, but I must have needed that today.  I also found a pharmacy and asked the woman working there what I should take for a cold during the day and night, and got a decent supply of medicine for $8.  Hopefully Nepalese cold medicine works well (and I can guess the dosage since there arent any directions).

So far the most interesting thing I've seen is cell phone usage.  We're in a very remote area - no roads, no cars, and everything here was trekked in from somewhere else.  But, cellphones are everywhere, and everyone (even the kids) seems to have one.

The things I miss the most - pizza and showers...and probably clean clothes, but I dont think I've had to wear anything twice yet and we might be able to do laundry tomorrow.  The food has been amazing, but I can't tell you how badly I wanted pizza when we got here today.  And of course there's a pizza restaurant down the street, but we cant eat it because we'll get sick from food we arent used to.  The lodge has a solar shower, but the guide warned us not to use it if we werent feeling well because of the heat loss between being done and getting dressed.  The temp also varies - one of our group members got a shock of cold water and had to have someone come fix it.  However, it may become too hard to resist before we leave.

Other than that, its been great getting to know our group.  After only a few days, it's like we've been friends forever.

Everest Trek - Lukla, Phakding, Monjo - 5/3 - 9500 feet

Traveling while sick is anything but fun.  Travel that includes a 4am wake-up call and a 27 minute prop  plane ride over the mountains while sick is definitely not fun.

Flying into Lukla is an adventure, it's basically an uphill runway into the side of a mountain, and conditions have to be perfect or the plane doesnt fly.  We were supposed to leave at 6am, but faced delay after delay due to rain and weather.  After 6.5 hours of sleeping on the airport floor, (I can only imagine what I was breathing off of that floor - luckily or unluckily, I was too sick to care), we finally took off for Lukla.  We had about a 30 minute window to get on the plane, take off, and land, due to incoming weather.  I remember being woken up and having to quickly run out to a bus to get on a plane....complete whirlwind...

The flight was beautiful?  Terrifying?  Probably all of the above.  Beautiful views of the mountains, and then the shortest runway ever....you can see the end of the runway when you land, and the whole thing slants upward.  Google it - it's crazy.  Typically, I'd be terrified, but once again - too sick to care.

Because we got in so late, and not all of our bags made the flight (of course mine was one of them), we spent the night at a lodge in Lukla.  There werent any lights, but there was a bed, a pillow, and a bathroom in the room.  Perfect place to curl up and sleep for fourteen hours...or at least try to.  I feel like I spent more time waking up and rolling over than I did sleeping, but I dont have a clock, so I'm not really sure.  The two rounds of Nyquil given to me by a fellow traveler (thanks Heather!) were definitely a big help.  After visiting the health center behind the sketchy blue curtain at the Kathmandu airport in search of a cold pill, I was wishing I had gone on an adventure before we left.  Although, who says the health center at the domestic terminal in the Kathmandu airport isnt an adventure.....

This morning, we were woken up with hot tea and began packing our bags.  Breakfast was a mix of porridge, hardboiled eggs, and a tortilla looking thing.  Most of which I dont typically eat for breakfast, but did enjoy.

Then, the trek began.  And, other than being sick and sliding down a flight of stairs, it was amazing.  The beautiful architecture of prayer wheels and stupas and prayer flags pop up around every turn.  The local children couldnt wait to give us high fives and call out Namaste as we passed.  Or, they would just follow us down the path until our guide shooed them home.  We were treated to beautiful views of the mountains and steel rope bridges over an amazing glacier river.

I started to feel a little better, thanks to some dayquil from another fellow trekker (thanks Larry!).  But, I was still ready for a rest when we got to Monjo.  We're camping outside of a lodge, but we're allowed to sit inside and use the lighting until we head to the tents.  Tomorrow we have a short hike to Namche, but a huge gain in elevation.  It will be interesting to see how I fare, both with the altitude and the sick.

Kathmandu Airport - 5/2

The start of my trek blog, as translated from my notebook....

I knew from the minute I woke up yesterday that I was catching something.  Of course, I didnt think to bring cold meds and didnt feel like having an adventure to go find some.

The day started out just fine - breakfast, met the rest of the REI group, and went on a tour.  The tour included the rest of the World Heritage sites in Kathmandu, so we were able to see all seven over four days.

Our first stop with the group was a giant Buddhist temple, a stupa.  It was gorgeous - such great architecture and brilliant prayer flag colors.  We also stopped at another art school for a tour.  Since we'd already bought a painting, we just used the bathroom 'happy place', as our guide called it, and went outside to people watch.  So many people to see, both locals in traditional dress and tourists just looking around.

The second stop was Patan Durbar square, the final durbar square in the heritage sites.  It was interesting to see that this site was more of a modern tourist attraction, with vendors selling plastic blow-up figures on sticks and cotton candy.  We walked the square for a bit, and then headed to lunch at another rooftop restaurant.  I still wasnt feeling well, but I was hungry.  I opted to try the sweet and sour chicken and some rice.  Then, it poured....a lot.  Luckily, we were under some cover....some.  A plastic tarp kind of thing, that stayed attached to the deck...sort of.  Haha...at least Brian and I were prepared for rain.

Our final stop was the monkey temple, another Buddhist Stupa.  But, this one had monkeys everywhere.  They were fun, but pretty destructive - we watched them rip down a flag and try to tear off part of the stupa.  Apparently, if the locals leave their windows open at night, the monkeys come in and destroy the house...charming...

On the way back to the hotel, our guide answered questions about his life, family, etc.  He had an arranged marriage (most people in Nepal still do), and told us about his wedding, a multi-day celebration where they had to walk several hours to his fiancee's town.  He told us about his daughter, who he wanted to give a non-common name, so he named her Rachel - something he'd found on the internet.

By the time we got back to the hotel, I really felt awful.  Horrible timing.  I went back and slept for a bit before our pre-meeting with our guide.  I dont remember much from it, other than feeling awful and hoping it wrapped up soon.  I tried to get a milkshake after, thinking it might help my throat, but it was luke-warm milk and ice cream, and I definitely didnt trust it.  So, I pulled the ice cream out and ate that. Dinner took forever, so I ended up having it delivered to my room so I could pack and get to sleep faster.  I skipped my final kind of clean shower since I was freezing (yeah running a fever the day before I leave...) and the water wasnt all that warm.