Gorak Shep to Base Camp. We made it!!

After a grueling 3 hour hike from the teahouse in Gorak Shep (photos) in windy 30 degree weather, we made it to Everest Base Camp around 10:30am today. A cold and desolate spot, but we were all so happy to have made it. We took photos, left mementos, and hung prayer flags with the sherpas. It was quite emotional. There is currently only 1 expedition at base camp since it is the off season. The ice fall is spectacular and dangerous looking. We walked across the Khumbu glacier to get to the base camp marker, a gigantic rock with words scribbled on it with a black Sharpie. You can not see Everest from her base camp so we took pictures along the way and also some yesterday on a viewpoint on Kala Pattar which is nearly 18,500 ft at the summit. (Group photo from Kala Pattar, Everest is the dark granite peak to the left of center).

*******Gorak Shep is the last stop before base camp-one of the most awful places on Earth- but then again you do not have much of a choice with your accomodations at this elevation. We stayed at one of the nicer (and I use that term loosely) teahouses, yet it had moldy walls that weren't exactly closed off to the exterior elements (photo), dirt floors, and overflowing squat toilets. You wanted to barf just walking down the hall towards them. *The photos above of the squat toilet are not from our lodge. The ones pictured are much, much nicer-it's not soaking wet and/or icy with overflowing human waste like the ones we saw/used. Chris nicknamed Gorak Shep "Satan's Rectum" and I find that to be an excellent description. Oh, and in case you didn't want to brush your teeth outside, as is customary, the teahouse provided a sink between the two toilets. Yum! *******
I did not go higher than 18,000 because of my respiratory infection. My roommate had such severe altitude symptoms in the middle of the night -severe headache, vomitting, dizziness, inability to eat- that they had to give her oxygen several times. The guide and sherpas administered the oxygen from the typical cannisters with mouth piece that are used at altitude. By morning, she was slightly improved but not allowed to ascend to basecamp with the rest of the group. We took her prayer flags, though and had the sherpas string them at the base camp marker, and then photographed it for her. She is in OK spirits today and descending to Pheriche this morning for a re-evaluation and may possibly join us when we descend to Namche again in 2 days. She had previously been one of the healthiest and strongest hikers in the group. It was a scary night. The 2 people in their 70s made it to basecamp without problems other than assistance with their backpacks. Impressive. By the way, here ends any desire I have to actually climb Everest to the summit. I'm physically exhausted, I'm cold all day and night, I'm dehydrated and sunburned, I've inhaled too much yak dung smoke, I loathe the outdoor hole in the ground for bathroom time, and my lungs are screaming. And Everest's summit is still almost 12,000 ft above basecamp!
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The Scare in Lobuche

So I waited to post this one until I was actually home so as not to alarm anyone. What started out as one of my best days of trekking ended up scaring the shit out of me by bedtime.

After our acclimatization days in Dingboche, we set off on the path to Lobuche on an absolutely clear and sunny morning and the path seemed more gradual than previous days (photo--that's me walking!), passing a beautiful lake on the way (photo). We all knew what we were in for today though, a gain of about 2,000 feet by the day's end. It is recommended that you don't gain more than 1,000 ft per day at this elevation but most people jump from Dingboche to Lobuche after an extra night in Dingboche because there is no other place to really comfortably overnight. We all took it easy and went at a decent pace but some of us were really dragging by lunch time. The photo of Andy with his head in his hands, above, is from lunch. He could barely take the smell of the food, let alone eat it. I had one of my worst night's sleep the night before in Dingboche (approx. 2 hours total all night long?) and by the time we stopped for lunch 3 hours later, I just wanted to lay down. A tarp was spread on the ground, one of the few times our meal was not taken at a teahouse. There were many items for lunch that day but we all remember the main dish was a delicious noodle soup. God, it was good! It turned us from zombies into actually having quite a bit of energy. There was fruit too, another welcome menu item. And I remember having so much Tang to drink just to hydrate as much as possible, that I probably ingested a gallon of it. After lunch was another prolonged, steep climb but we all had much more purpose in our step. At the top of this incline at Lobuche Pass was the flat area with the chortens, cairns, and memorials for climbers who have died on Everest. It is a beautiful but sobering area with prayer flags whipping in the wind and trekkers resting in the sun. There are hundreds of memorials (photo) and one of the larger ones is for Scott Fischer (photo). As I've mentioned in a previous post, Scott was one of the founders of Mountain Madness, one of the lead guides who died in the storm on Everest in 1996, chronicled in Into Thin Air. We all had our photo taken next to the memorial and sat for a while to reflect on the climbers who had died, the families they left behind, and the draw of the mountains sitting before us. We continued uphill, lost in our thoughts. Trees and any kind of greenery or vegetation disappeared thousands of feet ago, just above Namche. Here it is all glacial rock in the Khumbu valley. Chris likened our steps to walking on softballs. How true. When we reached Lobuche at 16, 200 feet, I actually felt strong and content and pleased with my effort for the day. We took tea and biscuits at 4pm and watched the temperature drop in the dining hall every 5 minutes or so after the sun set for the day. The rooms and beds were pretty nice and the plywood walls seemed thicker than the other places. There was even a "night" toilet inside (which had the loudest door squeak ever, by the way) and a designated stainless steel sink to brush your teeth and wash your hands in! Im not sure why we called Lobuche "The Palace", but it did seem a little nicer than some of the other places we stayed. After dinner I was just really calm and happy about the day and even had the want to stay up and read at the dinner table with a few people, while others played cards with the sherpa staff. 30 minutes into reading, out of nowhere, I was overcome by severe nausea and dizziness so bad I thought I was going to fall off my chair. I couldnt put my finger on what was happening to me. What could be wrong? I had felt so good and strong since we'd arrived! 5 minutes ago I was conversing and laughing and enjoying the evening, and now...? And then the wheezing and crackling started in my lungs. I happened to be sitting next to our guide Deana, and though I fully did not want to say anything about what was happeneing to me in that moment, I grabbed her arm and hesitantly described my symptoms. My worst fear being that I've made it this far-- I am 1500 vertical feet away from Base Camp, my life's dream,-- and she is going to tell me that I have to descend! Without missing a beat, she told me its classic altitude sickness. I said, that can't be, I had a really strong day, I felt great just 5 minutes ago! She explained that its very typical that the problems appear when you are at rest, usually 4-8 hours later. We had been warned about it happening in the middle of the night, but I was still shocked that I was sitting there reading one minute, and the next minute feeling like I was literally going to die. That was the night I started taking the Diamox/AMS medication. I also took a shot off of my inhaler and tried to calm myself down with music from my ipod. My body was shaking because I was so anxious that she would send me down to a lower elevation to correct my symptoms. I was upset and scared even contemplating the idea. Deana was wary of the wheezing turning into Pulmonary Edema, and frankly, I didn't want to even let myself go there. There was a definite possibility that my lungs would compromise what I had set out to do. That night I propped my big duffel under my head and shoulders and slept upright to help me breathe better. I hydrated intensely throughout the night. I restarted my ipod over and over on the same calm playlist. I willed myself to get through the night. I kept thinking of the people who would tell me to suck it up and it'll be ok. And when the sunlight lit up the room in the morning, I was never happier to see the arrival of a new day. The extreme dizziness and nausea had subsided and the wheezing had lessened somewhat, even though my lungs still sounded junky. I think that was my new baseline. I continued with the next dose of Diamox and my inhaler and also forced myself to drink and eat as much as possible at breakfast. I knew I would need to continue the mind-over-matter battle for at least 2 more days before we would start descending.

Dingboche day 2

Thought I would pay a few bucks for some internet time today, about $15 for an hour of service thats slower than dial-up. I still can't reconcile that there is an internet cafe here. There is also a bakery. I paid about 3 bucks for a cinnamon roll that wasn't half bad.
Today Kerry left our group- she was the only one not going all the way to base camp because she could not get the time off of work. She will be back down to catch the plane in Lukla in 2 days and then back to her hedge fund job in NYC. Barbara, the 76 year old, is still plugging along. She made it this far on her last attempt last Spring but got so sick she had to be helicoptered out. This time she gets help carrying her pack from one specific sherpa, Nanga. For the record, that helicopter evac costs about $7500. The cost was actually picked up by her Travel Guard insurance, in full. I actually am insured by them for this trip, phew!! The group split into 2 for easy and hard acclimatization hikes today. I chose the easy one and it was almost too easy. It was 3 hours and the elevation gain was less than 500 feet. The hard one was almost 4 hours and very steep but afforded views of the 2 big lakes behind Ama Dablam. People in that group were absolutely worn out when they returned in the afternoon. Our group headed towards the ridge at Nuptse and ended up getting some spectacular pictures. Tonight we have time with all of the sherpa staff to get to know them and a bit about their families. Then we are free after 630pm dinner. Last night all of us were in bed by 830. The worst part about the night besides the cold room is the trek to the bathroom with a headlamp on. Its about 40 degrees right now but very windy. We are on our way to the tiny store to buy more toilet paper, about $1 per roll. Headed to Lobuche tomorrow, above 16,000 feet. One of the hardest climbing days so far. Thanks for all of the comments and emails!!

Dingboche

Arrived in Dingboche at 3pm, elevation about 14,500 ft. This is where everyone starts to feel the effects of altitude. Several people in the group have already started taking the Diamox which helps with symptoms. Several people have pounding headaches and awful coughs. Only about half of us are sleeping. And when I say "sleeping", this means most of us are getting a very restless 2-3 hours a night of any type of sleep. I imagine I will get the green light for diamox in the next couple of days because of the wheezing that started last night. Other than that, I have no nausea or headache or vomiting, or bathroom problems like the others, just the wheezing which was pretty scary last night. Being up and around on the trail made it better today as did a few puffs of the inhaler( I think about 50% of my problem after the wheezing was anxiety as to what its going to lead to) but today has been another tough climb. The air is noticeably thinner and the trails are so dusty that it is necessary to always wear a buff or handkerchief covering your mouth and nose all day long. That is hard when you are already sucking wind. The air is bitterly cold to inhale and feels terrible coupled with a sore throat. My throat is a bit dry, but chewing gum along the way helped today. I'm consuming 4-5 liters of water every day in addition to the tea and Tang we get with meals. This is difficult for me because usually I do not drink much during the day at home. I like the taste of the Tang at lunch and I gulp several glasses at a time before we even eat just so I can hydrate. I don't mind the hot water in our water bottles, its pretty soothing. I know I'm showing signs of slowing down becaue I'm losing my appetite. Today's breakfast of porridge, egg, and pancakes was only half consumed. I tried to force a lot down at lunch but I'm not hungry for dinner (which is in an hour) tonight...but I will try to eat. My ipod is charging with my phone on a plastic picnic table outside of the lodge hooked up to a generator. A full charge for a Blackberry and ipod equals 600 rupees or about $8. Tomorrow we rest in Dingboche with only a few short hours of hiking, then on to Lobuche. Our beds tonight are a cot with a thin mattress and pillow. No bedding, only using the sleeping bags that we carry with us. Last night it was extremely cold and I was happy that my 0 rated bag kept me warm. Everest went out of view today and we will see it again in 3 days but we are at the foot of Nuptse's ridge (group photo). The weather during the day was sunny and warm and I hiked in only a shirt and long sleeved shirt over that. Tonight I will sleep in long underwear and fleece pants in my sleeping bag in an unheated room. Bathroom is again outside. Although the common room where we eat is heated in the evening by the stove with the yak dung fueling it, it is not heated at breakfast and we all must wear our heavy coats and fleece. When the sun rises high enough to peek in the 2nd floor windows in that room, it will heat up within 10 minutes so that we can sit around in a long sleeve shirt or light fleece. Our Sherpas are really nice and really attentive. Everyone treats them with respect and we have fun memorizing each other's names. Most of them only know a few words of English so it is amazing how much we can communicate using gestures, smiles, laughs, nods and a few words. Since there is nothing to do in the evening we play dice, read, listen to music or talk in the common room, but its either smoky or cold there and not well lit. Our rooms, if they have a light at all, are the equivalent of a Charlie Brown Christmas light bulb...only a few watts...10, maybe? If you are in your room reading at night, you are in full cold weather gear, in your sleeping bag, with a headlamp on and only your hands and face peeking out. So, needless to say, no one reads for very long and most people are in bed by 9pm. We usually get morning wake up tea at 630am and have to have our bags packed by 730am breakfast and are out on the trail by 815. Most likely this will be my last post for awhile because of the limited services available.

Waking up in Tengboche

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Buddhist Monastery Tengboche

We were able to observe a prayer service of monks here and they blessed our prayer flags that we purchased in Kathmandu. Lama was also busy doing blessings for a man who was very sick.
Arrived here at 13,500 elev. its cloudy and no view of mountains at all. Rooms are teeny w no bathroom must go to outside hole in ground. We all have our midweight jackets and winter hats on, as with no sun its very cold-guessing below 40? Learned today that The goddess Tara was derived from the Buddha's tears and is the deity of compassion.

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Addendum-got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and went outside only to see the clouds had cleared and the dark night sky yielded bright stars and crystal clear views of the mountains. Even if you are not religious, looking around you have to believe there is a force greater than yourself in the universe. It is beautiful beyond words.

Yes, that says Hot Shower

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Our lodging in Tengboche

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Lunch

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Waiting

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Porters

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Got stuck behind 30 of these on the way to lunch. IMG00289-20111015-1130.jpg

Curiously this one is not carrying any gear?
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Ama Dablam!

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Rupees

Just got a massage...an hour for 2000 rupees--about $26. Probably the best massage I've ever had in my life. Weird though, walking to the massage person's house just down the road in a village I've never been to before. His "office" and his "massage room" are interesting, like he is the Shaman in the village and has lots of jars of potions. He stops twice during the session to take a call on his cell phone (!) but goes right back to work, very proud of his craft.
Unfortunately there is not hot water when I get back to the room at the teahouse which means a shower will have to wait.
Tasted water buffalo for dinner. Kind of like a spicy meatloaf taste. Had spam and okra served on flatbread for lunch. Most of us opted for PBJ instead.
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First View

Ama Dablam to the right, Everest to the left, small pyramid almost clouded over. Lhotse to the left in forground, taller.
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Ama Dablam

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Friday-First View

Forgot to mention the flight from Kathmandu to Lukla was beautiful on a crisp morning. The Tara Air twin otter plane lifted off easily and floated to Lukla with clear views of Everest and a flawless touchdown on the super short runway. It was not scary in the least and didnt even come to an abrupt stop like I thought it would considering the short landing strip and brick wall at the end.
Today was an acclimatization day in Namche, but that does not mean REST. We took a 3 hour, 1000' elev gain hike to Everest View Hotel and had coffee at the cafe with the world's best view. Rounding the corner on the trail that gave us the first view of Ama Dablam was spectacular and breath taking. She is beautiful. Everest stands to the left but you can only see it's squatty triangle granite peak. It has been said that Everest is the short, fat man amongst beautiful women and alas, this is a great description. I tried to post pictures from my blackberry but nothing has pushed through today. There have been many rescue helicopters up and down the mountain today. Our guide says this is common, an eveyday occurence. We were able to view the trail on to tomorrow's destination, by the way. Descending the steep trail back to the lodge was hard on the feet but lunch was waiting, as were showers. We have the afternoon free and I am at an internet cafe in the village. I purchased some souvenirs for the boys and enjoyed looking at the shops which sell real mountaineering gear as well as knockoff name brands. And yak bells, which are a popular item to bring home. I may even go for a cheap massage later. First, there will be tea and biscuits at 430pm with dinner at 630pm. At dinner, Deana- the guide- gives us instructions for the next day--wake up time, packing deadline, breakfast time, a snippet of the trail type-difficulty and elevation gain as well as number of hours we will be hiking. Each morning the sherpas knock on our door with a wake up of hot tea. Water is boiled at breakfast (and every meal) to refill our water bottles. Yesterday I drank 4 liters but some of the group can drink 6! Each morning and night we are required to tell the guide what meds weve taken and then they check our heart rate and oxygen saturation with a device. So far I am feeling good and my sats are good too. Have I mentioned there is a doctor in the group? A neurologist....Hilly. In Namche, we met up with Barbara who is in her 70s and tried this trek last year. She failed to get to EBC so is at it a 2nd time, this time spending more time acclimatizing. 4 group members are already having health problems, I hope I can stave all of that off.
The highlight of my day was my phone call home to hear my little ones voices. Happy!!
PS I am unable to login to post comments but I have replied to some comments already made under as anonymous. Keep the emails and comments coming :)

Dinner

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Namche Bazaar

Arrived just now in Namche, elev. 11,500ft. After climbing 6 hours, it is a welcome resting spot. It was a brutal -but pleasing-3000 ft elevation gain from breakfast and included several bridge crossings and encounters with dzopkyos (yak crossbreeds who carry supplies). This teahouse is called Hotel Camp de Base and has flush toilets and hot showers in the room, a total luxury. Tomorrow is an acclimatization day- climbing slightly higher for 3 hrs then retreating back to Namche for the night. Climb high, sleep low. Made brief phone call home tonite from cell phone. C was at orchestra practice but I got to talk to B! There is an internet cafe here so will try to log on tomorrow if we have downtime. We get oxygen saturation and pulse monitored at night and in the morning at breakfast. So far I'm doing very well in that regard. We apparently will start feeling the effects of altitude on a regular basis from here on out so they want to have a baseline for us. Medical checks also involve reporting if you've taken any kind of medication, how much water you have consumed, and stating how you are feeling or any concerns you have.
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Bathrooms on the trail. Nuff said

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Kathmandu

Arrived safely at KTM airport. Every person on the plane looked like they were headed on some sort of trek, esp. the old Japanese dudes with brand spanking new hiking boots and North Face coats. The 7 hour flight seemed like a cakewalk compared to the previous 14 hour flight to Seoul, and the seat next to me was open. There IS a God! From the air, I was able to view Everest out the window since I was on the right side of the plane. Everest photo out plane: Got a huge lump in my throat looking at it from the air for the first time. I've waited a long time for this.

The airport was busy and small and the visa line moved quickly. Grabbing my bag from the carousel it was sensory overload with the heat and dust and honking from outside. No one checked the bags and I exited quickly into the throngs of waiting taxis and buses. I spotted my ride right away with the MM logo and joined 2 others in my group- Chris, a chemist from Michigan roughly my age, and Kerry, a recruiter for a hedge fund in Manhattan. The ride to the hotel was eye opening- the word filth comes to mind- I am trying hard to keep an open mind but the raw sewage flowing in some of the streets was nuts. The close calls with other vehicles was unnerving. There are monkeys in the streets on some alleyways! The hotel is in an "upscale" neighborhood if you can call it that. The hotel is opulent in the midst of grossness in the streets. I get to my room and nap for 2 hours before the team meeting at 5pm. The room is clean yet worn, the equivalent of an OLD 2 star hotel type room, yet the lobby is quite ornate. My coffee at the bar costs 180 rupees, about $2.50. On the street you can get it for less than 50 cents. Internet here costs 10 rupees a minute, about $8/hr. The group has one outstanding character from Canada who was pretty drunk at the meeting...Randy. There are twin sisters, Joanne and Dianne (in their 50s) and a friend, Hilly, from Florida (age 71!), Me, Chris, Kerry, and Katie, the recent college grad from New York who will be my room mate for the next 3 weeks. 1 person from New Jersey in his 50's, Steve, and his "adopted" son Derek from Colorado who is 23. There is also a couple from Atlanta in their 40s-Abby and Andy. Jon is in his 50s from just outside of Washington DC. Of the few people who do have children, most are already grown. The ice is broken when someone admits that they are worried about how often they will be able to get a shower and what the bathroom situation is like on the trail. The leader Deana is likable right from the start. She has a good command of the group. We go to a private residence with a beautifully maintained garden patio for a traditional dinner of Dal Bhat. The talk turns to Fantasy Football near me. Groannnnnnn. I cant get away from it! The power is out sometimes at the hotel as a means of conserving energy in the city. In peak months, the power is off in the city about 12 hours a day. The hotel however has a generator that comes on. Heading out as a group to go to the market and a monastery today. More monkeys today, too. Tomorrow morning is the 6am flight to Lukla, landing at the world's most dangerous airport.

Incheon Airport

No taking shoes off thru security and no 3oz limits on liquids, just cant have any water (drinking). Amazing how fast the line moves this way when there's nothing to inspect! 2 stamps in the new passport --as you have to clear immigration IN and OUTbound. Seoul's airport is huge and modern and extremely busy. Flight attendants of every asian airline are dressed to kill: tight short skirts, high heels, bright red lipstick to match their modern pillbox hats. I managed to get some sleep at the transit hotel last night. Skipped dinner in lieu of sleep! Off to Kathmandu in a half hour, hope breakfast is served right after takeoff :)
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Causing Trouble Already

Got my favorite leatherman pocket knife tool confiscated at the airport. I forgot it was folded up in my in my first aid kit! TSA managed to find it buried in about 6 layers of clothing and bags. Impressive. Dammit tho!My mini tool was one of my favorite outdoorsy thingies I own!!
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Homecoming in the fog

Wish I could have stayed longer at the game this morning, but I didn't want to miss my flight. The boys were doing awesome!

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Pre-departure Nerves

Went to bed early and slept ok until about 330am and then stared at the ceiling for an hour before getting up. I'm not used to the feeling of butterflies that is currently occupying my stomach, which is accompanied by my inability to focus on anything. Looked at the paper, paid some bills online, walked around the kitchen a million times trying to make sure I've crossed my T's and dotted my I's. Gwen, I know that is the incorrect use of apostrophes but it looks funny the other way ;)
Many people lose themselves after having kids because they give up everything they are/were to make their kids the focus. I firmly believe in not giving up who I am just because I have kids. My kids complete who I am, having kids was part of my hope for my life, but it does not negate who I was before having them or what interests I have. Do my kids come first? Absolutely. Are they the most important thing in my life? Yep. I would do anything for them. I just think you can be BOTH a person and a parent. Is it such a bad example to set to go on this trip? I don't think so. It is not a case of Mom being gone for a month, yet rather a case of how the kids will survive with the help and kindness and love of their extended family, friends, neighbors, and community. It is an extrodinary gift that I am able to make this journey, I know that. Everybody's going to be just fine.

Last Minute Random Thoughts

Now that I think about it, I should have given access to this blog to my friend Gwen. She could be my editor... The closer I get to departure, the less time I have to edit my posts for spelling and grammar. Once I'm posting from a Blackberry, that will probably go right out the window...and you know how those kind of things irk me. Sigh...
24 hours to go before I'm on the plane and I still have a few things to do. So what am I doing right now? Wasting time. I got up early, blew off the gym, and am watching the news and surfing the internet. Ok, so I'm doing last minute laundry, too, but am mainly shirking my packing duties. Yes, friends, It's my rarely seen procrastination mode. While looking up what the weather was going to be for the next few weeks in Nepal, I came across a Blog of the EBC Trek by NASA employees in 2008 and scrolled through the posts for 45 minutes trying to pinpoint where they were staying, what they were eating, were they freezing or sick or tired? Were there hot showers at certain teahouses? The same thing I've read about on other blogs for the past few years. I check the weather: Kathmandu is a balmy 82 today. Lukla is forecasted to be in the mid 60s during the day this week. By the time I am up to Lobuche, it will possibly be 40 and rainy during the day and snowy and ZERO at night.

My devices are all charging on the counter, my packing mostly done, my passport and ticket checked and re-checked. Today will be spent mostly focusing on the kids, who have been accordingly prepped for my time away. I'm sure they will be fine, I'm just not that sure they will be able to identify the feelings they might have, such as "missing" someone. They promise to send emails, talk to each other, look at photo albums of us together, follow the blog/leave comments. They plan to keep a journal of the things I am missing while I'm away, including taking pictures and video to share with me when I return.

Not only am I excited to see Mount Everest up close, I am excited that I will walk in the shadows of Ama Dablam, a nearby mountain with a distinct shape that dominates the skyline for several days during the trek. It is pictured in the above photo- and yes, I cut it off! Ugh, I don't have time to crop it correctly!! Steep ridgelines and a short flat summit area between them. Ama Dablam means "Mother's Necklace" with the ridgelines being the chains to the glacier's "pendant" in the middle.

Not looking forward to the boredom of the plane trip- 14 hours to Seoul, Korea with another 7 on to Kathmandu.

The focus of the next month will be curiosity, open-mindedness, sense of humor, flexibility, mental toughness, and staying well. Thanks to everyone who has helped me with my journey in some way big or small. The moon and stars have had to align to make this possible. Let the fun begin!

Facts and Figures in No Particular Order

Mt. Everest, also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali (which means Mother Goddess of the Sky) stands at 29, 028 ft (8,488 meters) above sea level and is the highest mountain in the world. The Tibetan name is Qomolangma ("Holy Mother").
Many sites list the official height of Everest at 29,028 feet but an American team remeasured the peak using GPS technology in 1999 at 29,035 feet. (*Additionally, China disputes these meansurements and officially lists the peak at 29,015 stating that the additional height the Nepali use is owed to snow cover on the peak.) Early in 2011, the government of Nepal ordered the mountain to be re-surveyed in 2012 to determine the new official measurement.
While our group will attempt to climb Kala Pattar, a nearby peak that is approx. 18,500 ft. which will afford us spectacular views of Everest, Everest's base camp sits at approx. 17, 500 ft., at the foot of the Khumbu icefall. The icefall consists of towering seracs of ever-shifting, skyscraper-sized ice columns that must be crossed on the way from Base Camp to Camp one, not just once but repeatedly during the acclimatization process of a summiting expedition. Would I go further than Base Camp if it weren't for these seracs? You bet. I'm anxious to see them up close, though, maybe they won't scare me to confront them. Umm, sure...
Veteran climbers gush about the fear they produce in every mountaineer who must face them on the way to the top and 1/3- 1/2 of all deaths on Everest happen in the ice fall. As the sun melts the ice towers during the day, they tend to melt and tumble down! Here, take a look: (Mom, you should skip this part :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moBJMGNSql4
Geologically speaking, the Himalayan mountain range is very young compared to other ranges (such as the Appalachians). Everest straddles the border of Nepal and Tibet (China), so even dummies can find it on a map..here's how: Locate China-its HUGE. Look south...right below it there is a gigantic country called India. Nepal is a tiny country smashed between the two borders.
Most expeditions use the Southeast Ridge route via Nepal, but the more technologically demanding route via the Northeast Ridge begins in Tibet (China). The name "The North Face" on the jacket you're probably wearing right night is derived from the fact that the North Face of a peak is usually the hardest/most demanding.
Permits for climbers heading to the summit are approx. $25,000. Trekking permits, however, are less than $100.
While Everest is the highest peak, there are actually other peaks which are more technically challenging, such as the nearby K2 or Nanga Parbat. Everest's challenges are mainly altitude sickness, weather, and wind.
The top 5 highest peaks in the world are, in order:
Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu.
There have been more than 5500 ascents and 225 deaths on Everest since 1953 Hillary/Norgay expedition. Over 100 women have summited!

Don't Tell My Mom

This weekend, a small plane crashed near Kathmandu airport after a sightseeing flight in the Himalayas. There were no survivors. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/09/25/2011-09-25_plane_touring_mt_everest_crashes_in_nepal_killing_19_including_2_americans.html
I'm trying to figure out how to keep my Mom from reading that story in the newspaper or seeing it online. She'd probably have a stroke, as she was never keen on my goal to go to Everest to begin with...
Oh, and and I'm pretty sure she missed last week's story about the earthquake and landslides there, too: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/world/asia/earthquake-shakes-india-and-nepal.html
Yep, 40 years old and I'm still worried what my mom might think. Take for instance how I changed the name of this blog recently because the *real* name had a swear word in it. Gasp! I think Mom would have been mortified to have friends and relatives follow a blog in which her daughter refers to herself as a "Half-Assed Perfectionist".
What?! Your daughter swears?! Shit. If she only knew...
The description though, is quite accurate, Half-Assed Perfectionist: If something is worth doing, it's worth doing right. Well, when I feel like it. And that's truly my personality. Things have to be "just-so" ALL THE TIME, until I can't take it anymore and succumb to being a slacker for a little while.

Inadvertent Stupidity

I always manage to do at least one incredibly stupid thing before I leave on a trip. Once it was getting a speeding ticket the night before my flight. Goodbye necessary airport identification!
Once it was getting a bad pedicure just before I left on a trip to Italy. Nothing says walking the streets of Rome for a week like clipped-too-short toenails. This time my incredibly stupid thing was using a new ATM and forgetting to take back my card at the end of the transaction. In my defense, my usual ATM is the "swipe" kind and this one was the kind where you feed it in and then it expels it at the end after you take the receipt. Because I didn't take my card back at the end, the ATM "ate" it for security purposes. Oh, and this particular bank destroys any cash station cards that get eaten by the machine if the card was not issued by them. Getting a new one from my bank will take 10 days, cutting it really close to the day of departure. Withdrawing money from an ATM overseas is a necessity, that replacement card better get here fast.

Thanks of the day

Thanks to my good friend Del for the kids' personalized Mad Scientist costumes from her Halloween party a while back... that's what the kids are going as this year so I don't have to leave the costume issue up in the air while I'm gone.... They look awesome!
One more thing off my to-do list!

Just in case...medications for the trip

Various antibiotics, pain medications, altitude sickness medication, etc. In total there are 19 medications that are being brought along for daily and/or emergency use.

In addition to the medications, the immunizations I got for the trip were: Hepatitis A and B, Polio Booster, Tetanus, and Typhoid (hurt like a bitch for days!) ***Cha-ching! Even at the county health department these were more pricey than I expected!

If you have to ask...

Many people are curious about the cost of this trip. Nosy, I know. But there is a thing called Google and you could probably easily find out by looking up the trip cost on the Mountain Madness website if you really wanted to...but does it matter?? Well, no. But you're going to snoop and look it up anyway, aren't you? Land only cost, plus airfare to Asia plus several thousand more for gear, insurance, shots, medications, tips for the guides, spending money...you do the math. I'm sure there are those who won't bat an eye at the final total, and there are those whose jaws need to be picked up off the floor. I have saved for over a decade to take this trip so I don't really care what you think or don't think about the cost.
If you've never heard of the company Mountain Madness, one of the premier guiding and adventure companies in the world, then you also don't recognize the name of the founder, Scott Fischer. Which means you probably never read Into Thin Air in the first place. Wikipedia is a handy source to read about Mountain Madness and Scott Fischer.
Since you're busy looking up all sorts of information about my adventure on the internet right about now, here are a few handy links on some of the specifics:
Information about the company can be found at http://www.mountainmadness.com/ and the specific trip details can be found at http://www.mountainmadness.com/adventures/trekking/asia/nepal/everest-base-camp-trek#trip-overview/description.
The trip leader is Deanna Zabaldo and here is her bio: http://www.parahamsa.com/about/about-deana-zabaldo/
The Introduction to Mountaineering course I took 12 years ago can be found here: http://www.mountainmadness.com/adventures/schools/north-america/introduction-to-mountaineering-course#trip-overview/description

Which column do you fall into?

Everyone who knows about My Big Plan falls into 1 of 2 categories-Those who have readily embraced the idea and said, "Really?? That is fantastic!!!" and those who have said, "Why would you want to do that?"
The people who think it is a great idea usually then ask how I came up with the idea in the first place. Truth be told, an old co-worker is to blame. Kim is an avid reader and everyday at the hospital, the social workers would sit in the cafeteria at lunch and discuss which books each of us was reading. Or should I say they were reading. At that time, I was more interested in reading research articles than novels. When I said that I didn't really like fiction, Kim asked if I'd ever heard of the non-fiction book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. I hadn't. In fact, a book about mountaineering sounded kind of dull and boring. She said I'd "love it" (everyone says that) and then loaned me the book. I finished it in a few days and then proceeded to push the book on everyone I knew, telling them, "No, you HAVE to read it!! You'll LOVE it!!" And thus began my obsession with Everest.
Its my guess that 50% of people who decide to do the Everest Base Camp Trek were spurred by the book Into Thin Air, so I know I'm not alone in my obsession and I know I'm not unique. A few months after reading the book, I decided to do something utterly ridiculous and book an Introduction to Mountaineering course with Mountain Madness, one of the guiding companies from the book. The course may not be out of the ordinary if you live in a place where there are mountains. Or even hills. Suburban Chicago, though? Yeah, not so much.
Hey, Ed Viesturs hails from Rockford, Illinois so I guess it's not that absurd of an idea, right? Yes, go ahead, I'll wait while you look up Ed Viesturs on Wikipedia.

Pre-trip Planning, the prequel

Have I mentioned the moon and the stars have had to align for this trip to become reality? A major concern of this trip planning process has been, What employer would ever give me this much time off of work?? Special thanks goes out to my boss who didn't bat an eye when I mentioned last year that I needed time off "to go to Everest". I believe his response (that was, may I add, without a snicker or an eyeroll) was, "Just let me know what dates you need to be gone so I can arrange coverage for you." What a great boss.

Pre-trip Planning

The first draft of the pages that will go in the "Who-Goes-Where" Handbook, aka "How to Care for my Children for 30 Days". In it you will find information about: school, homework, orchestra, soccer, football, directions, times, maps, needed gear, consent forms, schedules, meals, bedtime, and important names, phone numbers and emails. I'm sure I'm missing something! Lucky for me, I have a great sister-in-law who knows my kids really well and has offered to fly in for one of the weeks I am gone. Yes, that's right, she took off of work to spend a week with my kids. She has watched our kids in the past when we have vacationed and probably figures this time will be a walk in the park. In the past it has involved diaper changing, nap times, battling the flu, car seats, and the occasional time-out. This time I'm sure it will revolve around Wii marathons and loading them with Orange Crush.

Map of Trek, from Lukla to EBC via Gorak Shep

This will definitely all fit!

Three stuff sacks and some miscellaneous gear inside the big red duffel... The stuff that is left will go in my carry-on, ie, my Osprey Talon 44 pack. Room to spare!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Initial Gear Layout

First run-through of required gear. 30 days and counting!

"B" words

The biggest concerns on my mind today while packing for my trip are the 3 B's: Blisters, Bedtime, and Bathrooms. My boots are as broken in as they're gonna get and one can only hope they treat my feet right. The backup plan of running shoes makes me happy just thinking about it. I love them.
Bedtime? If you know me, you know I need my sleep. I'm a light sleeper (that's a total understatement Honey, I know) but throw in 16 bunkmates in an unheated plywood structure hacking up a lung with the Khumbu cough, and I can tell you now, it ain't gonna be pretty. For God's sake, I can hear a pin drop in the basement of my well-insulated home and I sleep with a fan going for white noise. I'm just wired that way. It serves me well in other areas of my life to be so sensitive, but as things go, it's a difficult way to live. This is when the mental discipline will need to kick into overdrive on the trip. I'll say it again: In order to function, I need sleep. I don't care about waking up early, I just need to feel rested. It's really weighing on my mind because right off the bat I will be sleep deprived because of the time change and my inability to sleep on a plane. I'm hoping the sheer exhaustion from hiking every day will allow my body to rest at night. Just in case, I've got 3 different brands of earplugs.
Bathroom issues... As I line up the million medications I am required to take on the trip in the event I acquire any number of ailments along the way, I can't help but think specifically about all the potential intestinal problems that threaten trekkers in Nepal. I am famous for always touching my eyes, my mouth, etc.-a perfect host for various bacteria. I hope to be right smack in the middle of the bathroom spectrum, i.e., NO PROBLEMS. If I let my mind wander, I think about how awful it is when you have the flu and how you just want God to make the misery stop...and then I think, what must it be like to be sick in a place with no Western toilets and no running water? Ughhh. Ickkk. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, I guess.

Calypso Cascade Elev. 9,200 ft.

Successful trial upload from my Blackberry at Rocky Mountain National Park, Wild Basin area. First day out in the park, "warm up" hike with B on his 7th birthday, we did about 5 miles, topping out at 9100'. It was a perfect hike to help him remember how to pace himself, hydrate, rest when needed, and descend rocky trails with sure footing. He enjoyed having his own camera to shoot whatever he wanted...mostly chipmunks and waterfalls. Enjoyable for me because of how well my boots and pack seem to be broken in already, the terrific weather, and the energetic and happy-go-lucky company of my son who finds delight in the smallest of things.

"You see that? Next year I'm going to climb that with Mom."

That's what Little Bro B told his big brother last July. Fast forward to a year later and here we are, packing for Colorado. Our goal: Flat Top Mountain, elevation 12, 324 ft. A side benefit to this adventure is the chance to break in some of my new equipment and get some conditioning at a higher altitude.