Wednesday, 27 April 2016
Day 4 - It's all stations UP - Everest View 3,800 metres !
Acclimatisation is all about tricking the body into thinking that surviving on 50% oxygen is quite OK - it seeks to remedy those pesky side effects which include blocked noses, dry coughing, mild headaches, having no appetite and enerally being breathless every time you undertake any form of activity (.. must remember to write a note to thank those that put us on the 3rd floor in our guest house)
You can drink & med up to help which usually involves going to the toilet about 37 times a day - you can try to save at least 12 of those visits by delicately docking one self (at least for men) with a bottle in pitch darkness at night but i can tell you its a manoeuvre destined for disaster !
The only real sure fire success is time and that was our strategy when we took 24 hours in Namche to help our systems along ! This though doesn't mean lying around in bed it actually means getting out undertaking more activity and putting even less oxygen in your body - I guess so it can turn around and say to you " whoa - give me back the 50%" !
As it was we went into climb mode shortly after breakfast and after Monika had rechanged after swearing after sitting in a swamp of spilt black tea
Our bodies protested right from the start as we clambered up 100+ metres in altitude to the Namche army base for great views of the big ones including Nupste and Everest !
Thinking that was it for the day Birbal insisted on 300 more metres this time up a precipitous snaking trail and then up another a steep hillside above Namche before arriving at a Stupa that had even more spectacular views and was also good us penny pinchers as it didn't require us to spend $20 on a cup of tea that seems to be the going rate at the more famous and nearby Everest Hotel.The view from the Stupa also gave us pretty good detail for our next two days walk and none of it looked easy.
With just about a scenery overload we descended back to Namche by a different route on on oversized rock steps and a dusty trail arriving back after 4 hours having covered nearly 9 kms a fair effort for an acclimatisation / rest day
Back at the hotel we almost needed a car jack to get our lunches down before we then wisely decided to crash in our room rec charge the batteries and later on take in some more of the delicacies offered around town in the various cafes ... well if our stomachs can handle it that is !
Tomorrow we have a longish trek past Tengboche and a chance to check out if the acclimatisation day really helped !
P.s. my brother and his friend Katrina flew into Lukla yesterday and make their move on to Namche just as we head out !
You can drink & med up to help which usually involves going to the toilet about 37 times a day - you can try to save at least 12 of those visits by delicately docking one self (at least for men) with a bottle in pitch darkness at night but i can tell you its a manoeuvre destined for disaster !
The only real sure fire success is time and that was our strategy when we took 24 hours in Namche to help our systems along ! This though doesn't mean lying around in bed it actually means getting out undertaking more activity and putting even less oxygen in your body - I guess so it can turn around and say to you " whoa - give me back the 50%" !
As it was we went into climb mode shortly after breakfast and after Monika had rechanged after swearing after sitting in a swamp of spilt black tea
Our bodies protested right from the start as we clambered up 100+ metres in altitude to the Namche army base for great views of the big ones including Nupste and Everest !
Thinking that was it for the day Birbal insisted on 300 more metres this time up a precipitous snaking trail and then up another a steep hillside above Namche before arriving at a Stupa that had even more spectacular views and was also good us penny pinchers as it didn't require us to spend $20 on a cup of tea that seems to be the going rate at the more famous and nearby Everest Hotel.The view from the Stupa also gave us pretty good detail for our next two days walk and none of it looked easy.
With just about a scenery overload we descended back to Namche by a different route on on oversized rock steps and a dusty trail arriving back after 4 hours having covered nearly 9 kms a fair effort for an acclimatisation / rest day
Back at the hotel we almost needed a car jack to get our lunches down before we then wisely decided to crash in our room rec charge the batteries and later on take in some more of the delicacies offered around town in the various cafes ... well if our stomachs can handle it that is !
Tomorrow we have a longish trek past Tengboche and a chance to check out if the acclimatisation day really helped !
P.s. my brother and his friend Katrina flew into Lukla yesterday and make their move on to Namche just as we head out !
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Re: Day 3 - The Higher Road - Namche 3440 metres !
We might have left our hearts in San Francisco but I'm pretty sure we both left our lungs in Phakding after todays tough 17km walk to Namche Bazaar that gained us over 800 metres in altitude !
After last night's entertainment (reading a book and going to bed at 8.00p m) we look to the trail after fuelling up on a breakfast of cardboard like porridge a partly cooked boiled egg and some singed toast (yummy!) - we both knew this was going to be a tough day based on our previous experience and the blogs of just about every base camp trekker ever read !
On the plus side unlike November (our last trek here) where you'd be reluctant to remove any of your 12 layers of clothing until the sun was well in the sky, April / May brings much warmer conditions which meant we were peeling our layers after only 30 minutes on the trail !
Today was going to be the day of bridges as we crossed backwards and forwards across the fast flowing Dudh Khosi (Milky River) trying not to count the missing bolts on the suspension bridges and trying to avoid an Olympic high dive when caught up in one large Indian group who delighted in taking selfies mid bridge while jumping up and down to test the bridges suspect construction.
In between our aerial escapades we glimpsed first hand the effect of Nepal's 2014 Earthquake with a no of buildings in ruins and many others only recently rebuilt !
Todays offering also included some stunning albeit hazy views of towering mtns and valley sides i.e. if you were game enough to look up long enough and risk plummeting down a ravine !
Our real test came at the Two bridges (the opening scene for the Movie Everest) where one suspension bridge towers over another - while spectacular what you don't see in the movie is the precipitous climb needed to get to this point and beyond avoiding numerous packs of yak like creatures / mules !
While Monika struggled in parts on the ascent I excelled going at least 40 metres before needing another refill of that 02 stuff !
The climb though provided one highlight with our first view of Everest with its distinctive peak weather pattern - knowing that at the time of print there are 200 climbers at base camp making their final preparations for the first summit on Everest for over 2 years made this even more exciting !
Finally after 7 hours and 23,500 fit bit steps we made it into Namche at 3440 metres with self now an honourary Indian after spending time with the large Indian group we were following
Despite its Isolation Namche provides for a number of luxuries and so it was as we headed to one of the many cafes for coffee and cake - as you would do we when trekking to Everest Base Camp !
Tomorrow we get a sleep in till 7.00a.m. before an acclimatisation trek and some more coffee before the serious sections start !
Monday, 25 April 2016
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