Mount Everest 2013
Chilling at Base Camp
We have spent a few days at base camp now. Mostly training, reviewing mountaineering techniques, and staying healthy. We went up 1/3 of the Khumbu today for training and acclimatization and will head for our 1st rotation tomorrow. Most probably our rotation will be 2 nights at camp 1 and 2 nights at camp 2 and touch the bottom of the Lhotse face.
Puja & Resting
We did our Puja ceremony yesterday, it’s a ceremony the Sherpas do before hitting the ice fall, they will not otherwise.
Base camp is pretty much home now, we are settled in. Getting healthy, and should start our training in the next few days.
Phereche to Base Camp
After our second rest day at base camp we were all strong and headed to Leboche. The trek was steady for the first bit and then a huge incline to the memorial of the people who died while attempting Everest.
This time was different than 4 years ago, I felt different like those people were here to climb the same mountain, they all had plans, families, and things to go back to, unfortunately they didn’t. We could help it but be emotional there.
We spent the night at Leboche, nearly 5,000m good thing we all felt well to head to base camp today. We all made it, strong and healthy this will be our home for the next month or so. Sadly we had to say goodbye to 3 of our friends Ali, Ziad, and Nazim. They saw us off at base camp and headed back down, we will truly miss them.
For now it’s time to rest and organize our gear
Read More2nd Rest Day at Phereche
We took a second rest day at Phereche, there was a bug going around and some of the team members were not feeling great. The guides decided it would be best if we take a second rest day. We just took a few hours acclimatization hike up the scenic look over Dengboche up to 4,400m took lots of beautiful pictures. Ama Dablam is my favorite mountain and hope t climb it one day, it looked so beautiful rising over us.
Now the whole team looks great, and in great sprite, looking forward for our trek Leboche. For now its time for getting hydrated and playing cards.
Khumjung to Pangboche
We had to cross the valley 2 days ago, imagine we had to descend 500m to climb 600m to Tengboche were the highest bakery in the world exist. We visited the bakery 4 years ago while trekking to Everest Base Camp, for some reason it was way better then. It was very cool to see our stickers all over the bakery. We placed them last time we were there.
On the way we bumped into Juan orizabal from Spain who is attempting Everest with out oxygen. Climbing it with O2 is a great challenge imagine without it. He climbed 13 of the 14 8,000m peaks without O2. This is his 3rd attempt on Everest, he seems very fit, wish him best of luck.
We stayed at Deboche 3,770m which is 100m below Tengboche. the next day we started our day at the usual time trekking to Pangboche village where we met Lama Geshe. He blessed the team and wished us good luck climbing Everest. Now we are in Pheriche 4,240m where we will take a rest day tomorrow. So now we take the monopoly out and the playing cards for a well deserved rest day.
Read MoreThame & Khumjung
We visited Thame 3,700m the village of most of our Sherpas. I visited Tapke’s home and met his parents. Tapke is our teams serdar (head Sherpa). We had tea, and spoke about the old days in the mountain. He was a serdar, and a porter in Hilary’s expedition.
The rest of the team headed a few hundred meters to the Monastery while I visited my Sherpa’s house. They were blessed there by the monk, and gave them good luck ribbon.
We later filmed a surprise for all of you that we will post at Everest Base Camp you will love it.
Today woke up at 7am again, for a 5hr trek to Khumjung. Once we reached here we visited the Hillary School that was built in 1961. To contribute back to what Nepal gave him in general and Sherpas in specific. The Alpine Ascents head Serdar Lakpa Rita Sherpa had to commute to school everyday from Thame, he read his studies as he walked everyday.
The community here owes it to Sir Edmond Hillary for this school. In just one generation there are doctors, pilots, guides Sherpas all over the world. So honored to be the brand Ambassador of ROTA that strongly believe in the same vision as Hillary and hope by the fundraising I a doing I can also give back to Nepal.
Khumjung is at 3,790 not a big gain in altitude but will certain help our acclimatization up to base camp. We are all feeling great, the days are not that tough yet.
Note: the pic is with Kami Rita Sherpa (Tapke) and his parents
Namche Rest Day
Reach out to asia (ROTA) started he hash tag #rotaoneverest and to keep posted with our updates follow @everestarabs
We spent a rest day here at Namche 3,440m. Had a late breakfast that’s 8:30am here! We headed to the military base which had the view of Everest. It is the 1st time to see it on our trek. Our faces just lit up when we saw it. I remember the last time we were there 4 years ago with our friends Sacin, Anshul, and Rishop. Wow what a view, seeing it there, and inshala in less than 2 months we will be standing on top.
We headed later back to the lodge where Vern, Bassam (sound guru), and the team were jamming it in the lounge, we had a blast. We also walked around Namche Bazaar where we bought some carpets for our tents at base camp. We will be living in the. For a while why not make it more comfortable right. We then headed to Everest Bakery where we met Sushila Sherpa and her husband. She made the best brownies ever, and they served Starbucks coffee. So lattes and brownies what else can we ask for here.
Tomorrow we will head to Thame the home of Sherpas and where most of our Sherpas are from. Our head serdar Sherpa Lakpa and Kami Rita are from as well.
I will do my best to update you tomorrow, but not so sure if I will get connection, promise I will do my best.
Day 2 Phakding to Namche
We woke up in Phakding 2,610m, had breakfast and headed to Namche. We had had a good 8hr trek with a relatively slow pace. Drinking lots of fluids to stay hydrated and high calorie snacks to stay strong. We had a lot of fun today, Vern was playing his guitar while we were trekking, was very entertaining the Sherpa kids loved it.
We stopped half way for lunch, at a hut on our way. The famous tea with milk here in the Khumbu is just A-mazing, we can’t get enough of it. I can remember the last time I was here 4 years ago, little experience I had then. More like no experience. This leg last time crashed us; we were so exhausted and ended up trekking in pitch dark for some time. We are in much better shape this time, didn’t feel it at all. We are starting to feel the altitude at 3,450m in Namche. This is normal to feel it here, especially to reach 3,450m in 2 days.
We are settled in a nice lodge, with a hot shower 😀 probably not again for a few days. Tomorrow we will have a rest day here in Namche, where we will have the first view of Everest, walk around the famous Namche Bazar, and enjoy the bakery here.
