Tuesday April 27th
Walk to Camp 2 (ABC)
As we expected, the Sherpa’s shook the tents at 6:30 am. (They had left base camp at 3:30 am and had scampered up the Ice Fall in 3 hrs, freaking amazing guys with 50+ lbs on their backs) Jim and I were just about ready to go when this happened so we continued to get our pads, sleeping bags and our other stuff in stuff sacks so the Sherpa’s could take our stuff up the mountain.
After about 45 mins of getting stuff together the Sherpa’s were on their way and Jim and I was ready to start our trek to Camp 2. Jim had anticipated about a 4 – 5 hour walk (about 7 miles) but it just didn’t seem like it would take that long looking at it the previous day but he had reminded me to sometimes your eyes can play tricks on you when you just look uphill. Our starting altitude point was about 19000 feet.
At 8 am we got started and were moving very well. This made me feel better as I was still frustrated about the 8 hour Ice Fall trip. The weather was good when the Sherpa’s left but by the time we were leaving Jim noticed the weather was getting bad from the west/southwest which he said was not a very good sign. We started and it was cold but we had made it to our previous day point about 30 mins quicker. One reason was because we had put on our crampons the 2nd day which made it a little quicker to move on the icy slippery slopes and we actually was feeling good after a good sleep. We had a few ladders (one pretty nasty vertical) and several “scary “crevasses that we had to navigate but after this was just one long continuous slope. I have thought over and over something I could use to describe the last 5 miles of walking but I could only describe a road in Tellico that I went for some training years ago on a recommendation by a friend Kevin Tumlin which was up as long as I wanted to walk that day or any day. I didn’t like it then and I didn’t like it this day either.
We walked about 2 1/2 more hours and we finally made it. What a frustrated feeling to just keep walking up for 2 + hours and never having a break of anything thing but up and almost dead straight. Again the slope was not steep or high but it was truly like a “death march” and I was tired when we got there. I did have to remember we were actually moving up more altitude than the Ice Fall 8 hr day (about 2000 feet) but we were getting there in an entirely different way. Jim did stop and continued to give me more history of things that had happened in these mountains over the years which I always thought was interesting. We also moved through 2 large patches along the trail where it showed the remains of 2 very large avalanches where some very large rocks and pieces of ice were now in the middle of the valley. I am glad I didn’t see these happen or be here when they did.
As we entered the camp, the weather started turning bad, the wind had really picked up so what Jim was saying early this morning was coming true. We were in for a cold afternoon and a miserable night.
I was now sleeping at the base of Mt Everest about 8000 feet from the summit and I could see it from inside my tent. What a view????
When we got there, we went straight to the tent and waited for lunch call. After about 2 hours, we got up and went to the dining tent for lunch. Good lunch but wasn’t too hungry so Nima was again concerned about my eating habits.
ABC- (Advanced base camp) this camp is similar to base camp with a dining tent and a kitchen. This is nice as you have someone else to go besides your tent to enjoy your food and conversation.
After lunch we returned to the tent until dinner time due to the weather situation. I just listened to my iPod as it was too cold to do anything outside the tent unless it was an essential task. The snow began to fall and the temperatures continue to drop. When dinner was ready, Nima came to my tent trying to serve me dinner. I refused and said let’s eat in the dining tent. Honestly if I would not have gotten up then I would not have eaten the food. It was a good dinner of chick and rice but I do not know if the cold weather was worth the walk to the tent.
Jim joined me but it was pretty scary with the wind just blowing the tent all over the place. Jim was actually worried that we might lose this dining tent if the wind got much stronger and blew the tent in a certain way and it would break the poles. After a quick dinner, we actually thought it would be safer in our individual tent. (Guys remember Berlin camp Aconcagua 2007; it was close to that but not quite)
I was tired, it had been a better day and I was ready for bed. The next day would be yet another adventure as we are going on a hike towards camp 3.
The temperature was -0 Fahrenheit and the wind continued to blow and it was snowing quite hard but in my bag with my hot water bottle it was pretty cozy. I could only think about those people, who had just moved up to camp 3 with this wind and the temperatures. Maybe tomorrow would be better or it would be a long day in the bag.
We did hear that 3 people were killed on the mountain on the North side (China) by an avalanche but nothing was confirmed yet. We also have heard that the weather from that side has been a lot worse than our side. I hope all is well over there as that is where the 13 year old boy is and Nawang’s bother is also over there.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Day 2 at camp 1
Monday April 26th
2nd Day at camp 1
We went to bed in the cold and wind and awoke in better weather. I felt better after a good night’s sleep and our plan was to get up and go for a 2 hour hike up the mountain in hopes of at least seeing camp 2 (ABC- advanced base Camp).
We finally got up around 10 am and started walking towards the (ABC) to see how we felt and take pictures. We were at the base of the valley looking at Nuptse on the right, Lhotse face in the middle and the big one, Mt Everest on the left. What an amazing place to see in one’s life. (Jim got some pictures) We started our walk up the 7 mile journey and was actually moving pretty good with what we had been through the previous day and in about 1:30 mins we were at a great place with a view on ABC and we could even see the first of the tents being placed on Lhotse face at camp 3. The weather was pretty good and we got some outstanding shots of the summit of Mt Everest. We took some lunch up there on the trail admiring all the views and listening to stories of climbs Jim had done over the past 20+ years and I was just was in awe of where I was and what I was doing. I appreciate all the people who allowed me to do this adventure. When you see things like this in nature, it really gives you an appreciation for the world we live in and the opportunities we are afforded and that we must take more of them or we will die and never really have seen the world around us.
After lunch, we decided to go back to the camp. We made it rather quickly and by then it was in the afternoon and the clouds and snow came back to welcome us into the evening. Again the main purpose when you return to the tent is to get warm. Jim and I both went to sleep with little conversation and you didn’t hear anything from either of us until about 9 pm and then it was too late to eat or try to cook and we just kept sleeping. We had to get up early in the morning for our trek into ABC and we knew the Sherpa’s would be up from base up around 6 am.
It was a long cold night and you cannot sleep 14 hours so you end up turning over and over hoping it is daylight when you open your eyes. I can only sleep on my side and the hard ground (even when you have a sleeping pad) make your hips hurt so that adds to the anticipation of the morning sunlight.
2nd Day at camp 1
We went to bed in the cold and wind and awoke in better weather. I felt better after a good night’s sleep and our plan was to get up and go for a 2 hour hike up the mountain in hopes of at least seeing camp 2 (ABC- advanced base Camp).
We finally got up around 10 am and started walking towards the (ABC) to see how we felt and take pictures. We were at the base of the valley looking at Nuptse on the right, Lhotse face in the middle and the big one, Mt Everest on the left. What an amazing place to see in one’s life. (Jim got some pictures) We started our walk up the 7 mile journey and was actually moving pretty good with what we had been through the previous day and in about 1:30 mins we were at a great place with a view on ABC and we could even see the first of the tents being placed on Lhotse face at camp 3. The weather was pretty good and we got some outstanding shots of the summit of Mt Everest. We took some lunch up there on the trail admiring all the views and listening to stories of climbs Jim had done over the past 20+ years and I was just was in awe of where I was and what I was doing. I appreciate all the people who allowed me to do this adventure. When you see things like this in nature, it really gives you an appreciation for the world we live in and the opportunities we are afforded and that we must take more of them or we will die and never really have seen the world around us.
After lunch, we decided to go back to the camp. We made it rather quickly and by then it was in the afternoon and the clouds and snow came back to welcome us into the evening. Again the main purpose when you return to the tent is to get warm. Jim and I both went to sleep with little conversation and you didn’t hear anything from either of us until about 9 pm and then it was too late to eat or try to cook and we just kept sleeping. We had to get up early in the morning for our trek into ABC and we knew the Sherpa’s would be up from base up around 6 am.
It was a long cold night and you cannot sleep 14 hours so you end up turning over and over hoping it is daylight when you open your eyes. I can only sleep on my side and the hard ground (even when you have a sleeping pad) make your hips hurt so that adds to the anticipation of the morning sunlight.
hike up to Camp 1 ( 3rd attempt through Ice Falls)
Sunday April 25th 1st trip to Camp 1
We left camp about 6 am on our way to camp 1. It was Jim, Nima and I, who quite frankly was a little nervous for many reasons. The fact that I hadn’t done much in the last 6 days due to the sickness, the horrible experience that I had encountered the previous Monday trying to get to camp 1 and the fact that the Ice Fall scares me to death was enough to make me a little apprehensive about the day.
I started good and we were making good progress as we progressed through the part called the “popcorn” but I felt myself start to slow down. We had been in the Fall about 3 hours and after we exited the “popcorn” section( 4 hrs) Nima left Jim and I to go on up to camp 1.I thought this was a good sign and we were making progress but then it seemed like it would never end. We kept moving and I saw 2 sets of ladders at the rim of the Ice Fall and Jim said we had those 2 sets left and then a “short” walk to camp 1. These ladders were both the same. They were 3 10’ alum ladders (30’ high) mounted completely independent of each other, with the middle ladder mounted offset about 4-5” and reinforced on the mountain face with rope (so they were flexible) with a good 1.5 ft overhang of snow and ice. (Don’t worry I will get pictures the next time through if they haven’t changed). They both were definitely not put there using any sound physics logic (just Ice Doctor knowledge of 20 + years of doing this) but it seem to hold all the other climbers I have seen go up so far but it still didn’t make me feel easy about being on them because where there were located meant some serious physical damage if you fell. Any way we finally made it out of the Ice Fall in 7 hours and I was happy we had only a short walk left (wrong). It was about a 1.5 mile winding through crevasses, ladders and hills. I had my doubts if I was going to make it. I kept looking for the trail ahead but I couldn’t see it and about that time I saw some people way in the distance and the people looked like they were ants (which mean a long way) but I saw no tents. At that moment of weakness, I thought it was no way that I could keep walking that much longer and then all of a sudden I walked on top of the ridge and saw tents in the valley. I cannot describe the feeling that I felt at that moment. I had only about 100 meters left and I would have a tent to sleep in for the next 2 nights. I got in to my tent and went right to sleep. Jim had got there just before me and he had gotten in his tent. We had finally made it after 8 hours of constant push. After a few hours I awoke and Jim made me some rice to eat and I ate it plus some coke. I had a “2 man tent” and Jim had the “3 man” because he had to cook for us. It was cold (below 0) and I just wanted to get warm in my sleeping bag. It was all I could do and I went back to sleep. What a day it had been and I was a bit disappointed in the time it took me to get to camp 1 because I had felt so good earlier in the day but we made it and that was all that mattered on this day. The night was good, I slept well and my health was still good but I was tired.
We left camp about 6 am on our way to camp 1. It was Jim, Nima and I, who quite frankly was a little nervous for many reasons. The fact that I hadn’t done much in the last 6 days due to the sickness, the horrible experience that I had encountered the previous Monday trying to get to camp 1 and the fact that the Ice Fall scares me to death was enough to make me a little apprehensive about the day.
I started good and we were making good progress as we progressed through the part called the “popcorn” but I felt myself start to slow down. We had been in the Fall about 3 hours and after we exited the “popcorn” section( 4 hrs) Nima left Jim and I to go on up to camp 1.I thought this was a good sign and we were making progress but then it seemed like it would never end. We kept moving and I saw 2 sets of ladders at the rim of the Ice Fall and Jim said we had those 2 sets left and then a “short” walk to camp 1. These ladders were both the same. They were 3 10’ alum ladders (30’ high) mounted completely independent of each other, with the middle ladder mounted offset about 4-5” and reinforced on the mountain face with rope (so they were flexible) with a good 1.5 ft overhang of snow and ice. (Don’t worry I will get pictures the next time through if they haven’t changed). They both were definitely not put there using any sound physics logic (just Ice Doctor knowledge of 20 + years of doing this) but it seem to hold all the other climbers I have seen go up so far but it still didn’t make me feel easy about being on them because where there were located meant some serious physical damage if you fell. Any way we finally made it out of the Ice Fall in 7 hours and I was happy we had only a short walk left (wrong). It was about a 1.5 mile winding through crevasses, ladders and hills. I had my doubts if I was going to make it. I kept looking for the trail ahead but I couldn’t see it and about that time I saw some people way in the distance and the people looked like they were ants (which mean a long way) but I saw no tents. At that moment of weakness, I thought it was no way that I could keep walking that much longer and then all of a sudden I walked on top of the ridge and saw tents in the valley. I cannot describe the feeling that I felt at that moment. I had only about 100 meters left and I would have a tent to sleep in for the next 2 nights. I got in to my tent and went right to sleep. Jim had got there just before me and he had gotten in his tent. We had finally made it after 8 hours of constant push. After a few hours I awoke and Jim made me some rice to eat and I ate it plus some coke. I had a “2 man tent” and Jim had the “3 man” because he had to cook for us. It was cold (below 0) and I just wanted to get warm in my sleeping bag. It was all I could do and I went back to sleep. What a day it had been and I was a bit disappointed in the time it took me to get to camp 1 because I had felt so good earlier in the day but we made it and that was all that mattered on this day. The night was good, I slept well and my health was still good but I was tired.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
personal updates april 24th
Personal April 24th Saturday
Thanks to all who have responded on the blog and I really appreciate all the kind words on the email. Tomorrow is a big day for me and I need all of your encouragement.
My address for personal email is sslaughter@uuplus.net Please only send text as I have scanning to block even large emails of text.
Danny – great story and appreciate the words
Cee- I hope all went well with the store specials. I can’t wait to come and see you guys sometime. I know it is tough with Lida on Vacation love ya Steve
Philippe- thanks to you for always checking on me
Graham- Thanks for your words from “Down Under” I hope all is going well in your business.
Toffee- we are so glad Ann is doing well enough now so she can translate for you again. Your friends have been worried about you and it was Ann who we should have been asking about and not you. Ann Thanks again for letting Martin come to spend time with Jim and me in the Himalayas. We miss him but we know we will see him again soon on a mountain and I hope to see you soon in Brisbane. Take care of yourself, Martin and Toffee but we really know that Toffee will be taking care of you too. Smile.
Claire- Great to hear from you. SO you got to the top of the “Big Granite “Kota Kinabalu. I hope it was drier on you than on me when I did it a few years ago in July. What a miserable up in the monsoon and a miserable trip down slip sliding away on that big granite stone in the monsoon. I hope you found some time to snorkel as I hear it is one of the top places in the world. Looking forward to climbing again soon Talk to Martin about PNG in Oct and see what we can do. I do not keep the phone on at all until I try to call someone. The batteries run down in no time due to the cold. When you get stationary let me know the number and I will call you. Start the number with the “+” sign then I shouldn’t have any problems calling. Take care and safe travels.
caroline- thanks for your comments i miss you and the little Leah take care of yourself
Thanks to all who have responded on the blog and I really appreciate all the kind words on the email. Tomorrow is a big day for me and I need all of your encouragement.
My address for personal email is sslaughter@uuplus.net Please only send text as I have scanning to block even large emails of text.
Danny – great story and appreciate the words
Cee- I hope all went well with the store specials. I can’t wait to come and see you guys sometime. I know it is tough with Lida on Vacation love ya Steve
Philippe- thanks to you for always checking on me
Graham- Thanks for your words from “Down Under” I hope all is going well in your business.
Toffee- we are so glad Ann is doing well enough now so she can translate for you again. Your friends have been worried about you and it was Ann who we should have been asking about and not you. Ann Thanks again for letting Martin come to spend time with Jim and me in the Himalayas. We miss him but we know we will see him again soon on a mountain and I hope to see you soon in Brisbane. Take care of yourself, Martin and Toffee but we really know that Toffee will be taking care of you too. Smile.
Claire- Great to hear from you. SO you got to the top of the “Big Granite “Kota Kinabalu. I hope it was drier on you than on me when I did it a few years ago in July. What a miserable up in the monsoon and a miserable trip down slip sliding away on that big granite stone in the monsoon. I hope you found some time to snorkel as I hear it is one of the top places in the world. Looking forward to climbing again soon Talk to Martin about PNG in Oct and see what we can do. I do not keep the phone on at all until I try to call someone. The batteries run down in no time due to the cold. When you get stationary let me know the number and I will call you. Start the number with the “+” sign then I shouldn’t have any problems calling. Take care and safe travels.
caroline- thanks for your comments i miss you and the little Leah take care of yourself
prep day at base camp
April 24th Sat
Slept well but awoke to a pretty windy cold day. I had a good breakfast (pancakes and cheese and eggs) I quickly finished off the pancakes but sure didn’t want the eggs but Jim was not going to let me off the hook. He said that the next few days will be very tough to eat and I really needed to eat them. I begrudgingly ate them but sure didn’t like the feeling of them going down.
It is not that I do not want to eat. I have no urge to eat 3 meals a day and I never eat breakfast. For me to get up from bed and go straight to eat is just not easy for someone who never eats.
I came in and go on the computer and checked and replied to emails and actually spent some time on the internet to get caught up on the BKK situation and some news. I learned that they were moving my work friends out of the apartment/hotel where I lived for 4 years due to the intensity of the situation and the latest bombs to another location which is much further from the main intersection. I called K Bee to make sure she was ok and if she needed to move but she said she was ok. She was not very happy with the Red Shirts and now the government as it is now closing the sky train which makes it very difficult for Thais to travel without a hassle.
We had a great lunch which I actually ate, got the base station set up for radios, swapped out my sleeping bag for the porters early morning trek so the same thing doesn’t happen like last Monday and got all my stuff located in the right place for easy and efficient working in the morning. Jim wants to leave right at 430 to try and keep us out of the sun as much as possible so this is ok with me.
I am looking forward to it as I feel better today and I am sure I have more food in me than the previous trip. I am checking email one last time here at 5 pm because I didn’t want to get caught like last night in the 25 degree weather trying to type and my hands were frozen. I tried to go back and fix as many problems in that last dispatch but I will fix them all one when I am too old to do anything else. It is the story that I am trying to convey so cut me some slack on the grammar and spelling.
I hope all of you have a great Sunday and to my friends in BKK Please be safe.
Slept well but awoke to a pretty windy cold day. I had a good breakfast (pancakes and cheese and eggs) I quickly finished off the pancakes but sure didn’t want the eggs but Jim was not going to let me off the hook. He said that the next few days will be very tough to eat and I really needed to eat them. I begrudgingly ate them but sure didn’t like the feeling of them going down.
It is not that I do not want to eat. I have no urge to eat 3 meals a day and I never eat breakfast. For me to get up from bed and go straight to eat is just not easy for someone who never eats.
I came in and go on the computer and checked and replied to emails and actually spent some time on the internet to get caught up on the BKK situation and some news. I learned that they were moving my work friends out of the apartment/hotel where I lived for 4 years due to the intensity of the situation and the latest bombs to another location which is much further from the main intersection. I called K Bee to make sure she was ok and if she needed to move but she said she was ok. She was not very happy with the Red Shirts and now the government as it is now closing the sky train which makes it very difficult for Thais to travel without a hassle.
We had a great lunch which I actually ate, got the base station set up for radios, swapped out my sleeping bag for the porters early morning trek so the same thing doesn’t happen like last Monday and got all my stuff located in the right place for easy and efficient working in the morning. Jim wants to leave right at 430 to try and keep us out of the sun as much as possible so this is ok with me.
I am looking forward to it as I feel better today and I am sure I have more food in me than the previous trip. I am checking email one last time here at 5 pm because I didn’t want to get caught like last night in the 25 degree weather trying to type and my hands were frozen. I tried to go back and fix as many problems in that last dispatch but I will fix them all one when I am too old to do anything else. It is the story that I am trying to convey so cut me some slack on the grammar and spelling.
I hope all of you have a great Sunday and to my friends in BKK Please be safe.
Friday, April 23, 2010
trail walk to gorbakshep
Went to bed at 9 pm last night and it was a little less cold than the previous 2 nights. I crawled in the bed and it seemed like I slept all night. I peeped out of the sleeping bag and it was light. What a relief and I felt good.
I just laid there listening to the IPOD, relaxing and thinking about the trip today. Finally got up at 810am for the breakfast call and had pancakes with melted butter and some great scrambled eggs. This was only the 2nd meal, (1 being dinner last night) that I actually could look at the food and not feel like I was going to throw up. I don’t know if that was because I had been sick or the thought that Jim was going to make me shovel something down. Anyway it was a good breakfast and we had decided to leave at 930am so I went back to the tent to change clothes and get my back ready.
Jim was on the computer and finally came by about 930am and said let’s go. A dash through the snacks and I was out the door. In the meantime ( only mins) Jim got consumed looking through the stuff that the porters brought up late last night. He was going through the list and of course I was looking myself. I saw Kraft Thousand Island Dressing; I saw 4 boxes of Pop Tarts, French’s mustard, Heinz Ketchup and 2 more bottles of Heinz 57. This made my morning today. It was like in the old days when Mom would come home from the store and we would tear through all the packages to see what favorite we go this month. (Yes we only went to the store 1 time per month) Then I thought I saw something else when they started removing all the stuff and taking it to the kitchen and dining tent, it looked like a jar of pickle spears. I knew I had requested them but Jim never acknowledge that he got them on the list. Well when I saw them I thought of 2 things 1) I want one of them right now and I did eat one and 2) wouldn’t my friend Roger Williams want one of my Clausen Dill spears. He loves them as much as I do.
After this small celebration, we were off to Gorbakshep. We are on one end of the base camp so we walk across base camp for almost 25 mins meandering up and down and around to we finally get clear and on the trail. The walk was rather slow; Jim was very deliberate so not to let me overdo it. It was a nice walk and we made it down there in an about 2 hrs and I felt pretty good. The only thing today was the wind was there all day so I never really warmed up, which would have been really nice. Nawaan went with us so he could use the land line phone to call and check on his wife, who is having the baby in KAT and they said that it would be around the first of May. He mother had arrived in KAT a couple of days ago so he was checking on them. He is such a nice guy (30 years old) and very inquisitive in a learning type way so it is very nice talking to him. We had a few teas and a hot lemon, I had a few snacks and Jim and Nawaan had some noodles and we were on our way back.
We are stating about 320 meters lower in altitude than when we left base camp so we knew we were moving back uphill but still this walk is a classic “up and down” Khumba region walk. Trails, large boulders, small rocks, water, mud, and yak poop etc so it is not just get on the trail and walk. We were back home in about 1 ½ hours and I still felt pretty good. A little tired but overall pretty good after the 5 hour round trip. We met people along the trail and heard that 3 more people are on their way home by helicopter. One lady Wanda was a MS lady who had climbed 6 of the 7 summits but just could not get this one done. This was her 2nd try and her lungs just would not let her take the long times at altitude. She was being taken up by one of my friends I met at Mt Rainier many years ago. He had just let her off at the helicopter in Pheriche and he was on his way back to base camp.
We arrived at the camp and went it to drink a little Mt Dew and Jim wanted some tea. We had a visitor from IMG to come over and pick up a violin that had been delivered by our porter last night. Vern Tejas who is accomplished violinist/guitaiarts/Fiddle player himself side he had a classical Violinist on his team and he wanted to hear some music so he had one sent up the trail but the case was also full of drugs (all legal) so we gave Vern a hard time about really wanted to hear music or did he need the drugs. I wanted a picture with Vern because I see about 5 to 6 guys here( all in mid 50’s) who are all starting to see that they cannot continue to be the leaders at the top of the mountains anymore and the guard is changing. These 5-7 guys were the leaders of making this place and others what is it is today and were the reason why people like I want to come here and try to climb this massive mountain. Vern has submitted 8 times in 14 tries. He is a great guy and is very well respected in this small circle of Professional mountain guides.
As he was leaving Russell Brice was walking up. All of you should know Russell Brice. He is the guy who started “Beyond the limits: Everest” on the discovery channel a few years ago. What a nice guy. He was collecting money ($100 per climber) for the fixed lines being installed up to the top of the mountain. ( they are installing 7000 linear feet of rope with 1000 carabineers help people like me get too the top safely) I got a picture with him also as I think he is a really nice guy vs what my impression was off the TV show.
I finally went to my tent to change clothes and get into something warmer and then to check email and write this blog. I am now going to dinner and then to bed and hopefully another good night’s sleep.
I hope all of you have a great Friday and a great weekend tomorrow will be a day off and I will write more.
I just laid there listening to the IPOD, relaxing and thinking about the trip today. Finally got up at 810am for the breakfast call and had pancakes with melted butter and some great scrambled eggs. This was only the 2nd meal, (1 being dinner last night) that I actually could look at the food and not feel like I was going to throw up. I don’t know if that was because I had been sick or the thought that Jim was going to make me shovel something down. Anyway it was a good breakfast and we had decided to leave at 930am so I went back to the tent to change clothes and get my back ready.
Jim was on the computer and finally came by about 930am and said let’s go. A dash through the snacks and I was out the door. In the meantime ( only mins) Jim got consumed looking through the stuff that the porters brought up late last night. He was going through the list and of course I was looking myself. I saw Kraft Thousand Island Dressing; I saw 4 boxes of Pop Tarts, French’s mustard, Heinz Ketchup and 2 more bottles of Heinz 57. This made my morning today. It was like in the old days when Mom would come home from the store and we would tear through all the packages to see what favorite we go this month. (Yes we only went to the store 1 time per month) Then I thought I saw something else when they started removing all the stuff and taking it to the kitchen and dining tent, it looked like a jar of pickle spears. I knew I had requested them but Jim never acknowledge that he got them on the list. Well when I saw them I thought of 2 things 1) I want one of them right now and I did eat one and 2) wouldn’t my friend Roger Williams want one of my Clausen Dill spears. He loves them as much as I do.
After this small celebration, we were off to Gorbakshep. We are on one end of the base camp so we walk across base camp for almost 25 mins meandering up and down and around to we finally get clear and on the trail. The walk was rather slow; Jim was very deliberate so not to let me overdo it. It was a nice walk and we made it down there in an about 2 hrs and I felt pretty good. The only thing today was the wind was there all day so I never really warmed up, which would have been really nice. Nawaan went with us so he could use the land line phone to call and check on his wife, who is having the baby in KAT and they said that it would be around the first of May. He mother had arrived in KAT a couple of days ago so he was checking on them. He is such a nice guy (30 years old) and very inquisitive in a learning type way so it is very nice talking to him. We had a few teas and a hot lemon, I had a few snacks and Jim and Nawaan had some noodles and we were on our way back.
We are stating about 320 meters lower in altitude than when we left base camp so we knew we were moving back uphill but still this walk is a classic “up and down” Khumba region walk. Trails, large boulders, small rocks, water, mud, and yak poop etc so it is not just get on the trail and walk. We were back home in about 1 ½ hours and I still felt pretty good. A little tired but overall pretty good after the 5 hour round trip. We met people along the trail and heard that 3 more people are on their way home by helicopter. One lady Wanda was a MS lady who had climbed 6 of the 7 summits but just could not get this one done. This was her 2nd try and her lungs just would not let her take the long times at altitude. She was being taken up by one of my friends I met at Mt Rainier many years ago. He had just let her off at the helicopter in Pheriche and he was on his way back to base camp.
We arrived at the camp and went it to drink a little Mt Dew and Jim wanted some tea. We had a visitor from IMG to come over and pick up a violin that had been delivered by our porter last night. Vern Tejas who is accomplished violinist/guitaiarts/Fiddle player himself side he had a classical Violinist on his team and he wanted to hear some music so he had one sent up the trail but the case was also full of drugs (all legal) so we gave Vern a hard time about really wanted to hear music or did he need the drugs. I wanted a picture with Vern because I see about 5 to 6 guys here( all in mid 50’s) who are all starting to see that they cannot continue to be the leaders at the top of the mountains anymore and the guard is changing. These 5-7 guys were the leaders of making this place and others what is it is today and were the reason why people like I want to come here and try to climb this massive mountain. Vern has submitted 8 times in 14 tries. He is a great guy and is very well respected in this small circle of Professional mountain guides.
As he was leaving Russell Brice was walking up. All of you should know Russell Brice. He is the guy who started “Beyond the limits: Everest” on the discovery channel a few years ago. What a nice guy. He was collecting money ($100 per climber) for the fixed lines being installed up to the top of the mountain. ( they are installing 7000 linear feet of rope with 1000 carabineers help people like me get too the top safely) I got a picture with him also as I think he is a really nice guy vs what my impression was off the TV show.
I finally went to my tent to change clothes and get into something warmer and then to check email and write this blog. I am now going to dinner and then to bed and hopefully another good night’s sleep.
I hope all of you have a great Friday and a great weekend tomorrow will be a day off and I will write more.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Another day of recovery at base camp
April 22nd Thursday
Finally went to bed @ 830 pm on Wed night. I didn’t eat much as the smell of mo mo’s Jim had almost made me throw up. I went to the dinning tent just to try and stretch the day as long as I could to try and regain some strength. I just sat in front of the heater after I went in to help Curly and Larry try and light it. Think about “lost in translation” with me and 2 Sherpa’ s who do not speak any English nor do not have any mechanical skills ( no that it takes much to start a heater) but it was quite comical to a point. I was trying to be nice but really was in the mood to let 3 people with 3 different ideas try to start this heater( although I have been starting it every night so I knew what needed to be done). I was cold, tired and after the few moments of “humor” I told them “thank You” and I could just do it myself. They left the tent in all smiles and I started the tent and then almost collapse in the chair in front of it. That episode just about wore me out at this altitude.
I went to bed with a slight cough and Jim thought that this was more of an exhaustion cough than anything. I think he was right as I did it for about an hour and then fell asleep. I think I did pretty well later in the night as I awoke about the time the sun came up which is about 530 and I would just lay in the bed until it hit my tent about 745am( snoozing on and off) when the warmth of the sun would make my tent feel good. Jim’s tent is only a few feet away and we started discussing the day’s events and the even Sat’s event.
We both thought about my eating and we thought maybe I could eat something every hour instead of trying to force some big massive meal down me 2-3 times a day. We have done that pretty regular today and it seems to have worked some. I have been drinking water pretty good today including cokes and Mt dew just to add to the calorie intake.
We also both thought about taking a “test ride” hike tomorrow back down to Gorashep which is about a 2 hr walk done the mountain, have a hot lemon drink and walk back home just to see how the body does. I thought this was a great idea and look forward to it because I am still a bit shaken mentally after what happen to me on Mon and I want to know I can do this with some sort of certainty, Damn I lost an entire week due to some infection that if I would have had it at home I probably wouldn’t have missed a step but up here took me down to me legs. I have to admit I am mad about what happen but understand “stuff happens” and I will move on from now.
I spent quite a bit of time in the tent today trying to regain my focus. I begin to reorganize my stuff for the next couple of days, while listening to my iPod and generally trying to get back in the game mentally. The weather has been quite nice today with just a little wind. I know there is still a lot of time left to make this thing work out. If some of the guys I saw at the hospital yesterday think they still have a chance to make it then I for sure still have a chance. I saw some very sick people yesterday struggling in and out of that tent and I have seen those faces high on the mountain before so I know what altitude can do to you and I am lucky that that was not me.
Wally came and visited several times today and it was fun catching up with him His guys are heading up to camp 2 today. His main guy had a bad cough early in the week but Wally confirmed he was doing much better. Wally sounded awful with his cough but as I have said everyone at base camp gets sick it is how you minimize it that allows you to win or not.
I laughed at Jim as I heard him try to program the radios He talks to himself a lot so it was funny to hear his expressions which I cannot print in this blog because mine are bad enough but he sure made me chuckle a few times today. He finally got them done and we should be good to go. He also work with the Sherpa’s on the antenna’s which was funny but not a funny as the radios.
My face around my cheeks and the bottom of the chin began to peel today. I got burned on the way down on Monday I applied at 4am but never did again the reflection off the snow can just burn you up. MY nose which is usually the first place I get it was pretty much left unscathed but the other places are peeling deep. I will start the use of 50 SPC on Sat in lieu of the 30 I have been using. I have already seen some horrific faces on the mountain and I do not want to look like I did when I came off Aconcagua 2008. I know my little Leah remembers and it looked bad.
It is 530pm on Thursday and today has been good. I do feel better and I look forward to the walk tomorrow.
Couple of interesting things that did happen today.
There was a collapse in the Ice Fall today in the area called the “popcorn”. According to the information that we have heard no one was injured and we heard the Ice doctors have already got the trail remapped out so it will be interesting to see the differences when we go back in there on Sat.
This was also the first day in the last 3 days that I did not hear the helicopter fly someone out so that is always a good thing.
I am sure soon Jim will be chasing me around trying to shovel food in my mouth and I will be like the child who doesn’t want to eat but I am sure in the end we will come to some compromise.
Have a great day
Finally went to bed @ 830 pm on Wed night. I didn’t eat much as the smell of mo mo’s Jim had almost made me throw up. I went to the dinning tent just to try and stretch the day as long as I could to try and regain some strength. I just sat in front of the heater after I went in to help Curly and Larry try and light it. Think about “lost in translation” with me and 2 Sherpa’ s who do not speak any English nor do not have any mechanical skills ( no that it takes much to start a heater) but it was quite comical to a point. I was trying to be nice but really was in the mood to let 3 people with 3 different ideas try to start this heater( although I have been starting it every night so I knew what needed to be done). I was cold, tired and after the few moments of “humor” I told them “thank You” and I could just do it myself. They left the tent in all smiles and I started the tent and then almost collapse in the chair in front of it. That episode just about wore me out at this altitude.
I went to bed with a slight cough and Jim thought that this was more of an exhaustion cough than anything. I think he was right as I did it for about an hour and then fell asleep. I think I did pretty well later in the night as I awoke about the time the sun came up which is about 530 and I would just lay in the bed until it hit my tent about 745am( snoozing on and off) when the warmth of the sun would make my tent feel good. Jim’s tent is only a few feet away and we started discussing the day’s events and the even Sat’s event.
We both thought about my eating and we thought maybe I could eat something every hour instead of trying to force some big massive meal down me 2-3 times a day. We have done that pretty regular today and it seems to have worked some. I have been drinking water pretty good today including cokes and Mt dew just to add to the calorie intake.
We also both thought about taking a “test ride” hike tomorrow back down to Gorashep which is about a 2 hr walk done the mountain, have a hot lemon drink and walk back home just to see how the body does. I thought this was a great idea and look forward to it because I am still a bit shaken mentally after what happen to me on Mon and I want to know I can do this with some sort of certainty, Damn I lost an entire week due to some infection that if I would have had it at home I probably wouldn’t have missed a step but up here took me down to me legs. I have to admit I am mad about what happen but understand “stuff happens” and I will move on from now.
I spent quite a bit of time in the tent today trying to regain my focus. I begin to reorganize my stuff for the next couple of days, while listening to my iPod and generally trying to get back in the game mentally. The weather has been quite nice today with just a little wind. I know there is still a lot of time left to make this thing work out. If some of the guys I saw at the hospital yesterday think they still have a chance to make it then I for sure still have a chance. I saw some very sick people yesterday struggling in and out of that tent and I have seen those faces high on the mountain before so I know what altitude can do to you and I am lucky that that was not me.
Wally came and visited several times today and it was fun catching up with him His guys are heading up to camp 2 today. His main guy had a bad cough early in the week but Wally confirmed he was doing much better. Wally sounded awful with his cough but as I have said everyone at base camp gets sick it is how you minimize it that allows you to win or not.
I laughed at Jim as I heard him try to program the radios He talks to himself a lot so it was funny to hear his expressions which I cannot print in this blog because mine are bad enough but he sure made me chuckle a few times today. He finally got them done and we should be good to go. He also work with the Sherpa’s on the antenna’s which was funny but not a funny as the radios.
My face around my cheeks and the bottom of the chin began to peel today. I got burned on the way down on Monday I applied at 4am but never did again the reflection off the snow can just burn you up. MY nose which is usually the first place I get it was pretty much left unscathed but the other places are peeling deep. I will start the use of 50 SPC on Sat in lieu of the 30 I have been using. I have already seen some horrific faces on the mountain and I do not want to look like I did when I came off Aconcagua 2008. I know my little Leah remembers and it looked bad.
It is 530pm on Thursday and today has been good. I do feel better and I look forward to the walk tomorrow.
Couple of interesting things that did happen today.
There was a collapse in the Ice Fall today in the area called the “popcorn”. According to the information that we have heard no one was injured and we heard the Ice doctors have already got the trail remapped out so it will be interesting to see the differences when we go back in there on Sat.
This was also the first day in the last 3 days that I did not hear the helicopter fly someone out so that is always a good thing.
I am sure soon Jim will be chasing me around trying to shovel food in my mouth and I will be like the child who doesn’t want to eat but I am sure in the end we will come to some compromise.
Have a great day
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