Nepal: Part 4 - Mt. Everest Base Camp (17,598 ft) and Kala Patthar (18,195 ft)

Welcome to the final Nepal post! I will keep this short and simple with lots of pics. If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at miniglobetrekker@gmail.com :)

After we left Lobuche, we started our trek up. This was the first time I saw ice/snow on the ground. We arrived at Base Camp around mid/late March. It was cold but not so cold that you need super thermal gear. The walking keeps you warm but do as your outfitters tell you :)

There is our first sighting of base camp! From a very far distance, we can see the tiny little yellow tents (and when you arrive, they are HUGE tents that fit, what seems like 30-50 people!). I had my music turned up and was dancing my way to base camp. I was beyond ecstatic.

OK - Here is one of the most amazing moments of my trip. I met Phurba Tashi. He is the main sherpa for Russell Brice's Himalayan Experience Ltd. They are featured on the Discovery channel show: Everest: Beyond the Limit.
There he is in the picture below! This man is a legend. He's summitted Mount Everest 20+ times and that's just what's officially recorded when he guides. He's gone way more than that to fix and maintain the climbing equipment.

Our guide, Thupten and Phurba are cousins! so it was so hilarious when Thupten called Phurba on his cell phone to ask if he was free to meet us! Cell phones, up at almost 18k feet above sea levels. Cell phones, where there are no flushing toilets!!!

I didn't have anything easy that Phurba could autograph so he autographed my pink jacket shell I'm wearing!

It's so amazing when you see all this stuff up here and realize that it was either a fellow human or a yak that carried it up here by foot. Helicopters do not fly to this altitude. There is no machinery that can bring this stuff up. It's 100% manual hard work.
It actually makes me sad to hear stories where an expeditioner wanted to bring their superfluous luxury items up and it's these poor sherpas or yaks that have to carry it. I guess they realize they're "paying" for the service and take advantage of it :|

Here are the cousins!!!

More yak traffic... more expedition yaks bringing climber's stuffs!

Here is an awesome photo of my team mate Deborah. There aren't much colors up at base camp so her bright green jacket contrasts so nicely against the drear. Also, this pic shows how harsh the terrain can be. It's not easy trekking through these mountains over big boulders and trying to keep your balance.

Another example of the amazing sherpas carrying probably a hundred pound of weight. I forgot what the weight restriction is but there is one for people and yaks :)

KALA PATTHAR

As if 17,500 feet wasn't high up enough, the next morning, a few of us woke up at 5am to start our trek up to Kala Patthar at 18,195 feet. I can tell you, it was the most miserable experience of my life. I never felt so much pain and hardship trekking up ONE mountain. It was freezing, my fingers and toes were going numb. I couldn't breathe so every step, every breath was hard. It was so steep that at MULTIPLE times, I wanted to turn back. I kept thinking, this isn't worth the pain...and I have a pretty high threshold for pain folks (ask me about my personal life one of these days). Our head sherpa, "Mr. K" and my team mate, Tim were so encouraging to not give up so I trekked on.

I can't remember how long it took us but it was somewhere between 3-5 hours to summit. It was miserable but so rewarding. Like most things in life (at least my life), it doesn't come easy and you have to fight for it. When you do, you're left with the reward and not so much the pain it that it took to achieve it.

I felt terrible for complaining about how hard it was. Poor Nuri not only carried some of our stuff when I couldn't even hold my dang water bottle anymore, he carried the group's tea and biscuits for us to eat!!! I swear these Sherpas are about the most amazing people on this planet.

Here is one view of what the climb looked like. I took this picture coming down. There was no way I could pull out my camera in the early freezing morning on our way up.

Here is the clearest view of Mount. Everest! It's the one with the cloud cover.

That's the end of my trek. We had a celebratory dinner and dance back at the Lukla lodge we stayed in our first night. It was so incredible to shower and wear clean clothes (luckily, I saved some clean clothes!). We drank their alcohol that was poured out of an old motor oil bottle. It was good times :)

We flew back to Kathmandu the next day through the Lukla airport. I got some good sleep. Had to get up early for an interview with REI :-O


Note: there are some helicopter rescues up to a certain altitude. We witnessed a couple throughout our trek.

Nepal: Part 2: Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar (11,290')

Intro
Since I couldn't remember the day by day details, I tried to fit the whole 21 days in one post but it takes too long so there will be a part 3. I'll try to minimize the writing and highlight notable photos with short commentaries :) If you do have any specific questions, please feel free to email me at miniglobetrekker@gmail.com

If you do want day by day details from another trekker's perspective, check out my friend's blog who was the other winner in the REI contest.
http://tsouzaadventures.blogspot.com/

Kathmandu - Densely Populated

Kathmandu has INSANE driving conditions. I have been to Brazil and Peru so I wasn't too phased by the crazy driving conditions of Kathmandu. But I was not happy about not being able to breathe the air freely. All the vehicles spew out terrible exhaust fumes.

Did I tell you that I won this trip from REI? Along with that and 5 other contest winners, they sent the coolest film producer, Paul to film us. We are going to be famous! :D

We took a tour around the city for a couple of days. It was busy with residents, vendors, and tourists. The picture below is of Thamel, a popular city before trekking off to the Himalayan mountains.We ate the restaurants here. You can get "western" food in popular restaurants.

We also visited a thangka school/shop. I bought one (medium intricacy) :-O Wasn't cheap but I love it. I think it's common for tours to include these schools/shops (we also visited a rug making that held refugees from Tibet). I always the slight pressure to purchase something but remember you don't have to. BUT if you wanted souvenirs or gifts to bring back, why not buy something handmade before your eyes, that helps out the local community.

The basic infrastructure in Kathmandu is not the best. This is common  scene with most third world countries though. It's just amazing how they make it all work.

We also visited some other various popular parts of Kathmandu but the pics were boring. I know you're more interested in the actual trek.
Here we are at Monkey temple. Monkeys just "monkeying" around the temple :P

Flight to Lukla
We met Thupten, our guide the day before and went over logistics. We woke up SUPER early the next day to catch our domestic flight from KTM to Lukla. It must have been 4am or something ridiculous like that. There wasn't even any sun by the time we got to the airport. Feel my coffee-less pain?

Wonder how we eat on the trail? Here's all our food for the next 15 days! thankfully, the REI Nepalese guides/cooks don't resort to local game (except for yak) when they run out of food.

No Pictures allowed inside the airport - I risked my life to take this photo! :P

You will have to get on the tiniest plane in the world. I flew on a Dornier Do 228. The planes aren't dangerous themselves. The runway is super short, at high altitude, and surrounded by mountains.
There is a flight attendant to greet you but it was really funny because she while she's handing you the mint and cotton to stuff in your ear, she has to tilt her head totally sideways to not hit the roof of the plane.


Taking from Lukla Airport (take off doesn't take very long)

Lukla - 9,383' (2,860 m)
Once you arrive at Lukla, you'll stay at a hotel/hostel (if this is an REI trip, not sure what other outfitters provide).

You can see right off the bat these amazing porters carrying 100+lb packs on their backs

It's the first night you meet you will meet the porters and cooks. And your first cooked meal :)
Get some rest on the nice beds because it'll be the last for the next 15 days! :P

We had some fun watching the planes and helicopter land and take-off. Our hotel was literally right next to the airport landing strip.

Not to worry if you are feigning some Starbucks coffee ;)

Official Start of the Trek - Very cool spot to take your photo

The Mt. Everest Welcome Arch :)

The first suspension bridge (and not your last!)

What an amazing view from the bridge of the river and prayer flags.

Here is our camp setup. Since nobody came together, girls stayed with girls and the boys stayed with boys. There are 2 people max in each tent. I got really lucky being the odd number of girls. I didn't have to share my tent with anybody else. One of the boys got lucky too. He was supposed to tent with the Film/Photographer but since he had so much video/camera gear to store in the tent, the other guy got his own. Future trekkers, please don't sing your own tunes. Nobody else wants to listen.

Next Day - Another bridge crossing

We've reached the visitor's center, Sagarmantha National Park. You'll see miniature versions of all the mountains you will be crossing. In Nepal, Mount Everest is called Sagarmatha. The Tibetans call Mount Everest, Chomolungma. You can use the bathrooms here too! They are still squatty potties.

Yet another bridge to cross

and the Yaks have to cross too - same bridge :)

Here was our first cooked lunch of the day! It was a sandwich toast (can't remember what it was filled with), some potatoes and veggies. The sauce you see over the rice is dal bhat (cooked lentils) which is the staple of Nepalese food. You can have it on every meal if you'd like because the cooks will cook it for themselves and the rest of the team. But you can also politely refuse it if you start to get sick of it.

Here we cross the world famous Sir Edmund Hillary Bridge! It's the HIGHEST bridge. But check out this amazing sherpa carrying probably the weight of his body in hay.

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He catches up so quickly to the hikers that are in full gear and light packs. I swear these sherpas are some hard working amazing people. They are so humble.

This guy is catching up quick! It's like the hikers haven't even moved!

Here is proof that we are being filmed! You might be able to catch this clip on REI.

and then go to REI.com/adventures
http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/asia/mount-everest-base-camp-trek.html#sec4

Namche Bazaar - what a beautiful sight! This is your primary stop check out the internet cafe/check email/facebook, drink a beer, buy some souvenirs or gifts. I don't recommend buying gifts just yet because you'd either have to lug it with you or store it some place. You will come back to this city after you're finished so no worries.

Some of the internet cafes provide a wifi access with computer time. So you can "Check in" in Namche Bazaar. I did. So cool :)

Our very yummy dinner. Pasta with sauce, cole slaw and some fried chicken. I always got 2nds so if this looks small, don't worry. You may end up consuming 5000 calories but you will probably burn as much, if not more. YES it is an EXCELLENT way to lose inches off your tummy without even trying. I ate EVERYTHING and everything twice but I still lost weight that I could not shed for the life of me. Base camp to the tallest peak in the world, beautiful sights, amazing culture, and some weight loss? WIN for all!

Here is our first group trail photo. As you can see, some people are dressed very warmly and some are dressed for summer. At this "lower altitude" of 12k feet, the temperature is warmer. But the sun beats down on you. I wore long sleeves the entire trip for that reason.

Speaking of clothing... (I will need to go back to post one and revise with this info)
Nepal is a Buddhist religious country. They are very conservative. We were warned not to wear bare shoulder clothing or shorts above the knee. Look - I'm not in America. I'm in someone else's country and I really want to respect their culture and their ways. Please respect your guide's hike attire wishes. If they ask you do not wear spaghetti tank tops and short shorts, please don't. you will save your skin from the sun actually!

For the first time in my life, here I am looking at the tallest peak in the world

Everest 101

These volleyballers are hardcore. Doing this at 12,730 (or 3880 meters) is not easy!
This was taken at the Mount Everest Hotel.

On this particular day, we didn't go anywhere but got ourselves acclimatized. You will have a few days of going up thousands of feet to get your body acclimated and then come back down. You will other days of just going up and up.

The descents can be brutal so bring your trekking poles!

I wanted to complete my Mt. Everest Base Camp trip in one post but it's taken forever just to get this up. My work schedule is crazy!
Stay Tuned for the final chapter of Mount Everest!

Nepal: Part 1: The lucky REI winner to Mt. Everest Base Camp is... ME!

An Introduction (Training, Gear, Hygiene, Money Matters)

This is how it all started...

don't judge my FB likes :P

I entered a contest with REI. I didn't expect to win because who do you know that ever wins contests or the lotto? I gave it a try anyway. One week later, Friday afternoon, I got a phone call from a Seattle based area code I did not recognize. I actually let it to go to voice-mail because they tend to be telemarketers or recruiters.

Well when I did call back, I found out the most amazing news in my life. It was pretty sad though because instead of a direct yes, I had to ask him if it was ok to let him know on Monday so I can find out from my employer if I can leave. If my employer said no, I might have given my resignation letter.

If I live my life so that it's all about work and earning a paycheck, what kind of life is that?

Thankfully I did not have to make that hard decision. They said yes. I've been at my firm 8+ years so suddenly resigning would've been a huge change in my life... one that I was not ready to make thanks to some other major personal changes that were happening.

One month later, I was in Kathmandu thanks to #1 REI and #2 my employer for letting me go on one month's notice for 3 weeks to let me live my dream.


Training
I had exactly one month to prepare. After Machu Picchu, I did not hike much. I went on some occasional SoCal hikes with friends but nothing that could really prepare me for the biggest international trek of my life. Unfortunately, I got sick the last two weeks before departure day! That didn't leave me much for training.
I was pretty nervous. I saw some pictures of the other REI winners (there were a total of 6 winners, 3 female, 3 male) and they looked like they did this kind of stuff all the time.

This was my itinerary that I couldn't prepare for:

Gear
I had no serious trekking gear. I was not going to wear my blister causing boots after trekking for 3 days in Peru. I rented the rest of the gear in Peru because I thought I may not do something like this again.

What I ended up doing was purchasing A LOT of gear at REI. Almost the value of what my trip would've been worth! I am normally a bargain hunter and would not buy anything that's not on sale but I had no problem this time paying full price at REI. You know what that means if you shop at REI.

one days worth of online shopping delivered :|

I wish I wrote down my exact gear list because I remember searching google many times to find out what people bring for the ultimate trip like this! I will for the Kilimanjaro trip though.

Well REI provides you a gear list (most outfitters should). I know REI made it mandatory for me to have the following (so I had to go buy this stuff):

• Zero degree sleeping bag
• Down jacket
• Sturdy boots
• Backpack to carry day stuff and Nalgene water bottle (it can handle hot just boiled water)
• Baby wipes!

Here is what I do remember needing for every day clothing

• One down jacket
• Water repellant medium/thin jacket
• Couple of hiking pants
• Couple of long sleeve base layers
• Long underwear
• Several pairs of easily washable underwear

You want several days worth of clothes. There will be an opportunity to do laundry in the first few days but I don't recommend it. The clothes will get dirty again. You get used to it. For some weird reason, nobody smelled after 15 day. Maybe my sense of smell is really screwed up but I thought that was the consensus.

There are many places in Kathmandu, Lukla, and Namche Bazaar to buy "The North Face" and "Mountain Hardware" clothes for cheap. I place quotes because they are not necessarily the original but the Nepalese versions. Regardless, something "fake" made out of polyester is the same as people in India/China making a polyester top, exporting it to the US and marking it up 500%. I still have my Namche Bazaar "North Face" purple thermal that's VERY warm :)

Don't skimp on the shoes. When you are on the trail, there are very rare moments where the ground is nicely paved and even. Most of the time, you're walking over small and big rocks. It gets tiring. You want sturdy shoes that will support you.

Bring liner socks and wool socks. Bring beanies for your head. Be able to layer up clothing.
The weather in March was not hot but the sun beats down on you and you sweat it up. It's good to be able to take a layer off. The higher up you go, the colder it becomes so it's good to be able to put your layer on.

Hygiene
This will go down in the history books. I could not take a shower for 10 days. I did not wash my hair for 5 days. My max days without a shower was 3 and that was because of Peru!
Our guide very highly suggested that we do not wash our hair or take showers while we are ascending. It gets colder the higher up you go and it will take longer for everything to dry. You don't want to risk getting a cold.

Baby wipes will be your best friend. Our porters brought us warm water at the end of the day everyday to wash up so bring a small wash cloth towel that you can dip in the water to wash yourself.

Female matters - I got extremely lucky. That's all I'll say. I hope for the same for Kilimanjaro.

Bathroom
Get ready to strengthen your thighs because you are not going to sit on a toilet for at least 2 weeks! (unless you get lucky and placed in a nicer hotel)
Guys, this is no problem. Just aim correctly. Girls, it's not so bad. It's a lil weird at first but you get used to it. Crap - guys and girls. hm... you just get used to it. Don't forget to bring toilet paper and baby wipes for a more cleaner feel.

Money
The banks at the airport are a rip off but you may need to exchange some money for transportation if your outfitter does not provide that. We exchanged money at a local exchange store next to our hotel for the best rate. Hotels will also exchange money.
Credit cards are not used regularly so bring enough. One member had to borrow from our guide because that person ran out of money.
Make sure you get good crisp Nepalese rupees. One vendor in Namche Bazaar had her money rejected by the bank because it had a tear in it. When we returned from our trek, back to Namche Bazaar, she tracked us down. We felt terrible for her. Our trekker, the buyer was able to give the vendor a clean bill after money exchange. Don't forget Nepal is a 3rd world country. A dollar to me is not much but it could be the world for the hard working Nepalese.

Shots/Immunizations/Prescriptions
I didn't need any special immunizations. It so happened to be my time that I needed an updated tetanus shot so I got a TDAP but nothing else.
I did get a prescription of (1) Diamox - High altitude sickness; and (2) Antibiotics - in case you get sick with diarrhea, as recommended by REI Travel.

Off to the Airport
My flight went from LAX to Houston to Qatar to Kathmandu.
My total flight time was 46 hours. Boy was that a LONG flight.
I had a 12 hour lay over in Qatar. Invest in the airport lounges. I didn't and regretted it. I tried to sleep but could not. I did chair dips for fun. I read but had a very short attention span. It was hell.
You will have to pay for a visitors visa when you enter Nepal. I think it cost $30 for a tourist visa.

"Male" mosque at Qatar airport - Females not allowed :|

Next Post: Kathmandu and Mount Everest Base Camp

In the meantime, my fellow trekker journalized his day by day adventures. Check it out!
http://tsouzaadventures.blogspot.com/

First Post - Welcome!

Welcome All!

The purpose of this blog will be to keep track of everything I do to get ready for this crazy adventurous global treks :)

A brief introduction about myself: I work full-time so I can only really take off a 2-3 weeks a year for an international destination. I'm also 5'0" and that is why my blog is called "mini globe trekker"!
I am not a super athlete or even a regular athlete but I find these high altitude treks more challenging to the mind than the body. I believe that if I can do it, then really, anybody can do it!

So here's what's coming up. In January 2014, my boyfriend and I will be headed to Tanzania, Africa to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro! It will be his first high altitude trek and my third. I've been to Machu Picchu, Peru and Mount. Everest Base Camp in Nepal. I'm sure you're curious to hear more about it!

Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are a few pics of my past travels!

ADVENTURE TRAVELS

Machu Picchu - September 2010

Christ Redeemer - December 2010

Mount Everest Base Camp - March 2012

Yosemite Half Dome - September 2012 (and a non-half dome Yosemite trip in July 2013)

Tough Mudder - February 2013

 

...coming soon... Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - January 2014!!!

and these are non-adventure international travels but if you're interested in hearing more, contact me! There is nothing I love more than sharing travel stories and experiences :)

China and South Korea - November 2012

Italy/Mediterranean Cruise - July 2011

Oahu (I know... it's US but it's a 6 hour flight!) - February 2010

New Zealand - November 2004

South Korea - February 2002