Way to Everest

Namaste or should that be a big G’day now that I’m home?

It’s been a whirlwind week.
I received a wonderful welcome home at Adelaide Airport.
I actually didn’t expect anybody because the lovely gentleman at Qantas got me on an early flight and an even lovelier pilot got us in 15 minutes early.

Arrived to the JSG’s madly waving, Mum & Dad running through the lounge and a bottle of pickles!

Ahh to be in my own bed again but wait, no rest for the wicked:

Monday morning:
Off to see the Doctor
Immediately in for a CAT scan

Tuesday:
ENT (Ear Nose & Throat specialist; the ones that don’t use Dr anymore they’ve reverted back to Mr!!) One look at the scan and he booked an operation for Thursday 10th.

Thursday:
Met with Dom my trainer to discuss the next 9 months

Friday:
Caught up with my work mates

Saturday:
Snake pit

And in between I’ve been in my garden which is putting on a glorious display of winter flowers for me. The yellows, purples and reds, stunning! No koalas visiting at present but there is one very happy magpie.

I’ve postponed my “10 fingers and toes and a nose” party until next year.
Yes you heard right, next year.
I have unfinished business on the hill and now that we know there was something physically wrong and most importantly it can be fixed, my eye is well and truly back on the goal.

I’m so excited about this operation. The thought of climbing for the first time well, is…. it’s just….oh just bring on 2011. Does this technically mean I’ll have had a nose job? How hollywood!!

So my plans for now:

• Operation  and 1 week recovery
• Back to work (contract position for year end)
• Start training as if 2011
• Pay off loan
• Seek sponsor (if no luck 2012 or 2013)
• Speak about Plan & BIAAG to as many people as possible
  (2 already booked, 2 in the pipeline)
• Career in Radio; write a book – Oh! No! that’s what everyone’s been telling me I should do! They’re dreamin’
• Reality: Find full time accounting job that doesn’t mind me disappearing for 3 months!

Hey now wouldn’t it be great if I could find a company that is moved by BIAAG and needs an accountant and would benefit from Everest publicity!! Ok now I’m dreaming!

I’ve also been thinking about what I’d like to do with Plan Nepal on my next trip. I’d love to visit a women’s “pregnancy coloured map” programme and other projects that I didn’t have time to see this year.
Exciting news: Cricket Australia has said they’d be prepared to participate again next trip. I’ll have to work on my flippers.

But by far, my most important job between now and going back to work is adding photos to my old blogs and loading some photos to facebook. I actually didn’t get many photos on the mountain. I don’t feel quite so bad, Kenton took 5 years of climbing Everest before he got a decent portfolio together. Most of the time, particularly in the icefall there was a need for speed and no time to stop for photos only food, water and sunscreen. And there were definitely NO photos when nature called!! 

I’ll let you know how the op goes and updates with my training and any news on Plan functions.

So I guess we’re all now setting out on my Way Back to Everest!

I was so looking forward to eating an ice-cream at the airport and getting a cat and dog but it’s only for 9 months and anybody can do anything for 9 months.

Trotty

We played with the fire of Clive Lloyd’s WIndies.
Ricky, there were some crack fielders and a ripper young lady that laid willow on leather, well plastic on plastic, time and time again, until finally, a classic catch brought about her demise. She’s no Sachin more a Gilly.

The look on their faces when the equipment came out. I divvied it up but once the last piece was handed out they were off. No need to tell them what to do, the wicket was paced out, the first bowler warmed up and it was on.
Woe betide the batsmen if she or he wasn’t watching. Rather than tippy go. It was tippy bowl. 6 balls, 6 bowlers lined up ready to go. If you didn’t run, the next ball was on it’s way!!

There was even a dog.
Backyard Rule: Hit the dog and you’re out!! He’s an old dog, long past fielding duties.

Felt sorry for the young lady watching from the sidelines with her bandaged ankle raised in the air. That was me in March.

The school is in a beautiful agricultural region 30km east of Kathmandu. Lots of fruit trees, potato & corn growing together and rice fields. The children all live in at the school and when I asked “who loves school?”. I received a very loud, 100% positive response.

It was only an hour long visit as we had to return to Kathmandu for a Plan Nepal function.
I’d arranged it so that after this meeting I’d head to the rooftop and phone in to my Westminster Class of ‘85 reunion dinner in Adelaide.

But this is Nepal, instead of being on a rooftop at 4:30 I was stuck in a traffic jam in a narrow road off Durbar Square. Zero reception.
Out the vehicle, running through traffic (admittedly stationary) to Durbar Square.
Nooooo! Woeful reception.

Well at least I got to be a small part of the night.
And I believe a very accurate, non-embellished story was told of me being ingloriously hauled over a pole on Westventure…Thank you Brett!!

After some last minute aid to the Nepali economy I’m packed and now actually typing this from the Kathmandu airport.

62 days away from my own bed.
1 night on a plane and tomorrow afternoon I’ll be home!!!

Thank you everyone for joining me on my Way to Everest.
It’s been an incredible journey made all the richer for your wonderful emails and questions.

Thank you Plan Nepal for your support, I hope our relationship will continue over the coming months and years as I prepare to return to your beautiful country. Keep up the wonderful work and thank you for the gorgeous pashmina.

Namaste

Trotty

SHOWER!!!!
Ahh heaven is to be found in a shower rose, sweet smelling body wash and a puff to get rid of all that dead skin!! Human again.
And my curls are back. 50 days of hat hair…. No, worse…beanie hair and now I have girl hair again.

On a more serious note I’ve been in contact with Plan. Their book launch has been postponed until September. Disappointing but they’ve decided on a global launch instead. So now I’m just waiting to hear from them re: a school / community group to visit Friday morning to deliver the Cricket Australia Milo in2 cricket equipment. Can’t wait to see the look on the kids’ faces. I’m excited!!

In the afternoon I’ll meet with the wonderful Plan staff in their Kathmandu office and then Saturday morning catch a long awaited flight home.

But there’s a gap in my story: A few kilometres both horizontal and vertical have been covered since those infamous words “Trotty it’s all over”

Decision made on the weather, it was a quick turn around to pack up camp and get ourselves down to Lukkla ahead of the pending storms.

I have to admit I did not enjoy the walk out of BaseCamp.
There was a bit of quivering of the bottom lip.
Quickly followed by a lot of self talk. “You made it to the Lhotse Face! You’re safe and get to climb another day WITH all my fingers and toes”.
Even difficult writing it now but you can’t beat Mother Nature.
I guess the disappointment is in missing the earlier window due to ill health and for Plan. A non-summitter means far less media potential for them. I had really hoped to get more coverage for them and the wonderful work they do. But I’ve told everyone I’ve met along the track about them.

We had two big days hiking to Pheriche and to Syangboche getting in early evening on both days.
The walk out is stunning, the rhododendrons were in flower along with a multitude of other plants. Lower down the hills were a swathe of green and gold.

Syangboche is an airstrip on the side of the mountain between Khumjung and Namchee Bazaar.
If the plane’s not airborne by the end of the strip…It’s Airborne!!!.

We awoke to fog, we ate breakfast in the fog and lunch and afternoon cuppa… at which point the flights for the day were cancelled.

What to do?
Hike to Lukkla or go shopping in Namche…..Hmmm lets see:
Hike 7 hrs, some in the dark or go shopping and have cake at the coffee shop?

Any guesses?

I got some great gifts and chocolate cake!!

The risk though was not getting out the next day and being stuck in Lukkla behind the storms.

I awoke the next morning at 5am to full fog.
Kenton tells me he awoke to the sound of me pulling back the curtains in the next room and going “We’re hiking! Golly Gosh!” (That’s my version anyway!!)

I rolled over and went back to sleep to awake at 5:50am to perfectly clear skies and what ensued was very much a parody of the opening scene of 3 weddings and a funeral.

Plane arrived spectacularly at 7:45.

I don’t think I have the words nor space to fully describe the preceding half hour.

We got the call the pilot was on his way so it was all hands on deck. Gulp down last mouthful of brekkie and lemon tea, grab bags and race to the top of the runway AND WAIT!

A chopper came in to land. The look on the airport guy’s face when he realised it was lining up to land on the runway….the look “Oh my gosh there’s a plane about to land up it’s bottom!!!”. He sprinted down the runway arms flapping…Over to the right, over to the right. The Pilot got the message and scooted it along the ground over to a bunch of madly flapping fellows that had a safe spot marked out.

Meanwhile eyes right… Dog comes racing across the strip, second dog madly in tow. Airport man still puffing grabs rock and throws. He’ll never get a spot in Ponting’s fielding team. Let’s fly with a second rock.
Whew! Dog’s gone, strip’s clear, turns his back as second dog, now that she’s chased off the intruder, comes tearing back across the strip. He half heartedly tosses another rock.

Strip all clear.

In comes the military Helicopter. Nooo to the right!!
What he doesn’t see is the Yaks now coming down the hill and lazily cross the runway with their loads.

And plane arrives oblivious to the bedlam below.

The freight is unloaded, we’re thinking sitting on floor??
But wait, the folding chairs come out and look at that, we have seats.
The pilot is undergoing annual checks with the Italian Chief Instructor so we feel we’re in safe hands.

The 8 min flight to Lukkla (yes 8 mins vs 7 hours) is spectacular. The view of Namchee Bazaar below on the right hand side is stunning. Cursing I didn’t have my camera at the ready.

Then we’re landing at that incredible Lukkla airport.

More hurry up and wait but before we know it we’re in Kathmandu. The heat and the humidity just envelope you as the plane lands and taxis to the edge of the field. You’re trundled onto an old bus for the short trip to the exit. Everyone stripping off their layers.

After 40+ days in the mountains the noise, chaos and smell of Kathmandu assault the senses. It’s a relief to arrive at the relative tranquility of the Hotel.

And then a SHOWER……….

I’ve just got the weather report and it’s not pretty.
Kenton’s exact word’s “Sorry Trotty it’s over”.

There are 120 people heading up tonight. It was tough going when our team went up with 70 on the Hill. I hope they all remain safe and frostbite free.

There are others on the hill that I believe may be pulled down by their team managers.

The weather is looking awful. Winds and snowstorms. The season has come to an abrupt early close.

Our goal now is to get to Lukkla ahead of the storms, that may strand the 120+ at Lukkla for a few days.

It will take us 3 days to hike down and the second day will be in a snow fall.

When Kenton gave me the news I asked if I could just head back up to C3 for more practice and time on Everest but the forecast says I’d be climbing into 70km+ winds. Not safe nor comfortable. So it’s all over for this season.

Just when the body was feeling good the weather pulls a swifty on me.
That’s the mountains.

I’m disappointed but I’m safe and I’m returning home alive to climb another day.
I look back at what I’ve achieved and I really can’t be that disappointed. The LHOTSE Face!! Camp 3 on Everest, 7,400m when I was as sick as a dog! Not bad.

I can’t wait to see what I can achieve when the Drs back home have worked their magic and I get to climb in a healthy body, assuming I don’t make a habit of throwing myself down crevasses!

Now I’m looking forward literally (no looking back, no regrets) to getting myself to Kathmandu and attending the Plan Nepal book launch for the Because I am a Girl campaign. I’m really excited about it. I’m just sorry I’m not coming back to them as “An Everest Summitter”.

I’ve started packing my gear. Well more like unpacking. I’ve sorted what gear I want to give to my Amazing Sherpa.
I’ve just gone out and done that. They’re amazing. I had this whole range of stuff:
Gloves
Inners
Gaffa tape
Strapping tape (all those rolls I was allergic too!!)
Pack of cards
Glad press seal bags
Laundry detergent
Clothes line and pegs
Toothpaste
Tarpauline (yes the one you purchased Dad)

No arguing, they just pointed to who would be the most appropriate recipient. Some with much jesting i.e. the cards (I think we have a card shark in our midst!!)
Toothpaste went to Dorje the biggest lolly eater!
Gloves went to Topchin and Hemant as they were my guides (gloves most valued)
Inners went to Dave the kitchen hand. I think that was a need thing. He also got the detergent, line and pegs as that’s part of his duties.
The gloves might have the “Status” but the tape (gaffa or strapping) was the most popular.

The tarp is going to Bhim’s community where it will be put to good use. Glad you purchased the extra large one Dad. It never got used for it’s intended use. It’s spent the last 40 odd days in my tent entrance. I swear it’s made my tent warmer. I’ll know after my last night here in BC tonight without it!

It was a fun half hour or so as I kept popping out of my tent with my next find!

It’s a little hard to pack completely as much of my gear is still at camp 2. Will wait to hear it’s fate later this ‘avo. I have no doubt that it will eventually make it’s way to me in Kathmandu at some point.

Our camp is a little like an Agatha Christie novel at the moment …..and then there were 4!
But it’s not just people but facilities that are disappearing.

One of those items is the borrowed computer in the comms tent.
There is a very special person that I, Dream Guides and the rest of the team would like to thank.

His name is Anthony. He works at David Jones in the computer dept.
Now he’s not an apple employee, or a manager or anything like that. He is just a bloke that went out of his way to help me.
Without his help you wouldn’t have received many of these blogs and definitely none of these final ones nor Dream Guides and my team mates blogs.

We couldn’t get my computer to talk to the Bgan (that’s the technical thingy that connects us remotely to the internet. Annoying for me but no biggy for the team until our computer failed. That’s when Anthony became our hero and sent numerous emails to get us up and running. It wasn’t that simple at this end but finally with the added threat of the borrowed computer first failing and then “leaving” Kenton with Anthony’s instructions got this one up and running.

So Anthony a Big thank you from all at BC.

Another Helicopter has just landed. All the Sherpa run out with their phones and cameras. Me too. I love how choppers capture everyone’s imagination young and old. That or they just want to film the one that crashes! Henry advises us it’s quite spectacular! But long gone are the days of the Russian Helicopters. These guys can land at C2 now. Amazing.

I laugh at us with our clunky, cut you off mid sentence, Sat phones. All the Sherpa are running around with their local Namaste mobile phones taking photos and phoning their wives. I’m feeling technically quite inferior.

Tomorrow morning Bhim will cook our last meal and we’ll head down the Valley.
That reminds me, I’ve promised to help Kenton pack the food barrels so I’ll bid you a final Namaste from BC and talk to you next from thicker air.

Namaste

Trotty

Where do I start?
I’m back in BC after stretching the legs to C3.
The others were able to turn the break in the weather into a successful, if costly, summit run.
Tom and Bonnie have frost bitten toes and Rick his fingers from helping Bonnie but they’re all back safe in BC.

The day has been filled with the sound of the Helicopter picking up climbers who, I’m guessing like Tom and Bonnie, are unable to walk out. 5 trips at last count.

I’m sitting here wondering if my chance is over. With the sinus infection I never had a real shot at that window but to think I was 2 days short of the summit!
As the dog in the ad says “Bugger!”

I’m now awaiting the weather forecasts for a chance on the 27th. It’s not looking good but I’m staying hopeful that the window will open for me. After that the weather shuts down completely.

So what happened up there?

2 days before setting off I had to see the HRA (Himalayan Rescue Association) Doctor, for the sinus infection had flared up again. Bottom line there is an underlying problem for which I’ll need to see an ENT back home particularly if continuing to climb big mountains.

Anyway, I was in bed for 2 days prior to this climb.
Dragged myself up to C1. 10 hours of “why am I doing this”.
3 hours to C2 the next day wasn’t much joy either but I did get the opportunity to observe 5 birds fly in from different directions and meet for a chinwag in the middle of the glacier. I can only imagine what they were discussing….were the spoils better at C2 now that few people were stopping at C1?….
A rest day in C2 allowed me to enjoy the sunset and watch the movement on the Lhotse Face to C3.

Once it became clear there was a summit bid up for grabs we practiced with the Os (mountain lingo for Oxygen).
Bonnie and I (tent buddies) performed a full dress rehearsal:
Down suit
Under clothing
Gloves hats etc
Boots
Backpack
And Os

Looked like a bright yellow Mitchelin man. Kenton thought I just looked plain scary. I’d better be careful if Yeti spies me……..

It wasn’t a great night’s sleep pre C3 day. Drowning in mucus isn’t fun at sea level! Try it at 6,440! Used the ipod to lull me into a few hours sleep.

Up and ready before the others for breakfast. Important to have the sleeping bag ready by 5.30 for the Sherps. They’re carrying and want to set off early.
6.30 we were to head off. Yep! 6.20 put on the harness (Victor calls it the high altitude laxative). First attempt in full down suit! Not a pretty sight nor was it successful!

I was feeling pretty good for the first couple of hours, up through camp 2 onto the glacier and up to the ice-wall onto the Lhotse face. I’d even given myself permission to imagine the summit phone call for the first time. I’ve always pictured the summit moment but never the call. I’d even thought about ringing Mum and Dad and getting my little brother to fly down.
I had like a motion picture running in my head:
I kept picturing Maggie (the wild magpie) running into the pool room demanding to be fed; Friends and family’s words of encouragement; rereading emails from the website etc
Anything to take my mind off of the task at hand – jumarring up the Lhotse face.

All the while marveling at the fact that me, Nettie, Lynette Trott, Trotty was on the Lhotse face. THE LHOTSE FACE.!! How cool is this.

Then things started to fall apart.
Topchin and I (Hermant has succumbed to a chest infection and I’ll be with Topchin from now on; Hermant will carry to C2 when he’s a little better)
As I was saying Topchin and I took the midday radio call and Kenton suggested I go on Oxygen, Topchin was carrying it, I might as well use it.

Right! We’re on steep ice! No truckie rest stops to pull into here. There are people coming up and down the rope.

I push my jumar as high as I can, plant my feet and sit/lie down so Topchin can access my backpack. As he gets the Os kit out, a tube hits the ice, in hindsight I don’t know if this has anything to do with the next half hour or if it’s purely the sinuses or we did suffer a malfunction but I think we got ice in the tube.
Ok….we get the mask on. Now it’s pretty claustrophobic but I’ve practiced before and spent a night with the mask on so it’ s not new but a stuffy head is.

I’m now back on my feet hauling myself up the rope expecting to feel the Os kick in.
No…. I’m feeling light headed “Topchin I think I’m going to faint”. Take mask off, instantly fine.
It now get’s really messy, trying to work out what’s going on. To add to the mix the 02 bottle is making a knocking noise Topchin has never heard (nor later any of the other Sherpa we talked to!), we make a radio call but all to no avail, in the end, with me nearly passing out again, we cont. off Os.

By now I’m way behind schedule. Rob passes me on the ice-wall before low C3 and says to try oxygen again at high rate and sit for 2 mins first to get used to it.
I’m now back down on the ice! But it’s now working. Which makes me wonder if we did get ice in the tube and it’s now melted.

It’s neither here nor there, I’m now so exhausted the oxygen is making little difference except to keep me warmer which in itself is important at this late point in the day ,still well shy of our goal.

We miss the 4pm radio call due to a flat battery so I sent Topchin on to catch up with Kenton who’s been ensconced at C3 for the better part of the day.

By 5pm I’m hoping someone realises I’m MIA and comes looking because I realise I’ve got at least 2-3 hours to go to high C3 and its now cold(er) and will be dark soon.

Topchin returns with a radio.
Discussion between BC, C3 and me discussing options. Bottom line is how am I feeling and do I have it in me to get to C3 by 8pm? Then C4 next day with no sleep leaving at 9pm for summit?

Answer “NO. This summit bid is over OVER”.
Kenton: “nice pun OVER”
Trotty not sure she’s seeing the humour but manages a smile.

So down? Or find a tent and make like a squatter?
I don’t have the energy so TopChin does a reccy and finds us a tent for the night.

From there things improved. The night on oxygen actually gave the antibiotics a foothold and I’ve been on the improve since coming down in two stages C2 then BC.

At C3 I took the opportunity to get photos of the Plan, Because I am a Girl and Westminster flags.

Coming down the Lhotse face was awesome! In a “I’m tired and any misstep could kill me” kind of way. But it was incredible to be there and to be doing what I trained for all these years. Abseilling down the ice-wall and almost sprinting down the glacier, though reality check when I clipped my crampons and much to Topchin’s horror took a tumble.

I spent the next couple of days listening to the radio calls and hearing the drama unfold up high. Bonnie being brought down to C4 by 5 very strong, brave Sherpa. They literally tied her feet and tied her hands to her side and dragged her on her back by her harness, having to ignore her cries of pain. At the same time Rob was fighting to save Anita’s life at C2. She had suffered respiratory arrest.

Both stories ended well. But something rather gruesome had happened at BC.

The Glacier on one day in 4 different spots at BC (one just across form my tent! Oooo so glad I was on the mountain) gave up 4 bodies. The bodies were flown out by Helicopter.

On my way down from C2 I witnessed the first Helicopter at C2. Technology is amazing. Only a few years ago this was impossible. It removed two bodies, then in what I can only imagine to be a training manouvre, it flew in with a rope dangling underneath and a man clipped his harness in and flew off the mountain under the helicopter. What a ride.

A sombre few days.

But I’m now at BC, well hydrated, well fed and now just crossing my fingers, hoping that I haven’t missed my one and only opportunity at a summit.

If they can get helicopters to C2 maybe they can invent a crystal ball for summit opportunities.

It’s slim but I haven’t given up hope yet!!

Namaste

Trotty

No weather window in the foreseeable future, sooooo……. we’re going to stretch our legs.
Go for a bit of a walk.
Where shall we go?
C2?
Maybe tag C3 for the fun of it!
4am breakfast tomorrow, Wed 12th.
I’ll be asking Bhim for Muesli and a hard boiled egg. I’ve found that’s my best pre climb combination (not what I’d have if I was home but here you take what you can get).

We’ll be carrying full summit kit with us just incase we get a weather window while we’re up there. If not we’ll just leave it at C2 along with the gear we’ve already taken up.

So my extras are mainly headwear (goggles, balaclava, facemask). But in the backpack will be things like my nasal canular for sleeping at C4, extra pair of fleece pants, thermal top and socks. Lots of socks. One pair for each day and a couple of extra just in case.

My Plan flags and my Westminster School flags are already at C2 but on this journey a little something of my Mum’s will be coming with me.

This trip the Sat phone will also tag along just in case I have to make a call!! Listen out to the Bald Brothers (891)!! You never know I may just have to phone in and catch up on the weather and the footy scores!

On an entirely different note I was asked a question this week “If I like all my team mates” and I had to answer honestly that there will be some that I hope to keep as friend and others I won’t.

But it got me thinking about teams and the waiting game that we’re playing.
It’s tough. There is some “Cabin Fever” going on and tempers flaring. A lot of tongue biting going on. I know mine needs a band-aid. I’m wondering if those year 8’s on camp at the moment are going through similar?

I’ve found I’ve had a few different coping mechanisms:
I’ve spent more time in my tent listening to music or playing cards just to get some space.
I’ve vented in my diary.
I’ve rung home a few times (everyone needs their Mum and yes, Dad’s too, even when you’re 40)
I’ve been walking the length of base-camp catching up with friends from previous climbs.
I’ve definitely been spending more time on the internet savouring all your beautiful emails:
Svetlana in Canada, I’d love a photo when I get home of the pick-up. She’s painted on the side that I’m climbing to promote Plan’s BIAAG campaign.
I’m looking forward to the pickles and hearing more about how all you PT groups are going.
And as for the person, who shall remain nameless, who had great delight in informing me she was eating Fruchocs while reading my Blog!! Hmmm!
Oh and then there’s a certain trainer.
I also get day to day newsy letters from home.

Looking over that list I see how important people and communication are to me.
Imagine climbing Everest pre internet and phones. I think they would have had to eat dinner at different ends of the BC at times.
That said in those days they often weren’t strangers coming together for a few months, they were friends or at least acquaintances.

The other thing is to just sit here in my tent and focus on my goal and the 7 years of hard work to get here.
Yes it’s been 7 years in the making and now with the ankle and sinuses under control the only thing that can stop me (apart from Mother Nature herself) is me.
My head.
So I accept that I get a little (a lot) irritated sometimes and then let it go (and failing that read and re-read the letter my trainer, Dom, wrote for me before I left!)

I’m focused on getting to that summit “Because I am a girl” who decided she wanted to do it.

Trotty

Mountaineering is a lesson in patience. There’s only one person in control here, Mother Nature and of course the Great Mother Goddess herself – Sargamatha.

We eagerly await the weather report each day. The head guides attend a daily meeting to discuss, they cross reference weather reports from Seattle USA, Bracknell UK and Geneva Switzerland. They often return deep in thought looking quite concerned.

Tough thinking about it. Weather forecasting is not an exact science and they have people’s lives at stake. I think it would be a fair amount of pressure. Our job is to be patient and understand “this is mountains”.

We had to dig ourselves out of this!

What we’re actually waiting for, is for the winds to drop. Our first best guess was the 8th of May. Now the 13th is looking auspicious! So potentially leaving BC on the 9th. This is no way set in stone.

Mind you at the moment it’s difficult to find the stones. We’ve had snow and quite a bit of it, though I’ve been informed that’s a relative term used by a girl from Adelaide. But in my defence we did have to dig our tents out!!

But who cares I’ve had my first ever snowball fight and made a snowman. Well a lady actually. I called her Adelaide (imaginative) and she had a carrot for her nose courtesy of Bhim (our head cook).

Meet my friend Adelaide

She had my Akubra for a hat. Dorje came up looking very sheepish with his hands behind his back. He had pappadams for her ears. Well that was it. All Sherpa hands on deck. Ally had raided the supply tent for lollies (ie colouful round things) Dorje and co sacrificed themselves to eat some mint patties so they could roll the wrappers into hoop earrings to match her mint green eyes. A roll of lollies were bent into a red smiling mouth. Ally’s precious purple scarf was donated for a belt. My old gloves elegantly sat across her tummy.

And a few stones for buttons and larger ones for delicate feet and she was complete!! Beautiful!

We had a ball!

The snow fight started amongst ourselves with the neighbouring Sherpa hooting and hollering from the helipad just above our tents. The next camp attracted by the noise lobbed in a few accurate missiles and it was on for young and old. Us against them with help form our loyal Sherpa team. But somehow someone who shall remain nameless threw one at the water carrier from yet another team and it became Sherpa against westerner!! Bedlam ensued because we were all surrounded and there were some seriously clever stealth tactics!!

Western Shoulders gave out first and surrender equated to heading for the security of the mess tent. Dorje and Co scored some excellent direct hits!! And Rob Casserly could field at third man on any national team.

A bit of moaning and groaning over the next couple of days re: shoulders!

Our team is split at present Tom and Bonnie have elected to go down. Rick and I are staying at BC.

The aim now is to avoid Camp Fever. I’ve already finished the 6 books I brought with me and they’re now in the library or been borrowed out. But the library is a little thin on the ground from the other borrowers!

Oh no! STOP PRESS…. serious shortage of FRUCHOCS!! I’m nearly out!! Misjudged that badly!! What’s a girl to do? Save a few for summit day and just sit and stare at the empty packet(s).

Good morning.

I have my pack of cards so some patience (solitaire) in the tent will while away some time along with my trusty ipod and of course trips to the comms tent which is now up and running again. My diary needs updating and I’m sure I can sort my kit one more time. And there’s always afternoon tea (cheese and bikkies) with a game of Hearts or Spoons. Oh! JSG’s I’m holding you to the Branston Pickle offer, counting down the days!!!Mmmm!

We do get the odd visitor. These fellas pass regularly in front of my tent. They’re on the way back down empty but still gotta be tough in the snow!

Our other early morning visitor is much noisier. He passes right over the top of my tent (as in metres) and lands just across from Ally and Rick’s tent on the Helipad.

This won't happen to me!

That’s their tent and I’m taking the photo from mine. Yes that’s fog out there. He’s picking up a climber that decided to call it a day.

I’m not the only one fascinated by the choppers. The Sherpa crew appear from nowhere with their phone cameras, to get photos and to watch in awe at this amazing machinery and flying skill at this altitude.

When he’s not busy being a hero, he’s flying tourists out of Kathmandu on scenic flights over BC, the ice-fall and up the Lhotse face to view the summit. One day he stopped off here and this guy jumped out with a really big flag and had his photo taken for 5 minutes got back in and flew off…..Dorje just turned around and muttered “He’s now Summitted BC”.

Now why didn’t I think of doing it that way!!

Namaste

Trotty

Between 5am and 6am light fills your tent and you rouse.
6.30 you hear the noises of BC:
The cooking crew going about their breakfast duties; Bonnie coughing; Ally and Rick quietly chatting; Tom coughing and sniffing; and me blowing my nose!
It’s freezing cold and there’s no motivation to move out of your cosy sleeping bag

7.30 the sun hits your tent and within minutes cosy becomes a sauna. Time to unzip the door to let some cool air in and grab the wet wipes and deoderant to prepare to face another day.

Only light clothing required for breakfast. The gong sounds at 8.20 for the stragglers.

Breakfast is cereal followed by eggs in various forms and toast that….well to put it politely….. is bread waved in front of a flame!! The left over toast will become French toast for a later meal.
Breakfast is a lazy affair. If no wind, sitting in the sun outside the tent taking in the view from the “patio” is glorious.
Our view?
The Khumbu ice-fall.

We watch the Water Collectors pass-by on their numerous trips for the day. Up to 50 trips collecting 30+L of water, snow, wind, cold or shine. They are so strong and wiry and have the most beautiful smiles. Regretfully I’m not sure I look that friendly hunched over my desk back home!

Cheeky little birds flit in as close to the entrance as they dare, in the hope of spoils.

After breakfast we have 3 hours of sunshine and warmth before the clouds set in.
We use this time wisely to wash clothes and bodies or air sleeping bags over tents and rocks. I’ve paid the cooking crew to wash my clothes to date but last night there was a slight mishap with the pee bottle so a couple of items needed a light rinse. Bim our head cook provides a bowl with warm water and you squat on the rocks outside the cooking tent to scrub away. A quick walk across the camp to toss the dirty water and back to Bim for rinse water. My clothes are now drying beside me on a rock in the sun.

Rick and Ally are also doing laundry. Bim and his off-sider “David” are busy with the breakfast dishes, their little radio blaring Hindi music. On Manaslu I played some Classical music for Bim. He didn’t think much of it!

The rest of the morning could be spent in the comms tent or just lazing in your tent, reading with the doors wide open to let the breeze through, though the warmth is fickle.

Around BC I can hear Sherpa at work chipping away. BC is always moving and a perfectly flat tent one day can resemble the Leaning Tower by tea time! So continuous construction / excavation work going on. The other thing they have to keep a close eye on are the rocks. Everything is sitting on ice. Some of the rocks look like mushrooms sitting on stems of ice. Better to do a controlled “topple” of them, than have them fall on an unsuspecting passerby.
Our camp is relatively quiet as all our climbing Sherpa are on the Hill preparing C3 and C4.

12:00 the gong calls us to lunch. It also signals time to rug up. Out comes the down jacket. It’s not too bad in the mess tent but outside the sun has been obscured by cloud and sometimes you can’t even see the mountains and it’s cold.

Lunch is a variety of fried dishes and cold salads. I’m rather partial to the chips! We have lots of pots of British condiments. The latest arrival caused rather a lot of gastronomic delight…Balsamic Syrup (thicker than vinegar; Mum and Dad it’s similar to what the Duck Inn puts on their delightful Bruschetta!..Hmmm I’m salivating just thinking about it!). I’ve developed a taste for Branston pickles (chutney to you Aussies) and a Chef Caesar dressing. They make any dish a gourmet experience or at least edible. That said most of the meals are pretty amazing given the conditions they’re cooked and supplied under. Well Done Bim.

After lunch some of us hibernate in our tent, some brave the growing cold for a chat or game of Pente. Occasionally we’ll get visitors from other camps or a trekker that one of us has a connection to.

The quiet afternoon hum is often punctuated by avalanches.

Invariably you’ve fallen asleep at some stage and the dinner gong at 6pm along with the now familiar cry “ Soups ready” forces you from your warm cocoon into the now freezing if not snowing conditions. A little bit groggy you’ve got to be careful negotiating your way through the maze of rocks, ice and ice-pools.

The mess tent is now a haven as the gas heater has been lit. Who ever is last in, is a) farthest from the heater; and
b) has to serve dinner

Entrée: popcorn or prawn crackers accompanying a variety of soups with garlic.

Main course is a combination of rice, pasta or potato; vegetables and sometimes meat (buffalo; you can see it in the supply tent).

Dessert varies between tinned fruits and freshly baked cakes.

Decision time:
Fill your water bottle with Tati Pani (hot water) and head out into the now absolutely freezing cold to your frigid tent and sleeping bag, clutching your hot water bottle
OR
Put off the inevitable and play a few rounds of Hearts or if the computer is powered up watch a portion of a bad American comedy!!

It’s at this point someone realises they’ve forgotten their head-lamp and has to borrow one (usually mine for some reason) for the quick dash back to their tent to retrieve theirs.

Careful walk back over icy rocks to your tent, throw the hot water bottle inside your sleeping bag and remember to empty the pee bottle that you’ve been using during the afternoon because you were too warm to walk the 20m in the cold afternoon air. (This was the step I forgot last night and it had consequences!)

Quickly remove layers and scoot into you’re sleeping bag that by now has a warm patch. Remove watch and headlamp and place them in the same spot that you always do so you can find them for the 11pm and 2pm pee! Oh one last check…. yes toilet kit in place, toilet paper ready to go!

11pm (and again at 2am) drag your self out of cocoon, quickly perform bodily function, all the while reminding yourself that it’s far more comfortable than getting dressed, opening tent and clambering across treacherous rocks to the pee tent.

Nightly ablutions are usually accompanied by the loudest, longest avalanches.

Back into cocoon to await the dawn.

I’ve now moved from my rock (the back of my neck was burning while my butt was freezing and getting jabbed by little stones) to my tent with the doors open. My socks and shoes airing in the sun, while I sit here and type.
Another hour to lunch.
Do I head to the comms tent or just lay back and snooze for a bit and post to you after lunch?

Zzzzzzzzzz

Anzac dawned cold and clear. A great day for climbing.
We set out at 4.30 for the long snaking walk through BC to crampon point. There’s a “valley” through BC lined by all the toilet tents, very mediaeval.
Once we reach the Glacier proper we stop as briefly as possible to put on crampons with cold fingers. I took a few extra moments to repeat those very special words, as the mountain was starting to show the first glow of dawn behind her.

Then all thoughts turned to the task at hand, to safely negotiate the Ice-fall. I knew I wouldn’t be fast, in fact if I’d been at home I’d be tucked up in bed not wanting to share my infection!

The Ice-fall changes dramatically with each ascent and descent. I was witness to a large section giving way to my right. No time to be scared, just watched in awe, grateful that I was safe and then continued on my way.

As I said the icefall is changing constantly. Many of the crevasses are opening up significantly and sections I could step over before now I was jumping. One of these was a little wider than I could manage and I ended up in the crevasse. My harness, carabiner and rope did what they were meant to do and caught my fall. My guide for the day and another Sherpa pulled me up to a ice shelf and I managed to push myself back out the rest of the way. I was battered and bruised but safe. A minute to catch my breath and a more successful attempt with a helping hand on the other side. After that we advised the rope doctors that many sections, fine for the 6 footers, were now border line for the shorter members on the Hill!

The ice formations in the ice fall are stunning and I can now inform you they are even more so from the inside but not a place I wish to find myself again on this trip.

It was a long trip to C1 and I arrived a little worse for wear. I wasn’t aware of it yet but the fall was actually going to impact on the rest of this foray.

It was another cold night at C1 but I think the wind was a little kinder to us.

The next day was an 8am start to C2. This is a technically easier section. Undulating ice with views of C2 up in the rocks to the left of the glacier, very early in the morning. I was stiff and sore from the fall and beginning to realise I’d put my neck out and pinched a nerve in my hip in the fall. Hmmm. Ok just another day to endure but one day closer to my goal. Arrived into C2 in 3 hrs in time for lunch and a rest.

The next day, Tuesday, we were going for a 2 hour rest day hike and the day after a hike to tag C3 before another night at C2 and then down to BC. Pretty soon became clear as the waves of nausea passed over me that I was in a little bit of trouble. But grateful it wasn’t altitude sickness.

Bottom line Tuesday night Kenton put me on Oxygen to fight the sinus headache and neck ache and give me the extra strength to get back down to BC. Which it did. Back down in 5 ½ hours.

So what do I take from this experience?
Well I’ve slept a night on oxygen which is a learning curve for up higher (some people find it quite claustrophobic)
I’ve got some ripper bruises, puncture wounds and scratches all down my right side which make for a really good story…..right?
I’ve performed when feeling miserable, head ready to explode and limited movement in leg. So I know I can do it when it gets tough on summit day.
Oh and amid all the other misery never felt a thing in the ankle!! So I know that’s where it needs to be.

The other positive about this hiccup is that my trip back down from C2 was a little more leisurely than normal. We didn’t dawdle, we still had to clear the icefall early but it wasn’t hurried and I actually got to look around. My favourite image was this fat little brown bird with the tiniest, skinniest little feet sitting on an ice outcrop (don’t stop to think how it got there, the ice not the bird…avalanche) anyway it’s standing there on one leg and then it got too cold and it changed legs tucking it’s foot right up under itself. Just sitting in the middle of the glacier in the sun.

My return to BC saw me take the medicine I needed to let the neck and hip relax back to where they were meant to be. So that’s all fine and every day the sinuses improve.

It’s early days yet but the most recent weather reports suggest a summit day as early as the 8th of May. But don’t get too excited, as I said it’s early days and these weather forecasts change and they can be interpreted differently.

But what does an early summit mean for me as I haven’t tagged C3 yet?
2 options.
1. I set off a little earlier than the rest and spend more time at C2 with some day walks up higher.
2. I set off with the rest of the team but start on oxygen a little lower than what they do.

Only time will tell. But for now I’m happy with my performance. I’m happy with my clothing and gear. Very happy with my safety harness!! I’m happy that my skills in the icefall are improving with each traverse. And I guess just with the day to day coping with life in a very foreign environment. But how hard can it be? We have a soda stream!!

I’m loving the emails and messages on my website. And I even hear from some of you that my Mum was on the radio back home in Adelaide. Well done Mum.

I’ve got a couple day’s rest so I thought tomorrow I might let you in on life in BC.

Until tomorrow

Namaste

Trotty

Tomorrow is Anzac Day and we are heading up into the icefall for what could be our final acclimatisation run. We’ll be leaving at 4.30am and as the sunrises “I will remember them”.

I am in no way trying to draw a comparison with our brave Diggers. I would just like to invite those of you, who like me, cannot attend a dawn service, to join me tomorrow wherever you are to recite those emotive words:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them

Sunday we head through the icefall once again to C1. I’m hoping to improve upon my time from last week as I become more familiar and comfortable with the Khumbu and I’m definitely hoping for a less windy night but this is Everest!

Monday is a 3-4 hour walk to C2 and rest in the afternoon.
C2 is an outfitted camp ie a mini BC with cooking and mess tents. No having to fetch snow, boil water and heat meals. It will be simple food but I’m not cooking so to quote Marika “I no complain”.

The next 3-4 days will vary depending on the team’s condition. We may tag C3, we may sleep at C3 or just reach the bottom of the Lhotse face and continue to sleep at C2.

When we reach BC again in 5 or 6 days we will be ready for “The Great Mother Goddess” Sargamatha and the weather reports to give us our summit day. If it looks to be late May we might do another run to C2 just to keep our eye in.

If my sinus infection continues to bother me I have the option to drop down the valley to clear it up.

Many teams take this option anyway as a final R&R before the big push.

There are pros and cons for all of our options and as Kenton pointed out he has had clients successfully summit from all the options including only having reached the bottom of the Lhotse face on this run.

So there’s no pressure and cutoffs. It’s just one foot after another.
I’m under no illusion. I don’t believe I’ll “enjoy” any of the next 5 days. I will just keep counting to100 and when I’ve finished go “Look what you did kid!” and hopefully get the odd good photo or 2!!

Now I have to go and pack. The down suit and the ice-axe finally make an appearance on this excursion. We won’t be climbing in the suit but sitting in C2 is pretty miserable and the suit is nice and cosy. The ice-axe will get a workout above C1.

Namaste

Trotty