Way to Everest

Barrels, bookings and bandahs.

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:54:09 +0000

Namaste for the last time this year from Kathmandu

After 3 days of stimulating the Nepali economy, the barrels have arrived, along with Dorjee and most of the Sherpa crew. With my gear back in my possession I was able to reschedule my June flight to this Wednesday. I’ll be home in my own bed Thursday 26th May.

So now to cram in some last minute gift shopping, ahh….economy stimulation. Which I might say has been seriously impeded by these ridiculous Bandahs. They’re strikes enforced by one political party or another and the traders are furious as they were promised no strikes in 2011 the Year of Tourism. We’re having one enforced again tomorrow. No shops, no taxis, no restaurants. I believe the army is used to get tourists to and from the airport. Thank goodness my flight is a Bandah free day. Margaret is leaving on a proposed Bandah day so I look forward to hearing her departure tale.

Tomorrow will be a day of packing and then relaxing with the other guests here at the Courtyard Hotel. Michelle and Pujan have been wonderful hosts and the eclectic bunch of guests have made for wonderful company. Regaling me with their many varied tales. Dating Elvis, working in Dubai, living in Siberia, Diving to 300m. Fascinating.

To everyone who has joined me on my Way Back to Everest, I thank you for your kind, inspiring emails.
And I hope you will all continue on your own journeys towards your personal “Everests”.

Namaste

Trotty

Sounds of BC

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:11:33 +0000

Lying in my sleeping bag on my last day in BC.
In the early hours of the morning the crunch of feet as a Sherpa crew heads to the Ice-fall.

Trying to get back to sleep….Snoring…Coughing.

Dawn breaking is the wake up call for the resident garbologists….the birds. There’s one on the rock beside my tent singing it’s little heart out as it helps itself to the left over protein powder and biscuits I scattered yesterday.

The constant hum of kerosene burners tells me the cooking crew are up.
The clatter of pots and pans will soon follow….Yes, there we go.

Tent Zips…sherpa crew are now up to finish packing.

Drone of the first Helicopter for the day down the valley. Louder as it climbs up the valley and now turns over our camp to head back down to the helipad.

Short bursts of laughter drift over from the next camp.

Another rock slide.
Followed by a even louder avalanche.

Another coughing fit….which like a yawn…sets off another person.

The light patter of snow on the tent. It’s only brief.

Bells signal the arrival of the hard working Yaks, ready to carry another teams barrels down the valley.

The wind has picked up because I can hear the prayer flags flapping.

Through it all there’s the constant low chatter in Nepali, English and a spattering of other languages.

Then the sound that can’t be ignore. My alarm. Time to drag myself out of my warm cocoon and depart what has been my sanctuary for the last 40 days.

It was a damp foggy day that greeted me on exiting my tent which Cheddar was quick to pull down behind me. They’re as excited to be going home to their families as we are.

It’s a long two days hike out to Dorjee’s lodge in Phakding.
I’m not the only one with sore feet.
The Cooking crew haven’t been out of BC for the duration and they’re feeling it too! But not enough to stop us from dancing the night away in celebration of our safe return.

A short walk yesterday uphill in the rain to Lukkla brought us to the end of the expedition.
An even shorter wait at the airport this morning saw us on the first flight out. By 8:30am I am sitting here in the Courtyard Hotel reception awaiting a room and a SHOWER!!

Our barrels of gear will follow us over the next couple of days and then we can reschedule flights to home sweet home.

In the meantime I’ll boost the Nepali Economy.

Namaste

Trotty

Yellow Band

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 04:44:09 +0000

Namaste

I’m back at BC with all my fingers and toes and a sunburnt nose.

No summit, but I did reach the Yellow Band and got my Because I am a Girl Flag out for a photo op!

Details are still a little sketchy but the details as I currently have them for the 12th are:

Margaret summitted
1 of only 6 to do so
The rest including Milosh were turned around due to weather.
It appears the forecasts for the 12th & 13th were completely around the wrong way. I guess no one gave Mother Nature the memo.
I believe there was a death at/near C3

I can confirm:
I had a slow day to C3 without O2 on the 10th.
AJs has strict cut off times for C3-C4 the next day
Upon my arrival at C3 I was greeted with “If you can’t make it to C4 in 8 hours you’ll endanger everyone”

I would have preferred a little encouragement, something along the lines of, “Tough day Trotty but you’re on O2 tomorrow. Get a good night’s sleep and we’ll assess you tomorrow”. Oh well.
Ang Gelu and Dorjee gave me the pep talk & we calmly discussed times. 3 hrs to Yellow Band, 2hrs to south col (C4) etc. If I fell behind the Yellow Band would be the goal.

C3 –C4 is a tough day and the heaviest backpack. We’re both carrying an O2 bottle and Ang Gelu’s got my sleeping bag, meds etc. So I’m carrying my water which he usually has. The following day to the summit would be lighter as the bags etc stay at C4.

From High C3 it’s straight up the Lhotse Face (with “We’re all going on a summer holiday” in my head the whole way !!) and then a left turn across (but still up) the Face. At this turn Dorjee checked my Os. Too low to make C4. I’d lost the summit.

I kept myself focused on reaching the Yellow Band with my flags.
I didn’t just reach it, I climbed up onto it to get the photos.
I kept telling myself “You’re on the Yellow Band”

Then the long journey down to C2 passing people slower than myself. No Cliff in my head now. Ang Gelu estimated these people would get into C4 at 5pm. Some would head out at 7pm others would spend the night.

Going down was also tough physically (just look at the blisters on the balls of my feet and big toes). Last year it was sheer ice which I thought was brutal and you had to concentrate on every step. This year there was also soft, thick snow, which would give way under your crampons.

At one stage I found myself sliding 4m to the next anchor point. 1 foothold had given way but my unbalanced backpack (the O2 bottle sits to one side) whipped me around off my other foot. Not GOOD!!.

A night at C2 and then my final trip through the icefall. The highlight? The 5 ladder crossing and a kind Sherpa who filmed it.

Back in BC to awesome food and lots of H2O and Ang Gelu and I ran through my strengths:

1. Slept well at C3 (no O2)
2. Ate well at C3 (more than him!)
3. Ladders (if there’s a 7 ladder I’m allowed to do it!!)
And weaknesses:
1. Fitness (the big ? is: was it the cold before I left, the sinus infection on the way in or just my body at altitude?)
2. Thin Blood (my fingers got cold several times but haven’t in the past and I had new gloves this year…Hmmm)
3. Coming Down (has to improve in technique, Ang Gelu’s setting exercises)

Findings:
AG: My suit: IN the BIN, too bulky around my waist and chest.
ME: Hairclips; my fringe under the balaclava kept getting in my eyes
AG: Grow hair long
ME: Stronger underwire.

The team should arrive in the next hour. Then they have 2 days rest before departing BC.

Ang Gelu and I are thinking of leaving earlier. To take more time but to also check out a school that he and his brother (Kama) work with and try to get sponsors for kids that would otherwise be kept out of school.

It will be interesting to see what they’re achieving. And then maybe what we could do to help.

But the plan for today (never set in stone here at BC. You should see what the Glacier does to stones. Throws them around and turns them to dust) is:
1. Greet the team
2. Lunch
3. Shower
4. Visit Jen and Rach at HRA (Everest ER)
5. Finishing packing for trek out

Sounds like a plan

Namaste

Trotty

Waiting

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 06:57:48 +0000

Waiting.

Rotation 2 is complete and we’re now sitting in BC waiting for that all important weather window.

Our Sherpa crew is having a rest day at C2 after carrying to C4 yesterday. Tomorrow they’ll carry the final load and then in the evening head back to BC before the winds pick up on the 7th. They’re very happy with the new improved oxygen masks that we’ll all be using from C3 to the summit and back down to the bottom of the Lhotse Face.

Dorjee, Ang Gelu and I were extremely happy with my improved times on Rotation 2 and for the very first time I went direct from BC to C2!

Due to the weather we didn’t get a rest day at C2. The next day we did an exercise run to the Lhotse face. The conditions didn’t allow for tagging high C3.

Ang Gelu and I decided to err on the side of caution and I just tagged the bottom of the Face. Why? The day before, 6 minutes out of BC, I stepped on a patch of ice and as gracefully as a swan falling in a ditch, hit the ice and rocks, left knee first!!! After a bit of limping and only a tiny bit of cursing, it only gave me pain kicking in uphill……and what do you have to do on the Lhotse Face?……..Yep!

I’ve been checked out, no permanent damage but it is an array of pretty colours!

This morning we checked out our oxygen masks with our goggles and glasses. The clear goggles will stop my contact lenses from freezing on summit day when we set out at 8pm and climb through the night.

I’ve just had my post Rotation 2 shower and I’m sitting here in the heat of the Dome in a T Shirt, drying my hair.

Next task is to adjust the laces on my boots so they’re just right.

After lunch I’ll head to my tent and do my final pack for the summit and then I have 3+ days to just eat, walk, read, listen to music, read emails and stay in excellent head space.

I’ll keep you posted on the weather window. Phil (Altitude Junkies) will post a blog on his website from C2 after our summit. I may make a short post but I will then post more details from BC.

Oh! I gather I remembered Mother’s Day wrong!

Namaste

Trotty

Rotation 2

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:42:03 +0000

I’m back on the air! After 3 days of internet silence. Something to do with stolen numbers at Thuraya which wouldn’t allow us to put credit on the sim card?!!!

It’s been snowing constantly until this morning. Snuck in a walk to the end of BC in glorious sunshine before lunch.

Tomorrow (weather permitting) we commence Rotation 2. But…yes there’s always a ‘But’…there’s a storm coming. So it’s a quick run up the hill.
28th BC – C2
29th Tag C3
30th C2 – BC

If the storm looks as though it’s brewing early then the evening of the 29th we may head back down to BC.

If there’s too much snow tonight we may just roll over and go back to sleep and wait until after the storms.

I hope everybody had a lovely Easter and ANZAC day. My ANZAC day was made extra special by a group of Aussie Gentlemen I met on my walk to the bottom of BC. They were from Melbourne (1 ring in from Sydney). After a lovely chat we recited the Ode of Remembrance together. Nice! Thank you Gentlemen.

Miscellaneous News from BC:
I’ve had my first shower. Would you believe it? It actually got too HOT!!

Our sherpa crew on a run to C2 rescued another teams C2 cook, who was suferring HAPE. They carried him down. We were sitting in the dome after lunch thinking our guys were running awfully late. Which makes it more dangerous for them in the icefall. Heat + Snow&Ice = Movement
ie Ice FALL!! Heroes in my book!

Changes this year (apart from a new nose):
Using contact lenses: They’re awesome. More comfortable than at home.
Along with my new glacier glasses (normal and prescription-just in case). (Aquiring them turned into a season of Days of Our Lives!).
So a big thank you to everyone at Adelaide Eye Care. Jo all the agony and stress was absolutely worth it. It’s making a big difference. I can see!!! and less headaches i.e. No squinting.

Sleeping Bag ‘Patch’: I know we ladies with our soft beardless faces!! Last year the velcro on my sleeping bag drove me insane. Once my face became ‘weathered’ everytime I touched the velcro it woke me up. Now sleep’s hard enough to come by without something little like that stealing it from you. Thanks Remote Repairs a simple ingenious solution making a big difference.

My new buff and sun hat (think legionaires): Way better. The new buff doesn’t strangle me and the new hat (the fabric that hangs down) doesn’t fall in my line of vision on the ladders and when rappelling.

So all told, I’m a much happier camper this year and that’s without even mentioning the new team!

It’s now time to go and pack the few additional items I need for this run up the hill. For the Lhotse face (C3 where I got to last year) I require my mitts, helmet and then the little things, meds, socks etc.

Namste

Trotty

PS Mr & Mrs Langford – Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary. All my Love Net. I’ll be thinking of you on the 1st.

PSS I should be back by the 1st but just in case Happy Mothers Day Mum. To the moon Net

Happy Easter Everyone

admin — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 05:07:07 +0000

No Easter Eggs here.
No foot prints in the snow either. Complete “White Christmas” here. Maybe that’s what confused the bunny?

Well Rotation 1:
After having a Sinus and chest infection for 2 weeks and confined to quarters. Dorjee (Sirdar) and Ang Gelu (personal climbing Sherpa) and I knew this rotation was going to hurt. There was nothing for it but to just do it.
Last year counting 100 steps, this year it was more like 20 steps.
We agreed get through this rotation then back in BC hike to Pumori BC every 2nd day to get my fitness back up and rotation 2 should be less painful.

Loved the ladders.

C1 as I mentioned was so much more comfortable with dinner being had in the dome. Just the 7 of us; Phil, Margaret, Miloslav, Ang Gelu, Cheddar, Dorjee and myself. Me sitting there quite cosy in my down suit (bright yellow) with matching down booties.

The winds overnight were their usual violent self. I felt like Dorothy.

The hike to C2, though only a few hundred metres gain, is long and tedious. I was eyeing the five ladders over a huge crevasse but Ang Gelu wasn’t having a bar of it. So an extra ½ hr hike around.

We got the chance to chat on the way up. Ang Gelu’s English is excellent.
He has 2 kids 14 & 15 and his own cycling (Tibet to Nepal) business. So adventure cyclists let me know and I’ll put you in contact with him.

It’s funny, Sherpa by nature won’t let you do anything for them but we got chatting. He asked if I was heading to Manaslu in the autumn. “No, I’ve got to go home get a job and pay off my loan.”
“You’re not sponsored? You’re paying for it yourself?”
“Yes”.
Well things went from a good relationship to great.

Ang Gelu asked if I could dry out his sleeping bag for him and I could use it as a blanket at C2. (i.e. the Sherpa were all returning to BC)

I was grateful for the extra warmth.
C2 as you can imagine is cold. Dress in full down to go to B,L & D.

In my tent there was foam on the floor. Plus my foam and air mattresses. My down suit laid under my sleeping bag. Then Ang Gelu’s bag over the top of it all.

All the meds, eye drops, wipes etc you don’t want to freeze are tucked into the bottom of your bag.

Karmi would have breakfast ready at 9:00 when things finally warmed up enough to boil with. Lunch at 12:00 and tea at 4:30 and then hot water into your water bottle to heat up your sleeping bag. And drink through out the night.

The winds were intense lifting my tent at times and wiping out the poop tent. Thank goodness for reliable press seal glad bags at 2am!!

Why does Mother Nature have such a perverse sense of humour?

3 night’s at C2 and time to head back to the comforts of BC.
The trip down the icefall was spectacular. The Ice Doctors were repairing a 4 ladder section which required us to wait for quite a while. No looking around as it made you aware of the huge chunks of ice we were standing under.

The route this year is more direct. One section was like a long narrow alley way between 2 huge chunks. Eerie.

Lots of rappelling (arm wrap) and more ladders.

Arriving in BC to a fruit juice and lunch was wonderful. Even better after some wipes, talc and Deo! And then sizzling steak for tea on cast iron plate!
Last night I had my best sleep since arriving in Nepal. My BC air mattress felt like a big soft mattress. I didn’t want to wake up this morning.

The boys never eat their dessert, if it’s tinned fruit. They give it to me and I have it with my muesli for breakfast while they eat my eggs etc! So we’ve got a good thing going, everyone happy.

It’s turned bitterly cold down here at BC. Margaret and Phil managed to get their showers in before the snow started. Wouldn’t want to be at C2 in this. Glad we’re down.

5 more nights in BC and then we head back up for 2nd rotation.
Day1: BC to C2
Day 2: Rest Day
Day 3: Tag C3
Day 4: C2 – BC

Then we’ll be ready for rotation #3 or more appropriately “the summit run”.

So fingers crossed Pumori and a hot shower tomorrow. If more snow, I’ll be the big orange lump in the top tent!!!

Namaste

Trotty
PS I’ll be getting the shower but no Pumori the snow’s too slippery
My tent resembles a laundry. Lots of socks and other unmentionables hanging from the clothes line. It’s the perfect day close up the tent and it’s like a sauna
Happy Easter and ANZAC Day tomorrow.

Back in BC for Easter

admin — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 09:42:51 +0000

No sign of any eggs yet though!!!

We’re back from C2
It was an amazing trip through the icefall.
I will write more this afternoon and post tomorrow.

For now I just wanted to say we’re back safe Rotation 1 complete.
7 nights in BC to recover and then Back up for Rotation 2.

Oh and as you’ll see on Altitude Junkies web site. Sizzling steak for tea last night. Our reward for our time on the hill.

Hike to Pumori BC tomorrow and then… wait for it…A Shower.
Phil and Margaret had theirs today. It started to snow so tomorrow for me.

Right I’m off to my tent with the laptop to fill in the gaps.

Namaste

Trotty

Rotation 1: C2

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:38:49 +0000

Namaste from C2
This is a first communicating from C2
The hike through the icefall was awesome
And it was amazing having a mess dome and Dorjee cooking and boiling for us.
C2 is way more comfy than last year.
Enjoying it 2 more nights sleep

Will write more from BC

Namaste

Trotty

Namaste from BC

admin — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 03:43:44 +0000

Namaste from Base Camp,

I’m finally up and around and on line.

Picked up a sinus infection on the trek in. As soon as I arrived in BC I headed to the HRA (Everest ER) and straight on to the antibiotics.

So here I am 8 days and 4 books later, just finished packing for our first foray to C2 and feeling up to a long overdue “chat”.

Base Camp is a whole different beast this year:

So far the weather has been much colder. No running around in T-shirts yet. That said I’m typing this in a T-shirt but inside my sauna of a tent but so much as stick your nose out the door and you’re scrambling for the fleece.

Altitude Junkies’ (Phil Crampton) set up is awesome.

The food is awesome. Greens and lots of them. On the pizza, in the salad, on the sandwiches, with the delicious meat dishes. No two meals the same yet. Fresh baked bread and pies. Fruit, fruit and more fruit!! Malia, Chaturman, Lal Singh and Jangbu, what a team.

The mess/comms tent is soooo comfy!
A sink with hot water and soap to wash our hands in.

Hot towels before dinner (just like Business class).

Fancy chairs with arms!

Even flowers on the table. Well alright they may be plastic but they are yellow!

We ladies (Margaret and I) have a sit down flushing toilet.

Still use the Pee Tent (or bottle!) for the less bothersome business.

There’s a hot shower but as previously mentioned way to cold to even contemplate such things. Maybe after we come back from C2. We all smell the same so it’s no biggy.

The Birds! Last year there were just what I called the “Garbos”. Crow like birds that came in and cleaned up the crumbs along with a few “Sparrows”.

This year Himalayan pheasants (very auspicious) and the prettiest grey birds about the size of a rosella parrot (a bit finer) with bright red highlights on their head and wings.

The cooks still lay the vegie scraps out on the blue tarp for the Garbos.

The rest of the team has made their first foray into the icefall but I was confined to quarters. They were trying out new equipment boots crampons etc (mine’s all old so no checks required).

Our acclimitisation now begins in earnest. The Plan is:

18^th C1

19^th C2 (4 nights)

23^rd BC

C1 there will be a cooking dome manned with a cook! Pasang Nima

So no sitting miserable in the tent trying to boil water only to have it blow over.

We’ll head to C2 the next day in the morning or afternoon depending on the weather.

C2 is cold (surprise, surprise) so most of our time in spent in our tents, with 3 downsuit clad dashes to the mess tent each day to sample Kami Neru’s delights.

The next Run will be similar with a trip to tag C3 for ½ hour or so. 28^th -2nd

Then well be ready for the summit run. Fingers crossed 8^th May. But there’s a lot to happen between then and now. And there’s a Great Mother Goddess who gets a large say!

It’s nearly time for lunch so I’d better upload this

Namaste

Trotty

PS Everyone tonight go outside and have a look at the ¾ moon. I’ll step out of the mess tent at 7pm. It will be almost dark here but still light over the tops of the peaks and the moon is hanging over Everest.

I think Phil has posted a photo on the Altitude Junkies website. Magnificent.

Day 6: Namchee Bazaar

admin — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 05:09:04 +0000

Kathmandu is far behind us.

Friday was quintessential Nepal. Hurry up and wait.
We were up at 4am for the 5am pick up. Arrived at the Airport 6:am
7 ½ hours later our flight left. (That’s longer than the flight to Singapore!)

Half way to Lukkla we’re flying in full cloud. It’s not looking good. We’ve had no breakfast or lunch, it’s turbulent and I’m eying off the sick bag!

I usually love flying but never on an empty stomach.

Just before Lukkla we pop out of the sky, crisis averted.

A quick lunch and we’re on our way to Phakding. It’s now late in the day so we’ve got to high tail it. Arrived 5pm.

The hike to Namchee is the toughest day for the porters. The hill in to Namchee is relentless so I’m not sure I’ve got bragging rights just yet but last year I only passed one porter the whole way and she was a 70yo lady with a huge load. So I’m not sure it actually counted.

This year I overtook them all!! Yeah!

The Hotel in N. is gorgeous (I sound like an episode of Little Britain) but it really is lovely: Ensuite with flushing toilet and hot, HOT shower. Heaven.

I plan on being really decadent and having another one today before lunch. It’s too cold in the morning to be running around with wet hair.

Watched the World Cup Final on TV last night. Yes TV.

Now I’m sitting in the Bakery with Margaret and her cinnamon scroll tapping away on the WI-FI.

It all sounds rather decadent but remember the toilet paper still goes in the bucket!

This is it until Base Camp.

Have a great week everyone

Namaste

Trotty