Namche to Doboeche

Everybody sells everything, but everybody sells the same things. While staying @ these guest houses, it's pretty limited. However considering where we are, I'm surprised any of this stuff is available. It's all carried by porters from Lukla every day. I mean who couldn't pass up, both Whiskey and Biscuits?

We spend a couple days in Namche, then hike on to Doboeche. This is the town of Namche from the qranite path up the hill. It was much steeper than it looks.

Phakding to Namche

From Phakding to Namche was a haul of a hike. A couple of thousand feet in elevation gain, and a good 4-6 hours hiking. I packed light and carried my small camera, my water, sunscreen, lip balm, and purell hand sanitizer. I felt a world of difference being at altitude now. I felt stong and good.

This is me in front of a painted monument outside of Phakding.

This is a guest house or (tea house) on the trail. You will find these little guest houses almost everwhere in Nepal, especially along the more popular routes. Since this trail eventually leads to Everest Base Camp, it's REALLY popular. That's good because it means there is always a good supply of food, snacks and misc stuff.

Phakding

I'm sure I took photos in Phakding, but didn't have any worth posting up. As I recall the hike from Lukla to Phakding took about 3+ hours. The trail was wide, smooth and easy to navigate.

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The one thing I did not get a photo of, were the Maoists taking "donations" along the trailhead as an "entrance" fee. Now mind you, we had already paid entrance into the park.

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These bastards were extorting 2500 rupees per person to continue up the trail. 700 rupees is 10 USD, so like 35 dollars per person. Bullfuckingshit. Being the indignant American, I just walked past them. I'm not giving them shit and don't plan on it.

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I talked to many many climbers and trekkers during my time in Nepal. Everyone paid the 2500 rupees.

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p.s. On my way back down the mountain, three weeks later. I passed the same Maoists, on the same trail. I ignored them, just as I did the first time. They called me names, but I kept my 2500 rupees, both times. Bastards...

Climb Adventure Number Two

So few days after getting into Kathmandu, it's time to try another climb. Since my previous trip was cancelled, I decided to go on a private climb with the local operator, Himalayan Expeditions (HimEx). I review the planned itineary, we agree on a price and off I go. As a result, I am now booked on a flight to Lukla. I could not get a decent photo of the runway, so I stole this image off EverestNews.com

Later in the morning once my bag arrives (somehow it did NOT get loaded on my plane) My Sherpa, (Pemba Chiring Sherpa) hires a porte for me, and 3 porters to meet up with us later when necessary. For now, we need to start hiking and get to the little town of Pakding.

Kathmandu Again

Back in Kathmandu. Bill took this photo of Niels and I getting a post clilmb shave. Tom was kind enough to share his favorite Kathmandu barber (right across from Northfield Cafe, which has the most consistent internet access in town). A nice shave with a razor (rough cut then even smoother) was 150 rupess. That's about $2.10. After the 6 of us were done, we headed to the New Orleans and had beers, food and dessert. What you cannot clearly see from this photo is we've all showered, had a fresh shave, and are wearing really clean clothes. This is the hotel Shankar, where I discovered my second trip had been cancelled. Hmmm...The local operator has offered to give me a private trip, all I need to do is tell them what I want to do. Hmmm...how about climb ANOTHER mountain?

Bus Ride To Kathmandu

So we pile into the bus and head down a windy, twisty, pot hole filled road.
We later stop for lunch.

Colin and I finish up lunch. As I recall, I was beastly hungry, even after the heapin of Yak Curry I had the night before. For the record, spicy yak curry, well let's just say that it, uh, mmm...cleaned me out.

To the Border

Now it was time to get to the border.

Here we are taking what's typically known as a "piss" break.
This was a shot of the Land Crusher heading over a small stream.
We stopped for lunch, and the resident cat decided to come and sleep in my lap. Not sure why, since I just spent 3 weeks in the mountains resulting in a scary look and frankly and even scarier smell. This was a small desert fox who watched us drive by. We stopped and I was able to get this photo of him.

I did a little crop and brighten and got this. Wish I had a good telephoto lens and some better technique!

The crew in Zangmu. Bill, Tom, Me, Niels, Mic, and Colin.

Back to Base Camp

So, the next day we head back down to base camp. I was under the impression, since we were going downhill, and losing elevation, this was going to be easy as pie. Piece of cake. Simple Dimple. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I don't remember who was in front if me, but this is me with my Arcteryx backpack trying to keep moving.

We get to base camp and hang out for the rest of the day.

Here is Tom messing with his boots, Mic having a cookie, and me, well I think I'm so fried once again that I can hardly smile.

Back down to High Camp

So we make our way back to high camp Colin took this shot of Mic and I doing something.

This is Lakpa, Tom and Kunga trying to figure out what to do with all this crap. Notice Tom's got his bitchin chapeau on. He packed that damned thing around like it was his new best friend, and hell after spending time with us fuckwads, maybe it was!
A little later (was it the next day?) Bill, Tom and I hike around and snap some photos. Bill took this shot of me in the snow as we look up the Rombuk glacier field. Everest is behind the mountain off my left shoulder.
This is a pretty cool photo of Tom gazing into the distance with the ice pinnicles in front of him.
This is the happy, happy photo. The yaks (and the yak herder who threw a temper tantrum 5 days ago) came back. I kinda wondered if they would show up. They did.

Advanced Base Camp - 21,000 feet

So we leave high camp @ about 3 in the morning. We trudge along in the dark getting to where the sherpa crew has stashed our climbing gear. Here we are getting gear ready. At this point my feet are beginning to warm up, now having my plastic boots on. Tom, Lakpa and Niels head towards the glacier to make an attempt @ Lhakpa Ri. Bill is feeling queasy and wants to hang out to see if he'll feel better. Kunga, Colin, Michael and I, are OK, decide to contiue up to Advanced base camp, wait for the sun to come up and get some photos of Everest.
This is our lead sherpa, Kunga. Kunga summited Everest earlier this year with a crew from the Indian Army.
This is me, on my little everest. this was a heap of rocks, that I almost fell off of. Kunga took a shot of the three of us with the North Col of Everest in the back ground.
This is Mic posing as the invisible man. You see, Mic made the mistake many of us made. If you allow your judgement to lapse and forget sun screen (I sunburned the underside of my nose and my lips) then you pay a hefty, hefty price. When the SPF 10,000 came off, Mic didn't look any better. Fortunately his face healed fine.
This is Colin. Behind him and to the left is Lhakpa Ri mountain. This was the closest we were going to get to it, that's for damn sure.

Unexpected High Camp - 20,000 Feet

We continue to make our way up the mountain.Up another 1000, feet. Snow is getting a little deeper but no too bad. This is us, with the pinnacles on our left.

Bill's shot of Me, Colin, Niels, and Tom's arm.
I'm kinda smiling here, but not really. Remember the part about the sufferfest? Well here it is.
This is our unexpected camp site. We were supposed to go farther up the mountain and get to Advance base camp, but the Yak herder had a hissy shit fit and decided he was taking the yak herders and the yaks back down to Rombuk. I never heard somebody scream so much.
These were our yaks leaving us about 3 hours and 1000 feet short of our destination. I was very angry @ those yaks, very angry indeed. (Its a joke, folks.)

Intermediate Camp - 19,000 feet

So intermediate, intermediate camp was @ about 18000 feet. Intermediate camp is about 1000 feet farther up the mountain. It might seem like we are moving slow. Uh, we are. Yaks take time to load and all of us are feeling some effects of the altitude. Me, I'm glad that I spent 500 dollars on the best sleeping bag I could find. I found a brand new one for $439.
This is the clan in front of some rock monument thing. What you CANT see from this photo is that I sat the camera down on timer (10 seconds) and ran (that is right, about 18.500 feet) across so I could be part of the pciture. Took like 20 minutes for me to get my breath back. Not really it was only like 18 minutes.
I think Tom took this photo.
It started to clear up and this was a shot I took from inside my tent, out the back door.

Lastly, Colin took this shot. It is looking back towards Everest Base Camp, and as you can see the weather is starting to clear up. I think there was at least 6-8 inches of new snow here.

Intermediate, Intermediate Camp - 18,000 feet

I didn't take many photos of intermediate, intermediate camp. I think I was too miserable from the altitude. This yak is wondering why he got picked to haul our crap up the mountain. He was @ Rombuk, hanging out and doing just fine, until we showed up.
As you can clearly tell, it uh snowed.

Rombuk and Base Camp

Me in front of the Rombuk Monestary. This is where we got our yaks, and let me tell you, they were some of the skinniest yaks I ever saw!
Me sitting in front of the tribute plaque for George Mallory with Everest in the background. The lower portion of base camp is covered with little monuments of climbers who have died on the northern route. Part of me (the survivor portion) thinks "How silly is that, dying while climbing a stupid mountain?" then the achiever part of me thinks. "Well if I'm gonna go, I hope it's doing something I love." Neither are wrong, just different.
This is Pasang and Tom, chillin.
Me, enjoying the view Bill snaps this photo of us having a little meal time.
This is the day hike we went on. Everybody else was farther up the hillside. This is me, Colin and Tom. You can see the tents of Everest Base Camp below. We are at about 18000 feet here, and I am in super suffer mode. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of the sufferfest, and lord did I suffer.

Shigatse

For some reason, I didn't take many pictures in Shigatse. This is of the road we traveled.
This was when we first saw the himalayas.
This is me, after bawling like a 2 year old girl who just had her ice cream cone stolen.