Trekking in Nepal

---

Mount Everest (8855 m Above Sea Level) aka - The Top of the World

**Point of Clarification: I believe my family was telling some people back home that I was climbing Everest. Although that would be cooler, I did not actually summit the worlds tallest mountain (that would require lots of training, and over $65000). I did however spend 16 days trekking through the Himilaya, summitted some slightly smaller moutnains, and stood at Everest Base Camp.

*ALSO, check out the photos section of this entry for all of the photos i posted



I now have an appreciation for how difficult it would be to summit the worlds highest mountain (and
how crazy you would have to be to even attempt it). Although writing this blog may not be as difficult
as conquering everest...just getting started to attempt to summarize 2.5 weeks of trekking through
the Himilayans into a blog feels like a massive task. Looking back now, the past 16 days may go down
as some of the most memorable of my life.

This trek marked the start of my travel time with Nick and Dylan. Dylan is my friend from McMaster, and Nick
is his brother. The whole trip basically hinged around this trek which Dylan suggested to me about
half a year ago. Dylan has a really great HD Video Camera, and does an awsome job of editing movies.
We have started filming as often as we can, sort of like the show Departures. He's promised the final
product to be ready for September 2010, when I'll be home in Canada - so i'll be sure to share the
video with anyone who is interested then.

Pre Trek

I arrived in Kathmandu (yet another dirty/busy city full of hawkers, poverty, pollution and honking horns)
on December 14th after finishing my 10 day Vipassana course in India. I hadn't seen a familiar face
since I left around Halloween, so naturally I was stoked to meet up my my friend Dylan from Uni and his
brother Nick. I still remember shaking Dylans hand at McMaster Homecoming and saying "see you in Kathmandu",
thinking to myself that it would be a hell of a reunion.

And I was right. The three of us hit the town so hard that we woke up to a room of empty beers, half a bottle of gin,
and snack wrappers scattered across the room and some killer hang overs. Dylan was hurting so bad that he
didn't even move from his bed the following day, and the headaches and stomach aches continued well into
the day after that! So yeah, we celebrated.


Nick and I spent the day checking out Kathmandu and renting trekking gear from one of the many, many
gear shops scattered throughout the city. Like Delhi, it was hard to walk more then 20 feet without some
local trying to sell us something. Trekking Gear, Rickshaw, Toques, Taxi, Hash, Magic Mushrooms,
wodden flutes, necklaces....and the list goes on. Poverty, garbage, beggers and stray dogs
were common everywhere and constant honks and beeps from the ruleless roads dominated the airwaves.
Kathmandu isn't all bad though...like most third poor countries, after you get used to the rough exterior, there are usually plenty
of hidden gems (like the cafe I am sitting in right now) that will surface in time.
The Thamel district is full of restaurants, pubs and cafes offerring food and beverages..you just gotta know where to look.

Day 1 - Kathmandu to Lukla to Phakding (about 2600 m)

On the morning of December 16th we caught a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (about 2800 m ASL) which is hands down the
most sketchy flying experience I have ever had. The 15 passenger, twin prop plane dropped about 10' suddenly during our flight
which caused a major scare on bored - although the pilots and flight attendent didn't even seem to notice.
The Lukla Airport is dubbed one of the most dangerous in the world. The landing strip is around 500 m long with an embankment at the end,
and the front of it is a shear cliff. So the adventure began pretty much right away.

Once we arrived, we trekked for about 2 hours to a popular area with plenty of guesthouses called Phakding.
We had met a crew of 5 Aussies in the airpot who were also trekking for about 18 days. Wayne or "Coach"
has been to the region 8 times now and had done the everest base camp trek before. Our original plan
was to follow the lonely planet recommendations which include lots of acclimitization rest days (to avoid altitude sickness)
as we ascended to
everest base camp. Wayne told us that we would be bored out of our mind and offered us a better plan which
included trekking up to the villiage Gokyo and summiting Gokyo Ri (5300 m ASL) over a week, then back down to
the Khumbu valley were we would trek up to GOrak Shep and summit Kala Pattar (5550 m) for a closer view of everest
and a morning trip to everest base camp. This plan only included two rest days, and twice as much scenery/trekking over the
same period of time.

Day 2 - Phakding to Namche Bazzar( 3440 m)

This was the worst day of the trek. Dylan had finally killed his two day hang over, but Nick had
come down with a rough case of food poisening. We had to ascend about a km into altitude that
can cause serious problems with altitude sickness. We also had about 50 pounds of gear each on our backs,
where most trekkers hired local Sherpa porters to carry their equipment.

**side note: The Sherpa people have lived in the Himlayans for generations
and are used to breathing air with low oxygen as well as lugging around heavey packs. There are no roads or vehicles
or even wheels in the region. ALL supplies (including timber, food, water) have to be walked from
Lukla airport to the many smaller sherpa villiages throughout the area. Sherpa porters can carry up to 120 Kilo's!

After stopping halfway to Namche to allow Nick to sleep for a few hours, we had little time left to reach Namche by
night fall - and still some 600 m to ascend. Dylan and I took turns lugging Nick's pack because he was feeling so bad,
but it became apparent that we would need help. We hired a local for 10 dollars to carry Nicks pack the rest of the way
to Namche. For the last 200 m of ascent every step was exhausting. I don't think I have ever done anything more gruelling in my
life. It made the half marathon I ran last year seem like a piece of cake. Eventually we made it to our guest house in
Namche. The decision was easy from here: Take up Wayne's offer to organize a couple of porters for us so that we could walk
with just day packs and actually enjoy the rest of the trek.

Day 3 - Acclimitization day in Namche

Lucky for me, one of the only rest days was scheduled for day 3. It was my turn to feel sick in what was a very rough start
to our trek. I also came down with food poisening (may have something to do with the fact that the toilets don't usually have
sinks to wash hands). Luckily it was fairly mild and I rebounded by nigthfall. Nick and Dylan explored the town of Namche, which
is one of the largest sherpa towns. There were probably over 100 buildings including guesthouses, pubs, restaurants, bakeries
and stores - all at almost 4 km in the air!

Day 4 - Namche to Dole (4090 m)

Finally the three of us were all feeling 100%!,(MISSING) and we had our hired porters (Bichan and Ruccen - two young, small Sherpa's
who made us feel pretty weak when we saw them carry our heavey packs with ease). We ascended through a trail of Rhododendran's
(which are extremely difficult to grow in Canada) up 300 m to DOle. Dole we had been warned would be cold, and the accomdations rough.
The warnings were right. Above the tree line there is no more wood for fires. So many of the guesthouses we stayed at
kept the dining area somewhat warm by burning dried Yak Shit and Kerosene. At first it seemed gross, but eventually we learned
to love the Yak Dung and the small comfort it brought us.

**Side note: Daily life on the trek.
Once we got into a groove our days were fairly simple. We only had 3 decisions to make each day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Up around 7:00 a.m. to warm by the dining room fire (the rooms were freezing and unheated). After a fried eggs and toast we would trek
anywhere from 3-7 hours to the next destination - sometimes stopping for tea or lunch. The sun sets early behind the mountains
around 3 or 4 p.m. and when it does, it gets COLD! So most of our afternoons and evenings were spent in the dining room sharing body
heat and whatever small fire heat was available. Dinner around 5:30, and then either a game of chess or cards, or reading
was the usual evening entertainment until around 9 pm when we would head to our freezing bedrooms for an often poor sleep.
Low oxygen levels can cause poor sleep along with headaches and loss of apetite. Luckily for us, Nick, Dylan and I didn;t
really feel the effects of altitude too bad. The Aussi's we trekked with seemed to fair a bit worse.

Day 5 - Dole to Mercherma (4410 m)

The trek up to Mercherma was relatively easy, and full of beautiful sceneray. At this altitude more and more snow peaked mountains
were becoming visible and trees were gone all together. Mercherma had a great guesthouse which was relatively warm and offered
awsome food (considering the circumstances).

Day 6 - Mercherma to Gokyo (4750 m)

The trek to Gokyo was also relatively easy. It took about 4 hours and there were plenty of cool sights along the way.
THere are three glacial lakes along the way to Gokyo which take on an awsome light blue colour from the silt in the
water - sort of like banff. The lakes were mostly frozen and we talked about how awsome it would be to come back
to Gokyo with some skates/hockey sticks and about 10 buddies for some high altitude hockey.
The lakes were surrounded by tall mountains which created amazing acoustics for the freezing and shifting of the ice.
The noises bounced of the walls of the mountains and it sounded sort of like a star wars scene with lasers
going off everywhere - very cool.

Day 7 - Gokyo Ri Summit (5357m)

Up before sunrise to avoid high winds we summited Gokyo Ri over abour 2 hours. The oxygen levels were low, and the ascent was
steep which made it hard to keep your breath. It was also FREEZING cold before the sun finally came out about halfway up - I thought
I was getting frost bite for sure. I had never summited anything before, and was surprised by the euphoric feeling it brings
when you finally reach the top. The views from Gokyo were astonishing. Massive, snow peaked mountains surrounded us from every
direction. Mount Everest which was about 20 km away was in the distance as well as a few other of the '8000 m mountains'.
When I get access and time on a computer with photo editing capabilities I will definitely be stiching together the pictures
of the 360 degree mountain range view into a long panoramic which will look very cool.

**THere are only 14 mountains in the world taller then 8000 m - many of which we saw on this trek

Day 8 - Gokyo to Phortse (3650 m)

Going down is much easier then going up. On Day 8 we descended down over 1000 m to Phortse and covered more distance in 7 hours
then we had in 3 days of ascent. It was great to get out of the elements for a while and to some lower oxygen for a good nights sleep.
Also, the smell and heat of a wood fire was hugely welcome after 4 or 5 days of Yak shit fires.

At this point in the trek the conversations usually came back to the same 2 or 3 topics eventually. The most common thing
we talked about was food. All the different types of food that we were missing over the holidays, and the types of food
that we would love to eat if we could. Meat was difficult to trust so steak was probably the most popular food on our minds.
Milk was also a major one. There was no shortage of chocolate available though. When you eat the same basic meals day in and day
out, snickers bars for 4 bucks a pop become far too appealing. The other most common subject - Thailand. After submitting oursevles
to 2 weeks of cold, dry, windy, weather...the prospect of chiling out in southern Thailand on the beaches and islands often
worked it's way into our thoughts and discussions.

Another interesting thing we noticed was how amazing it is that the human body can adapt to only 50%!o(MISSING)f the normal
oxygen levels that it's used to. At high altitude the body slows down it's digestive system, and starts to burn muscle for
energy rather then the food you eat so the apetite becomes weaker and you lose muscle mass pretty quick.

Day 9 - Phortse to Periche (4340 m)

After getting lost in a highly important discussion regarding the politics of hockey and the influece of america on the national
hockey league, we managed to get phyiscally lost on our way to Periche. We ended up in the town next over called Dingbouche.
After asking a guide from a guided expedition group how to reach Dingbouche we ended up crossing a valley that isn't
often travelled by trekkers. It was really beautiful and it was cool to get off the beaten path for about an hour so it turned
out to be a good thing.

There are signs all over the region for solo trekkers who go missing. It's easy to see how it could happen. THe narrow pathways
snaking through the hills are often right beside shear cliffs. If you ever slipped in fell in the vast wilderness you would certainly
fall for many meteres, likely to your death, and nobody would ever know. I had a bit of close call as we were descending a
steep hill to Dingbouche. I softball sized rock become dislodged above me and started rolling past Dylan who was about 50 m higher.
It started pick up speed really quick and Dylan yelled "heads up Benny, Rock!" Had he not that rock would have hit me directly in
the ribs or my head and that would probably have been it for me..I moved just in time to watch it zoom by me and with a few
more hops all the way down the hill...close call! Had I surived it would have been a 5000 dollar chopper ride back to Kathmandu.

Spent Christmas eve huddled around a Yak Shit fire. THis is probably the most homesick I have been. I kept thinking
of the annual traditions of Festivus (football game and tequila fueld party with my buds), the arena hockey game and party back at my place
with family friends, the awsome table of finger foods and plenty of holiday spirits around. Nursing hangovers by the morning
and gorging on more food, wine and beer by night for 4 or 5 days straight with friends and family.....it all seemed so much
better then eating poorly prepared food in the cold and dark.

Day 10 - Periche to Lobouche (4900 m)

Christmas Day! Christmas came and past with little fanfare in the Himilayans. The country is Buddhist so they don't celebrate
Christian holidays. No Christmas music, no christmas trees - none of the usual reminders. It was quiet a strange feeling, but
it was a good experience to have. I have a much greater appreciation now for "being home for the holidays".

Lobouche was crap. For some reason everything was twice as expensive in Lobouche then anywhere else, and it was really cold.
The guesthouse owner that we stayed at was a jerk too. It was a bad place to be for Christmas because we had decided to treat our
selves to a beer, nuts, and chocolate barvs which ended up costing a small fortune. I couldn't wait to get out of Lobouche.

Day 11 Lobouche to Gorak Shep (5300 m)

We reached Gork Shep fairly early on Day 11. We had an early start with the intention of resting up for a few hours and
then sumitting Kala Pattar (5550 m) at sunset. Kala Patar was an ascent somewhat like Gokyo Ri except the summit was more of a peak
like a traditional mountain summit. The View of of Everest from Kala Pattar is said to be the best, and
I believe it. Even from about 6 km away Everest seems so huge, and after reading about the many tragedies of mountaineers dieing on
everest the mountain looks partiuclarily ominous as the sun sets on it and the cold air moves in.

** Side note: 3%!o(MISSING)f adventurers die on everest every year and over 200 people have died since adventure seekers
started flocking the mountain in the early 1900's.
** Side note 2: Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Sherpa were the first to succesfully summit Everest and live
to tell the tale in the 1950's. They used oxygen canisters to reach the top which is common practice today,
however hardcore mountainers say that to truley conquer the mountain it should be pure, with no gas.
Many people have sumitted everest without gas, but the risk of dieing when doing so increases significantly
as the oxygen level is only 30%!o(MISSING)f that at sea level.

**Side Note: Kala Pattar is roughly the same altitude as the highest mountain in Canada - Mt Logan of the Rockies.

Day 12 Gorak Shep to Dingbouche (4400 m)

After a cold sleep at Gorak Shep we got up before sunrise and headed to Everest Base camp (5300 m).
This time of year there are no expeditions attemping to summit everest so the area was completely deserted
with the exception of a few memorials for people who have perished on the mountain and some flags from
trekkers who felt the need to leave there flag at base camp. In the spring there would be plenty of tents
set up to house the many climbers, guides, sherpa helpers, doctors, cooks and everyone else that is
required for the summit season. It was bloody cold at basecamp until the sun finally rose over Nupste
and instantly warmed us up. After taking in the unique area Nick, Dylan and I started making our way down
to Dingbouche...it was all down hill from there.

Day 13 and 14 Dingbouche to Tengbouche (3800 m)

As we continued our decent we started feeling more and more energized from the higher oxygen levels
and our increased apetite. We had a rest day scheduled at Tengbouche incase we got snowed in somewhere
else along the way - which didn't happen. After 13 days of being on the move it was great to just
hang out for a bit. There was a Buddhist monestry which put on a public prayer demonstration for us to
check out. We also built an Innuckshuck (spelling?) along a trail for our Canadian brothers and sisters
to appreciate for the 2010 Olympics.

Day 15 and 16 Tengbouch to Namche (3440 m) to Lukla

The Aussi's were a day ahead of us now after trying to descend to deal with sickness and to try to reach
Kathmandu in time for New years. Our plan was to spend a couple of days in Namche (the large sherpa village
that we stayed at for 2 days on the way up) and celebrate new years there. After trekking with the Aussis
for two weeks, and hearing that they were heading to Lukla for new years we decided we may as well stick together
and celebrate the end of the trek together. We woke up in Namche on Dec 31 to the first snow fall of the trek.
The town was blanketed in nearly a foot of snow. It made for an crazy beautiful trek down to Lukla
with the entire trail and hillside covered with snow.

We made it to Lukla after a long day of trekking form Namche in time to eat some dinner, shower up, and
start the celebrations. We headed out as a group of 8 and started buying beer by the case load
at a bar with about 20 other westerners who had also recently finished their treks. We were still
at a moderatly high altitude, and we hadn't drank in a while so things escalated pretty quickly.
The end of the decade will certainly go down as one of the most memorable, unremeorable new years'
that I'll ever have.

Post Trek

We've spent that last couple of days recharging in Kathmandu. The more we explore the city, the more enjoyable
it becomes. We've spent some time with the Aussi's, enjoyed lots of good food (including PIzza Hut which we
were looking forward to sense about Day 2 on the Trek). We've done some partying, watched some movies,
and did a bunch of shopping. Our batteries are recharged, and now tomorrow, we fly back to Delhi for the
next adventure. Not entirely sure whats going to happen in India, but it looks like we are heading
west right away to go on an over night camel trek into the Thar desert.

I hope everyone is off to a good start in 2010! Thanks for reading!

---

Photos

Crop Duster
15 passenger twin prop that took us from Kathmandu to Lukla airport

Rep'n FC
for the Zwet's

Buddhism
One of the many signs of buddhism in this region. When you walk by one of these you spin it three times for Good Luck * I think

Yak Highway
We often shared the path's with the truckers of the mountain

View from the trail
around 3500 m ASL

In the Clouds
About 4000 m ASL

Capturing the Moment
Dylan has an awsome HD camcorder which we are documenting the trip with....expected final completion: September 2010

Sherpa Villiage
This is what the average sherpa villiage looked like on the trek...they are made up mostly of guesthouses for toursits to stay along the way up to Everest

Diner
Every guesthouse had a diner like this. It was the only room in the building that was heated. Above the treeline, the stove in the middle of the room was fueled with dried yak dung and kerosene. With the low oxygen levels and meger fuel, any guest house above 3900 m ASL was extremely cold

Standing on top of the world
(almost)

Gokyo Lakes
Similar water to Banff. The ice made loud shifting noises, that echoed off of the mountains and sounded sort of like a war scene from Star Wars

Passing the Time
Our Aussi 'mates' chilling in the Diner

The Sun
bringer of life, and more importnatly...heat

Summit of Gokyo Ri (5300 m ASL)
Everest is 20 km away in the back right