Trekking Part 3 - Showers, sweet sweet hot showers!

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So here goes Part 3!!

Some of the other amazing things we have seen (see facebook for more pictures) included walking through a memorial, graveyard of types for those who have died attempting to summit mount Everest. It was an eerie place to be, especially to see names that are so famous for their attempts yet didn't return. I think the statistic is that 1 in 4 people die on Mount Everest because either they don't turn back when they should, or a storm or monsoon comes up and they can't get back. There were many prayer flags and rock piles commemorating those who have perished, including many Sherpa's. Some are large monuments with names, others are just symbolic of someone.

When we got to basecamp it was very full. Over 500 people there waiting for their turn to go up. But the Chinese government were not allowing anyone up because a Chinese team from the Tibet side of Everest (the border runs down the middle of the mountain) were attempting to summit on May 10 to put up the Olympic torch and they didn't want anyone to do anything to disrupt. Also they actually were shutting down basecamp to trekkers like us from May 1-5 so we were very lucky to get there on April 30. And it was all very hush hush so we were lucky to find out, becuase originally we were not going to basecamp until May 1. At basecamp there is a German bakery (just a tent, there are no buildings at basecamp, it is just tents whereever it is flat enough to put one up). And we had some celebratory apple pie and cookies...mmmm. But there wasn't much to see there and you can't even see Everest from basecamp, so the view from Kala Pattar the day before was much better.

The way down we went quickly becuase we were going to do a side trip to Goyko lakes because we had 20 days planned for trekking. But we would have had to decend nearly 1.5 km in altitude, then back up to 5300m, and we were already really tired with sore legs. It would have been nice to see, but we also have beautiful mountain lakes at home. We were glad to get further down where there was more oxygen to breath and also more trees to block the wind, and just plain better sceneray from the the sparce and very rocky terrain at the top. The way down was very hard on the knees and I definately should have dedicated more training to downhills, but we did it, and I found the trekking poles really helped a lot.

Unfortunately Pasan injured his left leg and on the 2nd last day we had to get another porter to carry our packs down. So my first aid kit came in handy for not only us but for our porters. He actually had to fly back to kathmandu with us to see a doctor. Pasan was "the man" for us. He translated, guided, was a porter, helped us find the water source from which to pump our water, helped us order our meals, and made sure we were all together before moving onwards. He was a fantastic person to have met and who invited us to his home for lunch on our way back down to Lukla. His wife served us lemon tea, Chang (homemade rice beer) and noodle soup (think itchban or Mr. Noodles) for lunch which was very good. Such kind and generous people. We left some clothes we no longer needed with them and I have his daughter my extra touque and his son my binoculars and they were very grateful.

All in all I wouldn't have been able to do this trek without my trekking poles, advil, tylenol, Diamox, Pasan, Becky, my toque, mitts, long underwear, and all the love and support from home.

I hope yuo have enjoyed reading about my adventures...I know there is only more to come!
I know I can't tell you all about everything we saw and did, but hopefully it is a good picture of our trek.

Am I glad I did it? Definately
Would I recommend it? yes, for some (but anyone could do it with good conditioning)
Would I do it again? trek yes, likely not for that long in a row though
Did I learn a lot? without a doubt
any regrets? not a one

We are definately glad to be back and relaxing. It is beginning of the rainy season here so that is why I could write so much today because it is pouring outside! BEcky and I have now showered and are feeling much more human now, ahhh sweet hot showers!!

Until next time,
Carla

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Comments

[Cindy]

Trekking-Part 3
Nice to hear you finally got your hot shower! I cannot begin to imagine! :) So, of course I'm going to ask...how did the Chang really taste?! (Hee Hee!) Take care! Cindy