The last days in Kathmandu have rushed by in a haze of sightseeing and saying goodbye. I'm not sure what my emotions are, I'm sad to be leaving but feel my journey is complete.
I finally got to the monkey temple with it's fine views of the Kathmandu valley and it's place in history as the hilltop on which the Buddha preached. It seemed a fitting end to my time here.
I met up with Fletch again, and Laura from Pokhara, we all leave on three consecutive days, with me in the middle.
I have achieved so much here personally that I'm really happy with myself, I've felt pain like never before, exhilaration, frustration, fear and exhaustion. I've been pushed beyond what I thought I was capable of, and forced to look inside myself in a way like never before.
Not a day wasn't worthwhile, there was always something new to do, see or taste, or someone new to meet.
I won't miss the toilets, the pollution in Kathmandu or the sickness, but I'll miss Nepal and it's people, and I'll miss the excitement of travelling.
Obviously I am going back to my old life, different in at least one way I hadn't expected, but I'm better equipped now to deal with that at least.
Fletch left today, and I'm taking Laura out tonight for last night drinks, and, well it had to be - Dhal Bat!
The ribs have become really painful again so I'm going to have to see the doc as soon as I get home, I'm worried what the damage is and disappointed that they prevented me from some of the things I wanted to do. However this opened up new opportunities, for which I am grateful.
Si and Liz probably won't believe I've added a touch of organisation to my life, and Gabe I'm sure would have loved to watch me pack! Gabe - it's all folded and in sections and I didn't just shove my arm across my bed and scoop it all in - honest!!!
So, home tomorrow, the adventure is over and there are new challenges to face, an empty flat, a single life again, and Storm - the new IT at work. So at least it'll be busy and occupy me while I settle back down. I'm dying to see the family too and can't wait to spend time with my nieces.
I saw a Christmas tree today, I guess I missed Autumn!
Oh, and yes I know there's a missing 12 days in Pokhara. It's difficult to write about as it was the only time I didn't make notes, and it's a time when there are moments I'd rather forget. But I'll fill in the blanks back in the UK.
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Saturday 20 November 2010
Things can only get better 20/11 Pokhara to Kathmandu
Pokhara to Ktm.
Cold on the bus, but good views of Annapurna, almost as if hidden by a curtain. Just outside Pokhara the local bus in front of us goes over the side, rolls, and slides down a really steep slope. People go down to help and I grab a first aid kit off an American girl and slide down. There's a couple of people beyond help, I go to start CPR on one kid then realise there's no ambulance to come. A man comes round from behind with a young child of maybe 6, and I take her up the slope. She's covered in blood but it's not hers, and she appears to be in shock only. An old woman sits next to me with pleading eyes, she has a large open gash to her head, there's no glass I can see so I mop it up and bandage her, getting blood all over my clothes. A trekking guide comes to help, and we get her, the child and an old man onto our bus, and I sit on the floor and mop him up. He seems to have a depressed fracture to his cheek, all I can give him is two paracetamol and the packet to show when he gets to hospital.
We drop them off there, then we head off for breakfast. The trekking guide thanks me for my compassion privately and says all the other westerners just watched. It's a sorry thing really, and I feel some guilt I couldn't have helped more people.
The rest of the journey is thankfully uneventful as we travel our bumpy way through the mountains back to Kathmandu. I return to Wonderland with it's swamp view and fog chorus, and as I check in I remember the excitement of heading out for Lukla and I'm a little bit sad. The adventure is coming to a close, and i know now what I'd been dreading, I'm going home single, it's going to be a tough adjustment.
I'll blog about the missing days in Pokhara soon. Clbomg wall tomorrow to take out some frustration!
Cold on the bus, but good views of Annapurna, almost as if hidden by a curtain. Just outside Pokhara the local bus in front of us goes over the side, rolls, and slides down a really steep slope. People go down to help and I grab a first aid kit off an American girl and slide down. There's a couple of people beyond help, I go to start CPR on one kid then realise there's no ambulance to come. A man comes round from behind with a young child of maybe 6, and I take her up the slope. She's covered in blood but it's not hers, and she appears to be in shock only. An old woman sits next to me with pleading eyes, she has a large open gash to her head, there's no glass I can see so I mop it up and bandage her, getting blood all over my clothes. A trekking guide comes to help, and we get her, the child and an old man onto our bus, and I sit on the floor and mop him up. He seems to have a depressed fracture to his cheek, all I can give him is two paracetamol and the packet to show when he gets to hospital.
We drop them off there, then we head off for breakfast. The trekking guide thanks me for my compassion privately and says all the other westerners just watched. It's a sorry thing really, and I feel some guilt I couldn't have helped more people.
The rest of the journey is thankfully uneventful as we travel our bumpy way through the mountains back to Kathmandu. I return to Wonderland with it's swamp view and fog chorus, and as I check in I remember the excitement of heading out for Lukla and I'm a little bit sad. The adventure is coming to a close, and i know now what I'd been dreading, I'm going home single, it's going to be a tough adjustment.
I'll blog about the missing days in Pokhara soon. Clbomg wall tomorrow to take out some frustration!
Thursday 18 November 2010
6/7/8 11 Kathmandu - the waiting game.
The sixth is our last day, Ken and Gabe sort laundry and are in a bit of a tizz when it appears the bloke then shuts up and goes home for the weekend. It's another festival here and everything is on a go slow.
We eat out, and Kristin and I return to Paddys for a few drinks, where we meet Gabe's pilot for the next, also entertainingly drunk, accompanied by two friendly Thai girls.
We get lost walking back to Shakti, and I fall over for a change, and we promptl wake Dave and IngeElin up for no apparent reason.
The next day is a blur of goodbyes and moving hotels, Dave and I back to Wonderland, everyone else heads out home.
I feel a bit down, and for the ext two days wander Thamel, bored and aimless, trying to figure out what to do. it's festival, everywhere is closed. My plan to do a couple of days volunteering melts away as all the schools are shut too. It's a bit of a lowpoint really, so much excitement, and then suddenly everyone is gone and we're back in transition.
My rib is incredibly sore now, and no matter how I lay I have difficulty sleeping, and have to get up and go out at 7.30am so I don't keep waking Fletch up. I'm listless and lethargic, and should really go to Swyambruth, or do something, but I struggle to find the energy. I'm tired from trekking, worried about a few things at home and missing the group dynamic. But on the 9th Fletch and I are moving on to Pokhara, and the change of scenery should inject some life into the nxt part of the Nepal tour.
We eat out, and Kristin and I return to Paddys for a few drinks, where we meet Gabe's pilot for the next, also entertainingly drunk, accompanied by two friendly Thai girls.
We get lost walking back to Shakti, and I fall over for a change, and we promptl wake Dave and IngeElin up for no apparent reason.
The next day is a blur of goodbyes and moving hotels, Dave and I back to Wonderland, everyone else heads out home.
I feel a bit down, and for the ext two days wander Thamel, bored and aimless, trying to figure out what to do. it's festival, everywhere is closed. My plan to do a couple of days volunteering melts away as all the schools are shut too. It's a bit of a lowpoint really, so much excitement, and then suddenly everyone is gone and we're back in transition.
My rib is incredibly sore now, and no matter how I lay I have difficulty sleeping, and have to get up and go out at 7.30am so I don't keep waking Fletch up. I'm listless and lethargic, and should really go to Swyambruth, or do something, but I struggle to find the energy. I'm tired from trekking, worried about a few things at home and missing the group dynamic. But on the 9th Fletch and I are moving on to Pokhara, and the change of scenery should inject some life into the nxt part of the Nepal tour.
4 & 5/11 Namche to Lukla / Lukla- to KTM
Sangay leads us on the last day, the long walk back to Lukla. It's a sad day, although we're reunited it's the last day of trekking, and the end of the journe is now in sight.
In fact it's in sight nearly all day as we watch the plans coming into land at the world's most extreme airport.
Despite this it never seems to get any nearer! We chat as we walk, enjoying the forests and the improved oxygen supply at this elevation! We pass a memorial to a plane that crashed a few years ago a reminder to me that I have one small hurdle to cross - the flight out, and after what seems an eternity of walking we reach the village.
Sangay offers to show us his monastery but we're all beat. It's a negative I regret, even as I write my notes up,because I think he was very excited that Lon had shown an interest.
We are late at the lodge, it's nearly dark as we walk down the side of the airstrip, and it's not long before we have black tea and Finjo joins us.
Tonight's the last supper, a communal meal of Dal Bhat with everyone, porters, guides and the team, with the table exceptions of Fletch and Barbara.
We all tuck in heartily and the beer starts to flow, tips are issued and speeches are made. Jim nominates me as the person who fell over the most, which is true by some wide margin!!!
The porters leave us for their homes after the meal, clutching large tips in appreciation of the important and incredible work they do. It's hard enough lugging a six kilo back around at 5400m on steep ground in the freezing cold, I cannot conceive what it is like to do so with two 15kg or so packs, in flip flops or converse trainers like this guys do. One of them is no more than 4ft11 tall, and is as strong as an ox. It's really incredible. Without them we couldn't have got as far as we did, and they do it all with huge smiles on their faces and never a complaint.
The guides, Finjo, Nima and Sangay all stay for what starts off as a few drinks. We're told we're in outside rooms as another group is having a party and will be noisy and we have a 5.30am flight. That's not quite how it works out.
At midnight Ken, Kristin, IngeElin and I and the three guides are the only people awake in the lodge, incredibly dunk dancing to a mixture of Nepali music and Norwegian pop. It's a great evening, really good fun, with arm wrestling, and Nima doing an entertaining dance that mimics my everlasting cough. I put him in a gooseneck hold, which he immediately wants to learn, and later I recall doing squats with Finjo Sherpa over my shoulders. Which probably does my ribs no good - but I'm not letting a little thing like that spoil what has been an incredible experience.
I share with Ken and have an incident involving a bin and a total lack of navigational ability, and before you know it we have to get up for our flight.
I struggle with breakfast, which of curse Lon doesn't - and am glad I don't have too long to sit and stress about the flight.
On the Twin Otter we are taxied past the crashed plane and then held at the top of the runway while the pilot winds up the elastic band. Then he takes his feet off the floor and we zip forward like some crazy fairground ride, before plummeting off the side of the mountain, gaining lift and heading back to Kathmandu.
Back at Shakti Ken offers to let me go in with Dave who is already back, and probably regrets his kindness as they all wait several hours for rooms to become available. There's lots of tired smelly hungry people about when I emerge clean and fresh from the shower.
There follows a day of mooching about and cleaning up before our evening party at Kilroy's. I get to eat fish and chips, which isn't bad at all, and we all have great fun joking about the joys of trekking.
Ken, Gabe, Fletch, IngeElin, Kristin and I take Finjo and his friend to Paddys after, where we listen to a Nepali rock cover band and get stuck into the tequilas in a big way. Unfortunately someone tells Finjo it's water and he gets a bit enthusiastic in his consumption. This later contributes to an unfortunate incident with the police and a slightly sad exit from the evening's entertainment.
There'll be some hangovers tomorrow.
In fact it's in sight nearly all day as we watch the plans coming into land at the world's most extreme airport.
Despite this it never seems to get any nearer! We chat as we walk, enjoying the forests and the improved oxygen supply at this elevation! We pass a memorial to a plane that crashed a few years ago a reminder to me that I have one small hurdle to cross - the flight out, and after what seems an eternity of walking we reach the village.
Sangay offers to show us his monastery but we're all beat. It's a negative I regret, even as I write my notes up,because I think he was very excited that Lon had shown an interest.
We are late at the lodge, it's nearly dark as we walk down the side of the airstrip, and it's not long before we have black tea and Finjo joins us.
Tonight's the last supper, a communal meal of Dal Bhat with everyone, porters, guides and the team, with the table exceptions of Fletch and Barbara.
We all tuck in heartily and the beer starts to flow, tips are issued and speeches are made. Jim nominates me as the person who fell over the most, which is true by some wide margin!!!
The porters leave us for their homes after the meal, clutching large tips in appreciation of the important and incredible work they do. It's hard enough lugging a six kilo back around at 5400m on steep ground in the freezing cold, I cannot conceive what it is like to do so with two 15kg or so packs, in flip flops or converse trainers like this guys do. One of them is no more than 4ft11 tall, and is as strong as an ox. It's really incredible. Without them we couldn't have got as far as we did, and they do it all with huge smiles on their faces and never a complaint.
The guides, Finjo, Nima and Sangay all stay for what starts off as a few drinks. We're told we're in outside rooms as another group is having a party and will be noisy and we have a 5.30am flight. That's not quite how it works out.
At midnight Ken, Kristin, IngeElin and I and the three guides are the only people awake in the lodge, incredibly dunk dancing to a mixture of Nepali music and Norwegian pop. It's a great evening, really good fun, with arm wrestling, and Nima doing an entertaining dance that mimics my everlasting cough. I put him in a gooseneck hold, which he immediately wants to learn, and later I recall doing squats with Finjo Sherpa over my shoulders. Which probably does my ribs no good - but I'm not letting a little thing like that spoil what has been an incredible experience.
I share with Ken and have an incident involving a bin and a total lack of navigational ability, and before you know it we have to get up for our flight.
I struggle with breakfast, which of curse Lon doesn't - and am glad I don't have too long to sit and stress about the flight.
On the Twin Otter we are taxied past the crashed plane and then held at the top of the runway while the pilot winds up the elastic band. Then he takes his feet off the floor and we zip forward like some crazy fairground ride, before plummeting off the side of the mountain, gaining lift and heading back to Kathmandu.
Back at Shakti Ken offers to let me go in with Dave who is already back, and probably regrets his kindness as they all wait several hours for rooms to become available. There's lots of tired smelly hungry people about when I emerge clean and fresh from the shower.
There follows a day of mooching about and cleaning up before our evening party at Kilroy's. I get to eat fish and chips, which isn't bad at all, and we all have great fun joking about the joys of trekking.
Ken, Gabe, Fletch, IngeElin, Kristin and I take Finjo and his friend to Paddys after, where we listen to a Nepali rock cover band and get stuck into the tequilas in a big way. Unfortunately someone tells Finjo it's water and he gets a bit enthusiastic in his consumption. This later contributes to an unfortunate incident with the police and a slightly sad exit from the evening's entertainment.
There'll be some hangovers tomorrow.
Saturday 13 November 2010
3/11 Namche. Rest Day.
Up late at 8, check mail... Again.... Stuff I feel needs sorting out, and I miss the outside world!!
After brekkie we go shopping, we find a bakery and have fantastic coffee and cakes. We finally get news that Lon and IngeElin summited and we're all incredibly pleased for them. They had to summit and get down to Dengboche, then today they're repeating our yomp from yesterday. They'll be slaughtered when they get here, and will have to finish with another long day to Lukla.
I sit on a wall for a while watching the rescue helicopters which seem to fly in a steady stream, and u smile at the slow people wandering up.
Kristin, Ken and I go shopping after lunch again and get more cakes. I buy presses for B, and we all fall about when a stray cow goes in the massage shop, abd doesn't come out.
Sangay appears from Lukla at three abd then the summiteers arrive.
I'm not as congratulatory as I should be, I'm distracted, and I sit and read while Kristin thrashes everyone at blackjack, and Lon eats everything in sight.
I have Sherpa stew which is delicious, the others all have yak steak, thier first meat in 3 weeks.
I go through the good wishes on facebook, although I'm not as disappointed as people think I might be. I'm content, I face it everything, and think I would have done it but for the AMS.
For me, the journey has been incredible, I know now the limits I can push myself to, and what I can achieve.I know now I'm strong enough to overcome any hurdle, abd I know I've got some I'm going to deal with when I get back to the UK!!
"in mountains we find what we seek, be it peace or violence, beauty or terror"
After brekkie we go shopping, we find a bakery and have fantastic coffee and cakes. We finally get news that Lon and IngeElin summited and we're all incredibly pleased for them. They had to summit and get down to Dengboche, then today they're repeating our yomp from yesterday. They'll be slaughtered when they get here, and will have to finish with another long day to Lukla.
I sit on a wall for a while watching the rescue helicopters which seem to fly in a steady stream, and u smile at the slow people wandering up.
Kristin, Ken and I go shopping after lunch again and get more cakes. I buy presses for B, and we all fall about when a stray cow goes in the massage shop, abd doesn't come out.
Sangay appears from Lukla at three abd then the summiteers arrive.
I'm not as congratulatory as I should be, I'm distracted, and I sit and read while Kristin thrashes everyone at blackjack, and Lon eats everything in sight.
I have Sherpa stew which is delicious, the others all have yak steak, thier first meat in 3 weeks.
I go through the good wishes on facebook, although I'm not as disappointed as people think I might be. I'm content, I face it everything, and think I would have done it but for the AMS.
For me, the journey has been incredible, I know now the limits I can push myself to, and what I can achieve.I know now I'm strong enough to overcome any hurdle, abd I know I've got some I'm going to deal with when I get back to the UK!!
"in mountains we find what we seek, be it peace or violence, beauty or terror"
The curtain starts to fall....
Left Dengboche just after 8am. Hajaramah left a present for Barbara with Jim which was touching. It's one hell of a walk today, through Dengboche then Thangboche with it's incredible monastery. We tramp downhill through stunning forests, the first time we've been below the treeline for days. We have tea at Pangboche and push on in sunshine. There are blue gentian in flower and the smell of pine and rhododendron in the air. Ever down now, Kristin hiding behind me from yaks, which I'm now confident enough to shove out of the way - until I come face to face with one on a suspension bridge and have to turn and run back the way I came, much to Neema's amusement. By the time we leave Phunky Thanga I'm in a bad mood. I think all the oxygen in the air is making bits of my brain that had been out of commission work again!! The pace is too quick and I take a couple if spectacular falls. My ankle, which I sprained just before I came out doesn't feel strong, and it collapses very easily if not well balanced. After lunch it's a 900m climb back into Namche. The fog comes in and the wind covers us in dirt. Not that it matters, I'm filthy anyway and stink like a yak. We pass by a crazy dude galloping along the narrow path on a horse, and finally, at last we get to Namche. I'm last, but this time because I stopped to watch Nepal's national bird, the Monar, grubbing around in a field in good numbers. The male is like a pheasant, with seven colours, some iridescent.
We have tea and biscuits and wait for the porters, mine and Kristin's are last as one of them had to run back to help another one who had got sick. He's so apologetic it's painful, so we give him a biscuit. The dining area is full of Germans so I don't hang about, and I go and check emails. It's nice to hear from B again, it's been hard being away from her. Kristin and I sit and chat and she has a beer, I resist the temptation and go to bed at 8 with her taking the piss loudly in the background. Our rooms are thinly divided and we keep each other awake shuffling in our bags, she farts incredibly loudly for a woman - if you're reading this you know it's true......
Then with mind racing about things at home, Gabe snoring and mice running around I lay awake for ages. Gabe takes a great pic of me all hunkered down in the bag, propped up by various bits of clothing.... And finally I sleep!
We have tea and biscuits and wait for the porters, mine and Kristin's are last as one of them had to run back to help another one who had got sick. He's so apologetic it's painful, so we give him a biscuit. The dining area is full of Germans so I don't hang about, and I go and check emails. It's nice to hear from B again, it's been hard being away from her. Kristin and I sit and chat and she has a beer, I resist the temptation and go to bed at 8 with her taking the piss loudly in the background. Our rooms are thinly divided and we keep each other awake shuffling in our bags, she farts incredibly loudly for a woman - if you're reading this you know it's true......
Then with mind racing about things at home, Gabe snoring and mice running around I lay awake for ages. Gabe takes a great pic of me all hunkered down in the bag, propped up by various bits of clothing.... And finally I sleep!
Thursday 11 November 2010
Himalayan Nights
I wake at 8, the lodge is fantastic here, and Sangay gets me to try hot seabuckthorn instead of wake up tea. It's a local fruit, and is really nice. I eat some apple porridge, and look across at Imja, through the window, with the sun at my back. I have three days to recover and gain my strength. Sangay suggests I try some light hiking to try and acclimatise again, the diamox has ben giving me pins and needles in my feet, and it makes it uncomfortable to walk, but I'll give it a go.
I ask him about medication for my chest, and he seeks out another MMA guide, and they chat in Nepali. I clearly hear them talking about HAPE, and then I am told there is no medication - just rest. Yesterday Jim had ben keen for me to go to Periche, which is a hospital on the way yo Dengboche, but Finjo wouldn't hear of it. He feels that they would have medivaced me back to KTM without really checking me over as they have some kind of deal wiyj yje rescue chopper. They know my insurance would cover it. Anyway, I sit in silence for a bit as I realise it could have been a lot more serious than I realised. I'm not entirely sure what they were talking about, but if I did have, or come close to having HAPE then I am lucky to be sitting here typing!
Gabe arrives at the lodge and the news is not good. He's come back after a night of being ill and tired. The lodges at Lobuche were rammed and no-one ha been well. Fletch is very sick indeed, and was to be sent down, but changed his mind. Ken sat up all night with him I learn later, while he tried to manage Chaine-Stokes episodes. He also spent two hours in the decrompression bag in an effort to get more oxygen into him. Gbae also says both the girls have had an off fay too. It's good to have Gabe back though, he's been such a help - even folding my sleeping bag when I was too feeble to do it one morning.
I take him round Dengboche but he's clearly shattered and goes top bed. There's a no day sleeping rule, but we've all had to break it.
In the lodge there's lots of pictures nad mountain gear layiong around. There's an ice-ax with 'Hilary 1953' on it, which I think is a hoax until I discover that the man smiling out of all the pictures with Sir Ed is none other than the lodge owner himself, Sonma Hishi Sherpa. A bit of a legend in these parts apparently.
As I wirte this, I see Imja again and I decide to go to Base Camp. and chuck everything at it if I have a good sleep there. It's daunting, but not as daunting as Ama Dablam which rises out of the river opposite. It's fearsome, and also beautiful. I can also see the south face of Lhotse, so step little snow sticks to it, Cholatse and a host of other peaks.
I spend the afternoon reading, and Gabe sleps fully dressed in his bag! After 5 hours in bed he's still really tired, so I go and find Sangay and sit and cha5t with him, and he writes in my notebook - a little something to make me smile and also to make me think.
Later we watch the imax film about Everest in the company of one of the guides for the expedition, a man who had been talking to me over lunch about my cough, and giving me some advice. By the end of the film he has a glass full of Rakshi, and eyes full of tears.
28/10
Another day of recuperation. Hiked up the hill to the Gompa for some aweesome views, and I can look back to Chola, and see just how far I managed to walk a couple of days back. The views are stunning. I spent some expensive time catching up on emails, washing (at last!!) and reading. I mailed Bernie to say I had been a little bit ill, not wanting to worry her. I figure I'll tell her before I blog. It wouldn't be a nice way to find out how close things seemed to be.
Sangay tells me that a flock of birds that fly past are penguins, which makes me chuckle, and at 1600 the whole team arrives. No-one went to EBC, and hardly anyone bothered with Kala Pattar. Fletch looks shot. The schedule is tight and there's no time to recover once you are ill.
I'm feeling better, and despite being sick I am loving it here, the views, the walking, and just the whole experience. It's tough but you find things out about yourself on the way!
At the Gompa and picked out B's name in stones and sat looking at Imja. I realised I didn't care anymore if I climbed it. The journey has become the main thing, noit the result. I have been able to get away from the stresses of home and put my mind straight. The sickness has focused me too.
It's a nice evening as part of the team again, he play cards and chat and Fletch says he's pretty much decided to quit. It's sad he feels like that, but I can see why. I'm going to carry on for now, but I had more rest thaNn he did. He hasn't slept for 4 days and just doesn't have it left any more. I manage to get him to eat some of my fruit cocktail, and he crams down some Pringles. I hope he sticks around.
29/10
Fletch quits. He's had enough. He's been sick for too long and needs to go down. He seems happy to go and we'll see him in KTM, but I'm sorry he's going because he's a good bloke and good company. We don't do anything today, I sunbathe, while the others wrap up in down jackets. it's not COLD people!! Lon has amusing incident where Finjo is trying to find him and he's on the toilet. It ends upo with Lon shouting 'I am taking a f***ing crap' at some poor trekker who was waiting outside the toilet to use it. Early to bed, 6 hour yomp tomorrow......
30/10 Dengboche to Base Camp
Strike out at 9, after dumoping as muchg gear as I dare, I feel strong and working well. Everything is good until we reach Chukkung, then it happens again. I am coughing, and it gets so harsh I start coughing up blood again. It's not much but it's annoying. My lips go blue then crack, and my nose is peeling. I can hardly drink anything and the whole thing is miserable.
We watch a chopper circling Ama Dablam, which is bad news, and as Jim and I notice, there's lenticular cloud over Lhotse and Pumori, which is really bad news.
We reach base camp around 1600, set up gear bags and muck around with plastic boots. We all congregate in the mess tents and eat the best food I've had in Nepal. Except, my appetite is going again. I know I'm unlikely to climb.
The night passes sleeplessly, I have to pee maybe a hundred times, but I least I get to see the amazing skies. I have never sen so many stars. It's sad though, my heart is racing, my chest is pounding and I feel like I asm drowning all night. I have a constantly running nose, and a cake of blood and snot at the back of m,y throat. I'm living the dream!
Gabe moans about his fleece liner feeling like a coffin, then falls asleep, while I lay there wishing I was at home with Bernie.
30/10
I bail this morning. I have had enough. Finjo tries to get me in the gammow bag, but 2 hours in there, or two hours walk to Chukkung...... I tell him I'm quitting. I know it's the right thing, I have no strength. I'm gutted and I feel a bit of a failure, but I really want to go home in one piece, and the desire to fo that is greater than the desire to climb.
I'm suprised when Ken and Jim bail too, the cloud base has plummeted and it's snowing hard. The four remaining may not even get the chance to climb tonight if the weather continues. Neema is so happy to be coming fown with us he dances around base camp and then shoots off so fast we have to almost run to keep up. We have to call him back at Chukkung so we can have tea. Ken and I walk round and get yak attacked, and take a few pictures of the snow, but we're pretty subdued.
I am thinking of home, and my friends on the mountain, and what I want to do with life when I get back. I am sad to come down but when you are hallucinating, sneezing blood, can't eat or sleep and have most of your face peeling off it's time to come down. My high point is about 16500ft, higher than anywhere in western europe and most of the US. I have walked in the footsteps of giants, slept in lodges where my heroes have stayed, seen amazing things, meet awesome people and answered questions about myself. I am now one of those going down, but I am going down a different person. I am no longer one of the pained faces going up, and my load will be a lot lighter.
1/11
Finally sleep. It's a beautiful thing. I had a beer last night, my first in thre weeks, and I quietly toast those on the hill. It's 8 am when we wake and there's a deep layer of snow. The team should be on the fixed rope now, but Neema thinks they won't climb. We wait for news. It has warmed uyp from about 15 below last night, and Harjaramah is revelling in looking after us. I've done email and caught up with friends and the good lady herself, which cheers me up no end. I pack gear ready for the off tomorrow. Three more days and we're back in Lukla, the tear in my throat seems to be healing, and there's no blood now.
1400 - no sign of the others and no news, we're still waiting.
1600 - Gabe and Kristin arrive with news of a terrible night in which the tents were blown around and they had to shout to speak to each other. No-one went up, but IngeElin and Lon have stayed to have a go tonight. This means tomorrow we're out of Dengboche, but will have to walk further - Namche - something like 9 hours away, finishing with a climb of about 800m. Which is annoying. It's never easy in the mountains!!!
I ask him about medication for my chest, and he seeks out another MMA guide, and they chat in Nepali. I clearly hear them talking about HAPE, and then I am told there is no medication - just rest. Yesterday Jim had ben keen for me to go to Periche, which is a hospital on the way yo Dengboche, but Finjo wouldn't hear of it. He feels that they would have medivaced me back to KTM without really checking me over as they have some kind of deal wiyj yje rescue chopper. They know my insurance would cover it. Anyway, I sit in silence for a bit as I realise it could have been a lot more serious than I realised. I'm not entirely sure what they were talking about, but if I did have, or come close to having HAPE then I am lucky to be sitting here typing!
Gabe arrives at the lodge and the news is not good. He's come back after a night of being ill and tired. The lodges at Lobuche were rammed and no-one ha been well. Fletch is very sick indeed, and was to be sent down, but changed his mind. Ken sat up all night with him I learn later, while he tried to manage Chaine-Stokes episodes. He also spent two hours in the decrompression bag in an effort to get more oxygen into him. Gbae also says both the girls have had an off fay too. It's good to have Gabe back though, he's been such a help - even folding my sleeping bag when I was too feeble to do it one morning.
I take him round Dengboche but he's clearly shattered and goes top bed. There's a no day sleeping rule, but we've all had to break it.
In the lodge there's lots of pictures nad mountain gear layiong around. There's an ice-ax with 'Hilary 1953' on it, which I think is a hoax until I discover that the man smiling out of all the pictures with Sir Ed is none other than the lodge owner himself, Sonma Hishi Sherpa. A bit of a legend in these parts apparently.
As I wirte this, I see Imja again and I decide to go to Base Camp. and chuck everything at it if I have a good sleep there. It's daunting, but not as daunting as Ama Dablam which rises out of the river opposite. It's fearsome, and also beautiful. I can also see the south face of Lhotse, so step little snow sticks to it, Cholatse and a host of other peaks.
I spend the afternoon reading, and Gabe sleps fully dressed in his bag! After 5 hours in bed he's still really tired, so I go and find Sangay and sit and cha5t with him, and he writes in my notebook - a little something to make me smile and also to make me think.
Later we watch the imax film about Everest in the company of one of the guides for the expedition, a man who had been talking to me over lunch about my cough, and giving me some advice. By the end of the film he has a glass full of Rakshi, and eyes full of tears.
28/10
Another day of recuperation. Hiked up the hill to the Gompa for some aweesome views, and I can look back to Chola, and see just how far I managed to walk a couple of days back. The views are stunning. I spent some expensive time catching up on emails, washing (at last!!) and reading. I mailed Bernie to say I had been a little bit ill, not wanting to worry her. I figure I'll tell her before I blog. It wouldn't be a nice way to find out how close things seemed to be.
Sangay tells me that a flock of birds that fly past are penguins, which makes me chuckle, and at 1600 the whole team arrives. No-one went to EBC, and hardly anyone bothered with Kala Pattar. Fletch looks shot. The schedule is tight and there's no time to recover once you are ill.
I'm feeling better, and despite being sick I am loving it here, the views, the walking, and just the whole experience. It's tough but you find things out about yourself on the way!
At the Gompa and picked out B's name in stones and sat looking at Imja. I realised I didn't care anymore if I climbed it. The journey has become the main thing, noit the result. I have been able to get away from the stresses of home and put my mind straight. The sickness has focused me too.
It's a nice evening as part of the team again, he play cards and chat and Fletch says he's pretty much decided to quit. It's sad he feels like that, but I can see why. I'm going to carry on for now, but I had more rest thaNn he did. He hasn't slept for 4 days and just doesn't have it left any more. I manage to get him to eat some of my fruit cocktail, and he crams down some Pringles. I hope he sticks around.
29/10
Fletch quits. He's had enough. He's been sick for too long and needs to go down. He seems happy to go and we'll see him in KTM, but I'm sorry he's going because he's a good bloke and good company. We don't do anything today, I sunbathe, while the others wrap up in down jackets. it's not COLD people!! Lon has amusing incident where Finjo is trying to find him and he's on the toilet. It ends upo with Lon shouting 'I am taking a f***ing crap' at some poor trekker who was waiting outside the toilet to use it. Early to bed, 6 hour yomp tomorrow......
30/10 Dengboche to Base Camp
Strike out at 9, after dumoping as muchg gear as I dare, I feel strong and working well. Everything is good until we reach Chukkung, then it happens again. I am coughing, and it gets so harsh I start coughing up blood again. It's not much but it's annoying. My lips go blue then crack, and my nose is peeling. I can hardly drink anything and the whole thing is miserable.
We watch a chopper circling Ama Dablam, which is bad news, and as Jim and I notice, there's lenticular cloud over Lhotse and Pumori, which is really bad news.
We reach base camp around 1600, set up gear bags and muck around with plastic boots. We all congregate in the mess tents and eat the best food I've had in Nepal. Except, my appetite is going again. I know I'm unlikely to climb.
The night passes sleeplessly, I have to pee maybe a hundred times, but I least I get to see the amazing skies. I have never sen so many stars. It's sad though, my heart is racing, my chest is pounding and I feel like I asm drowning all night. I have a constantly running nose, and a cake of blood and snot at the back of m,y throat. I'm living the dream!
Gabe moans about his fleece liner feeling like a coffin, then falls asleep, while I lay there wishing I was at home with Bernie.
30/10
I bail this morning. I have had enough. Finjo tries to get me in the gammow bag, but 2 hours in there, or two hours walk to Chukkung...... I tell him I'm quitting. I know it's the right thing, I have no strength. I'm gutted and I feel a bit of a failure, but I really want to go home in one piece, and the desire to fo that is greater than the desire to climb.
I'm suprised when Ken and Jim bail too, the cloud base has plummeted and it's snowing hard. The four remaining may not even get the chance to climb tonight if the weather continues. Neema is so happy to be coming fown with us he dances around base camp and then shoots off so fast we have to almost run to keep up. We have to call him back at Chukkung so we can have tea. Ken and I walk round and get yak attacked, and take a few pictures of the snow, but we're pretty subdued.
I am thinking of home, and my friends on the mountain, and what I want to do with life when I get back. I am sad to come down but when you are hallucinating, sneezing blood, can't eat or sleep and have most of your face peeling off it's time to come down. My high point is about 16500ft, higher than anywhere in western europe and most of the US. I have walked in the footsteps of giants, slept in lodges where my heroes have stayed, seen amazing things, meet awesome people and answered questions about myself. I am now one of those going down, but I am going down a different person. I am no longer one of the pained faces going up, and my load will be a lot lighter.
1/11
Finally sleep. It's a beautiful thing. I had a beer last night, my first in thre weeks, and I quietly toast those on the hill. It's 8 am when we wake and there's a deep layer of snow. The team should be on the fixed rope now, but Neema thinks they won't climb. We wait for news. It has warmed uyp from about 15 below last night, and Harjaramah is revelling in looking after us. I've done email and caught up with friends and the good lady herself, which cheers me up no end. I pack gear ready for the off tomorrow. Three more days and we're back in Lukla, the tear in my throat seems to be healing, and there's no blood now.
1400 - no sign of the others and no news, we're still waiting.
1600 - Gabe and Kristin arrive with news of a terrible night in which the tents were blown around and they had to shout to speak to each other. No-one went up, but IngeElin and Lon have stayed to have a go tonight. This means tomorrow we're out of Dengboche, but will have to walk further - Namche - something like 9 hours away, finishing with a climb of about 800m. Which is annoying. It's never easy in the mountains!!!
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