Apologies for the delay in updating but there were a few hiccups in setting up the basecamp comms tent. However, I am now here and settled into my tent, my new home from home for the next 6-7 weeks.
So, we left Dingboche on Thursday last week and trekked to Lobuche, then next day to Gorak Shep were I had my first dose of ill health. The bit of a cold I had developed into something a little more serious and my sinuses were totally blocked - not good at 5,000m were breathing is difficult at the best of times! However, after a bad night and a lot of sudafed I was ok to travel up to basecamp the next day.
We arrived around midday on Saturday and spent the next day and a half just getting used to our new surroundings and also doing even more washing of myself and clothes. However, I've decided that shaving is a real chore up here and I'm contemplating giving it up until I get home - only contemplating at the moment!
Basecamp is very comfortable. I have a 5 man tent to myself so there's plenty of space for all my stuff, and we have a very nice mess tent with all home comforts including a DVD player.
Yesterday morning we had a Puja ceremony, were we ask for the permission of the gods to enter onto the mountain. This basically consisted of sitting cross-legged for about an hour while a lama incanted prayers and then throwing rice around, smearing each other with flour and drinking the local hooch.
Then this morning the real business began and we went onto the glacier to practice crossing crevasses on ladders, abseiling and other techniques. Tomorrow morning at 6.00 we will make our first venture into the icefall proper. Quite daunting, but I am glad to be finally getting the real business underway.
Bye for now, I'll update you as to how I got on in a few days.
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That was quick, I didn't think you were due to arrive there until later this week. Hope you're feeling better, and the local firewater proved an effective antiseptic for your lurgy! Good luck on the icefall, please don't fall off! x
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the trip to Base camp. Can't have been easy, with a bunged up nose.
ReplyDeleteNews on the footie results, Liverpool had a nightmare vs Chelsea in the European cup, United had another lucky last minute win. In the leauge...Toffees threw away a 2-0 and a 3-1 lead to finish up 3-3 with Villa. Both sides exhausted at the end, great game for the neutral!
Not that you care but Woles are now only one win away from a trip back to Premiership football.
I have just returned from an exhasting hill-walk with extended family, we conquered the huge 'DIVIS' mountain outside Belfast, to be rewarded with magnificient views (between the clouds) of the city below. A massive height of 478 meters, admittedly from a car park at about 350 M!!!!!.
Good luck on the wobbly ladders, keep your crampons clean!
good grief, am i reading this correctly, after all the stick you have given me about Venus and the pink candles - I am now to believe you sat around for a whole hour having a food fight and talking to the gods!
ReplyDeleteSeriously that made me laugh, as did you having an IT problem at 5000m (there is no escaping it!). Surely you should know by now you just switch it off and reboot!
How many are in your group? quite nice that you have a big tent to yourself though - eh.
well its grand to hear you are at the big B-Camp and (nose apart) are all tickerty boo. You really do sound in good spirits and its lovely to get the little updates. I now have a big map of Everest and i'm plotting where you have been - tis rather brilliant.
PS - i have the Oceans (11, 12 & 13) box set, you can borrow it of you like