Well, that was one heck of a trip!!
On day 14 of 21, we made it to Everest Base Camp. It was one of the most epic challenges I think any of us have or will ever do. I will admit that I severely underestimated how tough that trek would be. We spent a great deal of time lifting Pip....so much that we had to modify the trail rider with a yolk at the back and webbing at the front so weight could be carried on our skeletal frames as opposed to using muscle all the time.
We had some long hard days of 6-8 hours and climbed from 9,000ft to over 18,000ft. Part of what made the journey tough was our afternoon scrambles. We would trek in the morning from one small village to the next, take a couple hours break then a few of us would venture off for a speed hike to see how high we could get. We would take our guides altitude watch and go up a few more hundred meters, usually at a running pace then rip down.
We had incredible weather and saw every peak in the area.....every morning was crisp and clear and we were treated to the most incredible views I've ever seen. We stayed in Sherpa tea huts that are heated by a big wood stove that mostly burns Yak dung.....quite hard on the lungs and definitely resulted in some infections.....I'm still recovering.
There were so many highlights it's hard to mention them all but here are a few:
Pip at Base Camp and Kalapathar
Our two primary goals were Base camp and Kalapathar....both over 5,000m. Base camp because it is base camp and Kalapathar because it offers the best views of Everest. Both are accessed from Gorak Shep, a tiny two building village at 5,100m elevation. Cold, harsh nights and high altitude.....to give some perspective, two Thai trekkers died the night we were there from high altitude sickness.
The Team
We had hands down the best possible team you could have assembled for something like this. Three weeks working together with no dramas or issues....we simply just worked stuff out. I think it was the absence of ego and everyone focused on a common goal that was the key to it all. We had a mission and everyone wanted it to succeed....not for their own gain but for the gain of the group and for Pip. True teamwork is possible when everyone is in a position to contribute value. Everyone on the trip had a role to play and everyone did it with enthusiasm. Nobody had to turn back....a first for a large group....very cool.
The workload
We live for that stuff as I put it to my mom one day who was rather worried we were overextending ourselves. There were some epic days with lots of lifting. The base camp day was like a mission.....we went hard and with little rest and no lunch.....combined with the previous days ascent of Kalapathar and we were smashed that night.....I feel like all my fitness for this year went into those two days. I wouldn't have made it if I hadn't been fit and I was thankful for that.
Meals
It's amazing what we take for granted here. Meals on the trek are all prepared from scratch and prepared from what is available. When meals were ordered you could count on 2 hours at least to get the food. If you ordered veggies, they were literally picked from outside....anything to do with bread or pastry was prepared from scratch on the spot. Combine that with 14-20 people ordering food and one wood stove to cook on and it gives some idea of what goes into it all. It was a good shot of perspective.
The People
Are simply incredible.....so tough, so humble. Porters my size carrying loads of 60-100kg from a strap across their heads......shoes falling apart or even sandals. They make so little money, have basically the clothes on their backs and are never without a big smile and kind words. We were all humbled by it and i hope to never forget it.
Kathmandu
Nuts! Traffic with no apparent rules, 4-6 family members on one motorbike, animals everywhere, extreme poverty......quite the experience. We stayed in an old Palace of the kings so we were able to escape into our own little world......at $25/night for a 3 person room with a shower it is considered expensive and it is one of the nicer places to be......perspective is everything.
The Culture
So different, yet so accepting. The Sherpa people particularly......the treks people do are essentially century old highways.....walking highways....for goods and wares going up and down to and from different villages. These people are carrying on a way of life that has been going for years and little has changed except perhaps the goods they carry. Everything up there has been carried by someone so when you see a bottle of coke that is a 5 day walk in with no roads, it makes you appreciate it a bit more.
The Epiphany
I found the best part about the trip was that I was able to strip off all the nonsense that I deal with at home....there was no background noise, no ego's, no alternate agenda's, no need for material garbage......you strip away all the nonsense and rediscover what's at your core. No wonder these things are life changing for people......I would argue it's not really life changing but just rediscovering your true nature....which is always there, it just gets loaded up with societies crap. This was the best part for me and I can't wait to do it again.
