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Quick little update for those of you following along.

We’re back from the trek/adventure part of the trip, and we’re now on the vacation/relaxation part, woohoo!

We arrived back in Kathmandu to be taken to a gorgeous resort known as the Park Villa. A pool (one of only 3 in the city), western style amenities, clean sheets, and a hot shower… We feel like royalty.

Today we’re heading to Chitwan National Park and Game Reserve. The plan is to ride Elephants, see Tigers and Rhinos, and swim with Crocodiles ( ;) ) over the next 3days.

We’re unsure if they have Internet, but if they do we’ll throw up a post or two.

I still have 2 or 3 articles to write about our trip. I’ll try and get to those asap.

Talk soon.

This one is published a little late took me a bit to write it.

April 14th, 440am. The ringing starts, no one moves. It gets louder, still nothing. We’re both tucked into our warm sleeping bags, and no one wants to touch the alarm because it’s -6c in our room. Finally, Chelsea reaches over and turns it off. We leave in 20minutes, well, 19 now. Head lamps on, there is actually very little to do. We slept in the clothes we’d be wearing today, our water bottles are full, and we have snacks in our backpacks.

It’s barely light out, just enough to see. There’s a 150 meter dune of rocks we must cross to start up the hill. Kala Patthar is a trekking peak located across the Khumbu glacier from Everest and it’s neighboring peaks Lhotse and Nuptse. As we start up the mountain, we’re heading straight up hill. I’m freezing cold, my lungs are pumping, and my heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears. There are 4 steps to this mountain, and we’re 20% of the way up the first.

10 minutes later, still on the first step my world starts to spin. My eyes are fuzzy, I’m going to throw up. Darkness is taking over. All I see is a black circle, closing like the shutter of a camera in slow motion. I shake it off. 3 deep breaths and a physical head shake, I’m back to reality. 17,000 feet and climbing. Left foot forward, breathe in, breathe out, right foot forward, repeat. I keep telling myself it’s a mental struggle, not a physical one. I’ve been here before, I can do it again. 5 steps later it starts, again. Dizziness, I’m going to vomit, I’m not getting enough oxygen, my body loses control and I jerk forward like I just fell asleep. I pull myself up on my trekking poles and manage to find a place to sit down. I was seconds away from going face down, half way up a mountain in the middle of the Himalayas. Things are not going well. I’m conscious, and that’s about it. A chill sets in through my body like never before. Thoughts, and pictures, of hypothermia run through my head. I ask someone to get Eoin. Seconds later he shows up, with Kami by his side. We go over the last 2minutes of my life, the future does not look good.

‘you’ve got two options’ he says after a brief discussion. ‘either take the oxygen, or go down’. HA!! 10 days of hiking through these mountains, I am not turning back. Kami breaks open his bag and pulls out the mask, throttles the regulator to full, and we wait. We wait there until my head stops spinning. It only takes a few minutes. I can’t say I was back to normal, but the worse was over. Eoin and I were way behind the group, but we didn’t care. He wanted me at the top as much as I wanted to be there. We moved at a pace that would have turtles second looking. 30minutes later the sun was starting to crest over Everest. The clouds were not clear, by any means, but we had a spectacular view. There’s a cloud blanketing the entire bottom of the valley, which we are now above, and there is a small fog still lingering around the summit of Everest. We are in the middle, and it’s crystal clear. I have the mask off my face for right now, getting some water and a snack, and Kami starts rhyming off the mountains in order from right to left across our view. There’s about 12 peaks, all above 20,000feet in this range, and I can only remember a few. Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu. After Kami finishes his statement with ‘Now that’s Hey good looking’. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment in my life.

I continued using oxygen until we were about 30minutes from the top, which was about another hour and a bit.

We made it. Eoin and I showed up to the top of the mountain a good 45minutes after everyone else, Chelsea included, but at least we made it.

Everest was not very clear that day as the weather changed every 5 minutes for the next half hour. We got our pictures and got the hell out of there.

The rest of the day was quite arduous. We left the tea house in Gorak Shep at 5am and got into Pheriche at 615pm. There was very little chatter around the dinner table that night, mostly just tired bodies filling their faces then sliding off for some much needed sleep.

So here it is, the first video blog of the trip. Not much to report, and super late because there is no solid Internet connection to upload it from.

We are now back in Namche, after going to basecamp and back.

April 15th, 2011… Captains log :) jkjk. I’m currently down out of the altitude, so I’m feeling a hell of a lot better then I was the last 2 days.

Let’s rewind a few days.

April 13th, we leave Lobuche at 6am and head out for Gorak Shep(5180m). We arrive at 1015am, 4hours of walking above 17,000ft feels like hell. We settle into the tea house, and get ready for the trip to basecamp. I am feeling way more confident knowing what I’m getting myself into this year.

After the morning haul, our afternoon stroll would have been blissful, but there is very little blissful about going up and down 100meter hills for 2 hours with 50% of the oxygen available at sea-level. When we got there, the welcome mat was outstanding. A 10foot high pile of rocks, covered in tattered and torn cloth, a flattened piece of rock marked with a sharpie ‘Everest Base Camp – 5364meters’. It may not sound like the end of an epic journey, but trust me, that lump of rock covered in prayer flags should be an 8th wonder of the world.

It took us another 2.5 hours of ‘slowly slowly’ before we finally returned to the tea house for the night. Quick eats, and straight to bed, leaving at 5am for Kala Patthar.

Nepal, day… Shit, I can’t remember anymore. It’s April 12th. Today we left Pheriche(4270mt) for Lobuche(4925mt). The walk took 6 hours, and was mostly up hill.

We’ve all been asked to reduce our luggage from a bag each, to a bag per pair. As we sorted the bags this morning to be loaded onto the animals everything seemed fine, but something obviously went wrong.

We got to Lobuche at around 2 and started to check into our rooms. Everyone grabbed their bags, except there wasn’t enough to go around. Some how, some way, someones bag was missed.

2pm now, day light ends at 545, that math doesn’t work. Kami, our Sherpa guide, and Pasang Nuru, the owner/driver of our pack animals, offer to go retrieve the bag.

At Sherpa pace, the boys took off in a flash and headed back into the valley we had just come from. Sherpa pace is double, sometimes triple that of the average westerner.

3hours 31minutes later they appear on the horizon, bag in hand. Like the true unsung heroes of the Himalayan trekking community, they were happy to assist their clients in any way they take. These boys are so amazing, I do not have the time or the energy to fully describe how wonderful they really are.

Tomorrow we leave for basecamp. The next 2 days should be very difficult, but extremely rewarding. Next update when I find Internet.

Sitting here in Pheriche, at 4270meters, I don’t care where you are in Canada or the lower 48, I am higher then you. We are higher then any mountain, or set of peaks, in the rockies. The air is thin, we are working with an atmospheric pressure nearly half of what is the norm in British Columbia, where we are from. For those of you who care, the barometer is giving me a recording of 562hPa. For each breath we take, we only get 2/3rds the oxygen in our lungs then at sea level. Everything is a struggle, and I mean everything. Walking to the bathroom renders you breathless. Brushing your teeth makes you gasp for air. The joys of altitude.

Well well well, another posting. Thank god! I bet you were worried, heh. Chelsea and I tried to do a video post from the top of Namche Bazar, but I have been unable to find a WiFi connection in the last 3 days to upload it.

We’ve moved from Namche to Kyangjuma (mistake in an earlier post) on Day 5 and stayed with Tashi and Lhakpa.

On the way we passed by a semi-abandoned airfield at Shumjung, which usage was stopped for passenger planes due to the high volume of crashes. We stopped for lunch at the Everest View Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in all of Nepal ($300USD/night), where every suite has an epic view of the mountain range surrounding and including Mt Everest. In the early afternoon we headed down to Khumjung for a visit at the Hillary School. Sir Edmund Hillary summited Everest in 1953, and along with his mountaineering greatness, he was a humanitarian above all else. He left behind a legacy of hospitals and schools and was instrumental in educating the Sherpa people. He brought healthcare, schools, and the chimney (before Hillary the life expectancy of a Sherpa was 45 due to respiratory infections from the lack of ventilation from their in-home campfires. With the implementation of the chimney, this number grew to 65+). Chelsea, who is now referred to as Hunny by everyone on the trek, and I purchased a painting from the head teacher at the Hillary School. In his spare time he paints the landscapes around the Himalayas and sells them from his art gallery located on school grounds. All proceeds go directly to helping fund the edication of the local Sherpa children.

Day 6 and we’re on a roll. We got up early to a wonderful view of my now favorite mountain, Ama Dablam. We had a very hard day ahead of us, so it was breakfast at 7, and on the trail by 8.

Down 100ft, up 1000ft, arriving in Tengboche around 11am. Tengboche holds the largest monastery in all of Nepal, and I believe it is the highest monastery in the world. We said a few prayers, took a few photos, and we were on our way to Pengboche where we would spend the night. After a long day of up, down, Sherpa flat, we ate dinner, played a few hands of Rummy, and headed straight to bed. That evening it snowed… just what we needed!

at 6:50am on Day 7 we opened our door to find a 2″ blanket of snow covering the entire valley. Our original plans were to hit the basecamp of Ama Dablam, but a change of plans had us heading to Pheriche instead. A 3 days acclimation at the Himalayan Lodge will be great for our mind, body, and souls.

Day 8, our first ‘rest day’ included a 1700ft climb directly uphill for a view of Dingboche. We should have been able to see Island Peak, and Makalu, however the weather was not behaving. Infact, while we were at the top of the hill we climbed, it started snow!

Anyway, we’re staying in a nice tea house which is the equal to a Hilton in the part of the world we are located. Showers cost about $6, and the rooms are ice cold pretty much 24/7, but it’s clean and the dinning room has a fire from 4pm-9pm. What more can you ask for?

Expect another update in 2-3 days from Gorek Shep, before our departure to Basecamp of Everest, or when we have returned.

Whoops… sorry about the delay in blogs, this trekking business has been taking a lot out of me. I am not exactly sure where I left off, so I’ll fill you in from our visit to Bhakatpur.
Bhaktapur is an ancient kingdom located about 40minutes away from Kathmandu. We toured the entire city in about 3 hours including an educational lesson on Thanka art. I purchased one last year during the class, so there was no need to buy another one as I still have yet to properly hang the one I have at home. At the end of our city tour, we visited a few tourist shops to purchase some authentic, hand crafted souvenirs. While Chelsea and I visited this one shop, she was interested in buying a very popular game in the country known as ‘Tigers and Lambs’. “No hunny, I don’t think we need to buy one of those” I say to Chelsea, the owner of the shop interjects with “Hunny, that’s a wonderful name”. Heh. After some bartering (which I love, and am quite good at) over the price of the game, we decided to purchase it and headed for the bus. During our departure from the store front, the owner asked for my name so I introduced myself, and he replied “Thank you Keith and Hunny”.
The following day we woke at 4am to be ready for the 4:45am bus departure for the airport. The airport had far fewer people than the year before, which was quite pleasant. We boarded the first Yeti Air flight of the day, and we were on our way.
Arriving in Lukla(2840m) at around 10am, we made a short walk down a cobble stone path to Funuru’s tea house and cyber cafe. A quick round of breakfast while Pasang Nuru (our JokJok [low altitude Yaks] driver) gathered our packs to be loaded for the days trip to Gha(2592m)t. After breakfast we made the 2 hour leisurely stroll to to the International Khumbu Cafe, owned by our Sherpa guide Kami. The tea house is owned by Kami and his wife Pasang Yangjee, and their 3 gorgeous daughters. With a wonderful home cooked meal prepared by the lady of the house full in our stomachs, the entire group was fast asleep by 9pm.
Day two of the trek started with an early breakfast as we made our way up the Khumbu valley towards the town of Jorsale(2740m) where we stayed at the Nirvana Lodge. One of the better looking tea houses in the valley so far, clean bedrooms and a clean bathroom… what more can you ask for? By 8pm the group started to fade off so we headed for bed. Except for the rats that sounded like the size of a house cat scurrying around the ceiling from about 12midnight to 3am, I had a pretty good sleep.
Day three was our first big altitude gain of the trip. We made our way from Jorsale(2740m) to Namche Bazar(3440m) in about 2hours and 15minutes. This was pretty much a straight uphill climb with only 1 real break on the way. The highlight of the day was our first glimpse at Mt Everest(8848m). Our rest stop, halfway through the days trek, was a plateau specifically designed for pictures of the big hill, and the rejuvenating sense of why we were here energized everyone for the remaining hour and 15minutes of the hike.
Day four of the trip was our first rest day, and no one was complaining about that. We had breakfast at 8, and set out on a little hike up a small hill to check out the Solukhumbu Museum. Upon arriving on the top of the hill we had an epic view of Everest(8848m), Lhotse(8516m), and Ama Dablam(6814m). The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and life was good. The jet stream was pulling a train of snow and moisture off the top of Everest that made it look like the cape of a super hero. Simply amazing. We entered the Museum to learn about the life and culture of the Sherpa people. Over 400 years ago the Sherpa people came to the Khumbu valley to escape political unrest in Tibet, and they were given the Tibetan name Sher-pa, meaning east-people. The rest of the day was spent touring the town of Namche Bazar and buying some authentic ‘Sherpa Adventure Gear’ clothing. As I am writing this blog I am sitting in the dining room of the Khumbu Lodge in Namche chatting with Lindsay Doig and Pappa (Eoin) White while Mamma (Colleen) White and Ngima Yangjee play a modified game of go-fish.
Tomorrow we set off for Chumjung to stay at the Ama Dablam View Lodge with Tashi and her husband Lhapka (pronounced Hak-ba).

Same same but different they say in south east Asia, and ain’t that the truth. Not much has changed in the year since I’ve been here in the city of brotherly love (men hold each others hands in Nepal, with no sexual connotation what so ever). Singing bowls, guided treks, North Fake (aka knock-off North Face), and much much more is offered from street hustlers the minute you leave the grounds of the glorious Kathmandu Guest House. Life ain’t too shabby right now, I can tell you that.

After a visit to the holiest crematorium in the city, we visited the Monkey Temple for some of the best views of the Kathmandu valley you can get. Traffic was the usual, grid locked and mayhem, as we returned to the guest house for the day.

Chelsea and I set out to patronage some of the local trekking shops for some souvenirs and other random items. A few new pairs of pants, a jacket, some other paraphernalia, and we headed back home. Pappa Eoin had arranged a little roof-top soirée for us this evening.

Cocktails, appys, and some good laughs were had by all. Our fellow Trekkers on this journey are quite the bag of mixed nuts. We’re here with Eoin (our leader, aka Pappa, or Coach) and his wife Colleen, Bob and Diane (a Canadian couple celebrating their 1year anniversary the day we are scheduled to reach Kala Pattar), AK and B (a Nepalese couple who are our local tour guides while in Kathmandu, making their first trek to Everest Base Camp), and Graham and Christine (a couple of Kiwis from New Zealand). Side note about New Zealand, Sir Edmund Hillary (first official summiter of Mt Everest) was a Kiwi, and the country has both of picture of Hillary and Everest on their $5 note.

All in all, a great group of people to spend the next 20 days with.

I was able to secure myself a SIM card with Internet connectivity for the trip. For those of you following along at home, we should be able to have a fairly consistent flow of articles going up the our site.

More to come…

We’re now boarding flight AC007 to Hong Kong, woop woop! Thank god.

I’m anxious today. Didn’t have breakfast, didn’t need to, probably couldn’t eat anyway. I don’t feel ill, but my stomach knows what’s going on. The first leg of this race is 13hours, and that is less than appealing.

The next 21days are going to be amazing. I know this, because I’ve done it before. Sitting in the Air Canada Lounge (thanks Coach!) before the flight, we were discussing the fact we’re taking the same ‘across the world’ trip we’ve taken before, and the merits of doing so. Yes, I am sure there are equally cultural experiences to be had elsewhere on this great planet of ours, but what’s wrong with sticking what you like?

Get ready to join us on our incredible adventure. We will be doing our best to share our experiences, so check back daily.