Hike's attempt to climb Mt. Everest Blog.......

[woof*]

Trip of a lifetime!

Thanks for posting these

[gran]

:thumbsupsmileyanim:

[fijikid]

True adventure and suspense. Like buying reps! (but soooooo much better)

I'm on the edge of my seat. Bring it!

[cougar1]

Great pics Hike, this is an excellent log of the whole event!

[hiker01]

This is uber cool F!

The Luluka airstrip was featured on a TV series (the world's most dangerous Airports) apparently there is only something like half a dozen pilots in the world who have a licence to land there.

One ill fated landing was during fog and the plane came in a couple of dozen yards to the left of the strip, straight into the side of the mountain.

When you get to the top can you take a look around for George Malloy's coin?

Ken

Sorry Ken, He took the North Face route on the Tibetan side.......not unless the wind carried it to the South face or Nepali side!

Excellent. Keep it coming.

I owe you one......

All.......thanks!

[specialvat]

This is really cool Hike, hope you can share more of your trip super so far.

Thank you

[rafi717]

Fantastic adventure! Thank you for sharing. From the video it looked like they almost ran out of runway space.

[Nanuq]

That's great, Hike. Keep it coming! How did you find your electronic barometer/altimeter to work up high?

[Tom Hawkes]

You forgot to bring the essential Hillary-Tenzing-Explorer package.. http://www.highsnobi...rer-watch-pack/

Edited April 29, 2012 by Tom Hawkes

[spooky driver]

great journal and photos....

[opti]

Awesome blog, keep it coming, this is great stuff!

[andreww]

Great blog Hike! Where are you getting your internet connection?

[Jkay]

He's home now, posting these post-adventure

[hiker01]

That's great, Hike. Keep it coming! How did you find your electronic barometer/altimeter to work up high?

It just works, my Friend!......just above Namche Bazaar, 12,480ft.

You forgot to bring the essential Hillary-Tenzing-Explorer package.. http://www.highsnobi...rer-watch-pack/

I saw that.....but I took out the Rolex for to take, too well known.....I wanted a low key watch koz I didn't know what to expect in Kathmandu and Tibet!

Great blog Hike! Where are you getting your internet connection?

Andy.....Jkay is right, back home now, but there is actually Internet connections almost on all villages except the really small ones, all the way to Base

Camp! Would cost you a lot of Yak dung, though.

He's home now, posting these post-adventure

Thanks, Bro.

[mellons]

great to see the man with the best avatars in the business back!

great thread- keep 'em coming!

[hiker01]

Day four.....continued. four hours into the trek. This is the toughest part of the trek so far.....the roughly 3000ft of elevation gain is a lot in one day.

I was huffin and puffin the last 3 hours. The early morning till after lunch break, Iwas fst and doing great, by late afternoon, I was counting steps

and checking my altimeter on how much we had climb so far........and I thought I trained and was well prepared...........haha!

A Chorten along the trail...you always walk around these to your right, Buddhist tradition....

And another, you'll see a lot of these:

First Yak/Nak returning train traffic (if you notice, they have empty load now):

and more, we always listen for cowbells, then jump out of there way, always on the mountain side. You don't wanna be run over down the valley by

one of these beasts:

and others going up:

This one is a mule train

First cable/hanging bridge we had to cross:

and more....I think I counted six:

[archierocks]

amazing

[tabularasa415]

I love it!

[hiker01]

.........finally, I can see Namchee Bazaar.......too excited, two days of break/acclimatization, short hikes.......and.........hot shower!

Our teahouse is the one with the red roof:

[dbutlerman]

Wow Hike! This is amazing! So much information, and you're only to Namche Bazaar! Based on the Trekking Map - you've still got a lot ways to go! AHHHH! Can't wait to see the rest of the pics!

[redwatch]

So was the Namchee Bazaar built there just for people wanting to climb Everest?

[Eton]

This is amazing, thanks F!!!

[hiker01]

So was the Namchee Bazaar built there just for people wanting to climb Everest?

Himalayan High: A visit to Namche Bazaar

by Kraig Becker

"One of the most famous and popular stops on the way to Everest is a village called Namche Bazaar, which is located at 11,286 feet (3440 meters). Most trekkers reach Namche on their second day of hiking, but to get there they must first conquer a very long, and challenging hill that is a test of stamina for just about anyone. In fact, that day on the trail is one of the most challenging of the entire trek, as you gain more than 2600 feet (800 meters) in altitude. Fortunately, nearly everyone who makes the trek ends up spending an extra day in Namche, giving them a chance to rest, acclimatize, and explore the place further.

Nestled along the crescent shaped slopes of the Khumbu Valley, Namche Bazaar is both charming and exhausting all at the same time. The narrow alleyways are lined with gear shops and teahouses, but you'll have to climb more steps than you'd care to count just to visit any of them. It is especially disheartening when you arrive in the village after 3 or 4 hours of climbing, only to to discover that the lodge that you're staying in happens to be on one of the upper tiers, and you'll have to climb yet more stairs just to get to it. Luckily, Namche has some of the most comfortable and inviting teahouses in the entire region. You might even get a warm shower (for an extra charge!) and a TV in the common room.

With a population of roughly 1500 people, Namche is the largest town in the Khumbu Valley, and as such, has a number of amenities that you won't find as you go higher. For instance, there is an actual bank in Namche, not to mention a police checkpoint, and a karaoke bar. Internet cafes are common as well, although I'm pretty sure they measure their connection speeds in terms of "baud" and not "megabits".

That population in Namche swells dramatically during the spring and fall trekking seasons of course, with backpackers and climbers flocking to the area in droves. It is not uncommon to hear a half dozen languages being spoken while you stroll the cobblestone streets past the numerous gear shops, and if there is anything that Namche has an abundance of, it is gear shops. If you're a few days into the trek, and you find you're in need of some piece of gear, then chances are you can find it in Namche Bazaar. Whether it's boots, sleeping bags, or warmer clothes, you'll find everything you could possibly need, often at excellent prices. Some of the gear is authentic, some are cheap knockoffs, but the village is an outdoor gear lovers dream come true, and while it is possible to resupply on some items later in the trek, everything gets more expensive the higher you go.

As I mentioned, you'll actually spend a "rest day" in Namche to help you get use to the altitude and give you time for a bit of recovery. But that doesn't mean that you'll be taking it easy while you're there. In fact, on my second day in Namche, my trekking group was up bright and early, as usual, and after breakfast we were on our way up a nearby mountain to continue working on our acclimatization. On that morning climb we actually went up an additional 1300 feet (400 meters), and got our first views of Everest, Lhotse, and one of the most beautiful mountains on the planet, Ama Dablam.

With our acclimatization climb out of the way, we were back in Namche by lunch time, and had the rest of the afternoon to spend at our leisure. Most of us took it easy, taking a nap, curling up with a good book, or playing cards in the lodge's common room. Namche is the first part of the trek where altitude sickness begins to become a real concern, and it is important that you not only work on acclimatizing, but also get plenty of rest. You're also burning a lot of calories on the trek and expending a lot of energy, therefore you'll spend your rest days eating plenty of food and drinking lots of water as well.

Before long, your stay in Namche is over, and you're back on the trail to ever higher, and ever smaller, villages. Each has their own unique character and each brings you one step closer to your ultimate goal - Everest. But when you depart Namche, you truly feel like you're stepping into the High Himalaya and moving into more remote territory. The first few days are just a warm up for the adventure that is just ahead."

He echoes exactly what the village is and our experience!

[redwatch]

Great info Hike! Thanks for sharing that!!! Looking forward to the continuation of your journey!

[hiker01]

Day five:

Had a bad night last night, I had a mild case of altitude sickness ( woke up at around 1AM with a splitting headache). Kinda strange and a bad omen for

things to come. I mean, I had climbed Mt. Rainier and 6 fourteeners in Colorado with no problems, but here I felt something at 12,000.

At breakfast, still suffering from a really bad headache, I had the same fried eggs, potatoes and rice and some momos (is a type of dumpling native to

Tibet, Nepal, and the bordering regions of Bhutan, Nepal and the Himalayan states of India (especially Sikkim). It is similar to the Mongolian buuz or

the Chinese jiaozi.) and dark strong tea. That and two tylenols later alleviated some of the headache which turned into a head buzz.

At the tea house dining room, we meet trekkers and climbers from all over the planet.....like this family of four:

Daughter is 8 and son is ten. The husband is Irish (Doug) and his Malaysian wife (unfortunately, they didn't go very far,

she (the wife) got severe altitude sickness by late afternoon and they have to turn back.....the kids, though, were amazing!).

After some socializing, we proceeded to do some aclimatization hikes around Namchee.....

and also check the village:

and then hike up to the Sagarmatha National Park:

Check the Mt. Everest Climbers Museum:

and visited the only Buddhist Monastery in the village:

with the resident Tibetan Monk:

by 5PM, I was exhausted and took a short nap.....Eklal woke me at 7PM for dinner; Yak Steak (I wish I had taken a picture).....and a really bad

choice....as tough as the sole of my hiking boots, very dry and I'm pretty sure it died a month ago (I am going to regret this..........)! I finished 3/4

of it to have have protein...going with some momos, potatoes and rice (you notice the daily food menu here????????)...........