HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!! Love you a ton and miss all of you….
Yeah!!! I made it back alive… :-) seriously trekking to Everest Base Camp in the winter month was physically the most challenging thing I have done so far in my life. People were not joking when they said it would be FREEZING and hard to breath at 18000 plus feet i.e 5550m. Wow! That is all I can say…..On Christmas eve I was at Everest Base Camp and Christmas day in Kalaphater which is soooo much more beautiful than base camp and actually a bit higher as well 5555m vs 5364m. I am happy to have made it back to Kathmandu for New Years Eve. I am off again in a day to Tibet on Jan 2nd for 2 weeks.
I am amazed at how hard it was but how strong I stayed throughout it until of course my luck changed on the last day and I got sever food poisoning. I know my guide was really worried about how I would get back as the trek was only 3 hours average (me and him 2hrs ) and I took almost 4 ½ so he knew something was really wrong. I was so dehydrated and sick that I almost fainted a few times. I also did get some altitude sickness on the way to E.B.C on the 8th day of the trek, but it was controllable and not so drastic. There were several people that me an my guide saw and heard about that had to either come down by helicopter to Kathmandu due altitude sickness or that had to return back down by foot. I fell 3 times (because my bag was a pain in the butt) and each time I had to watch out so as to not get hurt or falling down a ridge, but other than that the altitude sickness was luckily very minor for me. It was an amazing trip but again the hardest thing physically I have ever done. I knew it was going to be hard but I do not think I really comprehended what mental strength it would take to make it. So many people returned and fell sick or even have died as I saw all their memorial stones that their families had put up on the way up. Some are even missing and they have missing person posters all over for them.
I do feel that it was everything I hoped for as it did allow me to feel courageous, strong and have a sense of freedom I yearend for. I was able to prove to myself that whatever I set my mind to is possible, and to see that in action at E.B.C. in the physical sense was very uplifting. At times I was not sure I would make it but I kept saying my mantras and thinking of Babaji (divine :-)) all the way up and kept thinking positively. Thoughts of family, the kids(doggies :-)), and friends kept me strong as well.
I have had a lot of time to reflect of course over the last 14 days in solitude and faced with physical challenges that were beyond what I could have imagined as far as the difficulty. I know that I am VERY grateful for my family and friends. I am a blessed person who is fortunate in so many ways. Looking at the Sherpa people and the lifestyle that most of the Nepalese people in the mountain regions are faced with I was again remained of that a “bad day” in the West truly is NOTHING in comparison with their lives. Some of the pictures will show how they live but just to illustrate further on average a porter carries about 100kgs that’s about 250ibs on their backs up to high altitude daily. The poor Yaks carry but to twice as much if not 3 times more. My total round trip was 200km which is about 124 mile which these people travel a few times a month easily by foot. Once you get to Lukla which is where the trek started from there are NO CARs so EVERTYTHING all the food all the products needed to survive including refrigerators, industrial electrical wire, doors you name it ALL has to be carried by Yaks or people. The things that are odd shaped such as I just mentioned and can not be tired to a Yak are carried by Sherpa people and it is AMAZING to see them walk with these things on their backs and climb on the terrain that is most of the time steep up and at high altitude. I do not think any of my pictures can accurately illustrate how challenging this is. I could definitely not complain with my little 12kg or 26ibs bag though I have to say that I did not see many people carry their own bag except a few seasoned male trekkers and even that was few. I was told by my guide that he did not think I would last beyond 1 day with my bag and he was impressed that I took it all the way up and down myself with 3kgs more after the shopping on the way down. Yeah!!! I may have a chance as a porter after all….NO WAY!!! I am certain that unfortunately these guys do not live that long.
I also met several Sherpa guys that have been up to Everest Summit and they carry about 35kgs about 77ibs on their backs for the expeditions that are held for the westerners. It is amazing how hard they work for very little pay. One guy was only 24years and he has already been on expeditions every years and made it all the way to summit 2 times. He says it is a hard 3 months of work and of course many do not make it. It is up to about 8800m about 30,000ft and of course they are on oxygen. It was nice to listen to this guy one night at one of the guest houses explain the whole expedition to me. They are quite courageous and strong as they start so young and are also not really professionally trained like the westerners that come down to do these expeditions. It is a special and interesting life they live the Sherpa people here in Nepal. I am lucky that since I came during such a low tourist season I got to spend some time with the locals and that I was at Base Camp alone and Kalapather without tons of tourist being right in front of me or behind me. In that aspect the freezing cold was TOTALLY worth the solitude I got for it. I have no regrets. I am happy I made it back alive and in one piece.
Well guys I invited the New Year here in Nepal Kathmandu with some crazy Norwegians :-) and an English couple. It was fun we danced and I was believe it or not SOBER the entire night, I promise :-). I kept my wow so far I have until October 2010 no alcohol… I think I passed one of the hardest tests which is on New Year’s Eve. I was thinking of you guys last night and sending you all my love and energy. I wish that 2010 brings all of you joy and peace. I miss you and look forward to when I see you in person and can give you hugs. Be safe and have lots of fun on New Years Eve those of you that are still in 2009.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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