This was our easy day in Namche. No big hikes, no packing, no training... this one was for resting, for catching up on personal business and for exploring the Sherpa capital at one's leisure. Above this point in the trek/climb, we won't have such ease of communication and certainly not the opportunity to shop for good climbing gear. There was some important business to attend to though as Chhering Dorje, Lam Babu and I went to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee office to review procedures and policies for getting garbage down the mountain. We signed our sincere intention to play by the rules.
Some of the team traveled several hundred feet up in altitude to the Namche suburbs in order to visit the fine Sherpa Culture Museum with its fascinating Everest history exhibit. Some went for massages and cheeseburgers downtown.
As the gang assembled for dinner in the early evening, we were pleased to find that Apa Sherpa was sharing our Tea House for the night. Apa, the all-time leader in Everest summits -with 21- is bringing a trek in to explore the Khumbu.
All of the RMI climbers and guides are healthy and well-rested. Tomorrow we'll hit the trail and go higher once again.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
Nicole, greetings from beautiful NJ.(Im lying weather sucks) I am very proud of what you have done so far and you are about to do. we all miss you and love you. be careful and safe. Take pictures when you can
See you soon
Elpidio
Posted by: Elpidio Cruz on 3/31/2014 at 6:07 am
Faitma, I know you’re enjoying all that hiking and beautiful scenery. Looks spectacular. You and the team are so lucky! Wish I was there with you all.
Peter
Posted by: Peter Williamson on 3/31/2014 at 3:42 am
Oh my goodness! We must be so far out there. No cell service, no internet, no wifi. How are we gonna get by? Just fine. That's what I can tell you. The team's doing well. We are up here at Lobuche. Had a nice walk up. Fine weather, a little overcast now. Chilly, chilly up here at 16,000'. We are happy to be here in good shape. We are checking in by satellite phone, so we can still be connected. We appreciate everyone following along. Hopefully tomorrow we will move up to Gorak Shep where I think we may have some connectivity, and I may be able to send some fabulous pictures from the jaunt up the hill today. We will check in again.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Hello everyone.
We're still here. Just went through Loboche which is a little short on cell service, wifi and I even had trouble getting my sat phone to work.
The last couple of days have been really nice and strangely it seems to be getting warmer as we get higher. We hiked to Gorak Shep today and wanted to climb up Kala Patar but the evening swirling clouds have us waiting till tomorrow.
We are literarily a stones through from the Khumbu glacier and only about two hours from Mt. Everest Base Camp. Everyone seems to be doing well and we are so excite for Base camp!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
We had a nice dinner, cool temps in the rooms for sleeping, a pleasant night for all. A leisurely breakfast led into a nice hike with grand views as you can imagine. The team pushed up well over 14,000 feet to get the heart and lungs moving. We then returned to our tea house for lunch, and then off to the altitude lecture at the near by clinic. Great insight from doctors offering good info. The team pooled a nice donation for the cause and even came away with a few more souvenirs. It all ended with a little down time relaxing. As they say a pictures says a thousand words!
We are all doing well and plan to move up to Loboche tomorrow, if all seems right.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker & Team
As planned, today was our hiking and acclimatizing day at Namche. Since we are now well and truly "at altitude" it pays to go slowly. We'll actually spend three nights here at 11,200 feet before ratcheting up the sleeping altitude again. Light exercise on such days can enhance acclimatization, and so we went for a fine hike. First, we climbed straight up and out of Namche to reach Syangboche, at close to 12,000 ft, then we moved East to gain ridiculously good views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest. Combined with the already insane vistas to our South and West of Thamserku and Quangde, respectively, it was nearly overwhelming... too much to fully take in. So we walked to the Everest View Hotel, sat on an open terrace and sipped hot lemon juice while pondering the view. It looked quite windy and nasty up high on Lhotse and Everest (Nobody tries to summit in March for good reason) but where we sat it was sunny and calm. We then walked over for lunch in the village of Khumjung and finally up to Khunde before crossing the forested ridge line once again for Namche.
It was a great stretch of the legs and lungs on uncrowded and garden-like trails. The afternoon back down in Namche then seemed just perfectly made for napping.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
Nicole and Team,“The Lord is your shepherd” and He will lead you on your journey. We will follow you each day with our joy, energy, excitement and love. Mimi
Posted by: marianne rhodes on 3/30/2014 at 5:09 pm
Nicole, I am glad your team is rested and ready to go forward together. From now on is the exciting experience that we have spoken about so many times. You are an inspiration to your friends and family. I know you will accomplish with the entire team with you. You know your mom is proudly supporting you as well and with you in spirit. Love you much A.Ginny
Namaste!
The 2014 Dhaulagiri team has reunited in Kathmandu after the three waves in which all of us arrived. With the last minute of extra food shopping done, we had the mandatory briefing at the ministry of tourism this morning and paid a special visit to Ms. Hawley, the "bookkeeper" of Himalayan climbing. She helped us understand this endeavor even better with some statistics pertinent to our team: among our nationalities, only 14 Americans (2 women) and 28 Spaniards have summited on this mountain with just 300 total ascents. Really exciting!
Tomorrow we fly early morning to Pokhara, and then a six-hour drive will take us to Darbang. This is the trailhead to our week-long approach to base camp. We'll check in next from the trails!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Yesterday's clouds drifted away in the night. We woke to crystal clear skies over Phakding and unimpeded views of giant snow-covered mountains. After a fine breakfast, the gang was on the trail just after 8:30 AM. Although I'd warned over and over that the trail would be busy with trekkers, porters and pack animals, we had it pretty much to ourselves. The trail wound up and down along the constant whitewater of the Dudh Khosi. We strolled through pine forests and picturesque farmland at the bottom of a deep gorge. We entered Sagarmatha National Park and stopped for lunch in the small village of Jorsalle, sitting outside in the sunshine. Then it was all business, up through the big trees and the big hills leading to Namche Bazaar. A new suspension bridge had been built at the foot of the big hill, taking us hundreds of feet in the air across the gorge. The team went at the final hill with gusto, taking a break partway up to enjoy the first distant glimpses of Mount Everest.
We rolled into Namche and our home for the next three nights at about 2:30 PM, leaving plenty of time for naps, shopping and internet.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
Lee, Travis, and Norm . . . we are fascinated by the posts, information, and photos. Enjoy the experience!
Posted by: Kevin on 3/28/2014 at 10:58 am
Nicole, This looks to be an amazing journey so far, and it is only the beginning. I am so happy for you that you are fulfilling your dream. Be safe every day and enjoy every minute. I miss you very much.
Love your #1 fan, forever. Mike.
We experienced the normal sadness about leaving trees today but the thrill of life at high altitude is plenty a replacement. We enjoyed good weather all day, just a bit chilly pulling into Pheriche, our home for the next two nights, at about 14,000 ft it was to be expected. The team was fortunate to visit Lama Geshi in Pangboche. A chant and a blessing for each sent the group out the door in high spirits.
Our path was diverted slightly as a bridge had collapsed. How many times I have crossed that span thinking it had another twenty years of life in it? Not so. The detour was a pleasant stroll by the river with yet another great photo opp on the new bridge. Wishing you all the best
RMI Guide Mark Tucker & Team
A big hello from me to Nancy and Elizabeth! The photos are inspirational. It looks like a great group and I know they are loving getting to know you both! Eliz Christenberry and I talk about you every day. :)
Yesterday was a whirlwind marathon of packing and prepping in the chaos of Kathmandu. This morning was the staccato hurry up and wait of getting up and out to the airport and hanging to see if the weather would permit flying. Flying conditions weren't perfect when we got through security at the domestic terminal in Kathmandu. We ended up waiting several hours -swilling coffee, listening to music and people watching- until the pilots felt good about taking off for Lukla. Once up and out of the smog layers of the Kathmandu Valley, we were treated to stupendous views of the Himalaya. Those with port-side window seats could pick out Mt. Everest as the flight progressed. But we were only up about 45 minutes before the pilots put the Twin Otter into a dive. They had Lukla's crazy-angled airstrip in their sites and it was clear from the steep mountain walls all around that this was our one shot at parking the plane. Heart rates shot up, cameras were clicked on and the wheels touched down perfectly.
A few minutes later, we were out of the plane and sitting in a quiet Tea House in the lower Khumbu Valley. We ate a leisurely lunch and got walking up valley. It only took a bit more than three hours to reach Phakding And Joe's Garden... Our lodge for the night. By that point, things had clouded over, but our luck held and the rain didn't fall.
The team ate dinner and bedded down to the soothing sounds of the nearby river churning through endless rapids.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Nicole,
You are an inspiration! It was hard for you to leave but it will be so worth it.
I admire your discipline, hard work ethic, motivation and determination to succeed.
Enjoy the beauty, peace and serenity of the climb one step at a time.
I found…St. Bernard, patron saint of mountain climbers. A blessing.
Lord, we beg you to bless Nicole and crew, these ropes, staves, mattocks, and these other tools, so that all who will use them in scaling the mountains’ heights and precipices, in ice and snow and raging storms, may be preserved from all accidents and catastrophe, Safely reach the summits, and return unharmed to their homes; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
You are blessed and admired. God bless you on this special journey.
Peace,
Mary Grace
The team did fine work of packing up, grabbing a quick breakfast then good-bye Namche. Hello to Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, Teboche, Cholatse, which are just a few peaks between 20,000' and 27,000'. Of course, the big one, Mt. Everest at 29,035' was also out in full bloom under clear skies and warm temperatures. No we didn't climb any of them, just enjoyed them from afar. Another great job by the A team. Tackled the Tengboche Hill in fine style and just as we arrived at the infamous monastery, a monk began blowing through a giant conch shell announcing the afternoon prayer. We abandoned our boots at the entrance and spent some time in the ornate sanctuary listening to them chant. A few nice photos and twenty minutes down the hill to the Rivendale Tea House for the night. A full day to say the least.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
So proud of you Nancy! You are a great inspiration to me. I even did a minor climb…I went to the top of Diamond Head. Keep you’re spirits up. You’re in my thoughts & prayers everyday. Love following you’re experience as it is happening.
Posted by: Cece on 3/28/2014 at 12:06 am
You all look amazing!! SO proud of you!! The weather looks beautiful.
Nicole, greetings from beautiful NJ.(Im lying weather sucks) I am very proud of what you have done so far and you are about to do. we all miss you and love you. be careful and safe. Take pictures when you can
See you soon
Elpidio
Posted by: Elpidio Cruz on 3/31/2014 at 6:07 am
Faitma, I know you’re enjoying all that hiking and beautiful scenery. Looks spectacular. You and the team are so lucky! Wish I was there with you all.
Peter
Posted by: Peter Williamson on 3/31/2014 at 3:42 am
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