Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Namaste from Namche Bazaar, aka "Khumbu Central".
I'm happy to report this guide is surrounded by a team of crushers, who hiked the first hill of the trail as if it was flat. We arrived way before lunch and enjoyed a good afternoon at the epicenter of Sherpa trading in this old market town of the Himalaya. Fun dinner conversations added to a great day! We'll stay here an extra night to start allowing for acclimatization. Stay tuned!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Namaste from the village of Phakding!
Our days on the trail have started, and we cover the first stage of our acclimatizing trek. After an uneventful flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, gateway to the Himalaya, we ironically walked the trail that makes the first day being downhill.
It is definitely special to be back in the Khumbu, and while we've haven't seen yet any major peaks, the change of pace from city to mountain, feels good and helps build up the excitement for the mission we have ahead.
Everyone is in great spirits, healthy and psyched about what we're discovering so far!
Stay tuned for more tomorrow, and some pictures. The game is on!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Good luck and God speed!
Posted by: Beverly on 10/24/2018 at 4:27 pm
Namaste from Kathmandu!
RMI's 2018 Kyajo Ri and Ama Dablam Expedition has officially started. Everyone arrived yesterday on time, and we kicked off our trip with a nice dinner in Thamel, the central commercial district of the city. Today we spent the morning sightseeing and the rest of the day organizing and prepping for tomorrow's flight into the Khumbu, to start our trek uphill.
Stay tuned for our adventure into the mountains to start!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team
Posted by: Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Chile Ski
Yesterday turned out to be a stormy one on Osorno. With hopes of possible clearing we set off from the hut in weather that felt more like winter in Hokkaido than spring on the volcanoes. After 1200’ of climbing, it became apparent that things would not be improving anytime soon. We skied down, and like clockwork, the skies began to clear. But it was just a Northern Patagonia sucker hole, and soon it was pounding snow once again. We had a nice evening on the lake in the beautiful town of Puerto Varas, a great place to wrap up a very successful trip with a fantastic crew. It’s a beautiful morning as I write this, with Osorno looking proud across the water. A good reason to come back..
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
The storm arrived to the region as predicted yesterday and continues out our window here on the lower flanks of Volcan Osorno. We are sipping coffee by the fire in the comfort of our refugio after a chill day of travel to get here. Hard to say if tomorrow will be a summit day, but it looks pretty promising as a powder day!
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Greetings from Kathmandu!
We have officially finished our trip. We flew out of the Himalaya this morning, right on time as the skies above Lukla allowed airplanes to do their thing. Everyone is resting in the hotel now, getting ready for our trips back home.
A trip where everyone one finishes together at the start point, with tired muscles but a backpack full of memories, is a successful trip. Now we'll tell the individual stories back home. Thanks for following our progress through this beautiful valley at the foothills of the roof of the earth!
Pheri bhetaula! (Until next time, in Nepali)
RMI Guide ElÃas de Andres Martos
Wanting to make the best of our closing weather window, I managed to convince our team to forego our rest day today and go for our third summit in three days, Villarrica. Our alpine start began with a three-hour drive, arriving at a socked-in trailhead. Was this a good idea? It didn’t seem like it until the early afternoon when we popped above the clouds. The mental fatigue of skinning in a whiteout gave way to nice views and general alpine enjoyment, even as the wind increased. We tagged the top, peered into the active crater, and 5,500 feet later were drinking beer in the parking lot. Tomorrow the storm arrives, and we rest.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Gokyo Trek
Good evening from Lukla!
Our trek has come to an end. We descended the last two days from Khumjung to Lukla, under the best weather we could have for the long journey back towards our starting point, after closing the loop in Namche.
While tired, it felt good to see the many trekkers on this section of the trail shared with the main Everest Base Camp route. Why? Because now we appreciate even more the solitude of the Gokyo Trek.
The air became thicker, and the lodges warmer. We celebrated tonight at our tea house in Lukla with a good dinner and our support crew, who really helped us in making our journey not only more pleasant, but actually feasible.
We're hoping to fly to Kathmandu tomorrow, weather permitting, and officially close our program.
Shuva Rattri from the Himalaya!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Today we returned to Lonquimay for redemption! Our team summited in perfect weather with views of eight volcanoes to the north and south. Skiing conditions off the top were perfection. Now we are getting ready for one of the most important events of this trip: Sergio’s famous asado.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Good evening from Khumjung.
We had a great day descending below the 4000m mark. We left Dole under a shy sunshine that soon got completely covered by the clouds and once more, that added to mysticism of the area.
Descending in Nepal doesn't mean going down, but losing elevation after computing the ups and downs of the day. So, we climbed Mong La Pass, the windy birth place of Lama Thsen Thsen. For a minute, we could get a glimpse of Ama Dablam in the distance. She showed us its summit behind the foggy skies that forced the sporadic helicopter to fly underneath.
We arrived to Khumjung in time for an early lunch. This town is a real Himalayan town, where tourism hasn't changed much in the way of living for the local families. With a population of 800, and the famous Sir Edmund Hilary School and Hospital, or the yak farm, it feels like the most acquainted town yet in the trip.
Tomorrow we'll make another push downhill, with our minds starting to hope for good weather, so flights can again make it in-and-out of Lukla.
Shuva Rattri. (Good night in Nepali)
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
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The mountains are calling and I must go.
-John Muir
Good looking group!
Posted by: Beverly on 10/26/2018 at 6:28 am
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