Entries By mark tucker
Mark Tucker here at Everest Base Camp. Wahoo! We have a star and moon lit night staring up at the Khumbu Icefall... It is as beautiful as it gets. We had an extra day we spent there at Gorak Shep. We tackled Kala Patar under some pretty good conditions. Took an extra day so we can really enjoy Base Camp here. We walked into a fantastic set-up as usual. Our [RMI] Operations Manager, Jeff Martin, is amazing. Can't say thanks enough for what he does to put this trip together and the way he slaves here at this altitude, it's just incredible and we just owe a special thank you to Jeff. We are real comfortable and a fantastic meal. Our local cook, Kumar, whipped it out. Showers tomorrow and we'll hopefully go for a nice walk on the end of the glacier, see some Himalayan peaks, and show the team around. Kim and John are doing fantastic... It's been quite a haul to get here... Looking forward for the next phase to continue just the same. We are going to do some good training tomorrow, get all geared up. Work through a few of the bits and pieces that will get us ready for the climb of Island Peak. All's well here and this is no an April Fool's joke so I'm not pulling a fast one on you. We'll be talking to you tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Mark Tucker from Everest Base Camp
On The Map
Today we climbed to the summit Kala Patar. It's a small peak across on the valley from Everest on the lower slopes of Pumori. The views of Everest and the surrounding peaks are stunning from this vista. The team is doing well and we will check in again tomorrow. Hi to everyone back home!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
MOM! (Lucy)
Congrats on summiting yet again! Phil and I were talking last night about how cool our mom’s are and how proud we are of you!
love you and miss you so much!
- Elise -
Posted by: Elise on 4/1/2012 at 7:29 am
REI - keep up your good health, and climb high. Stay strong, focused, and keep climbing!
Posted by: Todd Collard on 3/31/2012 at 5:34 pm
The body is following the mind at this point.
Given the option, our bodies would be back at Phag Ding, by the river breathing that thick 9,000' air. Lounging under a nice tree ,eating fresh fruit. We are now at that altitude that makes you realize we do not belong here. For years now the draw of this barren space of rock, snow, ice and thin air has attracted many a soul. A heart with a bit of wander lust, a will to put up with moments of uncertainty and discomfort have always been a prerequisite for travelers abroad. This is definitely the case trekking in the Himalaya: but the rewards are worth the effort! A special place this is indeed and sharing it with such a diverse group of fellow hikers is a blast. I count four different languages spoken here in our tea house in the last five minutes. So nice to see the world getting along, take the geo-politics out of the loop and we aren't that different. The trail is ultimately a rope that binds us together. We really are a small world. And are team is so thankful and happy to be so lucky to be here. --RMI Guide Mark Tucker
From Kim: The word Sherpa actually means "east people." These people have worked as porters in the Himalayas since the 1900's. Today I would like to introduce you to a member of our team who has not been previously mentioned. We have a Sherpa guide traveling with us and two Sherpa porters carrying our things. Our Sherpa guide is named Pemba. Pemba usually hangs back behind the last person in the group to assure that we are always safe and supported. On this trek, Pemba has acted as a guide, concierge, geography expert, translator, waiter,and sometimes even our bus boy in the teahouses. A man of few words, when he speaks he usually has something important to say. Pemba's parents died when he was five years old. He had to quit school to work when he was 15. He was initially a porter and eventually worked his way up to being a guide. Pemba is now 33 years old. He has a wife and a 12-year-old daughter. He lives near Lukla and is away from his family often during the spring and fall as he guides people into the mountains. During the monsoon season, Pemba is a farmer. He and his family grow all kinds of vegetables including cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, and potatoes. They sell them in Lukla and Namche Bazaar. We are grateful to Pemba for all that he is doing to help us on this journey.
John here: It looks like today is another team effort on the blog. It's not a bad approach either as we all seem to take different things away from our day.
Today I had my first craving for some of the creature comforts of home. The first being pizza from Fondi. The food here is pretty good but does lack diversity. It's super high in carbs, which is what we need here to keep our energy high and bodies warm - but boy, a nice Margherita pizza would be yummy. The craving was the ability to sleep sprawled out. Our sleeping bags are warm and comfortable; but they are called mummy bags for a reason...
We heard that April 11th was the day of the Everest Ultra-Marathon. I think it's a 65km course between Base Camp and Lukla. The notion of running on these trails for any distance seems a bit mad - but 65km. The drop in elevation from 17,250' to 9,330' may be the first prize. Sadly, we leave Lukla that day, so we probably won't be able to experience any of it.
Finally, we spent the majority of today hiking along the Khumbu Glacier. The size of the the lateral moraine was impressive to say the least. It's amazing what nature can achieve given a few hundred years. As we rolled into Gorak Shep we got our first glimpse of the tail-end of the ice fall. Even only seeing a small part of it at a distance it looked imposing.
On The Map
We had a great hike up here to Lobuche. Everyone's doing well and we're all excited to be here. Moving up to up to Gorak Shep tomorrow. Hope we will be able to send a dispatch out via iPad. So, sign off for now and wishing everybody the best.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Mark Tucker checks in from Lobuche.
On The Map
Hello!
I finally get another chance to get a word or two in. Today was a rest day and we tried to do just that. . . rest as much as we could. We did a short hike in the morning that took us to the ridge line above us. There we could see three of the 8,000 meter peaks: Makalu, Cho Oyo, and Lotse. We also saw our first glimpse of Island Peak. It looks very steep, high, and cold.
Our hike took us to 14,500ft, which is higher than any peak in the continental United States. So, it was an exciting moment for us.
Later in the day we attended an information session presented by the Himalayan rescue association on the effects of altitude on the body. Besides learning about AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) and HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema), we learned about HAFE (High Altitude Flatulence Expulsion). The latter one is very real to us as John has been suffering from it for days. Actually, I have been doing the suffering since I have been walking behind him on the trail.
John claims the food is to blame for his HAFE. So, I will share a bit about our eating experiences thus far. The tea-houses offer a similar menu for the most part. For lunch or dinner, the typical choices are some sort of rice (fried, steamed, or curry), some sort of noodles ( fried or with a tomato sauce), some sort of potatoes (boiled or fried), soup, or dal baht. Dal baht is a Nepalese meal of rice and a sort of lentil soup that is poured over the rice. It appears that the Sherpas traveling with us eat dal baht at every meal. Occasionally, the tea-house will have chicken. When that is the case, we order a special treat called chicken chile. It is a spicy chicken dish that is delicious. All of the food is very good, but the menu lacks diversity. The dessert is especially interesting and I have come to like it very much. They offer Snickers or Mars pie, which is just a deep fried Snickers or Mars (Milky Way) candy bar. Sometimes they also have a deep-fried Bounty (Mounds), which is my favorite. Mmmm, delicious. --Kim
P.S. A big shout-out to Mrs. Hartman's 3-5 classroom.
On The Map
Hello from Mrs. Hartman’s class!! We miss you but are excited to read your blog!! How high is Island Peak? Ranish wants to know if you like the curry. Are you staying warm? Are you having fun or wish you were back home? Is it really snowy where you are now or is there ice there? Are the yaks carrying your bag? Have you been wearing your harness or using your ice axe yet? Please keep us posted about how you are doing. We think your pictures are awesome! Are you staying well? We are thinking of you! Love, Mrs. Hartman’s class
Posted by: Lori Hartman's class on 3/28/2012 at 2:40 pm
Hello from Ms. Jerome’s 4/5 science class. WE miss you Ms. C. We have some questions for you.
How high are you? How are you feeling?
Which is higher Everest Base Camp or Island Peak?
How many tea house have you been too? What is your favorite dish to eat for dinner and lunch?
WE think you totally rock! Keep going!
Over and out! Ms. Jerome’s 4/5 class. xoxoxo
Posted by: Pam on 3/28/2012 at 11:38 am
We woke to a bluebird day and enjoyed a view of Ama Dablam while we ate breakfast. But bluebird often comes at the cost of warmth, so after a breakfast of (oh, you already know what we ate) we bundled up and hit the trail. The first part of the trail lead us through a forest of evergreen and rhododendron and sloped downward to a bridge across the Imja Khola. Once across the bridge the forest gave way to scrub and the trail started up. It was easy to overlook the effort of climbing with stunning peaks vying with chortens and Buddhist memorials for our attention.
Mid-morning found us in the village of Pangboche. Our plan was to visit the Lama Geshe for a blessing and we arrived just as he was finishing up his morning clean-up and relaxing in the sun. We spent the next hour with him. He performed the blessing ceremony and we shared a cup of yak butter tea with him. I would gladly experience the ceremony again; but once is enough for yak butter tea. I should have taken Mark's advice.
Personal note: I have been accused of being a Buddhist shaman in another life and I swear the Lama Geshe and I had a connection.
Leaving the Lama, we wound our way through the village with views of walled fields below us. The trail was punctuated by many memorials for climbers and Sherpa. It was a reminder that the mountains belong to no one and that we are here as their guests. It is with respect and caution that we must undertake this trek and climb.
We stopped for lunch in Orso at a small place with a delightful sun room overlooking the valley. It was there that we met a man who was apparently suffering from AMS that was waiting for a helicopter to take him to a lower elevation. He said he had been waiting for about four hours already and his local guide was off trying to sort things out. It was impressive to see Mark assess the situation and take action. He had the guy drinking electrolytes, pressure breathing and forcing food down in no time. Within 20-30 minutes he was sitting up saying how much better he felt and talking to us. The helicopter showed up a couple minutes later which was impressive on a whole other level. In either case, both Kim and I feel lucky to have such a competent team leader.
As has been the pattern in the afternoons, the weather rolled in so we beat feet out towards Pheriche. It was a short hike, but included an appropriate amount of up before we rolled down into town. Not long after we arrived the other RMI team rolled in. We're now one big happy RMI family - if only for the night. --John
A big shout-out to Ms. Barnes 5th grade class today! We are taking a lot of photos of erosion for you.
On The Map
Good fortune continues here in the Everest Region for our team. Clear morning with great views of Mt. Everest out our dining room window here in Deboche. Tomorrow's climb will take us out of the forest. I have mixed emotions on the thought of leaving trees for a while. The forest of birches, rhododendrons and conifers are nice to see at over 12,000 ft. Many times my program would mean it would be a couple months before I get back to trees, but the plan for me is a round trip from Lukla to Island Peak then back to Lukla before I head back up and settle in to the 2012 RMI Everest Expedition. That makes for trees again in my near future. I always look forward to spending time in high mountains (must be why I do this for a living) but I do have a soft spot for trees.
We took a few short hikes to get the blood moving, but took it easy in anticipation of the altitude change of tomorrow. A well rested body seems to have an easier go at the physical adjustment process we must endure as we go higher. This kind of approach has worked well in the past, so if its not broken why fix it. You can really set the tone for what is to come above by what you do below. We must take exposing ourselves to these altitudes seriously and give it the respect it deserves. That could be why the whole team is in great shape!
The clouds have moved in with a bit of a mist while we get ready for dinner. I just put in my request of grilled chicken with vegetable fried noodles, same thing as last night, once again " if it's not broken". Going to move over toward the hot stove and listen to some One Direction. Our direction............up.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
P.S. A special shout-out to Ms. Jerome's 4th/5th grade class.
On The Map
Mark
Wish we were there with you! Good luck on your 2012 season.
D&D
Posted by: Doug & Donna Fish on 3/26/2012 at 12:25 pm
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA OMG DYING IN MATH CLASS BEST THING EVER. MUCH APPRECIATED MARK TUCKER!! HI DAD AND KIM
Posted by: Katie Gilman on 3/26/2012 at 9:54 am
What a wild storm....... a month ago. I have counted about thirty downed trees near the trail since Namche. Big trees ! Word on the trail was about a three day rain event then a big wind storm and there you have it, lots of lumber on the ground. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it did it make a sound? How about if somebody writes a fantastic blog dispatch but it never gets posted, is it still a blog? Kim is so nice, at least she is not making me feel too bad for deleting (on accident) her amazing dispatch of yesterday. I thought I was in the dog house, but she seems OK. It could be different after we get the summit of Island Peak and my value goes way down, maybe I will hear about it then. Regardless, she has decided to give it another shot just for you all.
Enjoy,
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
After arm wrestling the two guys yesterday, I finally won a chance to write the blog. I thought it was wonderfully written, but the men seemed unimpressed. The next thing I was told is that it was "lost" in cyberspace somewhere. Hmm. I seem to be outnumbered here. In any case, I'll try a new one today and see if it gets posted this time. . .
What a wonderful day we had! We awoke to bluebird skies and a gorgeous view of Namche Bazaar and the surrounding peaks. We departed just after breakfast and hiked up, up, and more up to Khumjung at 12,475 ft where we visited the Hillary School. We have with us a couple of special "flat" children inspired by the "Flat Stanley" book. One flat child took a peek at the school with us.
After a short stop at the bakery in Khumjung, we descended through an enchanting rhododendron forest down, down, and more down to our lunch stop in Phunkgi Thanga (nicknamed Funky Town by Mr.Tuck) at 10,800ft. With full bellies, we climbed up, up, and more up. During our climb, the clouds rolled in and a blanket of fog made our enchanting hike even more mystical. As we hiked, we could hear the gentle clanging of a yak bell calling out from the fog. An occasional person or yak would emerge from the fog, pass us, and then disappear again. Finally, we began seeing the occasional monk emerge from the fog and disappear, indicating to us that we had reached the Tengboche monastery (12,800ft). We will visit again tomorrow, hopefully when the skies are clear. Finally, we descended down, down, (well, just a little down) to Deboche at 12,325 ft. We are spending the evening warming in the teahouse while the fog begins to lift outside to reveal the surrounding hillsides. --Kim
On The Map
I can’t wait to see your pictures when you get back!!
Posted by: Pam Jerome on 3/25/2012 at 9:33 am
Saturday market at its best here in Namche Bazaar. Not so much for tourist but keeps the locals in much needed goods. Had great views of Everest and surrounding peaks till mid day when clouds rolled in. Hope for clearing in the morning for the climb up to Deboche. We will take the longer route to visit Khumjum where the Hilary school, and of course the bakery, are located. We stayed around Namche today opting to see them tomorrow.
Team is doing well and are ready for a move up the hill.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
Morning came early in Phakding. We stayed up later than we should have playing cards. Mark taught Kim and I new game that was a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun, somehow we owe him money now! A lot of money.
Seriously, it was a wonderful night's sleep with the lullaby of the Dudh Kosi in the background. The team met for breakfast at 7:30 and Mark surprised us with French press Kona coffee. What a great treat; it made the already great day even better.
We hit the trail around 8:30 heading for Namche Bazaar - about 1000 meters higher than Phakding. So this was to by our first day with serious altitude gain. We made good time in the cool of the day with Mark giving us a refresher on pressure breathing, rest stepping and pace.
We stopped for lunch in Jorsale. It was nice to linger in the shade watching the zoks and donkeys go by. They certainly weren't in any hurry to be anywhere - unlike some of the trekkers we saw.
The afternoon's journey started with a meandering walk along the Dudh Kosi. But it was getting hotter and dustier, too. After crossing the Hillary Bridge the trail began climbing steeply and it was obvious that it wasn't going to let up anytime soon. The temperature seemed to rise along with our altitude; but we settled into a nice rhythm and in no time we rounded a corner and got our first view of Namche Bazaar. It was a big deal for both Kim and me, as it was something we had both wanted to see for a long time.
We're settled into the Camp de Base now with the evening in front of us. Tomorrow we'll spend day acclimatizing and hike to some of the surrounding villages. Onward and upward.
An update to yesterday's blog from Phakding. We would have included it then, but there was some disagreement among the team. Anyway, we stopped in a little coffee shop in Lukla. While we were there the owner's 3 year old little boy, Tashi, was sitting in one of the chairs playing with the "Flatulence" app on an iPhone. Oddly, I have the same app on my iPod, so I couldn't resist pulling it out. In seconds we had a round of dueling "flatulence" going. When he got bored with that (I was still having fun) he came over and took my iPod and started reviewing my collection of apps. I guess some things transcend culture.
John G
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So happy to see you made it to Base Camp. I just know you have smiles that shine for miles. Keep up the good pace and stay safe…Love you both
Posted by: Kerry Munroe on 4/2/2012 at 3:12 pm
Hey… take some pictures of the moon! Good to hear made it to base camp. Next week will get all caught at school.
Hi to Kim and John!
Posted by: Pamela on 4/1/2012 at 11:41 pm
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