The response I've gotten so far regarding my trip to Everest has been overwhelming. People's attitudes have ranged on the spectrum from questioning my sanity to wishing they could join me. Above all, people have been fascinated and curious about the itinerary, the gear, the training, and such, so I thought that I would share some high-level, nitty-gritty information.
The journey will last for 22 days, including travel time. Don't even ask me how I got Brian to agree to this. Suffice it to say, he's just awesome. Leaving on March 24, 2017, I will fly from Florida to New York to Qatar then to Kathmandu, Nepal. After a few days of touring and logistics we will begin the trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC). You can find the full schedule here EBC Trek Itinerary.
The roundtrip milage is about 75. It's not necessarily the milage that makes the journey tough. It's the altitude. From Kathmandu, I'll fly into the world's most dangerous airport in Lukla and start our actual trek at 9,300 ft. Over the course of 9 days, we'll hike to EBC, with an elevation of 17,500ft. We will stop along the way and spend two nights in Namche at 11,300 feet to acclimatize. We also spend two nights at 14,000 feet. The mantra is "hike high, sleep low," so every day I'll hike up, then actually descend to sleep. Even the days we stay put, I will be required to take a leisurely 3-hour hike to get some altitude in and then sleep lower. I've never been at an altitude higher than Yosemite at 10,000 feet.
The company I hired, Alpine Ascents, first business is getting mountaineers to the top of Everest. I'm excited that my US guide probably has summited once or several times. We'll also be accompanied by Sherpas and porters and yaks will carry my things. I only need a daypack on my back. I'm hoping to keep my extra clothes, water, snacks, etc to less than 25 pounds.
We will sleep in Sherpa village tea houses along the way. The travel brochure says this will give me "a rare look into both the traditional and monastic communities," but after doing my research, that's the marketing words for "there isn't another choice". These teahouses are surely not the Ritz Carlton, so I'm simply hoping for warm and inviting. They look perfectly lovely enough. The farther up the mountain we go, the more rustic the accommodations. All supplies, food and fuel must be carried up. There's no roads and no power lines, so lighting is solar and stoves are fueled by dried yak poo. I'm sure that smells fantastic. In these remote regions, the temperature is colder and there's no insulation, so I'll be cuddled up in my parka, in my -20-degree sleeping bag with my hot water bottle between my legs keeping me warm. I don't even want to discuss the bathroom situation. Suffice it to say, it too gets more rustic as we go along. Same goes for the showers. I may just be too darn cold to even care about a shower.
Once we get to Everest Base Camp, I'll be staying two nights in the Alpine Ascents' seasonal tent camp. Each mountaineering company sets up their own camps, much like you probably saw in the movie Everest or read in one of my favorite books, Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer. This is another reason I chose this company. (Many other trekking companies just "stop by" EBC, take a picture and leave!) Here, I'll get the opportunity to meet the people who will be summiting and the Alpine Ascents support team that help the climbers reach their goals. I figure, if I can't summit myself, the next best thing is to hangout with them!
Interestingly, I have learned that you cannot actually see the summit of Everest from base camp. There's another mountain in the way. So on our way out of EBC, I'll wake at 3am and attempt to summit a nearby mountain, Kala Patthar, elevation 18,300ft. It's a small peak by Himalayan standards, but has excellent views of Everest and many of the well-known Everest photos are taken here. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, I'll watch the sunrise come up over Everest from the summit of Kala Patthar on April 8th. My heart skips a beat just writing that sentence!
It's all down hill from there. Four days back to Lukla, hoping the weather cooperates for a quick, easy flight and then back to Kathmandu. It will be a glorious, hot, long and hard-earned shower upon return.
