Hello everyone,
2 pieces of great news to kick off our Khumbu adventure;
1) All the climbing/trekking permits were approved by the Ministry of Tourism and picked up by the CTSS guide crew in Kathmandu and…
2) Each of the CTSS Everest 2019 teams has arrived safe and sound into the valley with smooth flights landing in Lukla. Believe it or not, one of the hardest parts of any Everest expedition is actually just getting everyone, (and all their gear) into the valley on schedule, given the lack of infrastructure, the fickle mountain weather etc so this is a nice, early win that bodes well for the expedition ahead.
Following lunch, they had a nice, easy 3hour trek into their first stop; Phakding. (That one is perhaps more polite when written vs when pronounced out loud… you’re giving it a whirl now aren’t you?) where they’ll be looking forward to a nice meal (momos anyone?) and hunting in their trekking duffel for a warmer layer or two with the distinct temperature change from Kathmandu. It’s not too cold but certainly chillier, especially in the evening and early mornings. They are now at 2,610m (8,563 ft) and the mountain air is fresh and clean.
Tomorrow they’ll set off to Namche, and tackle the infamous Namche hill where they might start to feel that altitude gain a little and get the blood flowing through those muscles they’ve all been training so hard for. Good to shake out any lingering jetlag. (It can be a bit intimidating though when you are working hard at the hill, huffing and puffing and you get passed by one of the incredible porters who saunter by carrying 3x duffel bags strapped to their foreheads like it’s light as a feather, with a spring in their step and never a deep breathe. Not to worry though, even the fittest in the world awe at the porter’s remarkable strength and adaptation to the high mountain air)
Meanwhile, Basecamp is almost finished with its final infrastructure laid in place. I have added some photos to show you some of the build.
The team will be excited to finally be on the trail. They can now relax into the rhythm of the trek, enjoying the sights and sounds of one of the most stunning walks in the world and begin to focus on the task ahead whilst feeling a world away from the usual hustle and bustle of our busy lives and the endless duffle shuffle/gear check that has consumed their last week (or month).
To be honest, I’m quite jealous – although not of Namche hill – they can keep that!
Cheers,
Caroline
Base Camp build
