Day 6 of Trek, May 20, 2008 – 7:00 am

Day of rest in Dingboche.  The day was colder, yet clear enough to see the enormous, majestic mountains surrounding us.  From the tea house deck, we could see Lhotse, Island Peak, Makalu, Ama Dablam, and others.  The snow showed recent signs of avalanche and rock fall.  The Khumbu mountain region began to make me very anxious about climbing Island Peak.  Also, the Sherpas and villagers were all “horking” to get the fluids out from deep in their lungs, due to the elevation and time spent in the Khumbu (a.k.a. the Khumbu cough).  Incidentally, I wondered if I should even be there with my serious, chronic asthma.  Each day was becoming a concern for me and my health.  Once again, I needed to finish with faith. 

The remainder of the day, after breakfast, we washed our hair, played cards (Pem’s favorite — the game of war) and Farkel (a dice game we shared with the Sherpas), and learned some Sherpa language.  Apparently there are only two languages in Nepal, Nepali and Sherpa (however, each village has its unique version of Sherpa).  Chyangba Sherpa 1 – 10 is; ick, due, tin, char, ponz, chaa, shat, att, no,and das.  Namaste (hello and goodbye), Toche (thank you), ng ching dou (I have to pee), Long dou (enough), La, la (ok, ok), and pipkee (let’s go).  Unfortunately, the Sherpa language can only be learned from a visit to Nepal. 

Day 7 of the Trek, May 21, 2008 – 5:30 am

The weather was changing.  It was now cold, foggy, and overcast. Dan and Elliott were much better, but both looked as if their cheeks were sinking in, and their frames were shrinking.  Today the plan was to trek from Dingboche, after packing up our duffle bags, and purifying water (or boiling it) for our nalgenes, to Loboche (16,200 feet), then to Kalapathar to see the best view of  Mt. Everest (and acclimate). Within 1.5 hours, we arrived at Loboche (uphill, and high in elevation). It was a solemn day.  We had been playing leap-frog with a team of French doctors and their Sherpas all day long.  We reached a village just before Loboche and saw a man pass us on the trekking trail riding a horse.  Apparently, he was a Sherpa doctor, but he was unable to save the Sherpa, one traveling with the French doctor team.  The Sherpa died of altitude sickness – a blood clot to his brain.  Also, we had trekked by the memorials of those whom had lost their lives on Mt. Everest, with Scott Fisher’s front and center.  The day was very eerie.  We trekked well, but we were sad.  That day we not only gained another 1700 feet, but we gained respect and an unexplained strength from the highest peak in the world . . . Mt. Everest.   

Some time during the day, Marius had taken ill.  He was the team member from Germany.  He felt weak and dehydrated, along with having diarrhea.  He was instructed to eat soup and drink more water, and then he went straight to his room and slept all through the remainder of the day and night.  We ditched the plan to trek to Kalapathar (18,200 feet), as the weather turned worse, and it was now snowing.   Instead, we chose to visit Gorak Shep (16,920 feet), hike to the Khumar Ice Glacier, and back to Loboche — not quite enough elevation gain to acclimate, but Pem had friends in Gorak, and he felt we all were doing “pretty ok” – except for Marius.  He kept a watch on Marius the remainder of the night.  The air was much thicker and colder for all of us.  We knew if we were going to finish our task to base camp, we would have to pace ourselves differently; we would now take the trek nice and slow.

Day 8 of Trek, May 22, 2008 – 5:00 am

Today, no breakfast.  Just hot lemon water and biscuits, to give us some energy before leaving for Everest Base Camp.  I also chose to eat a snickers bar for protein and energy.  We all were VERY hungry by the time we made it the 2 hour trek to Gorak Shep (again).  There we had breakfast and left for base camp by 9:30 a.m.  The seven of us, our Sherpas, and a stray dog (which followed us all the way to base camp), began the journey we came to Nepal for – Everest Base Camp – to raise money to rebuild a school, and change children’s lives. 

Marius was extremely dehydrated and ill, but he was determined to make it to base camp.  Pem sent him ahead of us, along with another Sherpa.  We made it to the “gate” of base camp within 2.5 hours (18,200 feet), up and over the glacier, rock fall, and crevasses, and we were met with hot tea before entering onto the sacred “tent city” and the Ice Fall.  Everest Base camp was indescribably beautiful.  The white peaked ice fall, as a background to the orange, yellow, and red tents and colorful pray flags blowing everywhere, was breathtaking, yet eerie.  The smell of decomposing bodies in a couple of areas, walking the glacier area near the ice fall, made Brandi and I gag.  I didn’t notice garbage anywhere, like I had previously heard was so prevalent, but the smell would not leave my memory.  Once I saw the ice fall with my own eyes, I understood how many lives have, and can be lost, just in the ice fall alone – not to mention, those who attempt the summit of Everest.  The climbers have to cross the ice fall 12 times, before staying at the next camp.  We heard the echoing of rock and ice fall, the full 2 hours we visited Wongchu Sherpa, of Peak Productions, and his colleagues, while we ate lunch (tuna pizza on rice tortillas, and mango for dessert).   Marius was still not well, so we cut our visit short, missing the Everest Bakery at Base Camp.  We got back to Gorak Shep by 4:30 p.m. (making it a 9.5 hour trekking day).

Day 9 of Trek, May 23, 2008 – 5:30 am

VERY, VERY drained . . . all of us.  Marius, however . . . a bit better than the prior day.   We were up early, all anticipating the Island Peak climb next.  Dan was losing significant weight, along with Marius.  Gerri and Brandi were also noticeably thinner.  Elliott and I, however, seemed to have leveled out, me more than he.  Originally, there were only three of us (Dan, Elliott and me – Julie) going to attempt the climb/summit, but once we ate breakfast and discussed the day/trek with Pem and the other Sherpas in the toasty warm tea house, Lee, Marius, and Brandi (Dan’s wife) all decided they wanted to attempt the climb up Island Peak, as well.  Gerri would continue to photograph, and stay back at Island Peak Base Camp.  It all seemed easy enough to change plans, except for Pem’s part . . . he had to scramble to get more Sherpas, equipment, and to call Kathmandu for permits.  By the time we trekked to Chukhung (17,530 feet) for the day, Pem was able to get in touch with his best friend, Dendi Sherpa, and his brother, via cell phones.  After getting things settled with three more climbers, permits, and equipment (a two hour ordeal, as Lee changed his mind at least 10 times – really), Brandi, Marius and Lee tried on boots, crampons and harnesses to prepare for Island Peak.  The next day was Island Peak Base Camp, so we all went to bed immediately following the drama.