Trek: The final act

Right... this is the final post about my trek to Nepal. An end to the story i began when i came home. To tie up loose ends. I'll try to keep this one short as possible but you know me, this could take a while so settle in with a wee cuppa tea...

For those that are still interested I thank you for reading. To those that are new to me you can check earlier blog posts from April and May for the story beginning here. The Journey

The last posting ended with my night in the Gomba Lodge, Upper Pangboche.
I'd had a good sleep that night, thankful for the warmth when i was feeling crap. Peter had set off with Mingma and the Doc to Ama Dablam Base Camp (hell i wasn't even fit enough for that!). Me, Carol and Daljit headed down the valley to Tengboche with Lackman and our Sirdar, back to that wonderful monastery that had given me comfort earlier in the trek on the way up. This was going to be a short day for us and i was glad. Short day didn't necessarily mean an easy day. We trekked for about 3 hours in total finally, steadily making our way up the slope into Tengboche at around 11am. We headed to the campsite which the porters were busily building and then decided we'd go to the bakery for a cake. After much deliberation I opted for a chocolate doughnut and a cup of tea and we took up our places at a table next to the window with the most magnificent views of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. You must be fed up hearing that but literally wherever you were the views were sublime. The mountains are where it's at! We sat there for about an hour and a half and then went back to campsite for lunch. With only the three of us there it really was a quiet lunch. I was thinking about the others, where were they? was Peter at Ama Dablam base camp? when will they get back?

After lunch Carol and Daljit decided to go for a nap and I went for a wander around Tengboche. I covered that story in this blog post: A Difficult Day

Later on Peter, Mingma and the Doc came back from a successful ascent of Ama Dablam Base Camp. Peter bringing me a piece of rock from there which now has pride of place in my room. He really enjoyed it and had some great footage on his camcorder. We all pretty much hit the sack after dinner and i was out like a light. I enjoyed this sleep as i had the tent to myself!! Bliss. I like camping. Having never done it before in my life previous to the trek i think i took to it like a duck to water. My bag un-packing and packing routine was down to about 15 minutes total each evening and morning. Not bad for a 80l bag.

Next morning I was woken by the sound of the bonging giant cymbal and conch blowing from the monastery. It really was a great way to wake up. We had breakfast and then set off for our very long walk back to Namche Bazaar. This was going to be tough as my fever was still a bit high. I wasn't being sick but felt flu-like. So first it was down the hill, zig-zagging behind yaks and porters going up and down the trail. This was fine apart from the dust and wind, but going down to cross the river also meant climbing back up again and that was painful. I put the sunglasses on, had my buff over my face to keep out the dust and my sunhat on. No-one was getting a look in. I thought head down Ange keep counting the steps, get into a rhythm, this'll be fine. We had a couple of water breaks as the sun was really strong today. We eventually made it to Kyungjuma for lunch but I was so so tired. Doc took my temperature - fever still there. I just sat there with hat and sunglasses still on closed my eyes and had a sneaky 5 minutes snooze. Lunch today was chips, spicy beans and eggs. I ate as much as i could and Doc decided we'd wait here for an extra hour so i could rest - that was an order! I had about 40 minutes sleep and actually felt a bit better for it. Outside groups of trekkers heading home were passing by, our group of porters had caught up with us even with their heavy loads of 30kg each to carry. And there was me feeling rubbish carrying a daysack! I'm ashamed.

We made our way along the trail back to Namche and got there about 4pm. A little later than we'd thought but this wasn't a race. I headed around to the pool hall with Peter to check emails - 200 rupees for an hour - fab! He waited on me outside the Internet area. He probably knew what it would be like to send/receive the emails having been there on our way up. I sat there and cried reading messages from friends and family. An Australian girl was checking her emails too, she was on the way up to base camp. First thing she commented on was my cough, I was hacking away like an old man. Wiping snotters from my nose. Trying to stay composed. It wasn't working. It was time to tell folks my bad news. I didn't know what to say but somehow found the words. I hoped that they didn't feel I'd let them down. Anyway my hour came and went all too quickly and we headed round to the campsite. Peter giving me some comfort after what was a really emotional day. I'm such a chicken-hearted person.

About 10 minutes later Team X-treme returned to camp after a very exhausting 12 hour/20km walk back from Pherice to Namche Bazaar - hence the name Team X-treme. It might not sound much but at that altitude it was terrific. I was soooooo glad to see them. It was fab, the group was one again. I have to be honest here and say i was really glad they were back but i was also really disappointed and a little bit envious of their successful mission to get to Everest Base Camp. It had been my mission, my intention, my dream and now that was all nothing. Tough. I had to fight back the tears in the tent when we were having dinner which for me was 3 bowls of garlic vegetable soup. I don' even like garlic!! My coping method - just don't talk. I seem to do that to cope with a lot of things. Don't know how else to do it to be honest.

We stayed at a lovely lodge in Namche that night and watched Everst IMAX movie on a 15" portable telly. Funny. The next morning i had a great shower and a fresh set of clothes. I'd been in the other ones for a few days and i don't think i smelled! :o)

Today was the last day of trekking - Namche Bazaar to Lukla. It started pretty cold and then we soon warmed up. It was lovely to have the group back together and i couldn't get enough of their stories of base camp. Along the trail we had several stops as Emma had turned her knee coming back from base camp. Late in the afternoon we stopped for Mars Bar and a Sprite in preparation for the final trek up the hill into Lukla. We passed back through the beautiful little villages, our first campsite at Tok Tok and over the many wire bridges. Lukla was reached. I'd forgotten this hill into Lukla was so steep, i couldn't remember coming down that far on our first day! Strange. Back in the Buddha Lodge now there was another conversation about helicopters out to Kathmandu as the weather wasn't looking great and we'd found out there had been delays over the 10 days that we'd been trekking. We were nervous. That night we had our leaving night with the sherpas and porters. We presented them all with tips and the cook had made us a cake! Then Team X-treme handed out Everest Base Camp rocks to those of us that hadn't made it. At the end Saran stood up and did a speech saying thanks to the sherpas, the Doc, the whole group and finally he said he wanted to present something to someone he'd enjoyed walking with who was determined and who he knew would make it to base camp one day. He said it was a rock he'd chosen specially for this person to take away and that it wasn't to keep... it was to be returned one day, and he knew that it would be. He gave it to me!!! I just stood up, cried and hugged him. I couldn't hold back any longer. It was such a lovely thing to do. I was grateful that he thought of me that way.

We all headed off to bed and hoped to fly back the next day. Of course the next day came and went and involved a short walk to the airport (which was located right next to our lodge), through the 'security', waiting in the departure 'lounge', then being told 2 hours later that it was closed, weather was too windy. Back to the lodge and some stress of discussions and packing of bags, trying to get rid of stuff I'd saved for months to buy incase we needed to jump on a helicopter and get he hell out of there. I decided the only thing I could dump was a black base layer, spare batteries and my toiletry/spares bag with all manner of things in it. I just wasn't prepared to dump my kit. I packed my rucksack with my Rab down jacket, my last set of clean clothes, some basic toiletries, water bottles and few other bits and pieces and prayed we would fly the next day. In the morning we were woken by the sound of twin otter planes flying in and out of Lukla airstrip - it was a huge relief. At breakfast we were all feeling nervous and hoping the weather would stay fine for us. It was looking hopeful, planes were coming in and out, we counted them. We timed them. There was at least one round trip to/from Kathmandu then they stopped. Would you credit it, Kathmandu had been closed now due to the fog!!! We couldn't believe it. Anyway after about another 2 hours planes started to come in again and we were off, headed back round to the airport. It really was an anxious wait. You could feel the tension in the air as it started to fill up - same faces we'd seen the day before. We were hopefully on phase 2 today. Lucky sea green tickets we had!! We played more games, ate lots of Pringles, told jokes, talked of what we'd done and then our call came. We were excited. But by the time we'd get to Kathmandu we'd only have 2 hours to sort our stuff, have a wash and head back to the airport for our international flight back to Heathrow.

We got on Agni airlines flight after they took an age to unload the cargo they'd just brought in. I'd counted the minutes. From the plane landing, unloading cargo, loading our bags, loading us it was about 15 minutes! If the cargo are people then I'd counted earlier in the day a 7 minute turnaround. These were the margins we were working on. The plane took off and i can honestly say I thought I was going to die. It was being hit by gusts of turbulence and was so scary. I never really looked out of the window as you could see it going up and down. It was the worst 27 minutes on a mode of transport in my life. I was never as glad to be back in hot, dusty, smoggy Kathmandu...

I won't detail our journey home. You'll have made your way through airports yourselves but I'll end the tale of my trek by saying it was the best thing I have ever done in my life. Yes... I am very very disappointed at not having made it to Everest Base Camp. It was my dream afterall. It means I have an excuse to go back! But there were many many highlights - too many to mention but some were seeing Mt Everest for the first time, that wonderful sanctuary that is the monastery in Tengboche, Ama Dablam - awesome mountain, meeting the great people on the way like Sir Chris Bonnington and Apa Sherpa, camping out was fab and I want to do more, waking up to wonderful views each morning, challenging myself on so many different levels and knowing that I can do things when I want to (but for illness) and finally meeting my fellow trekkers. They truly were a great group to trek with and it was a pleasure to meet them all. They helped give me one the most wonderful experiences I've ever had and for that i am truly thankful. A final mention goes to Saran, The Doc and Mingma - a better bunch you couldn't meet.

The trek has totally given me a new outlook on life. It's funny because you go off and do something like this and people ask you how it was. You reply great, awesome, wonderful, fantastic but somehow those words just don't capture the essence of it and you can't find the words to really exlpain it. The sights, sounds, smells, emotions, feelings. How do you explain it all to people that have no clue that to have a flushing toilet for 1 day was a pure luxury. I try but now some people seem to glaze over and, dare i say it, look bored when i talk about it. How very dare they!! I am still gutted at not having made it and I don't think people realise when I say how much it has affected me as I'm one of those 'just get on with it' people but i think it's manifesting itself in my constant urge to be outdoors now. To get up the hills. To be living life to the full more. To be 'doing' rather than not. Of course people tell me it was a great achievement what I did do and i know that but can't help having a little slight niggly feeling of failure like when your waterproof goretex boots start letting in water... utter disappointment.

To conclude: I raised £4000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. I can now say I've trekked in the Himalayas. I've seen Mt Everest. I'm somehow a changed person (sorry that sounds corny I know). To everyone out there who has played a part in my journey over the past year, no matter how big or small through sponsoring me, advice, encouraging me, listening to me go on about it all I once again say a final hugI Thank You. I hope you've enjoyed the journey, I know I tend to go on a bit in these posts but I can't help it... there I go again.

Ange xx

The best of times, the worst of times

I'd laid awake most of the night going over and over in my head of what lay ahead. At the same time i was continuously coughing and trying not to wake Emma up. I hid under my sleeping bag hood and just cried and cried and then made the decision that I wasn't going to go to Gorak Shep (or Base Camp). I was heartbroken - simple. But strangely I felt a real calm come across me and then i dozed off to sleep. I think I got 3 hours sleep and as soon as I heard the porters up and about the camp I dragged myself out of the sleeping bag, grabbed my toilet roll and boots and headed out of the tent.

It was a wonderful clear morning except for the stiff breeze blowing. Blue sky above, giant mountains almost 360 degrees around and the gentle chiming of yak bells in the distance - what a way to wake up! I headed for the loo (which by the way I was now an expert at the drop squat toilet manoeuvre!). Daljit was just getting up and we had a wee chat. I told her i wasn't going to attempt it and she gave me a big hug which i needed. That set me off again. She said if it felt like the right thing to do then it was. She's quite a wise woman. Very spiritual. Slowly people were appearing from their tents. The next was Peter. I broke the news to him and again he provided a much needed hug and told me i was brave to make that decision.

We headed into the lodge for a wash and a seat out of the wind that had gotten up. I tried to have a wash with a few wipes, had a cup of tea and decided to break the news to the rest of the group. I tried to be strong but I'm a blubbering wreck once i get going. They were all really great and some tried to persuade me to go but i felt rotten. Breakfast was a strange affair. Nothing wanted to go down but I knew I would need it for the tough day ahead. I think I ate a piece of toast and some egg, then of course another cup of tea.

We got our stuff together and set off up the ridge that we'd climbed the previous day. I kept thinking that this was as far as I'd go and the dream was ending any time now. Damn this stupid cough!!! The climb up and up seemed to go on for ever when in reality it was only about 105m up. We stopped at 2 monuments and the view was totally amazing. We could see up the valley, down the valley, over to Island Peak and Makalu, the only thing missing was a view of Everest. I think I was pretty quiet by now. If anyone spoke to me i think i just nodded. A few snapshots were taken and then it was time... Time for Team X-treme to head off on an epic 2 day journey. One by one they said their goodbyes to the group and I was last. Big hugs all around and then the were off. Luckily I had my sunglasses on but i don't think that could hide my tears and my utter disappointment that they were leaving and I wasn't. We watched them go off into the distance until they were like little ants. So I was now with Carol, Daljit, Peter, the Doc and Mingma. We would head down to Upper Pangboche today, it was to be a long road.


We set off a few minutes later and I was still sniffing and coughing and trying to wipe he snot from my nose. 'It'll be ok' were Mingma's words - very kind. The wind was up now but the sun was out and it was actually a very lovely day in the upper Khumbu valley. We headed to Pherice and what a place. The view above Pherice was fab. It's situated on what looks like a dry riverbed again with stunning mountains all around. The back of Ama Dablam can be seen. It the home of the Himalayan Rescue Association and a very nice lodge that we had a good break in. In fact, this was the location of the only 10 out of 10 loo we found on the trail. After a very long tea break we headed down to Upper Pangboche where we were greated at the amazing Gumba Lodge with hot lemon, chips and french toast for lunch and a very warm and cosy lodge to sleep in a night.

It was very welcome luxury to sleep in the lodge since this was the night when my fever came to a head. I laid down on the benches an listened to the conversations about the nexts days activities. Peter was heading to Ama Dablam base camp with the Doc, I was too sick so couldn't even go there!, Carol would come wiht me and Daljit was switching between Peter and Carol and I. This went on for a while and she eventually decided to go with Peter. Mingma would get up early and set off at 5.30am with her.

And so it was time for bed (it was way past 8pm after all!). I settled into my cosy sleeping bag on the benches and Mingma and a couple of others settled down too. My ribs were now killing me from the constant cough that followed each breath. Why won't it stop?! And... then it started.... it was a faint rumble at first and got louder. Someone was snoring!!!!! It was so funny. Mingma shouted across that his bench bed was shaking and I was killing myself laughing. So funny. 'It's nice to see you with a smile on your face again's said Mingma. What a nice guy! And with that i fell asleep...

A Difficult Day

Apologies for not finishing the posts about my trek. I've been busy of late and it's difficult to recall what i never wrote down. The trip was awash with many different situations, meetings, fun times, sad times and all sorts of other highlights and lowlights that happened. I did however take some time out on my own to sit on the steps of the wonderful Tengboche monastery and collect my thoughts. Here you will find the exact account from my diary - no edits, nothing taken out, just straight from the heart.


Monday 13th April 2009

I'm currently sitting on the steps of the Tengboche monastery after seeking some time away from the group I've been left with. (Carol, Daljit, the Sirdar and cook team). It's around 3pm here (can't remember if my watch is 10 minutes fast or slow!) and we've had lunch and the others are having a nap. Peter went to Ama Dablam Base Camp with the Doc and Mingma and so he'll be back in a few hours


The totally devastating news is that I never made it to Everest Base Camp. I am totally gutted and there's been lots of tears. Saran took Kate, Ruth, Andy and Emma up to Gorak Shep yesterday morning and they should be making their way back down by now. Hope they made it ok. We don't even know if they'll make base camp. I am really gutted, words cannot describe it...

We lost 3 days at the start of the trek so that's why it's all gone Pete Tong! Then I went and got this stupid Khumbu Cough. I'm aching all over from coughing and cannot get enough sleep. Had a rough night last night with a high temperature but was allowed to sleep in the cosy Gumba Lodge at Upper Pangboche. The lodge owner was a very funny wee guy - but he snored all night! Mingma was laughing.


My view at the moment is a bit hazy. The clouds have come in low as in normal for this time in the afternoon. But behind me is the peaceful monastery, to my left is the view up the valley to Pangboche and above that on a clear day (but not just now) would be Nupste, Lhotse and Mt Everest with the magnificent Ama Dablam to the left of the vista.





In front of me in the distance is our campsite for the night (above). In front of a wee bothy type building where the cook and kitchen team are busy playing games and most likely preparing our dinner. The Tashi Delek Lodge and Restaurant is right in front of me as well as the Himalayan View Lodge.

Not many people are around, probably because the weather is closing in and quite frankly I'm freezin now!!! It's been a strange day. I can now almost touch the clouds they're coming in that quickly. Here comes a yak train, the bells around their necks ringing in a rhythmical fashion that is very soothing. It is interspersed with their owners huck-tooing and spitting out the dustiness from their throats. Of the very few people milling around is a guy wearing a red down jacket, shades and floppy mess of hair under his skip hat. He seems like he's looking for someone or something - aren't we all?


The reason for me not going to Gorak Shep is i developed this stupid cough in the dirty polluted Kathmandu air and as we've gone further up to the altitude it's unfortunately gotten worse to the point of losing my voice, wracking my ribs and having a high temperature on my way from Deboche to Dingboche (on Saturday 11th April). The route to Dingboche was very dusty. When we reached there at around 4pm it was pretty cold and the weather had come in. But you could see that back end of Ama Dablam peaking through. We went for an acclimatization walk up another 105meters or so to a ridge. That was very tough, i had to stop every now and again to take a deep breath, have a cough and perhaps even a wee spit!

After the walk we settled into the lodge for dinner and then came 'the talk'... about the next days plans - when the group would split!! We were going round and round in circles and things were getting a bit fraught. I was listening to everyones views. My view was that I wanted to go to Gorak Shep cos at least it would be closer to base camp. I'd planned this for a year! My dream wasn't going to be shattered by outside influences or other people! I would pay towards the cost of a helicopter to get to Lukla and worry about the cost later! I WANT TO GO! Of course these were the things that were going round and round in my head but they just didn't seem to come out of my mouth. Story of me really. I have conversations like this all the time in my head - like when someone asks you to do something or go somewhere and your heads saying 'no, no, no' but your mouth says 'aye ok then!' Get an effing grip Ange.... Anyway these thoughts were interrupted by my constant coughing and the conversation turned to the time it would take to get there and then back down to Lukla. The plan was to go to Gorak Shep, maybe to Base Camp (a big maybe), then head back down from there to Namche Bazaar. All in the space of 2 days. Yikes!!

And so it was decided that me, Kate, Ruth, Andy and Emma would set off for Gorak Shep in the morning with Saran. Peter, Daljit and Carol would head back down to Ama Dablam base camp and then onto Namche Bazaar with Doc. 'The talk' eventually ended but not without a few tears and a lot of tension. I headed to the loo and then to the sanctuary of the tent...

Everyone has their own Everest to climb...

I'd thought about changing the name of my blog from Project Everest to something else when I came back from the trek but i recalled with a smile on my face of an evening at a talk by a mountain man. Quite a well known one too. He said 'Everyone has their own Everest to climb, it might be to get to base camp, it might be to climb Mt Everest or it might be just life'. So that's why I'm not changing the blog name, because I've been on a journey and I am still taking it. Hopefully it will take me to places I've never been before. To meet people I've never met before. To live a life that I never knew could be lived before. This blog will be my journey and ramblings about all things that happen in my life - Project Everest.

This week has seen many teams reach the summit of Mt Everest and here's a few I've been following (links to their dispatches can be found on the right of this page):

First Ascent - team 1 up and heading down, team 2 on their way!

Dream guides - Finally Sir Ranulph Fiennes made it to the top. This being his 3rd attempt. Well done to everyone in the team. Grand effort indeed!

Eco Everest Expedition - includes Apa Sherpa who we met at our hotel in Kathmandu. 19 summits!!!! Wonderful.

There's lots of different teams still on the move up that wee hill and I wish them all good luck and best wishes. Very good website with regular updates : http://www.alanarnette.com/alan/everest2009.php

Speaking of having a mountain to climb, I am delighted and excited to announce that i have now reached the £4000 mark with my fundraising for Marie Curie Cancer Care. A huge big massive thank you to every single one of you who have donated and sponsored me and to Mr PTC for pushing me to that total by donating just the right amount - £13.65! Pure dead brilliant so it is!

This message is for Fernicus and Roofus. Ptarmigan sightings!!

Glen Fiddich is currently on the move, no news of Mr Pastry yet, White Water Steve (see what i did there ;-) ) no news but perhaps Glen Fiddich has caught up with him, Banu's 'brother' I'm still not sure he is even there!!

I've not found a cure for the CMS yet. I think the Diamox might work like it does for AMS - fingling tingers, giggling fits, general tomfoolery... oh what fun, not to mention the frequent trips to the outside loos (remember your antibac hand gel!). Anyway i'm not sure i want a cure for CMS, i kinda like it!! ha ha. Keeps us busy during the day when we're meant to be working. Love it.

Ange xx

song of the post: Move Any Mountain - The Shamen..... pah! just kidding it has to be:

Wild Mountainside Eddie Reader (sings Burns)

Beauty is within grasp, Hear the islands call

The last mile is upon us, I'll carry you if you fall

I know the armour's heavy now, I know the heart is tired

It's beautiful just over, The wild mountainside

Snow is falling all over, Out of clear blue sky

Crow is flying high over, You and I are going to wander

High up where the air is rare, Wild horses ride

It's beautiful let's go over, The wild mountainside

Wild and free we roam, Only a mile to go

Beauty is within grasp, Hear the highlands call

The last mile is upon us, I'll carry you if you fall

I know the armour's heavy now, I know the heart inside

It's beautiful let's go over The wild mountainside

It's beautiful just roaming The wild mountainside

A brief musical interlude, books and my new challenge...

Hey everyone
I realised it's been a while since I've updated with a song of the day/week to go along with blog posts. Well I won't lie by saying I've bought new music or heard new songs but I'll say that in the past few weeks these songs have been the soundtrack to my life.

I have to say I am STILL loving Kings of Leon album Only By The Night. Love nearly all the songs on it but favourites include Use Somebody, Revelry, I want You, Cold Desert ('I never ever cried when I was feeling down, I've always been scared of the sound') and Be Somebody ('given the chance, I'm gonna be somebody...'). Ace.

Life in Technicolour II is fast becoming a favourite Coldplay song. Life for me this past few months has been in technicolour. The sights, smells, tastes, sounds of Nepal were a vivid and lasting memory that will stay with me forever. I know, I know that was a bit corny but allow me this one time.

Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles was a much loved song on the trek and i can't wait to see the final cut of our trek video to see how Peter has managed to shoehorn all of our songs into it.

Those songs have been peppered with a few smatterings of Snow Patrol (A Hundred Million Suns), Bruce 'the boss' Springsteen's Seeger Sessions album, Dizzee Rascals 'Bonkers' (lovin' it!), as well as a few renditions of Bob the Builder and The Wheels on the Bus go round and round courtesy of Ryan and his magical plastic guitar!! Brilliant...

Here's a question: what is the song that would best define the past few months of your life??? Answers on a postcard to me at somewhere close to Stirling (alternatively a wee comment will do).

Now for books. I've been having a bit of a clearout of late. Time to get rid of old rubbish and stuff i don't use and truth be told probably haven't looked at since I bought it. In other words - waste..(I'm ashamed). Anyway there's a pile of books and various other bits accumulated over the years that are going to the car boot sale on Sunday. But i've been getting back into reading lately. If I pick up a book it has to grip me for me to continue reading it. Last book I read and was gripped were the Lance Armstrong books, It's Not About The Bike and Every Second Counts. But I've been given a book by one of my fellow trekkers and so far it's keeping me gripped. It's called Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'd never heard of it before but she (the author) seems to be writing about me!!! (she's actually writing about herself). I'm going to continue reading and perhaps find some enlightenment.

Today I bought The Man Who Cycled The World by Mark Beaumont - available in all good book shops near you (or even dodgy online ones) now! He's off on another mad-cap crazy ass adventure on his bike. Not sure if it's the same bike? This time he's off Cycling the Americas Starting off in Anchorage, Alaska next week and cycling to Southern Argentina taking in a couple of wee jaunts up some hills called McKinley and Aconcagua!!! Mental... but blooming fantastic too. God speed Mr Beaumont!... be safe.

Anyway if you're a regular reader of this blog you'll know that along with one or two selected others Mark was a huge inspiration to me when he cycled around the world on his pushbike in 2007/2008. Here he was living out a dream and letting us all know that we can do something if we really want to, you just have to go for it. It gave me the kick up the erse that i needed back then. That's why I took up the trek challenge and it is now the reason why I'm currently to-ing and fro-ing between taking up or not taking up a whole new bigger challenge of a wee 'hill-walk' in a foreign land! No decision has been made yet but those pesky two trekkers from London threw me a curve ball last week and hit me with this sooper dooper exciting challenge. Oh you guy's!!! I'm on the swither big time so need some advice? anyone?

I'm off now as I'm currently on Everest Summit Watch. A few teams are near the top, a few are just starting off. http://www.alanarnette.com/alan/everest2009.php

I'll leave you with this insight into my musical taste, iTunes is playing in the background and the song playing just now is 'Come What May' by Ewan Mcgregor and Nicole Kidman singing on Moulin Rouge soundtrack (stop laughing, it's a good song!).

Ange xx

Mission aborted... what a disappointment

Saturday 4th April 2009

Day 3 of the trip - day 1 of trekking!

We get up at what seems like the crack of dawn. Get a quick shower and ready ourselves for the exciting day ahead. I've just shared a room with Emma and we had a nice wee chat before we fell asleep last night. We all gather for breakfast in the 2nd floor restaurant. Breakfast is from a buffet and I select toast, some egg, a fruit juice and a cup of tea. Yum.

We eat breakfast and Saran arrives to take us to the airport. We mill around and set off for our journey to the airport in our nice bus. I remember looking out of the windows at other very over-packed buses and thinking how lucky we were to have two seats each on this bus! We make a quick stop for the Doc to pick up some last minute medicines for the first aid kit (or plastic Tupperware box!) and we head off to the airport once more. This takes only about 20 minutes at most and when we get there our bags are taken off the bus by a band of porters. They take them straight to the door of the domestic airport and then you hear 'tips, tips'. We are told we do not need to tip them so i think most of us didn't. We load our bags onto the security screening belt where they are checked and we are frisked too behind a curtain then we are through to a holding area. It feels like some sort of market! Strange to say that but it was really busy, full of noise, bags everywhere, food packages and a whole bunch of trekkers anxiously waiting to have their boarding passes. There's an array of airlines 'desks' or should that be stalls? Yeti airlines, AGNI air, Cosmic air, Buddha air, and Sati air.

Our time soon comes and Banu ushers us to put our bags on these massive Avery scales to be weighed and we are then issued with our golden tickets!!! The Yeti Airlines boarding passes!!!!! Yay.... We are next told to go through another security check which in reality is some sort of official woman in uniform asking if I've packed any matches, lighters etc and she undid one of the clips on my rucksack decides it's too full, re-does the clip and stamps my boarding pass - security checked. (I would soon come to love this process!)

Hooray!!!! we are finally in the departure lounge. It's just one huge hall with a low ceiling, hardly any light with rows of seats. In one corner there's a cyber cafe and a wee shop. In another there's the toilets!! and at the far end are the departure gates... la la la - our way to the mountains!!! We grab a few empty seats near the departure gates and patiently wait for our flight. I can't remember how long we wait until we are told that Lukla has been temporarily closed due to bad weather. What??? This hadn't even entered my thoughts when booking my trek. Oh well a temporary set-back, we'll soon be on our way I think to myself.

Saran looks a bit worried some times. I soon came to read his thoughts with his various twitches and nuances. Poor guy! We meet a guy called Paul Roose (aka The Rooster!!!) who is going to climb Mt Everest. He's very friendly with Banu - 'he's like my brother' he tells us. We listening with a certain fascination about his tales of attempting a summit of Everest and that he's entirely self-funded (no more holidays for a year of three for him!). He's a policeman from Hampshire and is using up annual leave for the next two years for this trip. I get the feeling he's a bit lonely - not sure why, I just get that from him. Nice guy.

We hang around for another little while and... then comes the call!! There's no official announcement it's really just people in Yeti airlines shirts shouting 'Lukla, Lukla' flight X'. That's us. We rush through security onto the hallowed piece of tarmac just outside the departure gate. By now we are well anxious and it's been about 2 hours since we were scheduled to fly. Apparently the weather can turn in a few minutes at Lukla as the airstrip is in such a precarious spot high in the Himalayas - understandable really. While standing on the tarmac 3 Yeti buses turn up and we still aren't on one of them. They shout 'A, A' and we realise it's not our turn just quite yet! 'X, X' we shout back trying in vain to get on one of those buses. Finally we are ushered onto a bus and we're on our way out to the group of little planes waiting on us. We get on the plane and OMG, it's so small inside. There's about 19 seats but only about 15 of us on the flight - the 10 of us and few other trekkers. There's a fight for the left hand side seats (the Everest View seats!). I don't get one - oh well Kate will take some pictures for me.

We take off and i think to myself that this isn't too bad at all. I'm surprisingly not that scared. The air hostess (yes even these small flights have air hostesses!) comes up the plane with a basket of cotton wool and a Yeti airlines sweetie. I dive in too quickly and my sweetie has gone before we even hit any turbulence. But then we see it... actual Mt Everest!!!! Awesome!!! It looked like the view of the pictures you see - Everest peeking from behind Nuptse and Lhotse high above the clouds. According to Saran's watch we were flying at 4200m in an unpressurised cabin.

There are lots of clouds below but i don't give that a second thought, I'm just hoping Kate's getting me good photies. After a few minutes of creaking my neck to see I look out my right hand side window and see these mountains on my side. Still no clue. Then the pilot calls the air hostess, says a few words and she makes her way back up the plane. She tells Saran that we've turned around and are on our way back because the weather has turned again, too cloudy to land at Lukla. Damn it!

We get off the plane really disappointed but at the same time a bit buzzing from seeing Everest. A bonus i think. We head back into the departure lounge and it turns out the planes that left before us did turn around too and the place is now littered with trekkers and mountaineers. Perhaps this is what Base Camp is like? We're whisked back through security - the wrong way! (no frisking this time) and then wait on our bags to be brought back off the plane, then it was back onto the bus to the Hotel Mala. Rooster never made it to Lukla either.

It is decided that we do a city tour of Kathmandu and once back at the hotel and rooms settled again we head out into the dusty, noisy streets of Kathmandu. It was actually pretty good to see all of this and I can't help thinking that we may never have done this had we flown to Lukla. Of course, I'd much rather be on the trek and in Lukla just now. Lukla - we eventually referred to if affectionately as Un-Lukla. We head around to a place called Durbar Square with lots of different temples in it and a variety of weird and wonderful people. There was also come sort of celebration going on with a big tree thing (I'll try to find out what it was) but this small square was very busy and then I turn around and you'll never guess... there was a guy pushing an ice-cream cart!! I laughed out loud and thought it's the same the world over - where ever there's a crowd of people on a hot day there's sure to be an ice-cream man selling his wares!! So funny...

After a few hours sightseeing we head back to the hotel and Saran suggests we go for a traditional Nepali dinner and entertainment night. We get ready and head off about 7pm. What a place! The food was good but the entertainment - priceless. At one point a life size Yeti and Yak appear and weave their way in and out of us diners. By now Andy's had a pink mocktail, Ruth's ate something she said was disgusting (I refrained from that delicacy), Saran has been attacked by a peacock, and I've successfully avoided being seen by the men in the yeti and yak suits (of course they weren't real!). It was an enjoyable night and we headed the 10 minutes back to the hotel by foot in the pitch dark except for a few car or motorbike lights. Back in the hotel we gather in the lounge for some drinks where the topic turns to children's tv programmes - always a favourite topic and then Thundercats are discussed. What was the name of the lair??? This stumps everyone and it wasn't until a few days later Andy googles it and finds out it's not called Thunder Mountain or any of the other fab names we came up with. It's simply called Cat's Lair!!!

Soon we call it a night and head to bed with positive thoughts of flying tomorrow...