Valerio Massimo Everest Expedition 2009

Me on the summit of Cho Oyu with Everest in the background

4am and off to the Khumbu

March 30th, 2009 by Valerio

Mad busy day taking taxis all over Kathmandu trying to locate the numerous things I still needed to buy – there is no such thing as a department store here…  Got stuck in a typical local traffic jam in the rain – not so much a jam as about 5 cars heading in one direction, and another 5 straight at us, in a road about 10 feet wide – an hour and a half of gridlock.  Eventually got almost everything during an 8 hour shopping marathon and am all haggled out.

My last night in a bed wasn’t quite the luxurious last lie-in I’d been hoping for.  No long post this morning as it is around 4am and we are preparing to leave for the airport for the flight into Lukla.  Slots are so full that this is the only time we can leave all together as it takes 4 aircraft (they are tiny), even though the trek today is about 2-3hrs max to Phakding, leaving us plenty of time to hang around for the rest of the day in an uncomfortable tea house. 

Everything is re-packed in barrels (for carrying either side of a yak…), with the barrels heading off to Base Camp and one kit bag with me, or rather, 2hrs behind me, hopefully.

So here we go – next time I see a road or a car (or even a bike) will be in June.  And next time I post will be with a satellite phone and PDA that I don’t know how to work yet.

You can subscribe to the site (top right) for updates and thanks for the comments and responses- makes writing this much more fun.

Next stop – the Himalayas proper.

The landing strip at Lukla

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6 responses so far ↓

  • congratulations on the website. what a brilliant idea…

    will be watching you all the way up, and more importantly back down.

    good luck!

  • Good luck Valerio!

    Its amazing to read your updates and follow your progress from a world away. Will be thinking of you…be safe.

  • This is bringing back all sorts of memories from my trip to base camp. Of course, I am completely envious of your trip, which is the main reason to do these things in life. I am considering putting together a blog to distract you while you spend the next months sitting on your ass acclimatising…perhaps a website dedicated to my social life in NY. Semjon and I dancing around town, leaving a trail of broken hearts and jealous husbands. There will be highs and lows, peaks and valleys…and lots of dzopio (yaks cross bred with cows for the confused).

    If you have internet access, we should figure out a way to play Scrabble or something. I hope you brought a lot of porn, for the sake of those strapping young kiwi men you’re traveling with.

    Also, I expect a regular shout out in your blog.

  • And I am very disappointed that you were so unprepared that you had to spend a day shopping in Kathmandu. I expect that all the Nepali merchants would have stocked up on tinted moisturiser and hair gel, knowing that you were coming. And how many hairdryers have you brought on this trip?

  • Meraviglioso realizzare il sogno di una vita…

    In bocca al lupo!

    Gaea (ex Lycee)

  • te estoy leyendo desde
    Mendoza, Argentina, la tierra del Aconcagua. Recien empiezo, porque me identifiqué conlas motivaciones que te llevan a ese hermoso lugar. Veremos como va la experiencia.Saludos, Carmen, 25 de mayo de 2009