Hello to all from EBC.
Well, we had a great trip to climb Lobuche peak. We summited yesterday morning, descended to Camp 1, then to Lobuche BC, and then two of us made the arduous 12km and 450 meter height gain trek back up to Everest BC. It was a beautiful trip with some amazing photos, but I will leave the post until tomorrow as today’s ‘rest day’ involved one of the largest practical jokes I’ve ever been part of.
Many of you in the UK will be aware, given there are nightly reports on ITV news, of a group of cricket-playing Brits known as the ‘Everest Test’ who are attempting to play the ‘Highest game of cricket in the world’. Their website is www.theeveresttest.com in case you want more info. Their plan was to hold the highest game of cricket ever and claim the record for the Guinness Book of Records, playing at Gorak Shep, the last village before Everest Base Camp, at a height of 5,165 meters. That was until Russell found out about it two months ago on a trip to London and made plans for some serious one-upmanship.
So this morning Russell announced his little wheeze. We would form two teams of 10 players, dressed in uniform, with two umpires, and, oh, of course he had had a set of professional cricket equipment brought up for the joke. But the sting in the tail is that we would hold our cricket match at Camp 2 on Everest itself, on the flat ground of the Western Cwm, at 6,400 meters on the 28th April. This is a full 1,235 meters higher, which would of course set a new world record, and mean that their record would be held for….only 7 days. Naturally, the winners of the Everest Test match were invited to join us in a ‘mini knock out tournament’, but they would never make it to that altitude given the look of them.
I’ve never seen Russ so animated as he was after breakfast this morning, marshalling everyone. There were to be two teams of 10 – one Sherpa (the Khumjung Tigers, headed by Sirdar Phurba Tashi), and one Western (the Icefall Warriors, headed by Senior Guide Mark ‘Woody’ Woodward). Each was to have its own uniform, Sherpas in orange, the Westerners in Red, and all with the Himex black down vest and matching black trousers. He was such a perfectionist that everyone had to be dressed exactly the same – no scarves, matching caps – I was even issued with the same trousers as all the others because my black ones were a different fabric! Russell was manager, and given the Everest Test is sponsored by Nokia, Russell decided we needed sponsors too, so he nominated me as the ‘sponsor’ or money man, representing the MCC (Mountain Corrupt Corporation). I was duly decked out in the only shirt we could find, a piece of black climbing tape as a tie, and a cap on which we scrawled ‘MCC’ in huge letters.
Once everyone was ready the full team of around 30 proceeded down to Gorak Shep. We had sent a scout ahead to find out who the captains were and to make sure the players were on the pitch. As we approached the players, like children, we all hid behind a rock to get in uniform before the final 200 meter march onto the pitch in military formation. We could see the ITV cameras trained on the pitch and our Discovery film team were ready and waiting as well.
So Russell made the call and we marched out from behind the rock, with Russell and the money man (me) each leading the teams in full uniform and in perfect line formation with the captains carrying bats and stumps, and towards the dumfounded cricketers. Some of our ‘civilian spies’ heard the captains say ‘What the f**k is going on?’, conscious of the ITV cameras rolling. They were taken completely by surprise. By the time Russell got to the pitch he called the captains and they came over, and the challenge (see photo) was duly handed over. Their TV cameras rolled…
To be fair by the time the captains came over they realized that a) it would be bad sportsmanship to be anything but gracious, and b) someone recognized Russell. Soon their whole two teams surrounded us and Russell and the captains exchanged signed caps. It was all in good humour, although one of the captains, conscious that they could never take up the challenge at that altitude, wryly remarked that ‘we had hoped to hold the world record for more than 7 days….”. Someone commented that the ‘Second highest cricket match in the world wasn’t bad’ and Russell (a Kiwi) pointed out that the Brits were good at inventing games, only for other nations to beat them.
Anyway all very funny, with plenty of good humour, and given the amount of effort they had put in, they took it well. After handing each captain a bottle of whisky, Russell was interviewed for ITV (who were loving it), and then we all sat in the sun to watch them practice before returning to Base Camp. The captains and some of the players even came up to our Base Camp for tea and beers later on.
A fun day. For anyone watching the ‘Everest Test’ segment tonight on the ITV news, I would be interested to see if they include it in their report…
Until tomorrow from EBC. Enjoy the photos.
Our two teams march onto the pitch with captains Phurba Tashi (left) and Senior Guide Mark 'Woody' Woodward (right)
Russell hands over the challenge to the two team captains
The 'Everest Test' team captains hold up our challenge
A close-up of the Himex Western Cwm challenge
Me as the 'Sponsor' in my 'suit', with tie made out of climbing tape an MCC cap
'The 'Everest Test 2009' banner - they will hold their world record for 7 days...
Tags: 2 Comments
That is hilarious… although you do actually have to play the game in the Western Cwm to win the record…. Also BTW when was the decision made to keep the beard till summit attempt and why was I not consulted????? (Apologies for excess punctuation but expect most girlfriends understand – facial hair is not about Choice. Not a man’s choice anyway.).
I can’t believe you’ve removed all my posts. I have rights. Free Speech for Paul.
How does one pronounce “Cwm”, btw?