Valerio Massimo Everest Expedition 2009

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So, last day in a ‘town’ of any sort – i.e. with shops etc.  We leave Namche after lunch for Khumjung for a couple of days of (hopefully) sunny acclimatisation. 

Much of my time in Namche has been spent trying to get my Sat Phone to work – it is now looking increasingly likely that this spanking new model is faulty or had the wrong software installed.  It couldn’t be tested in London as there is no coverage so I get to find out here – ufortunately I can’t seem to find a Thuraya shop in Namche – must be down the second muddy alleyway on the left…  Anyway this could mean limited posts until Base Camp when I can bring out the Bad Boy high speed modem, but that is still just under a week away.  Anyway, I’ll still try and find a way to keep boring you all on a daily basis.

I also seem to be growing a beard – perhaps I might actually look rugged one day.  Vote ‘shave’ if you want it off and ‘keep’ if not and I will make sure I continue to do as I please.  Anyway photo of five days growth below.  Perhaps I should keep it going in honour of Alix’s arrival at Base Camp on May 5th.

Anyway off now for another extraordinarily diverse lunch of rice, noodles and vegetables.  Or I might skip it and go to the newly opened branch of Nobu – perhaps the Sat phone is on the same muddy street?

Namche's 5th Avenue

Me, Chris Macklin and five-day beard n the tea house last night

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We had a beautifully sunny and oddly ‘free of screw-ups’ flight to Lukla yesterday morning, with Everest clearly visible in the distance.  As soon as we landed we began the laborious process of accounting for all the kit bags that accompany us on the trek to Base Camp.  Being Nepal, they don’t necessarily travel on the flight you do.  Eventually they all arrived (the last one three hours later, by itself), and we set off for Phakding.

As soon as you turn a sharp corner out of Lukla (pictured in yesterday’s post) which is a reasonably bustling little hamlet given it is the only airport for 200 miles, you are suddenly in the middle of nowhere, and it suddenly hits you that you are high up and remote, with soaring snowy peaks high above the river alongside which we trekked.  It was a very easy start and within a few hours and after a long lazy lunch we arrrived at our lodge for the night and spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and getting to know each other – after all we are all stuck together until June…

Today we rose at 6am for the climb to Namche Bazaar, known as one of the more strenuous days given the constant up and down followed by a sheer rise of 800 vertical meters to 3,500m.  It is a beautiful climb, with dramatic suspension bridges and incredible views (see photos below).

Namche itself has changed a lot since the last time I was here in 1997, with even the luxury of indoor loos in our lodge (a major improvement I can assure you…).  The sun is shining brightly and everyone is busy covering themselves with suncream as it is very harsh up here.  Since arriving, we have spent time playing with all the communications equipment and using the solar panels that will power everything.

Satellite phone is still not working – not sure why – I am starting to worry that despite its shiny new exterior it may be faulty, but the higher we go the clearer the signal and the more direct the angle the the satellite themselves (you need perfect line of sight to the South East or South West, and they need to be in the right stage of orbit etc.) – we’ll get there in the end, I hope.

Tomorrow we spend the morning in Namche and the head up to Khumjung, where most of the Sherpas on our team are from, staying in our Sirdar (Head Sherpa) Phurba Tashi’s lodge.  He is a legend in the Himalaya and in Nepal the equivalent of David Beckham over here, only difference being he is actually talented.  We will spend two days there acclimatising due to the increased altitude – rushing up is a bad idea.  Anyway, so far so good, I feel in perfect nick, for now. 

It could have been very different – yesterday on the trail, while passing a line of yaks coming down, one of the cheeky buggers decided to try and gore me in the groin with his 40cm sharp horn – he lurched left and butted me at VERY close range, which left a long scratch on my trekking trousers, but I managed to just about avoid getting skewered.  What a way to end an expedition – the Nepali version of getting run over by a milk-float.

Dramatic suspension bridge during the trek to Namche Bazar

Me in front of the Alpine Lodge with Namche Bazar in the background

Namche Bazar looking down valley towards Phakding and Lukla

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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.

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Next stop – the Himalayas proper.

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