Make it count: Day #4 - Everest BaseCamp

Day #4 - Everest BaseCamp

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Itinerary: Kathmandu/Final Prep

I was able to sleep longer last night - getting up at 6am. I did wake up for about 30 minutes at 3am - but I was able to get back to sleep. I’m really glad we got here a day early so we could get our bodies on schedule before the trek.

After another great buffet breakfast (eggs, sausage, waffles, pastries) - we had a briefing at 9am in the hotel conference room. All 20 participants were in attendance - everybody has made it through Covid testing and green-lighted for the trek.

The briefing went well. We were given expectations and general guidance for our time on the mountain. Our big duffel bags will be carried by yaks to eliminate the extra porters in the huts. We’ll each be expected to carry our own day packs with food, water, rain gear, extra clothes, and first aid needs.

After the briefing - Greg, Korby, and I headed out into the city again for a walk about. I bought a couple magnets and a book - written by Nims Purja who broke the record for the fastest time to ascend all the 14 peaks above 8000 meters. It’s a Netflix documentary.

We met back at the hotel at 1:30pm for an afternoon tour of Swayambhunath (referred to as the Monkey Temple). This was the coolest place I’ve toured in Kathmandu to this point. “Swayambhunath is perhaps the best place to observe religious harmony in the entire country of Nepal. Swayambhunath is one of the most ancient and holy shrines in the Kathmandu Valley and has been an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination sine the 5th century AD.” It sits high on top of a big hill overlooking the city. We climbed 600 steps to get to the top (warmup for the coming week). We learned about the 6 realms - which when spun together should harmonize the world. (Upper realm - God, Human, Anti-God. Lower realm —Hell, Hungry gods, Animal).

Once we returned from the tour - I spent the next 2 hours locking in my final packing weights. We have to bring our big duffels downstairs to the front desk for our early morning departure before bed this evening.

After packing, we all met at 6:30pm for a final dinner together before heading off on our climb. It’s really a good group of interesting, talented, and well-traveled people.

Introducing the final 10 members of the trip (extension from last night):

Margot - Ann

Margo and Ann walked with us yesterday on our tour of the city. Really nice. Margot is a big time hiker and will be participating in the Island Peak extension with Jeff, Warren and Iveta. Ann has a couple college-age kids. Her daughter is in her 3rd year at West Point.

David

David is an engineer from Richmond who knows Jeff really well. He’s an interesting guy with some good stories. He has some eye trouble and will be paired with his own Sherpa.

Jenny

I met Jenny in Colorado this past summer when a few of the group met up for some acclimation hiking. She is a doctor and is a fun person to be around.

John - Priscilla

The only couple on the trip. John is 70 years old - but looks 50. He is a triathlete and a marathoner. He’s done over 50 marathons and both he and Priscilla have travelled the world. I really like these guys.

Leah - Chrissy - Monica - Randi

I’m just getting to know these 4 ladies. They only arrived late last night. All are from the Richmond, VA area and have climbed Mt Kilimanjaro with Jeff’s group back in 2018. (Actually - just about every person on this trip has climbed Mt Kilimanjaro)

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Tomorrow we get it started! I’m feeling anxious - but I know I can do this! You’re never sure how your body will react to the altitude change - but I feel like I’ve trained correctly and have the experience to make it happen. The word is we should have Wi-Fi at least low on the mountain. I’ll be blogging everyday and posting when I can.

Thanks for all the support and good wishes! As I often said on the Appalachian Trail - Here’s to good health and strength to bring me through this journey!!!

Goodnight from Nepal! Keep the Faith!