Trip Blogs: Everest Base Camp #1 & #2

Date: Wednesday, November 14
Location: Kathmandu

We are back in Kathmandu!


But it was not easy.

We got up at 5:15 am to get breakfast to catch the first fl
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Date: Tuesday, November 13
Location: Lukla, again, No fly day.

Well, we are experiencing the power of nature. Last night it started raining.


Clouds still there this am. No flying until mid mo
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Date: Monday, November 12
Location: Lukla, Yeah!

We have returned to our starting place. All safe. Compare this group shot with the departing shot early in the trip. We look a bit more worn but tr
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Date: Sunday, November 11
Location: Phakding, 8800 feet. 7 hours of hiking

Down to lots of oxygen! Yeah, much warmer down here... 


Stopped in Namche, picture. Cappuccino has gotten to be a joke with Lh
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Date: Saturday, November 10
Location: Kyangjuma, 11,500 feet.

Hello out there. Suppose to be an easy day. Consensus, was NOT! 2 hard uphills, kind of did us in. Stopped at Tenboche Monastery. So, tod
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Date: Friday, November 9
Location: Periche, 14,170 feet.

Long and very tough day. But, wow, had 3 of us and 3 Sherpa climb Kala Patar. The view is stunning. You can see from the South Col the whole summ
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Date: Thursday, November 8
Location: orak Shep. 17,000 feet and Everest Base Camp! 17.400 feet.

Yes, check out the picture. Joe not there as he stayed behind in Laboche, a bit under the weather but healing.


Nancy made it to G
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Date: Wednesday, November 7
Location: Laboche, 16.200 feet.

Well it is real now. We are one day away from base camp. We can see the end of the valley. The mountains are hard to describe. Today was a perfe
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Date: Tuesday, November 6
Location: Denboche to Chuklung and back, up to 15,600

Great acclimatization hike up to 15,600. People did very well.


We headed up into the end of the valley which is a semicircle of mo
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Date: Monday, November 5
Location: Denboche, 14,200 feet. Got in by 330. Excellent time.

Picture is Lhoste and Everest is the triangular peak behind it. 


Group did excellent despite a longer day and a much higher e
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Date: Sunday, November 4
Location: Phortse, 12,500 feet. 2 PM arrival.

We had a nice very slow walk today. As you can see the views up the valley were spectacular. Every where you look there are high peaks, so sheer, s
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Date: Saturday, November 3
Location: Kumchung, 12,500 feet...

Slow hike uphill to Kumchung. But, we rounded a corner by a tea house, and....There was Ama Dablam. Wow, such a beautiful mountain. We sat to have
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Date: Friday, November 2
Location: Namche again.

First great view of Everest today! Big day. Great clear skies. Stayed for over half an hour taking pictures... fantastic and now each day will br
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Date: Thursday, November 1
Location: Namche, 11,500. 4 pm arrival.

Had to put up picture of the famous swinging bridge. It is 300 feet above the river. 


 People did great getting up here
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Date: Wednesday, October 31st
Location: Over the swinging bridge at Phakding

8500 feet, 3 hours of walking 


 Yes! We area on the trek! Great weather, we were on the first plane, we boarded before
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Date: Tuesday, October 30
Location: Kathmandu, Bhaktipur

Tour day again. Visited a temple high over the Kathmandu. Lots of building destroyed by earthquake. Ancient place. Ancient people. Rice fields. Ric
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Date: Monday, October 29
Location: Kathmandu

The holy men, the Sadhus welcomed us to Pashapatinath. It is a funeral pyre area. What a welcome. All are here, doing well and pretty jet lagged.&n
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Date: Wednesday, October 23
Location: Katmandu!

As you can see we waited a lot today. Many false starts... Many planes coming and going. After 4 plus hours of waiting we caught the last plane.&nb
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Date: Monday, October 22
Location: Lukla, yeah!

We are all back safe in Lukla . All loving the oxygen! 


 The crazy contrast here of yaks and planes. Wow! Hot shower,
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Date: Sunday, October 21
Location: Phakding, 9,500 feet 11 miles or so of walking

The photo is of our Sidar Lahpka. He has climbed Everest 6 times. He lives in Phortse. We had tea at his house. We have worked with him for over 20
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Date: Saturday, October 20
Location: Near Khumjung, 12,300 feet.

It was suppose to be an easy day. All dowhill. Well. We pulled into our lodge at 5 pm. 


 Highlight was the Tengboche M
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Date: Friday, October 19
Location: Periche, 14,000 feet.

Long day. Climbed Kala Patar 18500 first. The photo is of Kala Patar. A small peak behind Gorak Shep. Rick, Harry, Bill and Mike went up with L
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Date: Thursday, October 18
Location: Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp. Yeah!

We made it! It was not easy. People were really tired getting back to the lodge a little before sunset. 


 We had a per
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Date: Wednesday, October 17
Location: Lobuche, 16,300 feet, Arrived 2 pm

Up into the thin, thin air! Bistari, Bistari, slowly, slowly. 


Group is doing great! Need to go slow. Astounding weather.
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Date: Tuesday, October 16
Location: Device again. We hiked up to 15,500 feet for lunch

Happy Birthday Jean Claude! Thanks for following us so diligently.


Today was an acclimatation day. We hiked towards the sheer sou
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Date: Monday, October 15
Location: Denboche, 14,300 feet. About 7 hours of hiking.

The word for today is uphill. We traversed high in the valley, constantly gaining elevation. We were so lucky with sky again. Super crisp ridgeli
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Date: Sunday, October 14
Location: Phortse, the town where our sherpa lives.

12,900 feet. 5 hours of walking. 


 First off Happy Birthday Shannon! Harry is sending you great big birthday wishes fr
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Date: Saturday, October 13
Location: Khumjung, 12,500 feet. 3 hour walk.

Have to start with the crushing spectacular view of the Everest Valley. We climbed slowly for over an hour, rounded a corner at a high hotel and all
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Date: Friday, October 12
Location: Namche again. Rest day.

Sweet day to explore, got up for a warm breakfast. We were hoping to see Everest from a view point but the clouds were low. So, we chilled drinking
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Date: Thursday, October 11
Location: Namche Bazaar, 13,300 feet, 6 hours of walking.

We turned the corner and there through the pines, on the side of an impossibly steep hill.... Namche! It is like a city to us. We are in hotel in
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Date: Wednesday, October 10
Location: Monjo, on the hike to Namche

9300 feet. 4.5 hour hike from Lukla. Up at 4:30 am. 


Most of us slept off and on. Cases of anxiety, excitement and jet la
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Date: Tuesday, October 9
Location: Kathmandu and Bhaktipur

Wonderful day of being immersed in Nepal. We started high on a hill overlooking Kathmandu at an ancient Hindu temple. Picture is of Bill there ring
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Date: Monday, October 8
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

We are all safe in Kathmandu. Plane was a long, long, long way. The airport in China was pretty new, very clean and efficient. Nepal airport.
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