Pictured. The team saying a farewell to Kathmandu Guest House, with Uttum (Hotel Manager) and Laxman (No 1 driver in Kat).

So we have now departed Nepal (not easy for some). This morning we all completed some last minute shopping and coffee intakes. (Kathmandu now has some ripper coffee outlets). Most of us feel we have already put back on half the weight lost on the trek, so perhaps it is a good thing that we get to Thailand to sweat it off again..!!!

We had a great night last night celebrating Paulenes birthday. Eating cake and singing happy birthday at Rum Doodles restaurant. I think she really appreciated it. She's a ripper to travel with.

Update from Bangkok.

Hi all.

We've spent the last 2 days in Pokhara (Nepals 2nd largest city). Our intention was to do some tandem paragliding, hire some scooters and see the beautiful Annapurnas.

Result? No paragliding due to national championships taking place, no scooter hire due to the need to now have international licenses, and no view of Annapurnas due cloud...!!

Still great food and very relaxing walks along the lake and main tourist strip.

Hard to believe that a week ago today, we were slogging it up onto Kalar Pattar. (Coincidently, some of the team have headaches this morning, but not from altitude..!!!)

We are about to head out to the airport for our 40min flight back to Kat and catch up with John again. Then a final night in Kat before our departure for Bangkok tomorrow afternoon.

Sammy and Sue have already arrived back into OZ.

Yes, we are back in Kathmandu, but where is my team...??

Ok, firstly and at risk of repeating myself from previous years trips, let me summarise our morning.
After yesterdays disappointment following the cancellation of all flights in and out of Lukla, we nonetheless enjoyed another enjoyable evening at Paradise Lodge, particularly with a new batch of trekkers who had arrived into Lukla having completed their own treks. The temptation to go out and visit one of the several drinking holes around Lukla was dampened by the fact that it was snowing/raining and they did not have any fires or heaters going (= little iceboxes)

We awoke at 6am this morning to a beautiful clear Lukla sky. Oh the sight of those stars and the moon...!!! We hurried down a breakfast and walked over to the airport, observing with enthusiasm a pristine and awaiting runway. Off course....Kathmandu was closed due thick fog..!!. So the waiting game (correction ..."Lukla game") commenced. For those who have joined us, or at least followed us on previous trips, you will all too well be aware that as Kathmandu starts to clear throughout the morning, Lukla begins to close..!! Clouds start to gather, winds start to pick up, trek leaders start to stress, lodge owners start to rub their hands together (another night of full lodges and handy off-season revenue) and in the blink of an eye, Lukla is closed and all remaining flights are cancelled...!!

But not today...! We waited patiently and finally at 10am, the siren sounded alerting all that the planes had finally departed Kathmandu. Before we could say "please don't trap me in Lukla another night" we were sling-shotting off the runway and heading back to Kat.

Now in the meantime, Sue (Didi) has decided that she cannot pass up the opportunity to have a last night with the team at Kathmandu's Everest Steak House and has decided to delay her rushed international departure (originally booked with Sammy for today) and depart tomorrow instead. Sammy on the other hand is committed to depart today due to expensive accommodation already booked in Bangkok tonight, plus work commitments requiring him back in Melb. He has just sent me a text saying the Prime Minister of Nepal is sharing his plane to Bangkok and has booked out the entire Business Class section, thus preventing Sammy an upgrade..!! Sammy claims he is still going to wonder up front during the flight and chat girls with him.

But.....WHERE IS MY TEAM? True to their word, they have dumped their bags at the Kathmandu Guest House and have spread in all directions to get some "weight gaining" food into them. Some have already showered (and shaved), while others are eating the afternoon away still in their trekking boots..!! We are yet to set eyes on Paulene and Des, who returned to Kat a few days ago. Looking forward to seeing them.

The plan tomorrow is to do the 6hr drive down to beautiful Pokhara for some relaxation and para-gliding next to the mighty Annapurna, before flying back to Kat on Wednesday.

So the 2014 trek blog comes to a close..!! I love all my visits to Nepal, and this group trip was no exception. Always challenging and often for different reasons. A team of 13 is a big team, which presents certain logistical challenges throughout. I'm determined to return to a capped size of 8 to 9 for future trips. 
Looking back, it was disappointing not to be able to spend more time on Kalar Pattar. The panorama is beyond words and the effort to get there (both during the trek and the pre departure training to get there) warrants more time there to absorb and share with each other the incredible view. The plus side was the pride in each of the team in achieving their goal. Not everyone gets the opportunity to stand on KP, so a big WELL DONE to each and every one of the team.

Did the entire team enjoy their Nepal adventure? I certainly know that most did, and some are already planning and discussing with Sue and I a return trip.

Thanks to all who have followed us and provided terrific responses. It makes the challenge of finding wifi and keeping batteries charged at minus 10deg worth it. It is always a great time sitting around a dining room yak poop heater reading out and laughing over your words. Some truly brilliant and well worded responses amongst them.  

I'll continue to blog our R&R in Nepal and Thailand for those interested in our winding down from our EBC adventure.

Namaste

Pictured. Lukla runway at 1pm...!!!

"All flights Cancelled". And there is a miserable forecast for Lukla over the next week...! Sue and Sammy are still here with helicopters also unable to get up here...!!!

The snow and rain has backed off, but there is a heavy fog over the runway and entire village, resulting In long faces in the lodge. Lukla is going to test all of us.

Pictured. The team arriving back into Lukla last night. EBC trek completed.

Hi all. Getting to the top of Kalar Pattar is the 2nd biggest challenge of this mighty trek. Flying in/out of Lukla is by far the greater..!

Yes we are now back in Lukla. We completed the 3 day return (from Gorak Shep) arriving into Lukla last night at 5.30pm, via a customary stopover at Mingmas house for a meal and time spent with his family. This is truly a terrific experience.

We then hosted Mingma and our Porters for farewell dinner and drinks at our lodge and this resulted in a long night of laughs, stories and even a little emotion at the end of the evening (and a rather large bill the next morning). You do legitimately build a very real relationship with them over the 11 days of the trek.

We awake this morning to rain and snow....!!! Great...!! We are obviously informed of flight delays due weather. As I write this (9.45am), it's still snowing. Some are saying that the day is still young and things may improve, but given the Lukla pain I've experienced in my previous 6 visits here, I doubt we will be eating at the Everest Steak House in Kathmandu tonight..!

Sue and Sammy are already trying to organise a helicopter ($$$$) to get them back to Kat, as they both have their international flights back to Oz departing tomorrow. The remainder of us will probably wave them a teary farewell and hope for our delayed plane tomorrow. It will be a sad way to finish the trek, the team splitting up and not being able to spend a final night together in Kat.

Or....maybe I'm writing our chances off too early....!

Update later

Well, where does one start?

Firstly, the good news is that 1hr ago, all 11 of us stood on Kalar Pattar.

Unfortunately, our reward for effort was an Everest summit hidden in cloud and a windshear of minus 20 at 40 knots..!!

We tried to huddle into a small corner of the summit but this wasn't sufficient to protect us, and for those who had been there waiting for 1/2hr for the remainder of the team, this was becoming dangerous..!!

The decision was made to get off the summit quickly and get back down to Gorak Shep. The views were still brilliant, despite our brief time up there.

We now have a 5hr return to Perishe. All tired but well, and all VERY proud of their achievement this morning.

Will add a photo later, although iPhone was failing up there so hope we have one.

Pictured. The team at Gorak Shep 5,100mts. Kalar Pattar in the background.

Hi all. As expected, we had no wifi last night at Lobouche so no update.

We have arrived safely into Gorak Shep 5,100mts. A mini achievement to get all 11 here given some have struggled a little with the altitude and mild headaches and tummies. It was as usual a tough slog up to here this morning. Only a 200mtr climb but never easy at this altitude.

Temperature last night was an acceptable minus 8. Our hired minus 10 sleeping bags are doing the job, and those who are breaking out their hired down jackets claim they are toasty warm.

All the team have commented on how good the food has been thus far, although most have already planned their "food attack" when we return to Kat in 4-5 days time.

We've seen a number of rescue helicopters last night and this morning taking out sick Trekkers, fortunately not us.

We are all amused at Kevin's pants falling down due to his weight loss. He's saying "it's the new Kevin"

Sammy has been climbing well but was slower today.

Rhys has gone into 4 wheel drive and is going well.

Ryan, Greg and Courtney have energy to spare each day.

The two Johns are trekking strong.

Sue is keeping us amused. Loves to tell the team stories of previous years mishaps..!!

Bill trudging along well.

So relaxing today and then the big climb tomorrow. This is what we've prepared for.
Hoping for a good morning and clear sky.
Tomorrow is an 8-10hr day, so we will be sleepy tomorrow night at Perishe 4,200mts.
Update later tomorrow morning with our result on KP.

PS. Have read out your responses to the team from the previous post. All appreciated. Thanks all.

Hi all. Sorry for no updates. Wifi has been non existent the last few days.

Firstly, we are all ok at Dingboche 4,400mts. Some of the team have restled minor headaches and upset tummies, but all have come through today and are going well.

Courtney is now charging ahead. The only thing that stops her is puppies. COURTNEY LOVES PUPPIES..!!!

Bill is battling a few headaches but is hanging in there thus far.

Greg had a huge stomach issue yesterday but is stronger today.

All the remainder off the team are well at this stage, but they are all complaining of the constant ups..!!! (Yes, there are some complainers amongst the team..lol)

Tomorrow we climb to 5000mts, so this will test one or two of them. I will be monitoring them closely and will turn them away If there is any serious symptoms.

Today was our first really clear day. We spent the day acclimatising climbing to a village at 4,800mts. They ALL climbed well. Have just returned and have found some very slow and expensive wifi.

I'm hoping to be able to update and read your responses tomorrow night at Loboche 4,900mts. If I can't get a connection, then please don't panic. I will be able to do so the following day at Gorak Shep.

Thanks Brian for posting pdate.

An update from David via Brian@Weeroona.

I received a call from David this afternoon explaining why there have been no new posts on the blog since Namche Bazar, wi-fi signals are a little scarce out where they are now as it's only the larger villages with wi-fi accessible Internet is available.

At the time of David's call, they were about 2 hours away from Dinboche in the little village of Shomare where David is hoping to update the blog.

Google Maps, copy/paste 27.889232,86.829758 into the search box for the location or,

http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/27.8812/86.8176  - a much better map of the area.

Everybody is travelling well, there have been a couple of upset stomachs who have partially recovered and now there are two others suffering from the same malady. 

The weather isn't very good at the moment with the views obscured by cloud and it has been snowing a little, something that I don't think walking up the 1000 steps prepared them for!

The temperature overnight has been dropping to as low as -10 C -  I wonder how those rented  sleeping bags are working?

Regards, Brian@Weeroona

It used to called a Rest Day, but it is far from it..! The climb from Namche Bazaar up to Everest View Hotel is steep and difficult. Nearly all of the team commented how hard it was at this altitude. But our climb was worth it, with Everest poking through the clouds every so often and sending many cameras into a frenzy of activity.
We ended up getting back to Namche at 1.30pm and headed straight for the local bakery for lunch and a coffee. Very cosy. (and yes, they do know how to make a good coffee...)

Headaches are still present amongst some of the team, and there are now a few upset tummies making life a little more challenging for some.
Others are keen and ready to go higher tomorrow.

Our lodge at Namche is very nice and warms up quickly when the dining room wood heater lights up. Last night, our cheif guide Mingma, and 4 of our Porters returned at dinner time with quite a bit of local brew consumed..!! They had each of the team up and dancing in no time. A very ammusing sight. In the middle of the Himalayas, and 13 Aussies dancing away to local Nepalese music. Needless to say that 10min of dancing at 3500mts results in loss of breath and overheating.

Our average go-to-bed time each night on the trek thus far has been 8.30pm. Yes a little embarrassing, but the thoughts of our cosy minus10 sleeping bags, as well as the trekking efforts throughout the day get the better of us..! Yet we still feel tired. The effects of some difficult trekking no doubt.

Ok, it's time I made my way back to the lodge before it gets dark and the temp drops to zero.
Wish us the best for tomorrows climb, and especially for those who aren't quite feeling 100%.

We have arrived into Namche at 3,500mts. The climb up however has taken its toll. Paulene and Des have decided to make Namche their highest point of the trek. While this is only one village short of where they were planning to go anyway, it's still a sad decision for the rest of us because they have both been such terrific value thus far. So on Friday, we will bid them a farewell and push on higher.

Rhys climbed well today given he was suffering a pesty chest infection yesterday, which slowed his pace.

Many reported headaches tonight, so hopefully these will subside tomorrow. I will need to ensure that hydration within the team is at an acceptable level.

It's been hard managing a group of 13..! Typically the team are spread out at any given time. I will be requesting he front runners slow up from tomorrow. Meals are a different challenge again..! It's not uncommon for the team to order at least 10 different meals, a real nightmare for the single cook in the lodge. We are trying to now restrict our orders to a maximum of 2 different types of meals, but it doesn't always go smooth.

Tomorrow is our first acclimatisation day, so we will set out in the morning and climb to Everest View Hotel (3,800mts) then head back down to Namche for a 2nd night. This will be an approx 5-6 hr day.

Surprise packet today was Kevin. Climbed exceptionally well...!

Update tomorrow.

Just love Lukla..! Yesterday we spent 6 hrs at Kathmandu Airport before getting cancelled out. Today we were rushed through in the blink of an eye and ended up landing at Lukla at 7.20am..!! Beautiful sunny morning.

The flight into Lukla was its normal brilliant experience. All of the team commented on just how much they enjoyed it.

We are now having a warm drink at Paadise Lodge before we get our trek bags organised and meet our Porters.

Team busting to get started.

Firstly, some of you may have heard of a nasty plane accident in Western Nepal yesterday. Not ours. Not ours.
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-134674/Eighteen-dead-Nepal-plane-crash.html)

The Lukla curse continues..!! We ventured out to the airport early this morning for our flight to Lukla, arriving at 7am and finding some joy in hearing the airport and airline staff optimistic about flights today into Lukla. The morning disappeared quickly as we waited for fog to clear from Kathmandu. Just when the sun broke through and the first flight departed (how I wish we had have been on it), we were told that Lukla was now starting to deteriorate. (Has this been a pattern on previous trips...?). At 12.45pm, we receive that horrible, deflating announcement. "Lukla closed".

Now some of the team are able to accept this and put on a happy face. Others in the team who are more desperately keen to start putting some kilometers into their flashy new boots take on a look that requires immediate sympathy and friendly support..!! (Paulene is very good at providing this). We now have to keep our spirits up and hope tomorrow is more successful. Another 5.45 awakening and into the taxis at 6.30.

Sammy is seriously keeping us amused. He has warmed to Kathmandu and is mixing it with the locals very well. (Many know him by first name already).

Ok, hopes for tomorrow....!!

We are ready to go, but the weather is threatening to spoil the party. Today was wet and cold. The roads are muddy and the city has just for the moment lost its "sparkle". The team are getting restless and are raring to go, but today is the 3rd day of no flights in or out of Lukla..!!   

We are booked to fly in tomorrow on the 2nd flight. The forecast is saying improvement, although it was saying today would be an improvement, and as I write this (10pm local time), it's still raining..!! This will mean heavy snow in the mountains and a messy runway at Lukla. My gut feel is that we are a 50/50 chance at best tomorrow.

Still lots of laughs and a vibrant spirit amongst the team, despite me forcing them into taxis and travelling all over the city getting trek permits and park entry passes. Hope the team spirit is the same at 5000mts. 

We have had some laughs reading your responses. Thanks for these.

Tomorrows update hopefully from the middle of the Himalaya, and not from a muddy and wet Kathmandu.    

We have arrived safely into Kathmandu.

Despite my efforts yesterday to get everyone seated on the right hand side of the plane to see the Mt Everest, we saw nothing due to cloud..!!

The team still enjoyed their taxi ride from Kathmandu Airport to our hotel (always an eye opener for first timers) and have already commenced their shopping (and haggling) for clothing and equipment.

We had rain in Kathmandu yesterday and I am told that all Lukla flights were cancelled..! Today is also cloudy, but the forecast is looking better. We have our fingers crossed for Mondays flight.

Today we will be finalising our hire equipment (minus10deg bags and down jackets) before setting out to see some of the incredible sights of Kathmandu. Dinner tonight at Rum Doodles.

All having a great time together and getting keen to get the trekking boots on.

Departure. The team at Melbourne Airport. Smiles all round.

Apparently Thai Airways TG466 is only half full, even better.

Well we are now just a few days from departure, and there is some genuine excitement building within the team. 

For those who have connected with us via this blog on previous trips, we hope you will do so again. Your encouragement and humour have always been a terrific source of energy and entertainment for us as we read them huddled around a Yak Poo stove at 5000mts with minus 15deg outside. 

If this years trip provides just a portion of the fun and excitement that we have had previous years, then Team2014 are going to very much enjoy their Nepal adventure..!

A terrific weekend completed at Dinner Plain in the Vic Alps last weekend. Six from next years EBC team as well as two from this years 2013 team all conquered the classic Razorback walk & climb to the summit of Mt Feathertop. 
Then a celebratory dinner & drinks back on the balcony of our terrific Dinner Plain house. 
A terrific weekend. Well done all.

My 2014 trip blog is now up and running. This blog will become a primary means to update friends, partners and family while we are away and on the trek, and will provide them an easy method to track our progress, share our tales and comment back to us.

These blogs have been very successful on my previous Nepal trips. They have been a great source of encouragement, enjoyment, entertainment and good humour (if not sometimes a little crude) and have kept us very amused while on the trek. I'm hoping the 2014 trip blog is no different.

I have what looks to be a good and enthusiastic 2014 team (with some ripper personalities) ready to attempt the classic Everest Base Camp trek in February. All are in training and starting to get excited as our departure gets closer.

54 days to go............but who's counting...