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Fri 1st Feb. Back on the air...

1/2/2019

20 Comments

 
Tue 29/1/2019 - Tengboche to Dingboche (4400 metres) .....today we woke to everything frozen. Water bottles, toothpaste, baby wipes and even my roll on deodorant. Today’s walk wasn’t too cruel just the altitude to battle with.
Quote of the day goes to Tess. We walked past a local home and a mother was helping her maybe 2 year old take a leak. In full view Tess comments “gee Josh, he has a bigger one than you”. Poor Josh is copping a bit.
The team still walking strong, Gary and Lauren feeling a bit blah today. We had sent our porters on to secure rooms on the sunny side of our lodge. Boy does this make a difference. Our rooms are actually warm. The lodge is quite busy tonight. Everyone will be fighting for space around the fire once it gets lit.

Wed 30/01/19 - Acclimatisation day - Dingboche to Chukhung (4745 metres). Gary still not 100% and said he was feverish all night. He hasn’t eaten much in the last 48 hours. Lauren seems to be better after a nights sleep and Rhonda not 100% today.
We started our acclimatisation walk which is a 2.5 to 3 hour walk up the valley to a village called Chukhung. Gary got about 45 minutes into the walk and lack of energy turned him around with one of the porters. Everyone else continued on feeling the altitude with every step. The sun was shining and warmth was in the air. Lunch at a lodge before a quick descent back to Dingboche to get the last of the sunshine pouring into our rooms.

Thur 31/01/19 - Dingboche to Lobuche (4900 metres). Still no WiFi or local carrier.
Today seven of us left Dingboche but only five made it to lobuche. Lauren slipped on an icy section coming up into Thukla. She felt her knee pop out and although popped straight back in there will be swelling and pain over the next few days. Sadly she was struggling to walk and knew she would have to call it quits. Rhonda made the hard decision of not continuing on and staying with her. Thukla has no WiFi or phone carrier. We knew lobuche would at the very least have a satellite phone if nothing else working but being around 12 noon and knowing the weather starts to close in around 2-3 and rescue helicopters won’t fly we had to make the painful decision of leaving them in Thukla while Shishir and I upped the pace to get to Lobuche with the others not far behind to try and get a chopper this afternoon. Sadly we couldn’t communicate with them so had to tell them if one doesn’t turn up this afternoon they need to wait it out until the next day. We were told a rescue helicopter turned up at around 2.45pm for them but we don’t know anymore at the time of writing this.
Note - as soon as a helicopter was booked, Shishir ran back down to Thukla to let Rhonda and and Lauren know. Then came back up to Lobuche. This would take a normal person 5 hours return..!

Fri 01/02/19 - just arrived in Gorek Shep and about to head to Everest Base Camp.
Later. All five of us plus Shishir have just returned from Everest Base Camp. I won’t say blizzard conditions but not far off. The prayer flags were released and we are now sitting back down in our lodge around the heater that rarely gets lit before 5pm but I think they are feeling sorry for us.
Communication from Rhonda says Lauren is still in hospital waiting for an MRI. The team will decide tonight if they do Kalar Patar in the morning but I think EBC was higher on their priority list.

Sue

20 Comments
Knumbu
1/2/2019 09:48:07 pm

Great effort to all of you, an achievement you will remember forever.
Take extra care heading home it will be very slippery.

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:23:05 am

Thanks Khumbu.

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David G
1/2/2019 11:20:54 pm

Wow, that's some update..!!
I have contacted Rhonda. Lauren is going ok.
-Everest Base Camp = a lot of rocks and no view of Everest
-Kalar Pattar = one of the best 360deg panoramas in all of Nepal.
I'll never understand why some choose Base Camp over KP!

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Pete R
1/2/2019 11:33:13 pm

Agree

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David G
2/2/2019 10:15:56 am

I meant to add what a great effort to get up there, given the snow, ice AND injuries. Well done all. Safe return to Lukla

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:25:45 am

They had EBC on their bucket list. Their other bucket list is the food they want to eat when they return home. I’m hearing chicken nuggets a fair bit.

Brian@Weeroona
2/2/2019 01:25:44 am

I don't know if you will get this in time but I would like to encourage you all to do the ascent of Kala Pattar. I failed to make it on my first trip to Nepal with David and it bugged me for a long time. I eventually went back to Nepal and did the climb and it was worth every gasping footstep. To visit the EBC is an achievement in itself but Kala Pattar is the ultimate achievement on that walk..

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:27:06 am

Brian, they saw KP and said no way.

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Margaret
2/2/2019 08:05:50 am

Congratulations team! What an amazing accomplishment! So very proud of all of you. 😘 Xx

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:30:57 am

Thanks Margaret, I will need to warn you that Gary may not look like the Gary that you last saw three weeks ago. He can’t eat anything. I’m sure he’ll come good back in Kathmandu with our first port of call The Kathmandu Steakhouse..

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Wine link
2/2/2019 08:58:25 am

Great effort Sue and EBC2019. How long did Sue have to wait to get that photo of her with no clouds over the mountains? Take care on descent and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:32:52 am

Thanks Wine, we’ve had a real mixture of weather this trip. No dust and most days snow on the trails.

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Sue & Rog
2/2/2019 11:01:54 am

Well done everyone, what an awesome effort. Can't wait to catch up with "The Moerenhouts" and hear all about it. OMG, it looks so cold. Take care coming back down, enjoy a nice warm shower. xxx

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:34:24 am

Sue and Rog, Rhys and Gary need to get together and compare who did it tougher😀

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James
2/2/2019 11:36:11 am

Congratulations to all on a great effort in what looks like harsh conditions.
I think the boys are done with my cooking and looking forward to you coming home.

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:35:40 am

Done with your “cooking” or sick of takeaways?

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Sophie
2/2/2019 06:03:34 pm

Congratulations and well done to everyone!! 👏🏻💪🏻
Gary so sorry to hear you’re not a 100% but you’ve done it!! amazing effort. Look forward to hearing all about it when you all return. Tahlia, I’m bragging to everyone about you.
Thanks for all the updates Sue and David

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Sue
3/2/2019 02:41:26 am

Sophie, Tahlia feet will need some tender loving care. She even asked the question “Could I get emergency evacuated because my toenail is going black and will eventually fall off.. Sadly I think fine print on her insurance policy doesn’t cover toenails. She is in pain though.

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David G
3/2/2019 06:44:11 am

Sue. Have you tried using the “downhill lacing” on Tahlia’s boots?
This has been one tough trip. I’m hoping my 2020 interested team members aren’t following this blog, or they may cancel out! LOL

Sue
3/2/2019 09:25:15 pm

David, I did attempt the downhill lacing technique, but Tahlia’s boots aren’t quite high enough to do it properly. Josh’s runners have been perfect, although she needed to be extra careful on the icy sections.

Reply



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