Asia by Hammock

Did an hour of uphill powerwalking to Mong then had an easy two hour glide into Namche. Back in the land of TV, flush toilets and motion detectors. And bakeries, spent the afternoon eating apple + chocolate + flour + butter concoctions, reading Newsweek and talking to a group that did a three week trek just to get to Namche, including three climbs. Really nice views of the terraced city of Phortse in front of Ama Dablam. It was also amazing how much more crowded and wider the trail got as the Gokyo trek merged with the EBC trek.

It is the second day of the Hindu festival of lights. In one of those grand ironies, Hiindus celebrate by arranging candles in the form of swastikas (its an ancient, pre-Hiel symbol). I chose not to try to explain this incongruity to Dipu.

Left Gokyo this morning and had a chill, mostly downhill stroll. I can feel the extra O2 and what I originally took for really fucked up rocks are in fact rhodondron and pine trees, things I haven't seen for a while. The trail followed a river from the Ngozumba with little villages and terraced stone walled fields on each side of the valley. I thinkt the other valley offers a more impressive skycape, but there are certainly less tourists here and theres a lot of appeal to waterfalls cascading off rocks beneath the snow capped peaks.

I trucked up to Gokyo Ri again at 10:30 this morning. I returned at 6:30 tonight. It was a great day at one of the most incredible viewpoints in Nepal! The wind was whipping on the two hour climb up which lent a kinda Edmund Hillary, struggling to the summit aspect to the climb (but not really). The wind died out around 2pm and I was able to read my Outside book (described by Billy Bryson as "funny, whimsical, harrowing - a reader's delight, whether you're lounging on the couch or BIVOACKED ON SOME WINDY HEIGHT" which I was (but not really). And its always fun to read about surfing while staring out at three of the world's five highest peaks.

Found some rocks which formed a pretty fantastic chaise lounge chair and had a nice nap on what I imagine is the most perfect spot on the planet. Lounged for a while then watched the sun set. It was grandidlyand, first brightly illuminating the faces of the mountains then turning pink and red and then finally creating impressive, though dark, spectrum on the sky behind the Himalayas. Scampered down in the dark after a fantastic five hours on the mountain.

I am now pretty officially on my way back home. I'm back down valley and should be in Kathmandu in four easy-ish days. Then a few day layover in Pokhara, maybe an easy trek and then its back to the Kathmandu for the direct flight to Palm Springs (but not really). Another good/sappy quote: "Ships are safe in the harbor, but thats not what ships are for"

Woke to a slightly clouded day, grabbed a tuna "sandwitch" and headed up valley. Generaly an easy, gently sloping path up to the fourth lake. Nice views of unnamed mountains and a green lake. Then headed up to the fifth lake and up to the edge of the Ngozumba glacier (this would be scoundrel's view). Saw Mt Everest across the glacier (and through the aptly named "Changri La" pass) with the Lhotse face plus cool views down valley. Climbed around the lake and got some shots of Everest behind water. Chilled out in the sun for a while and enjoyed the pretty neato view of the sun sparkling off the lake. Easy day.

Had a great night sleep and woke about 7:30 to head up the peak. Took a few early morning photos with the lake relecting and headed up. The climb was long, seemed tougher than Kala Pattar but much kinder than Cho La with 35lbs. The view from Gokyo Ri was incredible. Absolutely stunning. Down valley is Kontega, Thamserko and Kusum Kangarua: white mountains framed against the blue. Coming slightly east are the peaks of Taboche, Cholatse, Laboche and the Cho La pass. Directly east is the money shot, Makalu then the Nuptse-Lhotse ridge and finally Everst, soaring above all the other mountains in the world. Beyond Everest looms Tibet and up valley stands the Cho Oyu.

The top of Gokyo is slathered in prayer flags and the waving colors and OM MANI PADME HUMs looke awesome agaisnt the blues, whites and blacks of the Himalayas. Fouind a nice place to chill out and watched the mountains, crows, vulture/eagle/flying snow leopard and the clouds. They floated in at about 5,000m leaving the towering peaks in view except for the occasional wisp which would envelop me and I was reminded of Gunter's (dive guide) saying to "stare out into the white".

Sorry if this has been a bit woordy or even lyrical, but I finished my James Ellroy novel (think LA Confidential) and picked up "The best of Outside" (from the highest bookshop in the world) and I think its changed my literary style a bit (like using adjectives other than awesome).

Also, huge shout out to Albert, Jill, Arthur and especially Julie who fed me a dinner of such delicacies as hot chocolate (excuse me, super charges) and chocolate lemon cake and let me win at hearts.

Woke up feeling good after a surprsingly good night of sleep (aside: don't ever say you've slept in the worst place ever because the next night, unfailingly, will be worse. Just eight matresses side by side on a loft last night). Weather was perfect, hot even, sunny without clouds. Started a bit after 7. Basically climbed for two hours. It was tough, and I think ten days of trekking has taken just a bit out of me. My best description: take two-a-days, add the widowmaker, toss in San Fransisco style slopes and just for fun throw in some Franz Joseph glacier hiking complete with ice bridged crevasses (and what happens to ice in "perfect, hot even, sunny" weather?). It was fucking rough, we were scrambling up rocks, slipping on ice and gnerally huffing and puffing. Definitely the hardest day so far, and that was just the first two hours.

That being said, I can't think of a much more satisifying feeling experience than seeing the prayer flags that mark the top of the pass against the shimmering snow and back drop of a whole new valley. Went down, took years off my knees and had lunch in Dagnak. By then the fog and clouds had come back bringing a sprinkling of snow. We decided to press on to Gokyo. This may not have been the smartest decision I've ever made. The slight ups had me winded and hadn't even reachd the evil evil evil Ngozumba glacer.

The glacier was pretty neat at first, a crazy landscape that looked more like the moon than ice except where there were huge lakes. Apparently, said lakes have washed out the trail making us loop around on completely untrod paths. This meant repeatedly ascending, descending, skurying and scampering on the loose rock slopes. The quintessential one step forward two steps back (or worse: one step sideways six feet sliding down). But we made it finally, I was guite angry with the glacier by the end. Gokyo looks really nice, I have a big single room and don't plan on leaving too soon.

I think this yak shit fire thing is starting to get to me. After sitting in the same room for about seven hours (clouds again), four of that with the shit literally roasting, I developed some truly lovely symptons. Fever, nasuea, loss of apetite and spaciness. I felt like I was I was taking crazy pills (and no, I gave up the lariam a long time ago). Sounds exactly like AMS minus the headache (kinda an important part) and the fact that I'm lower than I've been in 48 hours. So I've self diagnosed myself (and god knows I'm qualified to do so) with carbon monoxicde / yak shit poisioning. Anyways, I went outside, got some fresh air, took something I hope was sudafed and felt a bit better.

Today was pretty easy, gorgeous while we walked down then nasty in ther afternoon. Cho La tomorrow, I want my nice gas powered, switch operated fire places in CB.

Slept in perhaps the worst spot of my entire life last night. The walls were literally dirt and rock covered by a tarp, the wood walls were so thin that when the schmuck next door rolled over it pushed me off the bed. Got shit sleep and woke up at 4:30am.

Fumbled putting on my down jacket, popped one of every pill I had available (diamox, cirpro, alleve, immodium, codeine) and realzed my head lamp needs a bit of upgrading. Got outside and while I'd love to relate the romance and beautfy of hiking in Nepal under the stars, it fucking blew. I tripped every other step, almost went in the water (twice) and nearly hyperventilate in said down jacked. I then convinced myself I had every single sympton of HACE: naseau, light headed, loss of coordination, etc (I think most of these relate to all the pills I popped and the lovely sleeping arrangements). Then, my camel back cord frooze solid. I was not a happy trekker.

Then, as the sun came up, things started to get better. My Nalgene got Iodineized and I could once again enjoy freezing cold water. I also decided to quite being a pussy and made it to Gorak Shep feeling pretty good. Did the long climb to Kala Pattar in about an hour and forty five minutes. It was a bit of a bitch, there's not much you can do going up at 5500 meters other than put one foot in front of the other and listen to your heart pound. I have no idea how people can do this another 3000 meters up. But made it to the top and it was, awesome.

Great views of Everst next to Nuptse with the Khubmu glacier and icefall below. Also fantastic views down valley with the usual suspects and the glacier. Plus an incredible view of Pumori and mountains in Tibet. It was great, not a cloud in the incredibly blue sky and only the occasional breath of wind. Could have stayed all day but only remained for about two hours. Took a short nap on the lower slopes, got sunburned and listened to the avalanches roll of Nuptse.

In the afternoon I relaxed, got more sunburned and talked to a weirdo from Boulder who was in Nepal to work on his breathing (and had a didjeridoo to help him?). Then went back up a bit and watched the sunset. It was fantastic, the faces of Everst (left) and Nuptse (right) turned a beautiful pink/red and it was really neat watching the light fade and listening to the glacier creaking and groaning. AWESOME.

Woke early to a beautifully clear day and sun shining down on Taboche peak. Easy first hour through frozen tundra then the climb started. Hard two hours under Taboche and Cholatse then finally reached the top around 10am. Saw the memorials to Babu Chiring Sherpa and Scott Fischer, on a beautiful hill looking south down the valley. Played a couple games of Uno and then headed into Pheriche with views of Pumori and Nuptse.

Did a nice hike over the northwestern ridge to see the massive Khumbu glacier. Hung out on the ridge for a while, checked out where Everest Base Camp would be if anybody was climbing and relaxed in the sun. Went up to the Pyramid research station which is the highest research station in the world (highest in the world becomes kind of a theme up here). Nothing spectacular but a cool view of the Laboche icefall.

Definitely feeling the altitude. Headache on the ascents, sore throat, freezing cold. Tomorrow, 5am for Kala Pattar.

Today was a "rest day". So naturally I climbed to the highest altitude I've ever been to. Luckily, it was an absolutely gorgeous day and I had no altitude problesm. We started out around 8 and hiked up the hill just east of Pheriche. Got nice views of Ama, Kontega and Thamsherko down valley. Also, first views of Makalu, Island Peak (Imjatse) and the lovely titled Peak 20.

Clbimed for about two hours traight up a streep to quite steep incline around 5,000m. Not easy but there were great views east and the occasional buddhist cairn and paryer flags as motivations (and Dipu sprinting up the fucking hill). Anyways, made it to the top around 11 and felt pretty good. Hung out on the top in the sun, watched the clouds below roll in and out. Also watched the crows circle on updrafts then shoot thousands of feet down to the valley. Saw some sort of vulture/eagle thing.

Pretty nice day. Woke up to the same gray fog of last night but by 8 it had burned off. The weather turned grand, not too hot and not too cold, juuuust right. Trekked down to Somare in about two hours and imbibed a bit of lemon tea. Took off from there and quickly topped treeline. The views of Ama off to the right were incredible. It is massice, and it is not even 8000m. Best part: all the mountains had fresh snow from last night. Fantastic views back down valley towards Kontega and Thamsherko.

Got into Pheriche around noon and enjoyed about 20 minutes of sunshine before the clouds rolled back in. Bummer. Went inside, listened to the Beatles + Nora Jones and watched a sprinkling of snow. Later I checked out the Himalayan Rescue Association daily talk, most of which I had heard/read before. In the month they've been open they've had four serious cases of HACE, Viagra can be used to treate HAPE and HAFE is High Altitude Flatuent Emissions.

Lodges are getting more crowded and more primitive (bye bye western crappers), the age group seems to be getting younger and there are more people (solo + small groups without guides). Quote from the monastery: "May you journey in peace and walk in delight"

Got up quite early this morning after explaining to everyone last night that the only card games I know involve drinking. On the road by 7:30 with beautiful weather and the sun brightly illuminating Kwongde. Fairly mild hike for the first half, saw my first Japaneese being carried out on a Sherpa's back. Ooops.

At about 9:30 the trail started gaining altitude and I really started feeling the thin air. Pounding heart beat on the hills and short of breath for the first time. Especially when shortcutting switchbacks to pass yaks. Made it to Tengboche before noon and got one of the few rooms. Also beat the clouds/fog/rain and snow though the famous view was nowhere to be seen.

This evening went to the monastry with a nice little kata (white scarf buddhist thingamajig) almost like a real mountaineer. Dipu doubted that I could pull it off, but I still sat through two hours of chanting + prayers + "music" + a lot of other stuff I did not understand. At the end most of the monks took off but the head lama ("rimpoche" if you are being technical) stuck around to do monkly things. I took the kata, gave it to him and he blessed it then put it back on my shoulders. Pretty awesome, blessed by the main guy at the main Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu.

I also penned my first (hopefully of many) Nepali/Western song (sing along now): "Japaneese in front of me, yaks to the back, here I am, stuck in the Khumbu with you..." Also, I have to joy of saying "Hurry Dipu, before ze yaks get here"

Rest / acclimitization day. Slept in to a whopping 8am. Took a steep trail north of Namche to Syangboche which boasts the world's tallest "airstrip" (now only helicopters). Fantastic views of Thamsherko to the east and a fucking hot rising sun. Could see down the valley to Jorsalle and even the Lukla "airstrip".

Got up to the Everest View Hotel which charges a measly $180 for a room. Yikes. Great view of Ama Dablam shooting up from the valley floor and people with binoculars could see folks summiting. Everest was clouded over, but even that was a neat thing to see: this huge mountain shooting avoe the clouds. Overheard a guide briefing a group that was preparing to climb Ama, neat to hear real live people say "climb high, sleep low" and "from base camp to ABC to camp 1 to high camp to summit day". I want to go climbing. Spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun and views of Namche and tyring to find the elusive rectangular Namche Bazar sticker.

Hard day today. Woke up and felt pretty good, little sore on my hips, legs, back and feet but popped some advil and hit the "freeway" (the trail is the main route between villages). Made it to Jorsalle pretty easily and picked up my Sargamatha permit, feeling quite good. Dipu played the flute and we walked under the massif of Kusum Khangarau (6200).

After Jorsalle the trail went up at a pretty decent clip. Altitude + pack + steep really fucked me. We did get nice views of Everest as we rounded switch backs but it was quite a struggle to get through the town to the teahouse (conviently located at the very top of the village). My quads burned like they haven't for about seven years.

Lets talk Sherpas. These people are ridiculous. They take three backpacks, duffel bags, cardboard boxes and a Japaneese woman, lash them to wicker (or rattan) baskets and strap the whole thing to their foreheads. Then walk up a mountain. Its nuts. Everything in the stores, in fact the stores themselves, are carried in by these porters.

Namche is the Khumbu region metropolis. Lots of teahouses (maybe 30), bakeries, bars, trekking stores, banks and even high speed internet. It is in some regards bigger than CB. Lots of Tibet made goods, brought over from China. There is an awesome photo of a Sherpa trekking in a dryer, how awesome would it be to see one with a satelitte dish on their back?

Couldn't sleep last night, very excited for the trek (no gorp though!). Met Dipu at 8am and boarded the Twin Otter for the flight to Lukla. My pack weighs just under 15 kilos (his weighs 5) and I weigh 81 with boots. They loaded us into busses and as soon as the plane landed we headed out. Also cool: the airline is Yeti Airlines. Then the people deplane, fuel is refilled, bags are changed, we get on and it is back in the air in like 15 minutes.

The flight was easy, over terraced hills then about 25 minutes through saw Everest which was way impressive. 10 minutes later we landed, from the seat I could see through the cockpit to a landing strip clearly intended for ants. But we touched down, going up hill, and just before hitting the big rock wall turned right and parked.

The walk today was nice and easy. Biggest problem: yak trains. I'm in ok shape, could be worse. The scenery is great, it is incredible how clear and vivid everything is. Saw some snowcapped 6,000m mountains, not even big enough to be named. The path is actually about 2 meters wide and paved with stones, it wanders past homes, tea houses and various buddhist thingamajigs. Sitting on the patio here reminds me a lot of CB with the dry air, intense sun and cool breezes.

Funny things: Italian shoes, Chineese food, Japaneese wife and American life. Also the box that was printed weirdly so it looked like "butt crack" instead of "butter crackers".

Tomorrow morning I take off with Depu of Gurhka Encounters for a 17 (minimum) day trek through the Everest region. We start with a flight into Lukla (an airstrip flattened by dancing sherpas) then will hike for around six days to Gokyo. Gokyo is meant to have fantastic views of the Himalaya range plus some really fucking cold lakes. After Gokyo we head back a bit to Cho La pass which at 5,420meters will be the highest I've ever been in my life (including that one substance abuse saturday) and then will drop down into the Khumbu. From there its a couple days up to Kallapatar (more awesome views) and then to Everest Base Camp. After that we trek back down towards Tengboche and Namche Basar (now I'm just name dropping) maybe with a few day side trek to the base (or top!!!) of Mt. Island (oddly it is not an island). Then its back to Lukla, back to K'du and figuring out if the rest of my time would be better spent in a national park playing with elephants or doing a mountain bike tour of the valley... suggestions?

So I won't be posting for a good bit but I promise lots and lots of pictures when I get back. Also, if you haven't gotten a postcard now is about the last time you can send me your address to get one (unless you want one of beautiful Denver, CO).

NAMASTE!

Ang Steve Sherpa

A quick update: K'du is pretty ridiculous. The driving reminds me a bit of Vietnam, except the drivers here don't seem particularly good at it and the right of way seems to be determined by who has the loudest horn. Every other store in Thamel is a knockoff REI (outdoors store) which is pretty cool, the bakeries offer half priced eats after 7pm (Ed: you would love it and at night people wear fleeces) and there are a shitload of rooftop gardens/restaurants/bars. It also turns out that every shop, every person and everybody's brother offers treks (there are something like 527 licesnsed companies) so the touts can get a little intense.

Here is the Bodha Stupa which is a really neat Buddhist (I think....) thingamajig, very calm compared to Thamel:


And here is a fucking fantastic view of the Kathmandu Valley, Middle Hills and Big Mountains (I think....) taken from the Pashupitchu which is an awesome Hindu cremation ground/temple/park/wandering area for heaps of monkeys, goats and cows (I hate cows):

I've seen some pretty awesome things from planes: beautiful sunsets, the Grand Canyon, the New Zealand Alps, hell, I've even jumped out of planes. But nothing is more impressive then seeing the Himalayas as we descended into Kathmandu airport. Seeing the snow pluming off the summit of the tallest mountain in the world brought a smile to my face (and caused the whole plane to roll right as everyone moved to look out the window). It was, in a word, awesome. Can't wait to start trekking...

Gore

PS> Having to leave my passport at immigration, run outside to an ATM, come back to immigration, have the immigration official ask me if I had any extra (wink, wink) money, change Nepal Rupees back to US Dollars and wait for like thirty minutes all to get a stupid visa was slightly less awesome.

In which Steve leaves Khao Lak, heads to Nepal and does a little walking to the base of the roof of the world (lets call it the drop ceiling of the world)

It was a pretty great last weekend here in Khao Lak. Had my first Tsunami scare on Saturday afternoon, it seems they have a system set up to scare the shit out of people and cause at least two heartattacks but no real method of communicating anything useful. Luckily, through the magic of cell phones and google we found out it was just a teeny little 4.9er (did I catch a niner in there?) off the coast of Kuala Lumpur.

After we finished up our half day of work we set about innaguarating the BBQ. An unexpected twist for me was finding out that Thai's don't light fires with starter fluid or paper or something sensical, they like to use rubber. Adds an interesting flavor to your chicken. But the BBQ was really really good, grill worked flawlessly and Frankie inebriated us with Pina Coladas, Banana Surprise and Koh Kho Koah Island Iced Tea.

Something new and different for a Sunday, everybody was hungover! But no worries, we perservered and hit up Lampi waterfalls which were fairly awesome. We hiked the 300meters up to the top and I made the startling realization that I am in really terrible shape. I hope that whatever I end up paying a Sherpa includes carrying my ass up the steep parts.

We came back, checked out Snatch that was playing at the Khao Lak movie theater (aka the bungalow with a laptop and projector) and ended the weekend the way all good weekends should end: drinking at the Marlin and me making a fool out of myself playing pool. Special shout out to Michael and Da (the owner and bartender at the Marlin) who seemed to really enjoy the photo of me in the apron.

I lose my phone on Thursday so you guys should really bite the bullet, get drunk on a weeknight and give me a call!

Gore


Cause everytime I sleep with your mom she gives me a cookie

Today we straightened, cut, bent, tied and loaded the last piece of rebar to be assembled at Bang Sak (the site I am, excuse me, was, in charge of). Its actually really awesome and shows that we are making really great progress towards completing the homes on Koh Kho Khao. The homes in Bang Sak are being painted in preparation for the dedication ceremony on 29 October (yeah, I'm using international date format and saying "I reckon" and pronouncing 'fillet of fish' "fill-it of fish"). It was also a special day because I completed work on my shiny, silver, space aged, two levels of cooking surface and a side table, completely homemade grill. I'd like to put up pictures but some doofus is using the card reader, so y'all (not so international after all) will have to wait till tomorrow.

The free clinic gave me Valium! (not joking!)

Steve

PS> This is a special shout out to me mum whom I gave a lot of shit for suggesting I bring compact washclothes thinking I would never ever ever use them. Well once again, I was wrong and used them tonight to not disturb my wound. And the most ridiculous story that someone believed went a little like this: "Woah Steve, what happened?" "Well you know those signs at resorts that say 'Beware of Falling Coconuts', yeah they're not lying"

The last truck out of Bang Sak (think last helicopter out of Saigon)

In one of my more impressive moments as a volunteer, I was breaking wood by propping it up and stomping on it. The first ten went flawlessly, the eleventh went spiraling over my head and landed about fifteen feet away (I said "awesome", Larry said "that was close"), the twelfth jumped up and smacked me square in the mouth pushing my top front tooth completely through my lip. My initial reaction was to shout "break time" really loudly, followed by the realization I needed to go to the hospital, followed by the hope that maybe now I could get my Valium. The Thai hospitals once agained proved superb, six stitches in about six minutes all for less than $20 (770 Baht, 12 Quid, 150,000 Dong, etc etc). Though they still laughed at me when I asked for Valium.

In more productive news, I served as project manager / big boss for two days this weeks while Jeremy was out cavorting. It was good fun, I'm super important. In more delicious news, we made nachos/burritos last night. It was one of the most phenomenal meals of my life. I picked up chips and cheese in Phuket this past weekend (and hiking boots, and Sizzler!!!!!), Jeremy had some beans and tortillas and we snagged some peppers and mystery chicken on a stick. You'll never appreciate having a proper kitchen until you are driving around getting cheese out of a refigerator in one bungalow, chips from another then walking into every restaurant in town trying to find one that actually has an oven (or even trying to explain what an oven is to Thai people). Finally the good folks at Viking steakhouse let us shove our tray into their oven (not a sexual euphemism) and we churned out some seriously delectable Mexican food. We also had Sangria, Tequila and the ever popular TJ Tobacco (think about it.....). Best part of the night was when Alan (who is 29) was trying to guess my age, he said 27, I burst out laughing and he went "what, older than me?". Good stuff

Jesus is my wingman

Esteban




That would be Me, Alan, Jeremy, Frankie and our deliciousness