09/27/2009 1:21pm (KTM)
We arrived in Chhukung at noon! We stopped in the village of Benke down the valley for 30 minutes. The sun was very warming. Prem made us wait until 9:00am to leave this morning. I went to bed at 7:00pm last night and slept until 5:00am. I did not mention that yesterday on Kala Pattar, I said goodbye to Giles. He was heading to Pheriche today and then back to Lukla, before heading off to Pokhra, and then Tibet, and China. (I have had several emails since I have been home, and Giles was heading to Barbados too see his family). I also said goodbye to Coco in Thokla (Dughla) at lunch yesterday. She was heading down. (I ran into Coco in Thamel the day before I came home!) I also saw Harriet yesterday above Loubuche. She was heading over the pass and was gong to try and find us in Island Peak Base camp. If not at Base camp she will find Prem and Diel in Chhukung. We arrived in Chhukung and met my climbing guide, Mr. Tenzing Sherpa. Mr. Tenzing said we will trek to base camp tomorrow and the attempt an alpine style climb starting at 2:00am the day after tomorrow. Climbing through the night, and reaching the summit, then retreating all the way back down in one day. The weather is turning and it may be our only chance. Deil and Temba Sherpa will carry our gear to base camp, and then once camp is established, Deil will return to Chhukung. Tomorrow morning Deil will return to base camp, help breakdown camp and help carry our gear back to Chhukung. Today I wore Timberline hikers, black spandex pants, boxer briefs, and green cargos. I stored my cameras today. I am going to take fewer pictures today on the way up and try to conserve battery power, but will shoot like crazy on the way down as charging batteries gets cheaper as we work back to Lukla. I smell like crap, but will not get a shower until we get off the mountain. (Maybe)
09/27/2009 5:37pm (KTM)
A few thoughts. Today while trekking, which I might add, was probably the easiest because
1.) We are down over 1,000 meters.
2.) It was only 2 1/2hours from Dingboche. (That included a 30 minute break for tea in Birbe, where Prem knows the teahouse owner. A 60 year old man who has summited Everest two times eleven years ago.
3.) I kept my mind busy… Jeff Wilson the Canadian guy I met a couple of days ago told me, when he is struggling he thinks about dirty sex. I can’t even imagine sex right now, believe it or not! It is way to cold, and I smell like B.O.
Here is what I thought about
a.) My Family (Sherrie, Jordan, Trey, Mom, Curtis & Lisa, Boomer, Shadow, Febe, everyone in Tennessee!)
b.) Mike and his dad Mike Sr. and what they think about OU football this season. I even thought about the possibility of banishing Bob Stoops to Chhukung, Nepal if he dumps another BCS game.
c.) My Co-Workers! (Jodi, Cindy, & Gaymarie, as well as, all of their families) There are also a few people at the hospital that I miss too!
d.) All of my friends who helped get me here! (Ricardo & Jenni, Miriam and the boys, Mike & Marilyn Isbell, Clark & Robin, The Klinkas, The Brummitts, Kevin Butler, B.O.B., Chad & Shannon)
e.) My family at 805! (Ben & Kinsy (Well Kinsy anyway!) Mike & Jenni Giroux, Travis & Sara, Tyler, Brad, Adam, Danny, and everyone else I have trained with over the last 6 months.
f.) All of my sponsors… Dr. Walton and the staff at FBH, especially Sherri Stoner, Dr. Keller, Dr. Siler, Chad Duggan at Red Rock Landscape and design, Stephen and Heidi at Applebee’s, K Morton at Jon Ric Salon and Spa, John, Jordan, and Dustin at Summit Co., Richard at Wooderson Ventures, Midwest City Specialty Hospital.
g.) Trail mix, Louie’s Bar-b-Que chicken pizza, Zio’s, Charleston’s, Chelino’s, and Mazzio’s thin crust supreme pizza.
h.) Thunder Basketball, and Melissa Owumi!
I prayed a lot today. This is my plan for the next 54 hours. We leave Chhukung for Imja Tse base camp in the morning, about two hours ago thick clouds moved in and it started snowing. I hope like yesterday this front moves in and then back out overnight. We will spend the night at base camp (Me, Mr. Tenzing, and Temba) then get up at 2:00am, pass high camp in an Alpine style climb, Summit by 8:00am, and then retreat back to base camp. As I was sitting here in the dinning hall, a man came in exhausted! His name is Mark and he is from California. He left base camp this morning at 2:00am, summited and came all the way back to Chhukung in one long, long, day! I would love to do that. It would only leave us exposed on the side of the mountain for one night. It took Mark 13 ½ hours to make the summit and back. Prem just came in the dinning hall and told me I should leave one of my cameras here. I think he is drunk. If I leave the D200 here, I am taking the 80 -200mm, and the battery from the 200. Mr. Tenzing Sherpa inspected my climbing gear, and made me rent a jumar. He was concerned about my Asolo boots, not being waterproof. I have a super set of gaiters that will go on the outside of my boots! I re-packed everything into one gear bag to take to base camp. He also thinks my sleeping bag is too light, so I am taking Prem’s bag also. When I get back to Lukla… I am giving sooo much crap away, sleeping bag, T-shirts, socks, anything that does not have sentimental value. It is 7:45am at home right now…. I bet Boomer has had Sherrie up for a couple of hours now. I hope she takes the kid’s to church today. I know mom will have the whole church praying for me as well. When we got to Chhukung… I had some mushroom soup, and this afternoon, I had a coffee, and some popcorn. I am going to have spaghetti for dinner. My climbing guide is very quiet.
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