09/21/2009 6:36 am (KTM)
I went to bed at 8:30…. I was going to watch a movie on my iPod but fell asleep. Woke up at 1:30 and took ½ of an Ambien, slept until 5:00am. I messed around with pictures until 6:00am, then as the sun was rising…. Kongde appeared. 6186 meters of snow capped heaven. Just beautiful! It was not there yesterday due to the cloud cover. Because of the huge blister on my right foot, Prem does not want me to do much today. This village is awesome, and the people are sooooo nice. The Korean group is having breakfast right now, and then they are heading to Thamo. This morning I had to put my North Face coat on, I got my gloves out but I left them in the room. I need to go to the market and find some moleskin or something for my foot. I need to put something in between my toes. I don’t know what caused this blister, but it could be trouble.
09/21/2009 12:24pm (KTM)
This morning after breakfast Prem ask me if I could walk a bit. I said sure, so we hiked about a third of the way to Tengboche, where we are heading tomorrow. At one point we could see Ama Dablam, and Mt Everest. It was beautiful. I really enjoyed it. We talked about everything.
We circled around the top of Namche and over to the monastery, then down into the market. I found a pharmacy, and the girl working in there was about nine years old. I bought some gauze and tape. Then we stopped in a lodge where Prem used to stay. His brother was inside with a client. A nice young lady from Osaka, Japan named “Cheeky.” She speaks very good English, and we will probably trek with them for the next couple of days. I am at the dining hall for lunch, this morning I had what they call a pancake. It is nothing more than a flat piece of dough with butter and sugar. For lunch I ordered fried rice but ended up with curry? It had way too much cabbage in it!
09/21/2009 3:48pm (KTM)
After lunch Prem told me I was free to do anything until 6:00pm, so I went to the market and found a pair of North Face trekking pants for 1400 Rs. I tried them on and they fit great, they have zip off legs! The lodge owners name is Anu Sherpa. He is friends with Ed Viesters, and the late Rob Hall, and Scott Fischer, as well as his best friend Anatol Boukreev. Scott and Rob died in the Everest disaster of 1996 and Anatoli died on Anapurna in 1997. Anu was part of the rescue party in Anatoli’s accident. Anu told me he was 100% sure that Anatoli was caught in an avalanche. Anatoli wrote Anu a letter and it is hanging here in the dinning hall….
“In 1980 I found myself in the high mountains for the first time. I knew right away I belonged in those mountains, that I was destined to be a mountaineer. One encounters special challenges at high altitude. I discovered a new kind of mountaineering. It is not only about the complexity of the route, it was about the human struggle with altitude. I wanted to achieve something essential in life, something that is not measured by money or position in society. I wanted to respect myself as a man, and I wanted the respect of my friends and family. My fate was to be an athlete; I was born with certain physical and mental abilities… I have tried to use those gifts to realize myself as a human being. The mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambitions to achieve; they are my cathedrals, my houses of religion. There presence is grand and pure. I go to them as all humans go to worship. In their presence I attempt to understand my life, to purify myself, of earthly vanity, greed, and fear. On their altar I strive to perfect myself physically and spiritually, from their vantage point, I view my past dream of the future, and with unusual acuteness, I experience the present. My ascensions renew my strength, and clear my vision. They are the way I practice my religion. In the mountains I celebrate creation; on each journey I am reborn!”
Anatoli Boukreev 1997
09/21/2009 8:27pm (KTM)
At 6:30pm Prem came to my room to find me. I had fallen asleep. We went to the dining hall and I ordered fried potato momo’s. They were okay, but not my favorite so far. I am packed for tomorrow. I lightened my pack substantially. Only cameras, laptop, and bible, just bare bones. I am going to drink plenty of water in the morning. Outfit for tomorrow… Green pants, Thunder shirt, 805 Fleece, boxer briefs, heavy hiking socks, black Nike hat. Just took an Ambien and getting ready to watch Seven years in Tibet.
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