Saturday April 2nd, 8pm, Thyangboche, 3,810m.
(EST is 10 hours 45 mins behind Nepal)

We experience more bridges, charging yaks and a sandstorm.

This morning was market day in Namche Bazar. As we packed and prepared to hike up the trail, the town was alive with traders and farmers coming to buy and sell produce and wares, vegetables, chickens and livestock. You could buy almost anything there. Howard and Dave went off to buy a couple of chickens to thank the lady of the house who hosted our meals, but they bought two roosters by mistake. I’m not sure if that meant anything, but she seemed very pleased.

Before we left Namche Bazar we bought a t-shirt which we all signed and gave to the local bar (which even sells Everest whisky) to hang with the t-shirts from all the other expeditions. “Are you the Canadians playing hockey at Base Camp?” is a frequent question we are asked. We have met climbers from Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Australia and they all know about it. What started as a bit of fun, as a side line to the main expedition objectives and Sean’s summit bid, has become a topic of great interest to our fellow hikers. I’m sure we’ll have a big crowd when we play the game.

This was the toughest day for me so far. The trail was just a metre-and-a-half wide in places with a 500 foot sheer drop on both sides. I had to really concentrate on using my poles and balancing my weight. There was no conversation or chatter on the most difficult parts of the climb; we just focused on getting safely up the path.

When we stopped, the views were breathtaking. We relaxed at a site dedicated to Sir Edmund Hilary and got a clear view of Mount Everest. The mountain was perfectly clear with a plume off the top where the jet stream touched it – it was a stunning sight. In places, the mountains are so tall that you think it’s a cloudy day but you look up and up and you see the mountain peaks way above you shielding and protecting the party.

We crossed another two bridges today and the last one was really rough and in poor condition. Nicole, Howard and Gerry were the last to come over and they got about half way across when a bunch of yaks started to cross. The yaks are frightened of the bridges and they run across, their feet slipping on the loose boards. Nicole, Howard and Gerry had to sprint as fast as they could, with their back packs on, to get off the bridge, or they would have been trampled and they made it with just seconds to spare. It was a scary moment but it passed and we pressed on. These yaks are bigger and better cared for, than many. They are well groomed and fed. We have also seen some rare small mountain goats called Thars which even the sherpas were excited about.

We ran in to a sandstorm on the trail. The wind picked up and the trail, which is well above the tree line, could offer us no shelter as we struggled forward, the sand blasting at us. A couple of the party have had minor headaches but no altitude sickness. You can get out of breath doing ordinary things but everyone is feeling fit.

We were happy to make camp tonight after such a gruelling day and we had a toasted dinner to celebrate everyone’s good health and fortune. Now, the temperature is dropping like a stone. I’m wearing my -40 coat outside where the night sky is astonishingly clear.

We have arrived at the very large Thyangboche monastery, the spiritual center of the Khumbu region. As we walked through an area of meadows to the monastery gates, earlier this afternoon, it was difficult not to feel an intense serenity all around us. To one side was a snow covered mountain, at the same elevation but here it’s like a spring day. Tomorrow at 6am we are visiting the monastery for a ceremony at which both the expedition and Sean will be blessed. Then we have another 5-6 hours on the trail and a rest day at about 4,500m

More later.

Terry