The Hike to Everest Base Camp

The Hike to Everest Base Camp

We left Kathmandu 2 days ago. We flew on a 2-propeller plane from Kathmandu to Lukla. Apparently this is rated the most dangerous airport in the world. Why? Well, on landing in Lukla the runway is slanted up to slow the plane. Furthermore the airstrip is extremely short and located on the side of a mountain. Apparently on take off from Lukla the plane goes off the edge of the airstrip, free falls for a moment and then starts to rise. We can’t wait.

The hiking started right away. The first day we covered 15km and dropped down into a valley and then rose right back up. We hiked for approximately 4 hours with no vertical gain to show for it. We did however accomplish ~3500 feet of elevation gain, if we just count the up hills.

It was an incredible hike. Aadam, naturally led the pack – that kid is in incredible shape! I did not hear a single word of complaint from him. We spent the night at a rustic lodge. Our room was the equivalent of a garden shed. No heating, minimal lighting, basic bathroom, etc. That being said by local standards it was quite luxurious.

The following morning we set off again for a 3 hour hike. This time we only covered 3.7 km, but it was all uphill. We travelled almost 3000 feet vertically up. Again Aadam and Seth (Sanjay’s son) led the pack.

So what did we see – lots of Sherpa people and culture, beautiful mountain ranges, lots of yaks and horses, Sherpa porters carrying incredible amounts of weight up and down the mountains, and unfortunately lots of pollution. There is a fair amount of litter on the trails. I have made a mental note that on our descent we should devise a garbage pick up devise, attach a garbage bag to our packs, and get to work. We have heard so often of how energetic we will feel on the descent- lets put some of that energy to good use.

The boys are sleeping right now – a quick nap before dinner and a presentation by David Breashears. He will be speaking of his expeditions to Everest, but also about the 16 Sherpa who died on the mountain this year. David has been engaged by the Sherpa to negotiate with the foreign expedition teams as to how to proceed.  David is highly respected in these parts. David has generously agreed to provide Aadam with an internview about the Sherpa that Aadam will bring to share with his class. (I have to admit, I am so proud of Aadam for sitting down at the end of a tough day of hiking and doing his work each day). He also is actively soliciting opportunities to learn about the Sherpa.

I am continually amazed by what Aadam is capable of. He is incredible!

Aly

Street Smarts

Street Smarts

I have always believed that there are many types of intelligence. Academic knowledge, technical expertise, emotional intelligence, and street smarts are but a few. Aadam has had a chance to utilize each of these types of skills during the trip so far. He has been great about completing his assigned homework and has been learning about the geography of Mount Everest as well as Sherpa culture. He has been writing in his journal daily. He has been recording biological measurements on himself and recording the data. He has had to adapt from just interacting with dad to functioning within a large group -and he has made this transition with ease. Finally he has had to navigate the challenging traffic, the foreign currency, the need to negotiate, and the importance of being aware of one's environment. It is this latter point which if often challenging for many people. We are so accustomed, in developed nations, to assume that everyone will follow a set of pre-assigned rules. It is these rules that bring order to society. But what if, those rules were bendable: cars could go whenever they wanted, pedestrians were expected to watch out for cars as opposed to vice versa, the set price of an object was in fact not its true price, and you were constantly surrounded by people who were begging or looking at you with intensity and recognizing that you were foreign. It can be quite overwhelming! Again, this is where Aadam has really shone. I am just so impressed with his ability to be aware of his environment while not being intimidated or scared. Sure, cars and bikes would pass very close to him and he would simply jump aside, relay his amazement at how close they came, and then simply trudge on. He has become a pro at crossing very large and busy streets, weaving in an out of traffic, like the locals - what to do, there are no traffic lights to abide. He can now seamlessly convert the local currency to American dollars and has honed his skills at negotiation. But what I am most proud of is that he can walk the streets at night with complete confidence and awareness. He is not scared of this foreign environment! He recognizes that this is the Nepalese way. We have interacted with many locals and Aadam recognizes them for who they are - simply people working hard and trying to live a fulfilling and meaningful life with what they have. We have had many discussion about what defines happiness and that simply having possessions does not make a person more happy. Who is to say that a vendor on Durba Marg is any less happy than Aadam or I. Sure we have more possessions but is that really what defines happiness. We have reminisced about what modifications could make this society 'better' - smoking bans, less pollution, working traffic lights, better road infrastructure, more accessible education, etc. But we have also discussed what are the system limitations to providing these things. He gets it! He however is not complacent to accept that things have to be this way. He has come up with many creative solutions that if implemented really could make a difference. As time passes on this trip we will further develop this concept and also talk more about drivers of change - what does it take to make change happen and how can he be a catalyst for change.

I am so proud of Aadam. His street sense and environmental awareness are skills I really wanted to nurture on this trip. I love that he can accept a foreign environment for its differences and not be scared or intimidated by these differences.

We thank his teachers so much for their support of this trip. As you can see, we are seeking out opportunities to learn and grow.

Aly

Crowds in Kathmandu

Today we had an interesting experience. When you walk on the sidewalk of Kathmandu, it feels like a nice walk. It smells like a nice day with flowers and trees. When you decide to cross the street, things get different. When you cross the street, cars won’t stop for you. You have to time it right or you will get run over. When you cross the street it feels like trying to avoid your parents when going to the kitchen for a snack. It smells like fear of being run over by a crazy motorcycle.  Crossing the street in Kathmandu tastes like throw-up because that’s what you will probably do. When you get into the little ally it is like playing a game of Russian Roulette. It is all about luck. It feels like you are running into people to run away from a car. It tastes like fear and worry. It smells like all the garbage around you. It is also like playing a game of wipeout.

Aadam 

Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice

Well, we've arrived in Kathmadu. What an incredible city! We arrived late at night so our first order of business was to go to sleep. The following morning, however, we were out and about. Using our Rhino 650 - Garmin with Nepal maps, we were able to very easily navigate the streets of Kathmandu. This is one of the skills, that I had wanted Aadam to master. While cycling across France, Aadam had been responsible for providing directions using a Garmin device. He showed significant aptitude at working with Garmin devises and providing direction, so I wanted to build upon those skills during this trip. We invested in the Rhino 650. It is amazing! I now feel absolutely confident that if Aadam is given a GPS device with appropriate maps, that he can navigate any city. He will be using this device to plot his trek to base camp, including setting waypoints and calculating distances and travel speeds.

Carl, our climbing guide in Canada, had told us about Fire and Ice. We found this on our GPS and made our way there. The pizza was incredible, as were the deserts. We then plotted our way to Civil Mall. This is a large urban mall in the centre of Kathmandu. We navigated the smallest streets filled with cars and people - again the Garmin proved invaluable. Aadam and I bowled and played a few video games. We took a taxi home and then rested by the pool. What a wonderful day.

Aly

Kathmandu

Kathmandu

As soon as I stepped out of the plane to Kathmandu, it hit me. The smoke smell was so strong it felt like a brick wall stopping me from going on. Because of the smoke I was not thinking great. The smoke smelled like someone lit the whole earth on fire. You could almost feel the smoke like someone throwing tennis balls at you. The smell was the same all around Kathmandu. (Even the hotel room!)

Aadam 

Kings of the Mountain

Kings of the Mountain

Last summer, Aadam and I climbed Castle Mountain (9075 feet). We enjoyed the climb thoroughly. During the climb we would joke ' I am the King of the Castle and you are a ..." So it seemed appropriate to entitle this blog King of the Mountain.

We have gone on to read many books about climbing in particular in Into Thin Air. In these books we witness the humility that the climbers exhibit when it comes to their goal. Most climbers do not boast that they have conquered a mountain but rather that the mountain has allowed them to climb it. While we are cognizant of the personification that this entails, we feel that the sentiment is true. In order to climb a mountain multiple factors need to come into alignment: opportunity, health, courage, weather, and luck are but a few. It is with the same sense of humility that Aadam and I approach this climb. We are blessed to have the opportunity to climb, the health to climb, the shared adventurous spirit that made this possible, and a family willing to support this. It is with humility that we ask that the journey be full of learning about the people of Nepal, the environment, and ourselves.

Shepas call Mount Everest Chomolungma and respect it as the "Mother of the World."

Dear Mother of the World, we journey to you. We carry best wishes from many people far away and we journey with open eyes, open heart, and open mind. In humility we approach and in humility we will carry the memories of this experience with us for the rest of our lives.

Aly

Ocean Park

Ocean Park
Ocean Park is an amusement park and an animal kingdom put together. First we took a deep sea train to the place in the park with the exciting rides. The train had a TV screen showing what you could see in the deep sea. There were also lots of lights. When we got there we went on lots of different rides. My two favourite rides were the Flash and the Hair Raiser. On the Flash you sway from side to side. You start going higher and eventually you do a 360. The Hair Raiser is a roller coaster with lots of loops.

There are also lots of games at Ocean Park. I tried 2 games. First I played a basketball game and won a huge bear. I also tried a shooting game but did not win anything. I want to go back today to win my sister, Alia, a bear and to take some cool Go Pro Videos.

I love Hong Kong!

Aadam