Everest is just past my back foot. We are up in Gokyo Ri.
Happy Thanksgiving, we celebrated by walking over Cho la a high pass connected Everest Base Camp with the Goyko region.
Base camp at last. (To see the image bigger you can always double click)
Our first view of the big mountains!We have arrived safely back in Kathmandu after a wonderful, but hard 24 days of Himalayan hiking. I had totally underestimated the effects of altitude on my body. When we were up at Everest base camp we were getting 50% oxygen compared to sea level. Tiny inclines (well there really wasn't anything that tiny) would drop me to the ground sucking in gulps of air. Rob and I have been reading Gone with the Wind out loud during our resting times and occasionally we will have to stop reading just to catch our breath. It was actually really funny at times. Rob also noticed my breathing while I was sleeping was different. All of a sudden I would take many fast breaths before returning to normal sleeping rhythm. To say the least we are happy to be back a bit lower and breathing easy. However, it was all worth the effort to see such amazing peaks. The landscape has just been amazing and our pictures don't do it any justice. It is the feeling the mountains give you of being so small and insignificant. We always joke and tell each other to look "big" before we take the picture. Defiantly a great accomplishment for us both.
Here's Rob.
Awards:
Longest go without shower (Over 15 days, both of us)
Max height reached ( Kala Platter, around 5400 or so meters, Leah only, Rob slept)
Longest go with one pair of underwear ( 6-7 days, Rob)
Worst smelling shirt (Me again, yuck, sorry Leah)
Coldest night sleep (2 hours outside of base camp, over negative 25 below Celsius)
Biggest blister (Leah, right on the heel)
Worst food experience (Leah got food poisoning twice, it was like sleeping next to the exorcist girl)
Most often eaten food (rice, we are in Asia after all)
Biggest let down in food (Pasta with tomato sauce, WRONG, pasta covered in Katsup)
Cheapest night sleep (less then 10 cents)
Worst smelling socks ( Tie )
Dirtiest clothing (Tie again, except for underwear and you know who won that)
Total elevation gained ( over 10000 meters)
Most likely to get altitude sickness ( me by a ton, Leah has no problems )
People we miss ( our German buddy Thomas, and Matt, and Sophi "the aussies")
4 comments:
Awe. Some. !
Great pictures, glad you made it back. Where do you go from here? You're both looking good. Keep well, and keep in touch!
Oh, Rob, I like that "unshaved" look on you ;)
Hugs, Barb
We want to go too! Thanks for showing us that it's possible. All the best from Sweden.
Amazing, Gage is taking your blog for show & tell tomorrow. You both look beatiful (when I'm mentall able to block out the vision of Rob's underwear :). Stay safe. Gymnastics going well, Gerry's great. We still want you back though. Michigan is mild to Everest - come on back!
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