Khumbu Mountaineering Trilogy (page 6)

Oct 24

We woke up to a half a foot of snow on the ground. Al told us that Island Peak was out. Snow and Island Peak don't mix. Al had seen, first-hand, what an avalanche can do to base camp. We planned on taking a rest day today, especially given the weather conditions. We sat in the Chukking Resort all day, drinking beer and talking. We met a woman who was guiding a trek for Equator Trekking.

(click to enlarge)	(click to enlarge)	(click to enlarge)
Brad Johnson, in Chukking.	Ama Dablam, from Chukking	Island Peak, from
Lhotse in the background		Chukking

Al talked about Krakauer/Boukerev/Everest, K2/Curran/Diemberger, etc. etc. I, for one, was fascinated, hearing first-hand accounts of things I'd only read about before. After dinner, I had, for the only time on the trip, problems breathing while I slept. It was possibly the same unstable-breathing syndrome that plagued Chris through the entire trip, where you keep gasping and thinking you're not getting enough air. It seemed strange that it would happen down here.

(click to enlarge)	(click to enlarge)
Joe Giammarco (l.), yak (rt.),	Dave Mellor in front of
Lhotse (background)	Ama Dablam

Oct 25

A beautiful, cold, clear morning. Al brought us some disturbing news at breakfast. Apparently, a porter with a German group died during the night of altitude sickness in a tea house right near ours. He'd gone over the Amphu Laptsa, in bad shape. They put him in a Gamow bag, but apparently didn't leave him in it long enough. He died before they could evacuate him.

Left for Pangboche at 9:30 a.m. I walked (FAST) with Al and Dave. We hit Dingboche on the way and ran into Bob relaxing at a tea house. We had some run-ins with yaks. One of them charged Al. I wish my camera had been handy, because Al had some genuine surprise and fear in his eyes. It was pretty funny. The walk was beautiful, with snow on the hillsides, and trees just beginning to appear. We had lunch in the Himalayan Lodge in Pangboche, a nice tea house that looked like a ski lodge. Its owner, Nima Dorje, is a friend of Al's, and is famous for having climbed Kanchenjunga with Reinhold Messner.

Nick was still sick, and we finally talked him into taking medicine for his bronchitis. However, no one had any handy. Bob and I waited outside for the porters to show up, so we could look through our duffel bags, but we both came up empty. Nick stayed behind to rest for a few days, to see if he could make his attempt on Ama Dablam. Dave said goodbye, and left for Ama Dablam. I only found out after the trip that Nick decided to go home, and Dave and his group were turned around on the mountain by bad weather. (Click here for Dave's trip report from Ama Dablam)

(click to enlarge)	(click to enlarge)
Everest/Nuptse/Lhotse, from	Everest, Ama Dablam from
the Rhotodendron Lodge	the Rhotodendron Lodge

Because of our late start, we (Bob and Chris and I) had to hustle to reach the Rhotodendron Inn (near Thyangboche) before dark. At sunset, we had some wonderful views of Everest behind us. We sat in the dining room, along with a number of other groups (including a German group that was with us in Chukking), and had dinner. The Sherpas with the German group brought out a Nepali drum and began to sing and dance. Two songs I remember: Resham Firiri and Sim Sime Panima, both of which are on a Himalayan folk song CD I bought in Kathmandu. While watching old Sherpa men dancing and singing with Sherpa teenagers, I mentioned that you would never see anything like this in the United States. Obviously, Nepali folk tradition crosses generations.

Al, Chris and I had some good conversations after everyone else left. Al talked about his Sherpa staff, and how fortunate he felt to be able to work with them. Lhakpa had recently lost two young sons to a respiratory ailment, so when Al got the flu, Lhakpa ran into the forest and collected herbs to make a medicinal tea for Al. Lhakpa had never seen Al sick before, and it worried him. Our Sirdar, John Lama, had gone to a Jesuit school (hence the name "John"). Al talked about Italy, climbing in the Dolomites, etc. We closed the place.

	(click to enlarge)
Thyangboche. (l-r): Brad, Chris,	Dan Solinski	(l-r): Brad Johnson, Bob Knapp,
Dan S., Bob. Everest, Ama Dablam.		Chris Bidle

Oct 26

We set off for the Thyangboche Monastery. The walk was beautiful, and the morning was clear and sunny. We reached the Monastery after about an hour. The view of Nuptse/Lhotse/Everest/Ama Dablam from the Monastery is breathtaking. Lhakpa and Phrua took Chris, Dan Solinski, and I inside for a quick tour. We ran into Brad out front. He'd spent the night there for some reason. Al thinks it had to do with a Sherpani girl he'd met, but he wouldn't say.

(click to enlarge)	(click to enlarge)	(click to enlarge)
Joe Giammarco, at Thyangboche.	From Thyangboche: Nuptse,	Everest, peeking over the Nuptse
Everest/Lhotse (l.), Ama Dablam (r.)	Everest, Lhotse	wall

We watched an avalanche on a nearby peak, then we headed down the valley, across the river, and up the opposite side (about two hours) to our lunch spot in Sanasa, the Thamsherku Restaurant (near Khumjung). We were all feeling strong. I could hike uphill at high speed without even breathing hard. We were zooming past trekkers who hadn't had the benefit of three weeks at high altitude. It was a great feeling.

(click to enlarge)	(click to enlarge)
Ama Dablam, from Thyangboche	Thamserku

After two hours in Sanasa, we headed down to Namche Bazaar. Bob and I pulled into town together, and found the Trekker's Inn. I tried to make a phone call from the only phone in town, but I couldn't get through to the U.S. Over beers at the Trekker's Inn, Al told a few stories, like the time his brother Adrian beat up Shorty Smith, the guy who criticized the twins in the Krakauer article. Al told me that, if I made it to Salt Lake City for the outdoors trade show in the winter, to give him a call and he'd take me ice climbing.

Continue to Page 7 Back to Page 5 Home Reproduction in full or part is prohibited without permission