Congestion in Khare...
26 Oct, 08 - 10:54
Prayer flags flutter under a cool breeze while crows circle the tiny settlement of Khare. I've had varying reports as to the actual altitude here, but I'll settle for a little under 16000ft (approx. 4800m).
Mera Peak from Khare (the summit is the tiny little bump just below the 'secretspot.net' tag)
Bajee Namgel and I didn't leave Tangnang until just before 2pm on Saturday afternoon, so we arrived in Khare at just before 7pm. It was dark and the stars were absolutely brilliant.
A tidy little tea house was our dinner spot, but I wasn't that hungry. I'd managed to shake a sore throat on Saturday morn by drinking a gallon of lemon tea, but my head was a little 'stuffy' by evening.
Welcome dinner in Khare
Caroline and Dana trotted up here on Saturday morn/afternoon. Dana said he felt like he'd been 'hit by a Mack truck' when he arrived...and Caroline was feeling A-OK.
We decided that Sunday was to be acclimatization day in congested Khare.
Anybody who plans to climb Mera comes through Khare, so there were about 200 trekkers/climbers/porters/sherpas waking up to buzz of a rescue helicopter on Sunday morn. Helicopter rescues are a common occurrence here. A porter died trying to ascend the Amphu Laptse La Pass last week...and some European fellow managed to freeze some fingers off on Mera a few days ago. AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) is also common at these altitudes which often necessitates a flight out for the afflicted.
Beyond my 'soon to be over' head cold, our little Secret Spot Tilman Trek crew is happy and healthy. We've now got ten high altitude porters and there are smiles all around.
A group we met about a week ago are not feeling so satisfied. One member of there group made use of my sat phone today. Apparently, the Canadian agency they booked their trek through has provided them with an inadequate amount of porters and gear. Strange but true. I'm going to try and make a call or two for them tonight...and see if we can order up a better workforce...but time will tell.
Dawa, Phill and the BGAN try to help Al work out his porter problems
One doesn't really want to be in these environs without proper kit or manpower...but everyday has it's challenges while 'expeditioning'.
I'm tap typing in the afternoon sun and snuggled into my Zulu 9 bag AND wearing my North Face Himalayan Parka. The cold wind that blows up the valley every afternoon means warm clothes are a must. It's very sunny at 16000ft here in late October...but it's far from tropical.
Dana and Caroline are doing some short acclimatization hikes today...while I nurse my congested head...and we are all excited that we will be walking on Mera's glacier soon. B^)
It's day 16 of our 35 day trek, but it seems like we've been 'out' for much longer. We've covered much ground and met so many different people.
There is so much more to come...B^)
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
SecretSpot7Summits.com
SecretSpotEverest.com
Blog.SecretSpotEverest.com
Prayer flags flutter under a cool breeze while crows circle the tiny settlement of Khare. I've had varying reports as to the actual altitude here, but I'll settle for a little under 16000ft (approx. 4800m).
Mera Peak from Khare (the summit is the tiny little bump just below the 'secretspot.net' tag)
Bajee Namgel and I didn't leave Tangnang until just before 2pm on Saturday afternoon, so we arrived in Khare at just before 7pm. It was dark and the stars were absolutely brilliant.
A tidy little tea house was our dinner spot, but I wasn't that hungry. I'd managed to shake a sore throat on Saturday morn by drinking a gallon of lemon tea, but my head was a little 'stuffy' by evening.
Welcome dinner in Khare
Caroline and Dana trotted up here on Saturday morn/afternoon. Dana said he felt like he'd been 'hit by a Mack truck' when he arrived...and Caroline was feeling A-OK.
We decided that Sunday was to be acclimatization day in congested Khare.
Anybody who plans to climb Mera comes through Khare, so there were about 200 trekkers/climbers/porters/sherpas waking up to buzz of a rescue helicopter on Sunday morn. Helicopter rescues are a common occurrence here. A porter died trying to ascend the Amphu Laptse La Pass last week...and some European fellow managed to freeze some fingers off on Mera a few days ago. AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) is also common at these altitudes which often necessitates a flight out for the afflicted.
Beyond my 'soon to be over' head cold, our little Secret Spot Tilman Trek crew is happy and healthy. We've now got ten high altitude porters and there are smiles all around.
A group we met about a week ago are not feeling so satisfied. One member of there group made use of my sat phone today. Apparently, the Canadian agency they booked their trek through has provided them with an inadequate amount of porters and gear. Strange but true. I'm going to try and make a call or two for them tonight...and see if we can order up a better workforce...but time will tell.
Dawa, Phill and the BGAN try to help Al work out his porter problems
One doesn't really want to be in these environs without proper kit or manpower...but everyday has it's challenges while 'expeditioning'.
I'm tap typing in the afternoon sun and snuggled into my Zulu 9 bag AND wearing my North Face Himalayan Parka. The cold wind that blows up the valley every afternoon means warm clothes are a must. It's very sunny at 16000ft here in late October...but it's far from tropical.
Dana and Caroline are doing some short acclimatization hikes today...while I nurse my congested head...and we are all excited that we will be walking on Mera's glacier soon. B^)
It's day 16 of our 35 day trek, but it seems like we've been 'out' for much longer. We've covered much ground and met so many different people.
There is so much more to come...B^)
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
SecretSpot7Summits.com
SecretSpotEverest.com
Blog.SecretSpotEverest.com
Posted by Scott Stanko at 10/27/2008 11:01 AM 
Categories: Frick, secretspot7summits.com, Phill Michael, Everest, SecretSpot.NET, Food, Nepal, Satellite Phone Store, Frankly Physical, Medtronic, Tilman Trek, tibet, SecretSpotEverest.com
Categories: Frick, secretspot7summits.com, Phill Michael, Everest, SecretSpot.NET, Food, Nepal, Satellite Phone Store, Frankly Physical, Medtronic, Tilman Trek, tibet, SecretSpotEverest.com
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