After a lie-in and a fantastic breakfast we went to meet the tour guides. We had a briefing which outlined exactly what we were going to do on the Everest Base Camp trek. After this, we went in to Kathmandu to explore and do some last minute essential shopping for the trek.

On the way in, we were constantly harassed by street sellers, mainly selling Nepali instruments. Pardeep and I got sucked in, and without realising how much we were spending, we purchased Nepalese mouth organ type thing that makes a ‘doing’ sound when you breathe in an out and flick a spring (500 rupees= £4! – scammed!). It sounds very cool when played by the street people, but it’s very difficult to work out how to use it!

It’s made of metal - what exactly, I don’t know but hopefully not lead! – It’s strange that I’ve been overly cautious with eating fruit/veg/salad, and the water – drinking either bottled water or boiled and purified water, using it even when brushing my teeth, but now I’ll happily stick a piece of rusty metal in my mouth for ages!

And Lucy bought a very cool ‘singing bowl’, which makes a therapeutic drone when played.

We went into an area called Thamel, the tourist part of Kathmandu. We went to a trekking shop recommended by the guides. The prices were fantastic!! I bought a black down jacket for the Everest trek which folds down into a tiny draw string bag for 3500 rupees (approx £28)!! I saw them sold in England for nearly £200! We bargained some walking poles down to 1000 rupees – £8. Some of the girls got some gloves costing less than a pound, and fleeces were sold for £2-5! It was amazing, and very good quality!

Rosanna will be back soon, having completed the Everest Base Camp Trek. She sent me her kit list a few days before her departure. It reads like equipment for an adventure -
I hope it did the trick.

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I spoke to Kirsty at Mountain Kingdoms on Thursday. She cleared up a few worries I had about going out to Nepal. She gave me tonnes of great advice, so I’ll only post the highlights right now:

Altitude Sickness

We talked a bit about altitude sickness. She explained about the necessary built-in rest days set in the Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary so that our bodies can acclimatise to the high altitude and decreased oxygen in the air. In these rest days we will either rest in the place we’ve stopped in, or we’ll have the opportunity to do a small walk up the mountain nearby and then come down to let our bodies adapt to the high altitude.

Altitude sickness usually brings on symptoms such as - headaches, loss of appetite, nausea and restless sleep and most people will get it to some degree. To prevent it as much as possible, I have to take full advantage of the rest days and drink lots of water and the black tea which all the Sherpas drink. Normal painkillers such as paracetamol and aspirin are fine to take. It’s also important that I don’t hide it if I’m feeling unwell.

 

The Weather in Nepal

We also discussed the weather. We’ll be going to Nepal just before the monsoon period and so Kirsty told me not to expect clear blue skies every day; sometimes it maybe grey and drizzly. Generally, in the day the temperature will be very warm - in the mid-late 20s however, as soon as the sun goes down the temperature drops rapidly and it becomes very chilly. The best thing to prepare for the weather and temperature changes is to layer up and always have your waterproofs handy!

As we get higher the air gets thinner so the sun gets stronger therefore it’s important to have good sunglasses – I’ve got some ones I use for skiing which are fine, it’s also essential to carry a very high factor sun cream and lip protection.

Kit for the Base Camp Trek

We also discussed kit – apparently what I have is very good and appropriate for the trek, but I need to get some T-shirts and a sun hat as I’ve not really prepared for any warm weather. I should also get a duvet/down jacket for the days when we’re closer to base camp, but they’re pretty expensive in England and you can buy them much cheaper in Kathmandu so I‘ll have a look once we’re out there.

Snacks!

Kirsty said that I should have a snack supply before setting off on the trek, although food supplies are sold in the tea houses we’ll be stopping in. The sort of snacks to bring are anything with a high energy content, that’s not bulky and will keep for the whole time. Nuts, raisings, biscuits, Kendal mint cake, sweets and flapjacks are all good. Chocolate will melt! It’s also good to bring boiled sweets/cough sweets as the air will be very dry and it’s common to get a sore throat.

I also found out that there will be electricity most of the way up the mountain which I fantastic and means that my camera won’t run out of battery.

With the Everest Base Camp trek in a few weeks, I’m getting quite excited about the prospect of tackling the massive mountain, but I’m also rather worried about my lack of climbing experience! This weekend I’ll be going to the Yorkshire Dales, but so far this year, so far I’ve only climbed one mountain. That was in the Lake District with Dave …it was an interesting experience.

We climbed up Red Pike Mountain which is 826m (2710ft). I found it pretty tough partly because it was raining the whole time, but also because Dave decided to make his own route up – we didn’t follow a path/advised routes. We started by climbing past a sign saying ‘Danger! Do not climb’ and then proceeded to scramble up a waterfall! I wasn’t too impressed, especially when we got to the top of the waterfall and there was a demented sheep in our path!

Half an hour of climbing felt like two hours. It was exhausting, but getting to the top felt amazing and so worth it, especially for the spectacular views! At the bottom of the mountain it was very lush and green, but as we climbed closer to the top it got colder and once we were there, it was amazing to see that the lake had frozen and it was snowing!

I wouldn’t have been able to manage the walk had it not been for Kendal Mint Cake – a fudge textured energy bar made almost entirely of sugar (100% carbohydrate!) but tasting like peppermint. It was used in the first British expedition to the summit of Everest. Dave introduced it to me about half way up the mountain – it was a saviour! I’ve got an incredibly sweet tooth so I am a massive fan of the Mint Cake.

Although I was wearing walking boots, the rest of my attire wasn’t particularly suitable – jeans, a pashmina, and a hoodie, topped off with a ski jacket. The rain and moisture made the red dye from my scarf run all over my top. I borrowed Dave’s waterproof trousers (which were massive and wouldn’t stay up!) but they helped all the same.I’m very glad I had this experience as it gave me a very small taste of what it may be like on the way to Everest Base Camp, which will be much tougher!

I had a thought today – what am I going to wear when going up the mountain?!!

The temperature and weather conditions are going to change so much…At the foot of the mountain, I’m assuming it will be quite warm and dry but by base camp, there’ll be snow! I’m obviously going to have to pack quite light as I’ll have to carry everything with me on my back whilst trekking.

I’ve already got a pair of good walking boots that are thoroughly worn in, which is fantastic as it will reduce the possibilities of blistering. But I don’t think I have anything else suitable for trekking. I think I’m going to have to do some research into what’s needed in my kit bag, and it’s probably going to be VERY costly!