INTO THE AETHER

Sunday, October 23^rd, 2011

In Loboche at approximately 5:24 PM

Elevation: 4840 meters 15,890 feet

Micah 4:1-2

“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

I am discovering that the very act of trekking to Everest Base Camp is a kind of act of worship. Some people might find this an odd thing to mention, but I've never been one who is afraid to talk about my faith. The trek is a kind of Mecca experience, only I'm a Christian, and I'm going to the “mountain of the Lord,” so to speak.

It's been tough but worth it, over the past two days. Today, the closer we got to 5,000 meters the more I have been feeling the effects of altitude. When we arrived in Loboche at around 1:30 pm, Roshan and I both had headaches – he was more vocal about it so I made sure we got some tea and garlic soup to warm us up. We also prayed for Roshan's headache. I gave him some Advil and within an hour he was his chipper, hilarious usual self.

I love trekking with Roshan. He has a great sense of humor – can be a real goofball at times – but he also has a serious deeper side. The Sherpa guide Chowang told Roshan that he is a deep thinking man. That's something else I like about Roshan – his ability to look deeply at situations, especially our current trek to Everest. We are both learning a lot, but I like it when Roshan talks to the experienced Sherpa guides – I think he is learning a lot, and I think the older guides are drawn to him because at 16, he's probably the youngest “guide” on the trail.

We are staying in a dirty, messy lodge, but at least we have a bed – a couple came in maybe an hour after us, and since we had taken the last room, I think they are staying in the dining room. The geography is so rugged. Roshan and I climbed up to 5,000 meters approximately after putting our bags in our room and resting. This will help us for tomorrow's hike.

Tomorrow is the big day. We are getting up at 6 AM, eating at 6:30, hitting the trail at 7, and we hope to be at Gorak Shep by 10 or 11 AM. We hope to book a room, put our bags down and head for Base Camp around noon, if conditions are good. Because it is high season for trekking, we've been lucky to sort of “piggyback” with other guides and groups, and there are people everywhere.

It's crazy. I look out my window and I see a post card. A beautiful white peak (well, several) pitted against a true blue sky as dusk rapidly arrives. This is truly a journey of a lifetime.

PS. We spent last night at Pheriche, just above the tree line. It reminded me of pictures I've seen of Alaska.

In Pheriche

Sherpa Ash Tray

In the lodge at Loboche with the Sherpas around the heat source: a stove that burns yak dung

THE LONG TREK UPWARD

Friday, October 21^th, 2011

At Trekker's Lodge, in Tengboche at 9:05 PM

Elevation: 3825 meters 12,560 feet

It seems the higher you go on this trek, the more serious and extreme things get. Each level seems to get more primitive, more void of common modern amenities, more expensive, more rugged, and absolutely more beautiful. I am beginning to understand the lure of the heights for the old Buddhist priests and hermits. It's really cold too. It feels like winter. I am writing at my bed all bundled up and wearing gloves. We arrived at Tengboche at 5:00pm completely exhausted for the altitude and long trek upwards today. Our lodge is simple and quiet. During dinner there were some mountain worn foreigners and experienced Sherpas everywhere, but not much too much conversation. When the lodge manager brought out fuel for the wood stove Roshan said in his special way “Dis is doilet of yak.” I was surprised at how much it smelled like pine rather than dried up “toilet of yak.” Though we were clearly exhausted, the meal warmed us up well, and Roshan said it best. “Sherpa stew is my medicine.”

I was happy and proud to have met our friends Ursula and Chowang yesterday. We had breakfast together this morning at Namche before the trek, and I found out that Chowang had met Sir Edmund Hillary twice and went trekking with him. There was a picture of Chowang and all his fellow Sherpas who have summited Everest at the Sherpa museum, which was connected to our hotel.

Today's hike was definitely the hardest so far. It's compounded by the fact that I'm carrying probably 35 pounds of gear on my back. At over 12,500 feet, this is the highest I've been on Earth. It's quite disturbing to realize that if I double my altitude, I'd still be several thousand feet below Everest's peak. When I get back to the States I want to read about Hillary and Norgay to see how they accomplished the impossible. For now, my head hurts and I am going to bed.

                                        Some Sherpa children we encountered during a lunch break.  You may be able to see their wind burned cheeks.  This is a common occurance for Sherpa people, more noticeable on the younger ones I think.

         This is the view out the window in the hallway of the lodge right after we arrived.  The sun had already set.

The view near our lodge.  The Tengboche Buddhist Monastery is in the foreground.

A SHERPA MORNING

Friday, October 21^st 2011

In Namche at the Sherwa Kungba Hotel at 8:00 AM

High in the mountains you start to feel a slight struggle for breath. It happens for me at about 3000 meters, we have been at close to 3500 meters here.

It is raining/wet snowing outside. It does this a lot at home in the fall/early winter so it sort of reminds me of home. Roshan and I have been reading Psalms and praying in the mornings before trekking. Today the verses were from Ps. 143. “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.”

We are not in some comfortable church back home reading this. We are in a drafty, old insulation-less Sherpa Hotel, high in elevation, low in oxygen, and we are about to climb higher, with the wet snow outside. These verses mean something else up here. May we be strong and smart. Please keep us safe.

 

PS I just figured out how to add these photos here so here they are! 

 

From clockwise starting at the left: Ursula, a Nepali Engineer, Chowang, Roshan, me

The view from Sherwa Kungba Lodge, on a cold wet morning

EVEREST DAY 2: MOUNTAIN FRIENDS

Thursday, October 20^th 2011

In Namche Bazar at 10:11 PM.

Altitude: 3450 meters/11,348 feet

Here we are high in the Himalayas in the tiny mountain village of Namche. It is much colder up here – when the sun went behind the mountain it felt like winter – but it was raining earlier. It was a tougher hike today. Luckily, we ran into an older Nepali Sherpa guide (with roots in Tibet) named Chowang who was very helpful to Roshan and me. He saw Roshan as a young guide, a “budding flower,” and he gave Roshan some helpful hints. We were planning on going to the next village because we're on a time constraint but decided to stay in Namche at Chowang's suggestion. It's been good to stay the afternoon and evening here and acclimatize. I don't think I've been this high before. It's been good to talk to Chowang and his trekker client, an older woman named Ursula who is from Arizona, and who is very friendly. We went to Chowang's house on the hillside and drank tea, then to an old Sherpa hotel on the higher side of the hill. Chowang was a very friendly Buddhist man. He's been to Everest's summit twice, a real mountaineer hero. He was cheerful and hospitable, and he got Roshan and I a discounted rate at the hotel, I think...200 rupees – maybe $2.75 USD. Ursula is very friendly too. I think she was looking for a fellow American to talk to because her guide Chowang doesn't speak English too well and she's here in Nepal by herself. I tried to be friendly and open with her and I think it's worked out well. We are friends, and we all ate dinner together tonight. It's kinda special because this morning Roshan and I prayed that God would lead us in the right direction. One of my specific requests was that we'd be open to the Spirit leading us to certain people, if He wanted. Well, we met these two wonderful people. I was encouraged by my best friend back in the States to be open to spreading the Love of Christ wherever I find myself on this trip – to “show up with Love.” I hold that phrase close, and I pray little miracles like today continue to happen.

Roshan and I checked out the Namche Bazar this evening and we got him some socks and some fleece pants for a base layer. The old style Tibetan or Nepali Sherpa were down there selling things for cheap. Some of them had long hair tied together (or braided) and hanging down the side of their faces, very rugged and mysterious looking, like someone you'd see on the cover of National Geographic.

The scenery continues to blow me away. Being here with my “Sherpa guide” Roshan continues to be a treat. I think others see us as an eclectic couple of dudes. Most people are either in larger groups, or couples on some kind of trekking honeymoon. Maybe that's another reason why Roshan and I were drawn to Ursula and Chowang – because our situations are similar: two Americans here by themselves being led by Nepali guides (one old, one young). It's been a great experience so far, one I will never forget.

DAY 1 of EVEREST: RUGGED AND BEAUTIFUL

Wednesday October 19^th, 2011

Namaste Lodge in village of Monjo, at 4:37 pm

Roshan and I were delayed at KTM airport all day. We finally caught the last flight to Lukla airport, and we arrived at about 5:30 last night, just as it was getting dark. When we got off the plane, it was cloudy, colder and getting dark fast. I remember feeling a sense of foreboding, like I was all alone, away from all my friends and family and was about to trek up a mountain to a dark place, to an almost forbidden place. Of course I wasn't alone – I had Roshan, we had each other – but I felt an immense need to take care of my young friend. We had to find a place to sleep fast, and we had to get dinner because we hadn't eaten much all day. We followed some of our plane mates to a place called Paradise Hotel and Restaurant, and we got a room with a queen size bed for 100 rupees, about $1.35 USD, I think. Roshan and I had planned a way to get the cost down, but it's not working well, because it's full season here. I feel kinda bad too, like I'm ripping the lovely Nepali Sherpa people off. The woman in charge was angry that we'd even try to bargain with her so we agreed at the price (we had tried to get free lodging if we ate at their restaurant because I had heard this can work).

At any rate, we had a place to eat and sleep for the night which was what we needed. God provided. The lodge was quaint, rustic and sorta kitschy, with pictures of the Dalai Lama with the Sherpa woman owner, and I think I saw one that showed the woman with Sir Edmund Hillary, the first known person to officially climb to the top of Everest (with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay). There was another picture of the Dalai Lama smiling and superimposed over his monastery home in Tibet, with a rainbow over his head. The food was great – we had Sherpa Soup (a kind of thick garlicky vegetable soup) last night, and a cheese omelette and Tibetan Bread with honey this morning – very tasty.

Today, 10/19, was our first trekking day. Our route put us at Phakding for the night, but I actually found the trekking pretty easy this first day because a lot of it was downhill, and we found ourselves at Phakding by noon, so we kept going. We had been at about 2640 meters last night in Luklya, and I wanted to be at least a little higher this second night. Monjo, the village we reached at 3:00 pm approximately, is at 2840 meters altitude. We got a small room for about $3.00 USD, and we are now resting. We will eat here later.

The trek today was breathtaking. I would say the landscape and the Sherpa people are equally rugged and beautiful. Cute little children run up and down the heights with no difficulty. I see women working in gardens while I see many Sherpa men carrying massive loads on their backs (most of this is held up by a piece of fabric that runs along their foreheads). Many loaded up mountain cows passed us too. I took several pictures of Sherpa children and adults going about their business, but now I feel kinda bad about it. Would I want some tourist coming to my hometown and taking pictures of me? Probably not. It reminds me of the Amish people back home a lot. Actually, now that I think about it, both cultures are friendly and both live off the land well. I also think both utilize the tourist attraction factor well too. Life out here in the mountain villages reminds me of my grandparent's farm, when I would visit there growing up. There is an appreciation for hard work and living off the land. Things are rough around the edges and dirty. But people are happy and friendly...and the scenery is spectacular!

Trekking with Roshan is a real pleasure. His accent and speaking style is something special. We sing songs like Brian Adams' Summer of '69 and James Blunt's “You're Beautiful/ I'll Never Be With You” song. He talks to me incessantly about a girl he likes, Prathna (which means “prayer”) whom he's only recently begun talking to (like within the last week!). He's 16, and he's in love. He reminds me of myself 14 years ago, a teenager with crushes and strong feelings. It reminds me also of when I first met Heidi, my girlfriend, over four years ago. Roshan constantly brings Prathna up and mentioned that he wanted to propose to her. I was shocked until I found out this proposal only means he'd ask her out, like a dating relationship.

Our room at this lodge is a lot better than last night's. It's cleaner, and there's a sound of a rushing river far below. The view is outstanding. I am adjusting well, with no sight of altitude sickness for either myself or Roshan. I guess the hill runs and backpacking trips at home have prepped me well. Tomorrow might be a different story, but we made good time today. I am so blessed to be here.

MOVING DAY

Note: The following blog entries were taken directly from my journal during my trek to Everest

Wednesday October 19^th 2011

On the trail to Everest at Namaste Lodge in Monjo, at 4:30 PM

Moving day was Monday 10/17, and that was a crazy long day. We rented a truck and it took 4 trips to the new house and back before we had everything moved in. Helping to move people back home is a chore, but in the developing world, it's insane! Especially when you're helping to move a community of people! The crazy traffic I experience in Kathmandu is even crazier when you find yourself hanging from a truck and trying to hold the cargo in. It was very dirty. By the end of the day though I had a rhythm down, and I actually felt more energized...I think it helped that early the next morning I'd be getting up and traveling to Lukla and on my way to Everest!

I've gotten a chance to know Rahul better this week which I'm grateful for, because he's 28, closer to my age, and more mature than Roshan. He's a great guy and I wished he could come on the Everest trek, but he has ministry responsibilities.

ON THE EVE OF EVEREST

Sunday October 16^th, 2011

At Prayer House at 9:55 PM

So I am actually spending the night here and I don't have to leave, although I am getting up early tomorrow, and heading back, so I must hit the hay soon...this will be my last entry before Everest.

I was in Thamel today with my friend Rahul, buying some last minute things for the trek – a map, some trekking poles, etc. On the way back we took a Tuk-tuk and were stuffed inside the small cab with close to 20 people. I wouldn't suggest you try this, especially if you are claustrophobic. A couple weeks ago it bothered me but I got over it fast. We drove back through the polluted rush hour to a stop near the prayer house, where I am now.

Sitting behind the driver was a girl who was wearing a face mask which was covering her mouth and nose. I couldn't tell her age because of the mask, but when I looked at her eyes I was enchanted. She was absolutely beautiful. I became inspired to write a short story about a man who travels to Kathmandu to climb mountains, and while riding in a tuk-tuk he sees a woman with spectacular eyes, the rest of her face being covered by a face mask. She gets off the taxi and he loses sight of her out the window in the hustle and bustle of the city. He changes his plans goes on a mission to find out who she is, but all he has to go off of are her eyes. It drives him crazy, like he's trying to find a needle in a haystack, but he's determined. He finally...

Sorry guys, I got a little carried away there. But the people here are beautiful, enough said.

There is so much to do before my trip to Everest. We are moving into the new house tomorrow. I need to clean up my room, pack and move. And I need to prepare for my trip. Roshan and I leave for Lukla – a small Himalayan village with an airport – in about 30 hours. From there we will begin the trek. It's crazy how all this has worked out. My girlfriend has been watching the mini-series show Everest about climbers who attempt the summit, and she is very concerned for me. She warned me it would cost $10,000 to go to base camp. Clearly I do not have that kind of money (I'm a poor college student still!), but I know there are other ways around it. It costs about $120 to get to Lukla. I already have a lot of the gear we will need, and Roshan will help me bargain at the tea houses along the way. I made some connections that first week, and was talking to a Christian Nepali man runs a trekking and travel business. He connected me with a travel agent that set things up for me on the cheap.

I am lucky to get the chance to do this, and even more blessed to have been recommended by my "boss", Pastor Brian, to go trekking in the mountains.  While setting up my field semester, it was made clear by him that seeing the mountains firsthand was practically a requirement.    

There of course is the concern about altitude sickness, but I am planning to be smart about it. I am more afraid of being ripped off by Everest financially than being beat by it physically. But I guess we'll see...I am trying to go into it open-minded, prepared and smart. If things don't work out, then fine, they don't work out. If we don't make it to Base Camp for whatever reason, fine. You can be assured that we will make a noble attempt. This to me, is like the ultimate backpacking trip. Say a prayer and stay tuned.