Monday, January 4, 2016

Distance hiked: 9.7 km / 5.8 mi Elevation Gained (Lost): 657 m / 2,155 ft; End: 4,161 m / 13,651 ft

This is a great opportunity to introduce you to my three trek mates.

Qun Xu came here from San Diego, where she works on the trading desk for Sempra Energy. She immigrated from China to the US in her mid-teens. It’s been up to her and me to make sure America is duly represented as the other two blokes in our group are from Britain.

Tom Hill, (originally from Southhampton) studies Human Physiology at Oxford University. He is a young man who impressed as someone who is much wiser than his 20 years might initially suggest.

Speaking of Red Bull (Boo!), Andy Battman (from London) is the Vice President of Strategic Brands at Monster energy drinks. It was his plane that was delayed getting here. Andy has traveled quite a bit in life, including a 20-day trek through the Himalayas. He said this adventure has been the most challenging by far.

Luck of the draw being what it is, I feel incredibly fortunate to have been placed in a group with these three folks. We had fascinating conversations over meals – a lot of them centered around differences between American, British and Chinese cultures and generally had a very nice time together. And when the going got tough for each of us at different stages, the other three were there to help keep spirits up and the goal in mind.

The day’s hike started at 8:00 am, and we stopped for lunch at Fischer Camp, an abandoned site now, but it was a key stopping point for Scott Fischer’s expeditionary company, Mountain Madness. Scott was one of the eight people who died on Mt. Everest during that fateful day in 1996 when a quick moving storm overtook a number of climbing parties at the upper reaches of the mountain.

So we arrive at camp after a very long and strenuous day of hiking. But we are not done. In order to help acclimatize ourselves, we need to do an additional “sunset climb”, which sounds wonderfully blissful. Not. It’s a very steep hour-and-a-half round trip jaunt that covers 1.9 kms / 1.1 mi with a 139 m / 456 ft gain in elevation. It was quite a nice view once we got to the top. That’s our camp in the very center of the picture.

We slept pretty well that night.