Happy Birthday.....

Happy birthday Ros, ok so you need a visa too, slight oversight on my side, enjoy your birthday queing in the Indian Embassy Dublin.... So Im stuck in Nepal for a week, 5 working days to stamp a bloody visa. Means herself will be in Delhi for a few hours before I get in. Ooooops. On the plus side, I will now head down to Chitwan to the Elephant Sanctuary about 100 miles away and go on a jungle safari for 3 days, met a good English bloke last night Pomey, oh and he only has 3 toes! Lost the rest climbing Everest in 2006, made Leroy look a bit of a girl.... Spent the day in that line at the visa office, not much else really. Fella who stayed in the same lodges in the mountains with me Jeremy, has been stranded in Lukla airport for past 4 days and arrives back in Kathmandu tomorrow. Looking forward to not eating on my own for a few days. Might update later, might not......

What Visa????????????????

So after an event-full morning mending poor Leroy and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to try and book my flight on to India, things going well, boys kept office open for me until 6pm. Im in here, I was thinking to myself... Then after the booking made blah blah, dude asks me for my Indian Visa... Oooooops, what visa? So to cut a long one, I have to line up tomorrow at Indian Embassy (you can imagine the efficiency) from 8am and try to get a visa for India entry, bloke was not convincing when he states "Be early, big line of people". Next flight in 5 days to India, bollox. Running for the office closing time in flip flops and sliced me other big toe on supposed pavement, so today both toes hurt and to top it all I went and got another tattoo on me back (bored and not drinking leads to an idle mind)... Wanted the Joy Division song title "Love will tear us apart" across my lower back for years and for 23 quid you couldn't turn it down, although the medical bills for the Hepatitis will probably balance out in the long run. Kids ringing tonight, looking well forwards to that, currently residing above the Bob Marley Bar, if I hear "No Woman no Cry" one flippin more time! On the plus side, if I had arrived in Kathmandu airport day before meeting Ros, I would never have got to Udaipur and Ros would just love a week in Kathmandu..... Nite blog folk.

Leroy in full glory!

I know most of you couldn't sleep last night worrying about the toe, hopped across to international medical centre this morning and after departing with 30 notes, roughly a months salary round these parts, I was informed the injury was due to impact of the boot when descending for 11 hours and not frost nip as first self diagnosed....

Leroy the Toe

Ok so I woke this morning with a black toe, now I aint no doctor but I can tell somethings up! Going to let it sit for a few days but the nail is on its last legs. Headed round to SPCC (climbing authority in Nepal) and Island Peak is closed again!!!!!! This has seriously fecked the whole climb. I am 3 days away from Island Peak, a 2 day climb and a 3 day descent, then a gamble for flights to meet the Rosmeister in Delhi. So with much regret I had to abandon my goal. Disappointed much! Too cold to hang about so lashed it down to Lukla in 6 hours and boarded (blagged on) a cargo plane to the hole that is Kathmandu.... On a plus side one of the nicest moments of the whole trip was handing out the colour pencils to the orphans today, nearly broke my heart and made me miss my kids even more. Big thanks to Ash for organising this, it really was a special thing to do..... So I am 6 days early, have flights to India so might head early and see Delhi before flying down to Udaipur with herself. Am I gutted about climb, well a little bit although I did everything else I wanted to and these setbacks happen often in this game. To be honest it was the only thing pushing me on up there, I hadnt enjoyed the last 2 days with the weather turning bad. It was supposed to be fun and running for your life aint no fun..... Onward and upwards, chin up old bean, blah blah blah. Will keep you posted of where next!

Get the feck outta here day!

Woke at 7am, whole camp had legged it at first light 5am... the shit has hit the fan regards weather. Things bleak, teams stranded by massive snow fall all around us. We decided to swerve the chopper evac and leg it, 11 feckin hours later we arrive in Namche Bazaar again. Blizzards and knee deep snow is best way to describe the descent, although the altitude sickness has gone totally. Island peak closed and flights to and from Lukla are cancelled for 3 days!!! We have to sit this storm out and decide tomorrow on plan b.... Hot shower and steak dinner helped ease the pain.  

Not Mothers Day, phew.....

Landed in Gorak Shep (Everest Base Camp), remote and cold but for the first few hours the views rocked. Seen the Khumbu Ice Fall and it was magnificent, really glows an ice blue colour. Ok so here wins as the coldest yet! Played a bit of frizbee at 5.5 km high, lasted 10 minutes..... Head bouncing but pills seem to work a bit! Snow getting savage, has dumped 2 foot in past hour or so. Air so thin, can really notice when smoking, still banging 20 a day, tosser.

Lobuche

Reached the magic 5000m, head still pounding and the tablets make the stomach sick. Was tempted to down Diamox (Alt sickness tabs) but as this contains an Amphetamine, I dont think work would be too pleased if tested!! Have eaten nowt for 24 hours weak as a kitten, right grumpy bollox. Lodge great packed out, played cards til late. Am filthy but too cold to shower, snow falling thick and fast again.

Tough Day At The Office Part 2

Woke at 4.30am, with blinding Altitude Headache, never been as cold in my life. Watch shows -20 degrees in the room! Broke trail at lightning speed, stopped for lunch and headache back for matinee, was sick as, whole way to Periche, this is a shortcut to shave a day off trek but found I needed that extra day really. Snow coming thick and fast, lost most of views from about 1pm. Everythng in room has frozen by bed time 8.30pm, even the flippin pee bottle. Not much to report only cold cold cold......

Tough Day At The Office

Strong as an ox this morning, first half of trek a gift, second half a real slog. Tengboche kinda cold, infact freezing. Weather has turned somewhat, had a bucket shower and found if you actually stand in said bucket it kinda helps. Am slap bang at the bottom of Ama Dablam, sad having a top 5 fave mountains but this is my numero uno. Had a dog follow us for the 5 hour trek today we named him Tixa which means ok in Nepalese, he soon fucked off though when there was no food for him in Tengboche. Nice monestary up here, is famous for something or another, prob being highest in the world at a guess... currently at 3860m. Still havnt found myself but was not expecting to either.

Few piccies on way

                                          Yak Yak Yak

                                          Namche Bazaar

                                          Kathmandu Temple

                                          Kathmandu Madness

Morning Sickness

Oh me bleedin head, wake up feeling as bad as I went to bed. Tried to be real positive and downed pills like the old days in Circus Circus. No mood for 2 hr aclimatisation hike, but Badri dragged me up to Sherpa Museum for views of Everest, Ama Dablam and Lhotse and felt a good bit better on way down. Chilled outside room most of afternoon reading and chatting to others, basically scared to go into room with the rats behind the walls. Sun glorious and got a slight Peter Pan. Met the Irish lot again for a coffee and donought (spelling). Sickness tends to come and go, apparently its due to oils in food and altitude not mixing and is gastric, nice! Big day again tomorrow 5 hour trek. Poor Badri could tell I was in no mood for him today and kinda stayed out of the way. Might be a few days til next update, things getting very rural. Miss the monkey gang (kids) something rotten..... Oh I text you all today, least you could do is text back!!!!!!!

Namche "feel very" Bazaar

Big slog this morning up to Namche Bazaar, was told it would be a killer but was only a good day on Carrantouhill, supposed 7 hours, bagged it in 4. See the prices gradually rising with altitude a bottle of coke here 2.50 yoyos.  Met the Irish contingent en route so nice to catch up. Have read of Namche since I was in short pants and finally arrived at 3440m highest ever been! Cool place with some great 6000m peaks around it. Seems teahouses getting worse, can hear the rodents in the walls all day, at least room has a toilet, beats peeing into a bottle. Badri keeps pointing out this national bird thing, to be honest its not up to much, bit like a pheasant, Im keen to spot snow leopards n shit. Feel a bit wonky with altitude, like a bad hangover, bed 7.30pm.... laterz.

Phakding or bust

Ok so I take it back what I said about the hotel in KTM, it was a palace compared to this place. Can see daylight through the door, kinda like my garden shed with a fold up bed. Flight amazing but well hairy landing, only 2 planes crash on average per year and 2 had already gone down within the last twelve months so the odds were in my favour.... Views of Himalayas coming in fantastic although I sat on the wrong side of plane, doh! Had my first Dal Bhat, local food, pure muck! This is my staple diet for the next 18 days or so. Real poverty up in the mountains, simple life a bit like Ireland 300 years ago. Realise my Sherpa Badri doesnt get my humour, but that only makes him human...

Kathmandu

Maddest feckin place I ever seen and it takes some to shock me! Monkeys, cows, rats, stray dogs and traffic in their millions.... Have seen every temple ever built, so am keen to get going tomorrow. Flying out at 7.45am to the most dangerous airport in the world! Sorry mum. Weather has been cloudy but flippin boiling. Have met up with the Sherpa who will take me to Island Peak, Badri. Nice chatty guy who is studying a Masters in Mathmatics.

Some Colour Festival on all day yesterday which basically was kids with water bombs filled with dye running round town pelting stupid tourists, ok I smiled the first few hits but was going to rip their throats out after 6 hours of it. As for the food being spicy, breakfast and you are sitting sweating! Near crying this morning with what looked like an omellete, think it contained lava.
   Real inner beauty to all the madness though, cool city and cool peeps.

Burn baby burn

Although burning all the dead bodies at the side of the river gets some getting used to. Hotel a kip, but probably the best in town. Place actually shuts down at midnight due to the power surge, they cut the electricity for 16 hours a day to 26 million people, so many cold showers now I think my mickey has permenantly shrunk! Anyway bloggers must dash, have another gazillion prayer wheels to spin......will hopefully post pictures up within the week.

YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!

The shits for a month I was expecting, the squatting over a hole in the floor I wasnt.....

Fave tune of the moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnzIrRykilA

Yak and Yeti

Imja Tse.


The mountain was first climbed in 1953 by a team in preparation for the ascent of Everest. Today it is still used by many to prepare for everest or other high peaks in the region. Why not go for the big one then? Well with the use of supplementary oxygen, everest has been degraded to a 6500m peak and its a trend, an indeology that only promises recognition as reward to trophy hunters.  These people get the badge, but less of the feeling of self worth that comes with sacrificing everything, where you are dependent only on yourself, on your fears and your doubts. I hope to rely purely on my strengths and fears, not on apparatus and drugs. And the fact I dont have £50k to climb everest even if I wanted to...... 

Island Peak 2011

Kit List Nepal 2011 - Island Peak

General
Duffle Bag/Padlock 90 litres 20 kg when packed
Daypack 28 litres
4 Season Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Mat
Sleeping Bag Liner
Cash mix Dollars and euros


Head
Baseball cap
Buff fleece type
Buff thin
Mountain hat/ears
Ray Bans low level sunglasses
Oakleys Cat 3 sunglasses
Cebe Cat 4 sunglasses
Ski goggles
Petzl headtorch inc 2 sets Lithium batteries
Helmet
Wool hat
Headband/earwarmers


Hands
Liner gloves silk
Polartec gloves
Spare fleece gloves
Mountain gloves Gore tex
Down Mitts


Body
3 x cotton T Shirts
2 x synthetic T Shirts
4 x synthetic long sleeve T Shirts
Softshell Jkt
Pro Shell Gore Tex
Thermal underwear
Fleece Windstopper
Down Jkt Heavy
Down Jkt Light


Legs
Hiking Shorts x 2
Underwear cotton x 3
Underwear synthetic x 3
Running tights x 2
Hiking trousers
Soft Shell pants
Gore Tex waterproofs
Swimshorts
Fleece pants
Jeans
Thermal long johns


Feet
Spare Laces
Liner socks Silk or Marino x 3
Mountain socks x 3
Heavy Boots C2
Trainers Trail Running
Gaiters
Flip Flops
Sport socks


Misc
Passport inc x 2 copies and spare photos
Ipod charger and headphones
Mobile Sim free and charger
Air Tickets
Nepal Visa
Credit Card
Immunisation record
Insurance docs inc copies
Body wallet
Wallet
2 x Naglene bottles
16 bars choc
1 jar coffee
GPS inc batteries
Camera small inc batteries
Video/Flip camera
Books x 3
Blow up pillow
Sew Kit
Pens and Journal
Colour pencils for orphanages
Altimeter watch
Pee bottle
Trek poles
Warm up sachets for hands
Tips for crew in Rupees
Heavy duty black bags
Zip lock bags
Compass and maps
Foil Blanket
Lighters x 2
Whistle
Fire striker
Thermal flask
Spork
Snow baskets for poles


Climbing Gear
Crampons
Harness Alpine style
Multitool/knife
Carrabiners x 3 (2locking)
Belay fig 8 type
120cm and 60cm slings
Ascender/Jumar
Ice Axe mountain style
Prussic loops 1m and 2m
Plastic double boots
4 lrg cable ties


Toiletries
Lip balm x 20 spf 40+
Sunsrean 40+
Toilet roll x 2
Hand Sanatiser
Towel
Wash sponge
Toothbrush and paste
Builders earplugs
Deoderant spray
Shower gel
Toilet wipes
Foot cream
Nail clippers
Moisturiser/After sun


Medical
Antibotics
Immodium
Diamox alt sickness
Vit tabs
Ibrufen
Alt Headache tabs exedrin
Throat lozengers
Dioralyte
Barroca
Anthihistimines
Anti infection ointment
Iodine pills
Glucose sweets
Blister tape
Moleskin
Smoking patches
Mosquito cream
Tablets electrolytes
Lacri lube eyes inc emergency
Aspirin
Toothaid

Why?

Why the mountains?

The really important, why? To answer it with specific examples would be wrong, hopefully some of the climbs/trips covered by this blog will help with that, but I guess it’s the challenge to push myself that much further, to be part of something incredible and the fact I have always been selfish......