Kathmandu to Tingri

Our 2010 Project Himalaya Everest Expedition 8848m dispatches

Our expedition starts!

March-April - Kathmandu

An Everest expedition takes quite some preparation and Dawa Gelje and the sherpa teams for our south side and north side expeditions spent several weeks preparing, completing 98% of the work - this is not our first Everest expedition - and with myself checking the more complex details.

As an aside I bought a new camera lens, a Canon 50mm f1.2, an interesting lens that is challenging me. Thanks due to Alex Treadway for suggesting a 50mm prime as a way of improving my compositional skills, and thanks to Snapper (New Road), where I bought it.

While we are on the subject of thank-you's, also a big thanks to Amanda for bringing over the last of our tents etc.

8-10 April - Kathmandu 1350m

Eric and Melissa, Fernando and Barry arrived and settled in to the Hotel Shakti. Unfortunately Bruce G, the last member of the team, cancelled.  Already he had switched from Everest to a North Col climb, then after a Nepal trek being sick and ready to go home, he bailed on this, which was a real shame.

Barry and Fernando had close calls with buying expedition boots. Usually there is plenty of stock of the Millet Everest boots in Kathmandu, and I had even checked that there would be stock a few months prior. However the latest shipment didn't turn up in time (the wholesaler was rather annoyed...) and so by the time Barry and Fernando went shopping there were few boots around. Of the two pairs at the Millet shop, one was Fernando's  size, and then by chance Holyland trekking shop also had the same sized pair, so Fernando actually had a choice.

Barry called me rather concerned, and we walked past a shop that the climbing sherpas had bought some gear from. Some  instinct told me to go in (perhaps the boots in the window?!)  and amazingly enough he had a pair the exact size for Barry, and an original North face down suit for a good price, so it didn't take long to buy those two major items.

With the rest of the shopping easily accomplished, we were ready, with a day in hand.

11 April - drive Zhangmu 2400m

What an organized team, we could have left on time, even if we didn't quite. The drive was  uneventful, similarly crossing the border. The transition between Nepal and China is very real though, from the comfortable rundown-ness of Nepal, the unmaintained roads, to modern China where blackberrys connect instantly, the roads smooth and clean, and shops loaded with everything you can think of. It is a border town though...

No way! Big trucks and tight bends don't mix easily in Zhangmu - Jamie

A daughter of one of the hotel staff in Zhangmu - Jamie
[oh, that 50mm almost wide open...]

12 April - drive Nyalam 3750m

The road climbs out of Zhangmu and we left before light as there is a section that is being worked on; when we got there though we found the road blocked by a stuck truck.

Yep, these are big, heavy trucks for the this short section of rough road.
This truck and driver was very lucky, the post stopped it from rolling down the hill - Jamie

The rest of the road is sealed, with guard rails, as nice a road as anywhere - and one of the more scenic too - Jamie
[15mm fisheye lens, partially de-fished with DxO]

A mish-mash lunch in Nyalam, some Nepal and some Chinese food - Jamie

13 April - Nyalam 3750m

We took a day hike to stretch the legs and help with acclimatization to altitude.

Our high point on our hike above Nyalam, around 4250m - Jamie

14 April - drive Tingri 4300m

We were hoping to go to Shegar, which is possibly more comfortable, but everything was booked at Tingri.

Current Everest forecast by Mountain Meteo Services - thanks!