Monday 6 April 2009























We arrived at Khumjung (3,780m) on Thursday 2nd April and stayed at Phurba's house. Phurba is Russ's head Sherpa and has summitted Everest 16 times! This is also the village where Sir Edmund Hillary founded a school and hospital. We spent 2 nights here and left on Saturday morning after Phurba's father had given us all a good luck prayer scarf to take with us.

Photos:

1. Phurba, his children and father.
2. Inside the region's largest and most holy monastery at Tenyboche 3,860m. (Sat 4th April)
3. First photo of Everest. Only the very top triangle can be seen in the photo. Most of what you can see is the Nuptse - Lhotse ridge. You can clearly see the summit being ravaged by the jet stream with spind drift coming off to the right. Everest is still 17km away in this photo.
4. The next morning. Close up of the Everest triangle on a calm day. Still in this picture the majority of what you can see is the ridge in the foreground. Everest is some 4km behind the ridge.

It is now Monday 6th April. I have not showered or washed apart from the odd wet wipe for 7 days! I really hope to get a shower this afternoon once the water has warmed a little in the sun. We head to Lobuche base camp 4,910m tomorrow and tonight will be tha last night in a bed. Tents from now on!











9 comments:

Olive Tree said...

Hi, it's a very great blog!
I could tell how much efforts you've taken on it.
Keep doing!

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Paul M said...

Amazing country Chris.. Cannot wait for the next installment.. I think I would have turned back at the bridge!! Continued good luck mate.

Peter and Nikki said...

Chris
Looks amazing, though the 7 days without a shower sounds grim! Great to see your photos and comments, we're following your trip, so keep them coming :-).

Peter and Nikki said...

Chris
Looks amazing, though the 7 days without a shower sounds grim! Great to see your photos and comments, we're following your trip, so keep them coming :-).

jdovell said...

Hey chris - great to hear u got to katmandu safely although i am a little worried about the rest of the people on your flight !!They look ill or scared ! Just back from saas fee with judds...powder everyday...u would have loved it, had u not been lugging equipement up the slopes of everest!!Today [ 7th]would have been dads 82nd birthday so every step u take u will be getting nearer him and i know he will be proudly looking down...so keep going and all lots of love from wills/jimbo/charlie and barbara....who has incidently asked whether there is any space on next years trip !!:]brother-john

Linh said...

Hi Chris...The pics are great. Excellent blogging. I would have fainted at the sight of that bridge, eek! Julian would have been happy to donate some of his wipes to you. John's comment about your Dad made me cry. Go Chris! Go Chris! Still doing mad style cheerleading.

Dover said...

Hello Christopher

Bloomin heck - it's Bear Grylls! Good haircut son. Very dashing.

Just watched a program on Adventure racing - 4 days of running swimming kayaking and inline skating (what the hell- in line skating-) Anyway it said multiple this by 4, so 16 days of this and you might comprehend the effort of doing Everest!The thought of one day of 16km run up 4000m mountain 35km bike and 25km sea kayak made my palms sweat. GREAT GREAT EFFORT JUST GETTING YOURSELF THIS FAR. That useless Yarpie (or is kenyan) Alain has done us proud!

Anyway eating hot cross buns and contemplating 40 mins run in moral support of you. After i ll wait two hrs to take a shower--okay. Will be logging in to see progress and try find some crap jokes to keep you going. Got really crap one to start off with-rather appropriately about "Intelligence"
Two men were digging a ditch on a very hot day. One said to the other, "Why are we down in this hole digging a ditch when our boss is standing up there in the shade of a tree?" "I don't know," responded the other. "I'll ask him."

So he climbed out of the hole and went to his boss. "Why are we digging in the hot sun and you're standing in the shade?" "Intelligence," the boss said. "What do you mean, ‘intelligence'?"

The boss said, "Well, I'll show you. I'll put my hand on this tree and I want you to hit it with your fist as hard as you can." The ditch digger took a mighty swing and tried to hit the boss' hand. The boss removed his hand and the ditch digger hit the tree. The boss said, "That's intelligence!"

The ditch digger went back to his hole. His friend asked, "What did he say?" "He said we are down here because of intelligence." "What's intelligence?" said the friend. The ditch digger put his hand on his face and said, "Take your shovel and hit my hand."

Anne P Smith said...

Thanks for call - that was wonderful to hear from you. With my QA work I have just spoken to a new winner who does Protection Systems for extremes such as Everest. They offered to send you a pack! Let me know! Keep safe
Lots love MUM