Everest Base Camp 14th October 2011

Hi Stuart, June and I are also on this trip in October.  We are very excited about this although a bit nervous.  We have done a number of trips with Exodus before and know they will take good care of us.  We usually cross country ski with Exodus in Norway.  The training is now getting more serious with 6 weeks to go.

Would be good to hear of your experiences.

 Martyn and June

Hi Martyn, it's good to hear from some others going on this trip - myself and partner Beata who is Polish have never done anything like this before. From everything I have read Exodus will certainly take care of us though it's our first time with them.

The cross country skiing sounds interesting, we done alot of miles in Lake District in May in and covered 70 miles and 5000 metres of ascent in Polish Tatra mountains in July. Apart from that we are walking 5 - 10 miles around where we live which is unfortunately flat and biking regularly. As trips go we went to Kenya on safari in January this year which was amazing. What training are you and June doing regularly to prepare?

Stuart

Hi Martyn, it's good to hear from some others going on this trip - myself and partner Beata who is Polish have never done anything like this before. From everything I have read Exodus will certainly take care of us though it's our first time with them.

The cross country skiing sounds interesting, we done alot of miles in Lake District in May in and covered 70 miles and 5000 metres of ascent in Polish Tatra mountains in July. Apart from that we are walking 5 - 10 miles around where we live which is unfortunately flat and biking regularly. As trips go we went to Kenya on safari in January this year which was amazing. What training are you and June doing regularly to prepare?

Stuart

Hi Stuart, good to hear back from you.  As neither of us are working much we have plebty of time to get ready.  Our aim is to get to the gym twice a week and do a long walk - about 8-10 miles - once a week although we are struggling to make the longer walks.  So far so good!!  I think we will be upping the gym to 3 times a week and focussing on endurance rather than strength.

 We climbed Kilimajaro back in 2007 which was fantastic and the Exodus team were great.  Talking to one of the guides at Exodus she described Kili as a sprint - 6 days! - while Base Camp is more leisurely!!  We have friends who have done the same holiday as this one and they really enjoyed it.  Crossing the glacier was the most challenging and they recommended we get spikeys to clip onto the boots - there will be ice for sure and possibly snow.

 Well only 5 weeks to go!!

Martyn

Hi Martyn, thanks for replying. Well I'd like to say I have as much time to get ready but still we are managing couple of evenings a week and one of weekend days to do a 8 - 10 mile walk or 15 mile bike ride, and have a couple of 12 mile hikes in Peak District planned over next 5 weekends and that will be it.

Kili sounds cool - I know a few who done it said was brilliant but did say it's a hard push. From what I have read on this trip mostly leisurely other than the 2 days near Base Camp/Kala Pattar which will be hard going - we dont have crampons for boots so gonna have to hope dont need them - spoke to Exodus who don't advise bringing them for this trip.

Yeah not long at all now - Stuart

Hi, one of the things we are going to do is speak to our doctor about getting antibiotics before the trip.  Friends of ours have suggested we get an antibiotic to deal with the runs if (when) we get them.  One of our sons in law is a doctor and suggests Ciproflaxacin but you may want to consider this.  Sounds like a useful tip to me and our friends who have done found them useful to deal with the worst bug they got.  Not to say we will get a bug but there is a good chance.

We did 10 miles over the Long Mynd in Shropshire on Friday which was great.  Good weather and a tough walk with a great pub at the end of it.  I doubt that will be on offer in Nepal.  Hope the training goes well.  Martyn

Hi Martyn, I did speak to a doctor and they said just take a pro biotic tablet to strenghen your gut before going - but would not recommend anything else due to side effects. Of course we are taking Imodium and Diarolyte and general upset stomach tablets. Ciproflaxacin seems to suggest it has deadly serious side effects - only tablet we are taking if needed when there will be Diamox.

Your walk sounds good, good pubs always help. Well we're at the end of training more or less now and feel ready as can be - will continue to walk as much as possible 8 - 10 miles up to week we go. Time to research now about what to do in Kathmandu for our days there..

Stuart

Hi

I was a bit confused by the titles to this holiday and see that you are leaving this month .  So good luck.  We leave London on the 12th October and will be following in your footsteps.  Good luck you guys.

 Martyn

Hi Martyn, no I am indeed going on the 14th October - not September the website added this date on there. There is no Exodus trip to base camp on the 12th which is a wednesday?

Stuart