TNT - Everest Base Camp - 5th Oct 2012

Aye up.

hope your keeping well and fully recoverd. sonia can't belive he's talked you in to another climb. not that for one second do i not belive you can do'it . RESPECT.

KEEP WELL REGARDS THE SWAD LADS.XX

Aye up Swadites!

Great to hear from you! I remember joking about this on the way down Kili, when Sonia swore she wouldn't be doing any more mountains - but I eventually talked her into it! It was the cultural aspect that sold EBC to us in the end, can't wait to get up there and check out the Nepalese way of life, temples, yaks and prayer flags etc!!

Are you sure you don't fancy joining us in October? It's a lot more gentle on the old altitude acclimatisation and you can tell Nigel there's no tents involved on this trip! Go on....you know you want to!

Anyway - good to hear from you, hope you're all keeping well.

Stuart & Sonia 

Am thinking about doing EBC in October. Toss up between this and Kili if i can persuade my legs that they really want to do this with me!

Hi Seon - we did Kili last year (Rongai Route), and it was increadible. The day-to-day walking was fine - but the sumit night is a killer. We were lucky that we had 12 out of 12 people make it all the way to the top - but the altitude certainly took it's toll on the group! We found it hard going, but were very proud to have done it.

We were umming and arring about doing another big treking holiday - but what sold it to us was the cultural aspects of EBC. Kili was beautiful, but is very much a wilderness trek. The fact that EBC goes through so many little villages and mountain communities with stupas and pray flags and yaks etc. is really what swung it for us. Hopefully the wonderfull local lifestyle and fabulous mountain scenery will be enough to take away form the pain in you legs! ;)

Hi!

My husband Ben, and I have booked this trip too!  We are so looking forward to it. We are just back last nite from a fab weeks skiing so now will concentrate on getting planned/fit for the TNT trip.

We've not treked before so it will all be new to us! :))

Cant wait!!!

Wendy T 

Hi myself Ian and a friend of mine Paul booked on to this trip back in September, so this is a long time coming, but looking forward to it with great excitement, it was just done a whim on my behalf a phone call from Paul a chat with my wife and hey presto booked. Looking forward to meet you all. Ian

Fab. So have u done this kinda thing before? WbT

Hi Wendy & Ben and Ian & Paul!

Really looking forward to meeting you all! Very excited....(except the Lukla flight looks a bit scary!)

 Sonia

Sounds like a few people on the trip already! I would be travelling on my own as none of my friends are nuts enough to do a trip like this!!! Kili is now off the list and now trying to decide between this and Anapurna Sanctuary. Friends have said scenery is better on Anapurna trip but Everest sounds pretty appealing!!

 Are you all training hard already? Must decide soon so that i can get fit in time!!!

Wendy never done anything like this i live in Lincolnshire so only the flats around here, so as many trips to the lakes as I can fit in within the year, so a new experience on every level for myself. Sonia lukla is looking like a bit scary however the amount of flights in and out daily with very few accidents is a little comforting, but I do seem to have a you tube fix every week just to remind myself what is store. As you have done a similar trek any advice would be great fully received. Ian

Hi, (Stuart here -  we’re sharing a login so you never know which of us you’re gonna get!). We watched all the stuff on www.celticvideo.com the other day which were really good videos and give you a good feel of the trek. We’re probably not the best people for advise though – we were the slowest walkers all the way through our last trek, last into camp every day! But the only advise I do have is don’t worry too much about your fitness, it’ll be the altitude which makes it hard more than a lack of fitness – that said, every bit of training you do will make it easier....just don't go over the top and don’t worry too much about it - I’m expecting to find it difficult, and I wouldn't want to disappoint myself! Also, take some diamox with you it’s pretty cheap (but you’ll have to convince your Dr you’ve done your research before they’ll give you a prescription) – just leave the decision regarding actually taking it until you get there. You’d rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I’ve had a slow day in work today - so I’ve killed some time by reading all the reviews on the Exodus site, I can't wait to get be there now I’m sure it’s going to be spectacular. 

Stuart thanks for your reply I'm not so worried about the fitness as the lengths of the walks on the itinery don't seem to bad, and reading previous blogs more than manageable, also being surrounded by some of the worlds tallest mountains that should take any pain away. I was at the doctors on monday for the start of the hep-b course, the diamox shouldn't be a problem how ever I am wondering about rabies I was told by my nurse 16 people were bitten by the same dog last month so there is a little concern and another expense as well as Japanese encephalitis or am I going over board? Personal choice I suppose. Did you wish that you had any specific gear after you had done your kili trip that you are going to include for Everest? All the best Ian

Hi, just caught up on ur posts. Not done any training yet, bit worried, but will be 'gym fit' and sounds like that mite b ok. We will try get a few hill walks in tho before. Ben is a fairly fit (late!) 40's something guy, rugby, squash, skiing.... 

Tell me bout this diamox, and not thought bout jabs yet, is it time??

Did read on one, or more, reveiws that it was worth waiting to buy all the walking gear out in Kathmando, but I dont know if i wud b that brave?

Tried on a Killi down jacket the other day, and wow that was gorgeous, do we need something like that?

I keep reading the reveiws too Ian, and I am just SOOOOOOO excited.. Its gonna b amazing. Mind, I did lay in bed this morning and wander what it wud b like having to crawl out of a sleeping bag at -10c!! Haha

Morning after doing a bit more research and reading people's reviews I decided to replace a mountain hardwear goose jacket and I purchased a alpkit recomended through trail walking magazine, I must say for the spec and money paid I think it is a bargin so much so I got one of there sleeping bags as well again compared to what is on the market for the price very pleased and it should be plenty warm enough. I started a course of hep b jabs on Monday I think I am going to do a rabies course as well even though it is expensive, I am unsure if it's worth doing the Japanese encephalitis because of the altitude there shouldn't be to many Mosquitos about, that was just more of a peace of mind for Kathmandu. Hope some of this may be of use to you.

I keep reading the reveiws too Ian, and I am just SOOOOOOO excited.. Its gonna b amazing. Mind, I did lay in bed this morning and wander what it wud b like having to crawl out of a sleeping bag at -10c!! Haha

*meant Stuart! soz  

I don't know about Japaneese Encephalitis, sounds nasty! But there deffinately won't be mossi's at altitude....not sure about Khatmandu though. I'll ask my Dr about rabbies....but it is really expensive, so I might just use my walking poles to keep the dogs away!

I'll tell you what I know about Diamox from researching it last time (but I'm not a Dr so please don't take this as gosple!) - Diamox is a pill which acidifies the blood and is used to treat people whose blood is not acid enough (amongst other things). One side effect is that it speeds up aclimatization to altitude, but since that is not what it's intended purpose is, some Dr's are a bit funny about prescribing it. There are load of arguments for and against it - some people say it's bad coz it just masks the symptoms of AMS, bu this isn't true, as it just speeds up the natural process of adjusting to altitude - so if you take it and feel better, it's becasue you are better. The biggest reason not to take it is that it makes you wee loads, and since you're already drinking 5 litres a day, this is not a welcome prospect - plus you will have to drink even more to retain the fluid! It's taken as a prophylactic (sp?) and takes 24hrs to have any effect. Another argument against is that if you are suffering AMS, the first things the guides will do is give you Diamox, but if you've already taken it then you've already exhausted their first course of action (I've never really got my head around that argument myslef). Anyway - the guides will deffinatately have some with them in case of emergency....I suggest you read up some more yourself before you decide anything, but as I said before, it may be wise to take some anyway and leave the decision till you get there and see how you feel. 

We're hiring sleeping bags & down jackets through Exodus, as it's pretty cheap and then you don't have to pack them! Aparently you can buy stuff really cheap in Khatmandu, but we're not brave enough to leave it till then....also I think I'd rather spend the time enjoying the city rather than put myself under pressure to have to buy some vital piece of kit.

 Ian - you asked if we are taking anything specific that we wished we had on Kili, but the answer is 'not really'. I'd guess the important things are desanitizer, head-torch, wet wipes, loo roll (packets of tissues, not an actual roll), water purifiers, lipsalve and footpowder - we used loads of footpowder and I'm convinced this is one of the reasons we had no foot issues! Other than that....it's just clothes!

OK - I'll stop waffleing on now...

Stuart 

Thanks Stuart sounds like I'm nearly sorted then apart from tissues then.

I was just looking at the NHS's Fit For Travel website - which is where the nurse at my doctors gets all her information regarding what vaccinations are requried:

http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-(east)/nepal.aspx 

This says that both Rabies and Japanees Encepha-whasitcalled are only present in the low lying regions, and the cases of rabid dog bites were near the Indian boarder. Thought people might want to have a read of this - as you might not need those expensive jabs. No need for malaria tablets either thankfully.

Any more news on whos joining this trip???

Hi all, ive just booked the last place on the trip. i have never done anything like this before and have no idea what to expect only what i have read and seen on Youtube. It would be great to hear from all of you, with any advice you may have 

gary

Hi Gary.....

 Nor have we!!!

And u say the last place? I wander how many of us there are now then, did Exodus tell u that? 

How is everyone else going with plans and training(!) ?

Wend