"goddess of the sky" - mount everest overview
What is it about Everest that draws people to her cold embrace? Is it the fame produced by summiting? The respect generated by attempting?
Or maybe it’s simply to check it off one’s personal bucket list?
Or maybe it’s simply to check it off one’s personal bucket list?
Rising 8,848 meters above sea level (29,000 feet) Mount Everest was named after its first official surveyor, Sir George Everest, in 1865. Her true name, however, dates back much further. Named by the indigenous Sherpa people, Sagamartha ,“Goddess of the Sky”, was never a peak to be climbed. It was a place of the gods, a place no man should go. But where there is adventure and challenge, there will be thrill seekers. From the humble beginnings of only trained and well-equipped mountaineers to the diversified climbers of today, Everest welcomes all.
Full-fledged summit attempts are, of course, the most well known expeditions but for those lacking high-altitude climbing experience, not to mention a spare 50 grand for funding, Everest Base Camp (E.B.C) is a fantastic runner up! Resting at an impressive 17,600 feet above sea level, E.B.C. signals the last check point non-skilled climbers can tag before turning back.
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what your physical abilities - or inabilities - Everest accommodates all. You haven’t worked out in ten years? No problem. Hire a Sherpa to carry your bag, a guide to follow a slower ascent schedule, and a mule in waiting (okay, maybe not that extreme…). Or, the opposite. You’re in Olympic grade shape and prefer a more difficult, fast-paced route. Rely on local directions, carry your own pack, and move at your own pace. No arms or legs? Join the hundreds of other prosthetic wearing climbers reaching not only E.B.C. but Everest’s summit herself! |
Local Nepali’s and tourist companies will convince you of the necessity for guides and porters, stressing the confusing paths and difficulty of finding teahouses, but I would like to dispute those statements right now.
1. “Without a guide, you’ll get lost”. Seriously? The Everest trail is more like a super highway these days. If you get lost, you probably deserve to be.
2. “The hike is extremely strenuous and you will need a porter” Calling into question people’s varying physical abilities, this statement is not completely incorrect, but it is the MOST disputed topic amongst climbers. Most “pro-porter” hikers (what we termed, NBW’s - “Non-Bag Wearers”) argue that hiring a porter is our tourist civic duty, contributing wages to the local community. A wonderful concept that has a very obvious ulterior motive. Hmm, something about eliminating the strain of schlepping your own gear up the mountain... I personally decided against a porter for one very simple reason. “Why hire somebody to do something I can do?” Especially when that somebody is a 10-year old kid weighing less then my right leg. If you are reasonably fit and avoid packing everything but the kitchen sink, you will be fine.
1. “Without a guide, you’ll get lost”. Seriously? The Everest trail is more like a super highway these days. If you get lost, you probably deserve to be.
2. “The hike is extremely strenuous and you will need a porter” Calling into question people’s varying physical abilities, this statement is not completely incorrect, but it is the MOST disputed topic amongst climbers. Most “pro-porter” hikers (what we termed, NBW’s - “Non-Bag Wearers”) argue that hiring a porter is our tourist civic duty, contributing wages to the local community. A wonderful concept that has a very obvious ulterior motive. Hmm, something about eliminating the strain of schlepping your own gear up the mountain... I personally decided against a porter for one very simple reason. “Why hire somebody to do something I can do?” Especially when that somebody is a 10-year old kid weighing less then my right leg. If you are reasonably fit and avoid packing everything but the kitchen sink, you will be fine.
3. "A tour group is the best way to experience Everest.” - I suppose if following a regimented trekking, eating, sleeping and excreting (ok, maybe not that severe) schedule appeals to you, then by all means, book away. But, if your only reason for joining a tour group is fear of the unknown trail, I urge you to reconsider. After all, shouldn’t trekking be about you and nature? Not you, a guide, a sherpa, a yak, a dozen other people and, oh yeah, nature? Independent trekking means YOU stop when you want, not when the group wants. YOU decide where to eat, not where your guides and porters receive kickbacks. And YOU choose where to sleep, not where every other large tour group rests their heads. No matter which stance you take, be sure to challenge yourself. You may be surprised just how capable you are.
Your journey to Everest can begin one of two ways. One if by land…two if by…air? The first route requires a long, windy bus ride from Kathmandu to the remote village of Jiri. From here, two weeks of intense up and down trekking lead to the town of Lukla, the starting point of the Everest Trail. If, however, you’re short on time or just want to save body the two weeks of additional trekking, daily flight from Kathmandu to Lukla are available. Arranged for a couple hundred U.S. dollars, the flight only takes 30-minutes, but the experience is unforgettable!! (To learn more about the flight, please read, “Everest: Day 1”).
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Most tour operators recommend 10-14 days for the round-trip journey but my tenacious trio had no intention of taking so long to complete the trek. Rightly dubbed the, “A.D.D. trekkers”, we much preferred activity to inactivity. Extending daily hike recommendations from 4 to 7 hours was of little concern to our ambitious team, but the dangerous effects of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) were. Severe headaches, vomiting, strained breathing and loss of consciousness, are just a few of the often, debilitating side effects of AMS. The climbers rule of thumb, “Do not sleep at an elevation 1,000 feet or higher then your previous nights sleep”. It’s even recommended to hike an additional 500 feet above your nights camp and back down, to further aid in acclimatization. Did we adhere to these recommendations…well, let’s just say the A.D.D usually prevailed. Our rational resembling alphabet soup, “If ADD causes AMS on EBC then guess we were SOL”.
Porter or no porter. Guide or no Guide. Group of Solo…Everest accommodates all! There is only one pre-requisite for E.B.C. and that is will! Now book those tickets, pack those bags and let the adventure begin!
Porter or no porter. Guide or no Guide. Group of Solo…Everest accommodates all! There is only one pre-requisite for E.B.C. and that is will! Now book those tickets, pack those bags and let the adventure begin!