Everest Base Camp - 5 weeks and counting

Suddenly, our May 5th departure seems really soon! After more than 6 months of daily preparations, the trip is now less than six weeks away. Will we be ready?

Almost a year ago I read this Smarter Traveler article on the World's Tallest Mountain and realized that regular people like me could actually get up close and personal with Mount Everest and the region around it. The price tag was right too - especially if I didn't take one of those all-inclusive tour deals. And the physical challenge seemed right too - I'd have to work at it, but it looked possible. But who to go with?

My first choice was Meg. Her travel skills complement my own, she hikes about my speed, and she like challenges like this. But she was really busy and not that interested, so I looked around for other choices. It wasn't easy! And lucky for me, eventually Meg caved. I think she realized that she'd be insanely jealous if I actually went without her. But I had to agree to do most of the trip planning, since she's very busy with teaching and AMAZE (AMAZE Video) this year. I don't mind.

Lukla airport

The first hurdle was the plane tickets. Nepal is basically on the other side of the globe from Minnesota, and no single airline flies between the two. I spent days researching all the routes and airlines, then more days trying to book flights. I spent hours on hold with American Airlines. Eventually I got a representative, who took my details and had another office actually price my ticket. They called back the next day to tell me that the $1,400 ticket I found would actually cost $7,000! Each! But I persisted, and was absolutely astonished one day when I clicked Buy and it came back with a "Thank you for your purchase". We got the tickets for a "mere" $1,600 each. We fly from Minneapolis to Chicago to Hethrow to Dehli to Kathmandu. Then we take a Twin Otter plane to the tiny airstrip at Lukla, gateway to the Everest Highway at just over 9,000 feet.

The next step was getting ourselves ready. We weren't out of shape, but hiking from 9,000 feet to just over 18,000 feet demands a bit more fitness. And then there's the weight. At 230 pounds, I realized that I could either carry my fat or my gear. I picked the gear! Then I had to figure out how to lose weight. Ugh. My savior has been an online app, My Fitness Pal, which lets me track both calories in and calories burned. I've learned SO much about what I eat. It also give me "credit" for every calorie I burn. So it helps with both fitness and weight loss. And slowly, but surely, I've been making progress. I'm down 60 pounds, to 170 pounds. Meg looks positively thin these days. I'd like to lose a bit more, but I think I can make it now.

June 2012

March 2013

Meg rollerblading at the dome, March, 2013

So is it safe?

Lots of people have asked us that. And the answer is.... mostly. The biggest dangers are altitude, yaks, and digestive issues, and we've got a plan for each one. Ascending too fast can certainly kill us, but it happens pretty gradually. So we're armed with the symptoms and a plan for each. We're actually better off than many travelers - if we're feeling unwell, we can just change our plans. We have no group we need to keep up with. The rule for yaks is pretty easy too - always make way for the yak! Digestive issues are always possible when the flora and fauna are so different, but we're equipped with a Steripen and we plan to use it - a lot!

More preparations to come - breaking in the boots, a huge shipment from Amazon.com, and the latest on our route.

Toby and Meg