Expedition Diary #4
March 28, 2002

Randall Peeters wrote:

NamcheBazaar

Since we are laying over in Namche Bazaar one day to acclimitize, I decided to give you another update prior to reaching base camp. Yesterday we flew to Lukla (9350') and hiked 3 1/2 hours to Tok Tok to spend the night. It was a very interesting place to  spend the night since we shared the kitchen with the family that owns the small Himalayan View Lodge. This morning we treked along the banks of the Dudh Kosi, crossing this river many times on wild suspension bridges laden with prayer flags. After entering Sagamartha National Park at Jorsale, we made the streneous climb up to Namche Bazaar (11,300'). Namche is a neat village with many interesting shops and venders, good food and great views of the surrounding mountains. Early tomorrow morning I will take a short hike to about 12,500' to aid in the aclimitization process and then on the way down I plan to visit the Sherpa Museum (displays an exhibit on traditional Sherpa lifestyle). In the afternoon I plan to just rest and hang out.

The big news this week is that the Maoist have decided that the entire country will go on strike begining April 2nd. The word is that everything will shut down for an entire week. This will probably will not effect us since we are high up in the Khumbu region and they are a pretty independent lot. We have part of our gear with us and the rest should leave Katmandu in a day or two. The base camp is being prepared now and work on the route through the Khumbu Ice Fall will be underway soon. The other news is that I have managed to catch a cold. While this is as bit of a bummer, I should be able to get over it before our planned climb of Island Peak in a week or so. The plan is to aclimitize on Island Peak (6195 m) to enable us to move fast throuhgh the dangereous Khumbu Ice Fall just above base camp. As it turns out, Island Peak was first climbed in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay during the first ascent of Everest in order to aclimitize. So we plan to repeat the process almost 50 years later. My next update will be about 1-week from base camp.

Until then, my best regards,
Randy