Unite the Clans!

We had new vigor after we left Gokyo and hiked extremely hard the next few days. We stayed the evening in Macherma where we stayed in a warm tea house warmed by dry yak dung. The warmth of heat greatly outweighs the smell and smoke from the primitive chimneys. The next day we dropped all of the way down into Phortse Thanga where we had lunch in the same spot we had seen Cam and Bogue only three days before. We then made our way out of the river valley and climbed hard all of the way to Pangboche. The trail dropped for thousands of feet below us into the river valley and relaxing didn't appear to be an option. We were the only guests at the tea house and we had a warm fire and were greeted by many mice throughout the evening. The next day we had our easiest hike since we separated from the group and arrived around noon into Dingboche. We were only two hours from Chukkung and decided to rest and then hike up the next day and see how Bogue and Cameron were doing.
The next morning we arrived at Chukkung early and enjoyed the some of the most spectacular views of the sojourn. Lhotse Ridge and Ama Dablam are magnificent and the sun was intense with warmth. We had lunch and then took our shoes off and allowed our feet a brief moment of reprieve from the constant pounding of trekking. Then, only an hour after we arrived, I heard Bogue's voice approaching and just like that we were back together again. We gave each other hugs and congratulated them on their successful climb of Island Peak. They were absolutely exhausted and ate and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. The group came together again over tea and the others were sad that father had already left for Kathmandu. We regrouped and planned our attack on the Everest Valley. We were motivated to set a hard schedule and cut a couple of days off of our trek. The season was changing quickly and the cold was taking a toll on our morale. We were yearning for a hot shower, a shave, a beer, sandals, and other simple comforts of Kathmandu. We also wanted to get out and see how the old man was fairing down in Kathmandu. The next morning Chukkung Ri, and then onto Everest Base Camp.

Orange Tang...See You Again

Leaving father in Namche that morning was a sad moment indeed. We had hope that he would meet us in Phortse Thanga, but it didn't feel right heading back into the mountains without him. We gave him a big hug and then we started a new journey and adjusted our minds to the challenge. We made amazing time out of Namche around the ridge and up the steep climb go Mong La. Then we saw the tiny village way down below where we were to meet Cameron and Bogue. Phortse Thanga rested on a roaring river at the bottom of the valley. We ate Dal Bhat and waited for the others to arrived at a nice tea house in Phortse Thanga.
The sun was falling behind the ridge when we finally met up with them. We waited for our porters to arrive and Cameron and Bogue shared some warm tang with us as we discussed what day would be ideal to meet. We would meet in Chukkung on the 9th of November where we would regroup and head toward Everest. The guys were excited to hear that father may be giving it another go and it gave the group strength with the possibility of seeing him again. We split our gear up with two porters coming with us up to Gokyo and one heading to Chukkung. We gave a warm farewell and wished each other luck as we headed in opposite directions, planning to reunite the clans in one week.
Then, after our short meeting, we hiked up the steep ridge to Dole with our new team of Logan, Indra, Osca, and myself giving each other encouragement and building a group bond immediately as we joked and laughed in our attempt at Nepalese words and jokes. We slept at Dole as we looked at the stars feeling lonely and hoping that everyone would alright throughout the upcoming week. We started early into Gokyo and passed many groups throughout the day. Our acclimating had clearly paid off and we were cutting estimated times by half. We climbed over 2,300 feet into Gokyo where we stayed at the Namaste Lodge. The aqua lake of Gokyo was magnificent and Gokyo Ri rose steeply next to the town. We checked the internet and received very sad news. Father wasn't feeling well and his cold had deteriorated rapidly. He was going to have to descend and his trek was officially over. The news hit hard and we talked about the disappointment. We knew how much it meant to him and we had been looking forward to meeting him in a couple of days.
The afternoon was a bit gloomy as we ate in the warmth of the tea house. We decided that we would summit Gokyo Ri early in the morning and then begin our descent to Macherma and over to the opposing valley to speed up our itinerary. The morning was magnificent weather and we slogged straight up Gokyo Ri. We climbed the Ri quickly and arrived at the summit with only a few others on top. The view of Everest was amazing. We also saw Makalu and Cho Yo which gave us views of 3 of the biggest mountains in the world. We took the view in with some coffee and enjoyed the sacred experience of eating a snickers bar in the Khumbu after a difficult climb. After a few hours we descended and said farewell to Gokyo excited that we accomplished our first goal and were heading toward the Third river valley of the trek.

New Plans Forged

After a night of restful sleep in the warmer lower elevations of Namche we awoke and went to see if we had received and email from Bogue and Cameron in Gokyo. To our great relief we received communication explaining that they were both safe and had made it over the pass successfully. However, their success the following day had left them completely exhausted and incapable of descending down into Namche for our rendezvous. Logan, Paul, and I were completely unsure of what our plans were and Paul needed a day to assess his health and see if he would be able to ascend back into the high mountains. After a good breakfast and a hydration session we went to the medical clinic and they did some simple diagnostics on Paul. His oxygen levels were in excellent shape and all of his baseline functioning seemed to be entirely back to normal. All except the side affects from the Diamox seemed to back to normal. Unfortunately, Paul had contracted a severe cough and was feeling the weakness of those days before a bad cold.
We sent emails throughout the day trying to find out a way to meet up with Cameron and Bogue and still achieve all of our goals. We felt relieved that Paul had been cleared by the nurse and the doctors via phone from Kathmandu. It was his decision on whether or not he should ascend or descend. After several emails and a conversation on the phone with the separate contingents, it was decided that the Sojourners would again separate and try to reunite together later on in the trek. Father was going to rest a few days in Namche while he got his strength back together while Logan and I were to head back up toward Gokyo to climb Gokyo Ri. This plan would allow us to meet up with Bogue and Cameron as they descended out of Gokyo and allow us to switch gear and talk about our new plan in person. Cameron and Bogue would carry on to Chukkung for an attempt at Island Peak, while Logan and I would explore Gokyo and then descend and meet father in Phortse Thanga where we would head up as a group of three to meet Cameron and Bogue after their Island Peak summit bid. Then, we would all travel into the Everest Valley and climb Kala Pattar and see Everest Base Camp as a group. The plan had been set and our aspirations strongly desired to make this plan of action come into fruition.

Renjo La Pass/AMS/Dehydration/Group Separation

The weather in the morning appeared to be clearing and the freshly fallen snow glistened in the morning sun. The weather system seemed to have snowed itself out and the clouds only rested way lower down in the valleys. Breakfast was quick and everyone was nervous to make a decision. After discussing with guides we decided that we would climb the pass to the summit and then asses whether or not the other side could be descended. If other groups from Gokyo were climbing we would have a clear view of the trail and be able to avoid the ice and the occasional glacier. If it was not being climbed from the west then conditions would be to treacherous for a descent.
We packed our gear and took some pictures of the fresh blanket of snow and then began the climb knowing the mental and physical battle that wait for us. This was our second pass of the vacation and climbing over a Himalayan Pass is no minor undertaking. We began the climb out of Lungden up the very steep and snowy slopes. The weather was absolutely breathtaking and the views gave us extra motivation to set a strong pace. Everyone was feeling strong except Paul. He seemed to be climbing slower than normal and was struggling under conditions that he usually excels in. Logan, Seth, and Cameron arrived on top at the beginning while Bogue carried Paul's backpack and climbed with him slowly up the ridge. Paul's cognitive awareness seemed to become more foggy and every step seemed a great deal of work. Paul and Bogue reached the top to an exuberant and vibrant group taking photos and videos of the view(Logan, Seth, and Cameron). Paul sat down and Seth approached clearly seeing the he was not himself. Seth and Paul began conversing and it was realized that Paul was beginning to have slurred speech and was saying things entirely out of character. Seth informed the others that Paul had to go down immediately. With the intensity of the situation realized the group sprang into action. Cameron began assisting Paul down as fast as possible as the other discussed what course of action could be implemented. We had already sent a runner/porter ahead to arrange rooms so at least one person had to cross the pass while the others were need to assist Paul down.
It was decided that Bogue would go quickly over the pass while Logan, Seth, Cameron, Paul, and our 2 porters would descend down to Namche 8 hours down the valley and 4,500 ft lower than our current location to a clinic there. Seth ran as fast as possible down the ridge carrying Paul's backpack falling many times in the slick terrain. He saw Cameron helping Paul down the valley and caught up with them where Cameron and Seth talked. Considering it was Cameron's first time in the Khumbu region it was decided that he had the choice to climb over Renjo La Pass and meet Bogue and Indra in Gokyo in the evening. The group said a quick farewell and gave a hug and then hurried in their separate directions. Cam continued up the steep ridge again while Seth and Paul hurried down as fast as possible. Logan and the two porters continued down the valley on their way to Namche to catch up with Paul and Seth.
Both groups struggled very much throughout the day. Paul's condition improved after descending over 2,000 ft and having several liters of water. The group moved as quickly as possible and arrived into Namche at dark totally exhausted and emotionally broken from the days frightening situation. Bogue and Cameron also struggled over the pass and had a very difficult descent down the steep pass into Gokyo. They arrived late in the afternoon as well and were completely exhausted and only mustered up enough energy to eat and then sleep immediately. Paul's condition down the valley improved and he was quite lucid once arriving in Namche. Emails were sent to convey that Paul was okay and that tomorrow we would all awake and find a way to unite the group and asses Paul's status and aspirations in the morning.

Red Sky In The Morning......Shephards Warning!

The morning in Thame again consisted of a great deal of coffee as we watched the high cirrus and stratus clouds creep into the valley. It provided a beautiful view as we packed our gear for the hike up the valley but also warned us of a possibility of severe weather approaching. We climbed steeply out of Thame and then crested the ridge and saw well up the valley toward Tibet and Renjo La Pass. The pass into Tibet has been known to be crossed by Tibetan Refugees fleeing China in the middle of winter and is to be quite treacherous. With each step the landscape appeared more Martian with many of the signs of life diminishing while the snow-capped peaks provided us ample motivation for continuing. The group hiked strong and we passed many groups who were struggling for every breath in the low oxygen environment. We followed a glacial fed stream all of the way up to the confluence of the trail to Tibet and that to Gokyo. We turned to the west and crossed the stream and climbed very steeply to the tiny village of Lungden(14,380ft) where we would spend a rest day before our attempt at Renjo La.
The sky was darkening throughout the day and as we arrived the temperature froze us to the bone. We had hot tea and then loaded our gear into our rooms which provided us little shelter against the cold winds approaching. The only solace we had was to warm up in our sleeping bags and wait for a good hot meal in the evening. As we increased in elevation the prices increased while food quality deteriorated. The tea house was cold and the door to the outside would not stay shut. We froze for a couple more hours and then waved the white flag and retreated to our sleeping bags where we hoped to find relative comfort.
The next morning we awoke to a freezing room and hoped to be warmed by the intense heat of a high altitude sun. Instead, the clouds had become very gray toward the southeast and a few small snow flakes began to fall. We ate breakfast and discussed the worsening weather. By the end of the meal and our coffee the snow was falling quite hard and our plans for a day hike turned to card playing in the tea house. The entire day consisted of sitting in the tea house as people arrived from the Gokyo via Renjo La Pass. The weather on the pass was getting worse with decreasing visibility and a great deal of snow accumulating. Several inches had fallen throughout the day and we waited in the dark tea house talking of our chances in the morning. Guides voiced their opinions and it was agreed the no decision could be made until we saw the status of the weather in the morning for the other side of the pass to Gokyo was incredibly steep and the path would be icy and covered with snow. Our ambitions for Renjo La Pass seemed to be being put to the test. As always, ambition in the mountains only goes as far as the weather will allow.

Thame Valley

Since our last post we have all successfully reached Kathmandu and have a lot of catching up to do. After our acclimation time in Namche(3440m/11,286ft) we ventured up the unconventional and less traveled valley reaching into the far eastern region of the Khumbu region. Our plan was to rest in the remote valley while taking another rest day and acclimating in Thame(3,750m). Our hike up the flank on the immense river valley was incredible. We rolled through lush evergreen forests while we were blown away the rushing river below. Weather was fantastic and many of the great Himalayan Peaks came into view. We hiked for several hours up the valley and then descended rapidly into the river below where the river was squeezed into a tiny corridor between massive boulders. The aqua water was beautiful and humbling at the same time. We noticed wild mountain goats climbing on the steep rock faces far above. We enjoyed the view for a good while until the sun went behind the mountains to the east as the temperature dropped rapidly.
We arrived in Thame and warmed ourselves up in our sleeping bags and went down for our nightly meal in the tea house. Not coincidentally, our most frequent activity in the "tea house" was massive consumption of hot tea for hydration and core temperature regulation. The tea house consists of benches formed in a rectangular shape with a primitive stove and chimney located in the center that is fueled with yak shit. This room is usually attached to a kitchen where the owners will cook a variety of different dishes. The local cuisine is Dal Bhat, which is usually a vegetable curry served with a lentil soup and a great deal of rice. Trekkers will often eat other dishes with some combination of rice, potatoes, noodles, egg, cabbage, carrots, and garlic. Over consumption of Dal Bhat can lead a weary trekker to sing a song about "The Dal Bhat Blues" or "Momo no More More". Fortunately the menu had yak steak for an option, which satisfied our carnivorous inclinations. The lodge also had mustard, which was dumped aggressively all over all of our french fries. The little comforts during a trek through the Himalayas goes a very long way.
The sun hit our rooms around 6:30 a.m which allowed us to open our windows and sun tan in the intense heat. We had breakfast in front of the lodge and tapped into our 4 kilogram supply of coffee for a nice French Press. After several cups of coffee we reached for the map and contemplated our route. Six years before we traversed around the mountains to the west where we would followed the second river valley up into Gokyo(4790m). Another option was to travel north towards Tibet where we would eventually head west over Renjo La Pass(5360m) into Gokyo. This route would save us two days on the general trek itinerary and we would reach the higher mountains in short order skipping some of the crowds into Gokyo. Conveniently to the north right on the doorstep of Renjo La rested a small village for a perfect resting point and acclimation day. Our caffeine infused heads decided that new terrain and adventure would win the day and tomorrow we would head up the valley in preparation for Renjo La Pass.
In the meantime this was a "rest day", which meant we would hike up for around four hours and game some elevation and acclimate. We hiked beyond Thame up a remote stream valley and found a fantastic boulder that we rested on in the hot mid-day sun. We ate nak(female yak) cheese, snickers bars, and hot coffee as we enjoyed the massive cliff faces that jutted out directly in front of us. After a high altitude nap(14,100ft), we navigated the seabuckthorn bushes and yak yerds and arrived safely back at Thame entirely exhausted. Another round of yak steaks and french fries and we went to bed with nervous anticipation of Renjo La.

Dashain

Our two weeks in Pokhara was during the major Hindu Festival of Dashain. Dashain is the longest and most auspicious of the festivals throughout the Nepalese calendar, celebrated by a majority of the castes throughout the country. Dashain includes fifteen days of celebration focusing on many different manifestations of Durga, a Nepali Goddess. The festival includes pujas, many offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing. Hence, the hundreds of thousands of goats that are marched from Tibet and the foothills of the Himalayas into the major populations centers of Nepal.
Luckily for us, we became good friends with the owner of our Hotel very quickly in our stay in Nepal. After many days of talking we were invited to the major ritual of the Dashain Festival named Dashami. We took a Tika and Jamara from the elders of their family and our family for blessing and good luck in the future. The ritual was a very intense experience with the iconic Hindu Tika placed on our forehead. After we received the Tika through the proper order of elders from their family and ours, we sat down for a large feast which included goat, rice, dal, and a yogurt curd. The event symbolized a unison of our two families and it was explained that both families were now harmonized as one family with blessings from the elders.
At the end of our stay the males and females exchanged gifts to their according gender. The females exchanged bangles, tikas, and scarves. The males exchanged hats and prayer shawls and we said our farewells. We extended our thanks and hoped that we could return the hospitality that we received perhaps some day in our home country.

Kathmandu, Lukla, and Namche

Well, after our time warp in Pokhara we have had some interesting experiences. We took the flight out of Pokhara instead of risking another 11 hour van ride over a bridge that was deteriorating rapidly and only had one lane open. We left our hotel and arrived at our hotel in Kathmandu in 2 hours door-to-door. We had amazing view of the Himalayan Spine that spans Nepal's northern border. Upon arrival in Kathmandu we got our rooftop rooms and waited for the arrival of our cousin-in-law who had a delay from the typhoon that wreaked havoc on Southeast Asia. We greeted him with a beer on the rooftop and then said goodnight. The next few days consisted of arranging for our climbing permits, park-entry permits, and a few other documents that we needed for entry into Sagarmatha National Park. We also visited the Monkey Temple and the town square in Kathmandu. We had some amazing meals from all over the globe and ate plenty in preparation for our daily Dal Bhat dosage in the mountains. We said goodbye to many of our friends that we had met on the Annapurna Circuit who were heading out on their own respective adventures. The last day in Kathmandu consisted of buying essentials for the mountains as well as getting a bit nervous for our upcoming flight into Lukla.
We awoke at 4:00 a.m. and headed to the airport where we would fly out of Kathmandu on a 40 minute ride over the massive foothills of the Himalayas. The other means of getting to Lukla would be by a 10 hour bus ride and then a 6-day trek that would include over 30,000 feet of total ascent. After, dealing with normal Nepali bureaucracy, we finally got on the plane after pay a substantial fee for reasons not entirely understood. The flight was amazing and terrifying at the same time. We flew over the lush jungle, foothills, and had spectacular views of the Himalayas and even Mount Everest. We were quite scared when we skirted mountain ridges by a mere 100 meters. While passing over these ridges the wind shear was frightening with a great deal of turbulence and moments of immense fear. Then, after what seemed to be a reasonably short flight we started lowering closer and closer to the ridge and bounced down onto the landing strip. Everyone let out an exuberant cheer knowing that we had completed the most dangerous part of the 30 day trek.
We then got our gear and had brunch at Lukla where we made arrangements for our Porters. After the business was taken care of we began our 30-day trek descending into an immense river valley where we spent the evening at Phakding(8,600 feet). The next day we had our ritual french press and got on with the trekking. We hiked up the river valley until we reached a confluence of river that used to be the border of old Tibet. Here we crossed a bridge that rested above the rivers approximately 130 meters. After the bridge we climbed straight up a huge ridge that ended in the town on Namche(11,300 feet), gateway to Mt Everest. We all felt the altitude a great deal and had a difficult time hiking up and down the steep staircases of Namche. Namche is an enigma in its own right with outdoor gear stores, handcraft shopping, coffee shops, bakeries, and other stores to lure in the wayward tourist. Namche, the expedition center for moutaineering, rests in a U-shaped ridge that staircases up a steep ridge. We had a nice bit of food and went to bed a bit winded and weary due to the altitude.
The next day we awoke and hiked up the ridge where Namche rests hoping for a view of Everest at the top. Our hopes were rewarded and when we reached the top of the ridge we saw Mt. Everest protruding just above Lhotse Ridge. We also had great view of many of the other famous Himalayan peaks including Cholaste and Ama Dablam. We stared at Everest for a great while and took pictures and video for family back home and memories in the future. After our viewing we went down to a tea house where we had coffee, tea, and steaks while taking in the view of Mount Everest. Tomorrow we head up to Thame where we will acclimate and climb to over 15,000 feet on our "rest day". After that, onto Gokyo, Cho La Pass, and many more Everest views. We hope to post more stories as we travel through the Himalayas, but putting up pictures seems to take a great deal of time and probably won't occur until our descent. Namaste!

"I wanna buy a goat....a big goat."

Well, after crossing Thorung La Pass we noticed hundred of thousands of goats heading down the valley towards Pokhara. We found out that all of the goats were on their way to Pokhara where they would rest along the hillsides and be purchased by the Hindu population for the yearly festival of Dashain. The brothers went out to Club Amsterdam in Pokhara and got into a conversation with our favorite bartender, Bikosh. He explained that many families could not afford to buy a goat for the celebration. Bogue decided that he wanted to buy "the biggest goat in the valley", and give it to a family in need. Bikosh thought it was a fantastic idea and had a particular family in serious need of some good fortune and that giving the goat would mean a great deal for the family. After a long evening Bogue awoke and met Bikosh and went out in the countryside to negotiate for a goat. Apparently, Bogues background in animal husbandry paid off and he was picking the goats up for weight and patting their bodies to determine health and quality of meat. After many different stops and negotiating they came upon a very healthy goat and ended up settling on 6,000 Rs(83$). The grabbed the goat by the horns and put him in the backseat of the taxi and drove off to the family's home. The family lived in an impoverished area of Pokhara with many people living in a small shack. Bogue gave the goat to the family and had a moment with the family and then said goodbye. In the short term the goat will provide them with a great deal of food, but it also raised their morale and gave them happiness with their family during their important festival.

Living The Dream In Pokhara

Well, what can I say. Pokhara is one of the most amazing cities I have ever experienced. Pokhara sits around 3,000 feet in a lush valley just below the mighty Himalayan Mountain Range. Massive foothills surround the city with an amazing view of Annapurna, Machapuchre, Dhauligiri, and Manasalu. It also rests on a beautiful Lake which adds to the relaxing ambiance of Pokhara, Nepal. Since our last post we have been resting here in this lovely city recharging our bodies for the next trek. All of the group members have united successfully at the Hotel Sakura, where again we have found a rooftop sanctuary. We have found many of the trekkers that we saw during the Annapurna Circuit that are now resting in Pokhara. This has provided a great opportunity for socializing and sharing experiences from the adventures of the trek. We have met so many amazing people and have been fortunate to share so many amazing experiences that we will never forget.
The first highlight of Pokhara was seeing "The Most Interesting Man in the Annapurnas" arrive after his trek in the Annapurna Sanctuary. Other highlights have been boat rides on the lake, fantastic food, renting Scooters, the International Mountain Museum, meeting amazing people, the hindu festival, Club Amsterdam, and evening drinks on the lake. We are having a blast here and often find ourselves thinking of family and friends back home and around the world that we wish could be here wish us. Cheers to all of those we love! Photos from Pokhara coming soon.

Tatopani, Poon Hill, and onto Pokhara

Our rest day in Tatopani was fantastic! We ventured in and out of the hot springs throughout the day and we also ate steak and eggs every meal. The meat tasted fantastic and our Nebraska Brethren would have been proud at our consumption. We did all of our laundry and began to feel clean and rested. The next day we were off to Poon Hill, what was a 6,000 foot climb from the Kali Gandaki River up to one of the most famous views of the Annapurna Range. We began our climb early in the morning and found little enjoyment sweating in the heat of the lowlands. Bogue had a festering toe that had become seriously infected and we stopped for lunch discussing possibilities. He decided he would go back to Tatopani in order to take care of his infection in case it deteriorated rapidly. We hiked for another hour and I looked back and saw Bogue hiking back up the hill behind Logan. He decided to carry on for one more day to see if it would heal. We spend the next night in a nice tea house with a view of the sixth highest mountain in the world, Dhauligiri. Bogue's foot was deteriorating and it was decided that he should head down to Pokhara where he could rest his foot and be close to a hospital for medical attention. We were now down to six members and we left for Ghorepani, base camp for Poon Hill. We climbed early in the morning under the stars again and we reached the top before sunrise. I checked my backpack for the camera and realized that I had left it at the tea house. I ran down as fast as I could and grabbed the camera and the Nebraska Cornhusker Flag and ran back up the summit. We enjoyed muffins, potatoes, coffee, and good company as took pictures and enjoyed the view. After we descended we went for breakfast and Logan and I decided that we would decend down to Hile and then to Pokhara via Naya Pul. This would provide us with more time in Pokhara between treks, which had been widdled away by the traffic jam and the Sherpa rescue. Father would push onto the Sanctuary and meet us in Pokhara in about 5 days. We had a good hug and said farewell. Nima and Father would head to Chomrong and Pasang, Min, Logan and I would head to Hile. The Sojourners had split once again and would reunite in Pokhara in a few days.

Frightening Drive to Tatopani(Nepali for Hot Water)

Well, after our celeration in Muktinath, we decided to rent a jeep and venture down the river valley to Jomsom. After crossing the pass the environment had changed to a very arid and windy landscape. We drove through the town that is the gateway to the Mustang region of Tibet and the people inhabiting the lands here were of Mongol origin. The drive was incredibly beautiful as we cruised down the valley listening to blaring Nepali and Indian music. We drove through the unrelenting winds blowing up the valley and arrived at Jomsom where we stayed at a nice guest house where we had fried chicken and other comforting foods comprising of protein. Jomsom is always windy and our sherpa guides were singing a famous song about the afternoon winds of Jomsom. The next morning we went futher down the valley in a private jeep and began driving back into the lush evergreen forests and then into subtropical forests. The morning ride was quite relaxing aside from crossing a landslide area that had fallen about an hour before our arrival. We then carried on to the steep section where we entered the tight river gorge of the Kali Gandaki River. The ride was so incredibley terrifying that there was nervous laughter, primal grunts and moans, and even a few tears shed. A huge problem was that we had about 500 lbs of gear on the roof and we were very top heavy. At one point our wheels came off the ground and we very nearly cascaded into the 1000 plus foot river gorge below. We were no longer laughing and we tried to lean our weight to the right to prevent the jeep from rolling off the road. With our bottom cheeks clenched we continued down for what seemed like an eternity and arrived at Tatopani where we would spend a rest day and warm our weary bones in the hot springs down by the river. Two days after we had passed through the gorge a jeep of 14 pilgrims ran off the road and crashed far below in the canyon...a very sad story indeed that verified our fears were not unfounded. Everything is a little dangerous in Nepal. After, our arrival at the guest house we vowed never again to take the road from Jomsom to Tatopani!

Thorung La Pass....Grind Session!

With our sherpa guide safely down the mountain, we pushed on up the valley to 14,700 feet at Thorung Phedi which would be our base camp and acclimatizing village before the pass of Thorung La which was 3,000 feet above. We were all nervous and ready to conquer the pass that had been in the back of our minds since the beginning of the trek. In total, we would climb over 15,300 feet from the valley floor through jungles, gorges, evergreen forests, and now high tundra. We awoke at 3:30 and had a sherpa breakfast of vegetable noodle soup and then egg and cheese omelets and and boiled potatoes to share. The first portion of the hike, from Thorung Pedi to High Camp was very steep. We hiked this with our headlamps under the stars, but towards the end the sun was starting to come up. After a short rest and some water at High Camp, we continued upward to the summit. This was one of the first days we hiked around a lot of people so that was quite different. The sunrise on all of the peaks was amazing. There were several sections where we went down, but most of the time it was up. As our guides say, "Steep and not as steep." We all pushed through the hike, taking few breaks, and just kept going. Once we reached the top, it was such a relief and celebration, all in one. Groups cheered each other on as everyone came over the top. We had digestive cookies, jerky (thanks to a new great friend), leftover boiled potatoes, a coveted Snickers bar and coffee. We spent some time on top resting and enjoying the view. A bit further up, there was another viewpoint where we took some great photos. Husker fans-the flag was displayed proudly at almost 18,000 ft while you all slept-GO BIG RED! The hike down was nearly as insane as the hike up, we descended about 5,400 ft. We were all extremely tired and got our rooms at the Bob Marley guest house in Muktinath, gateway to the Mustang region of Tibet. We ate some great food and celebrated our triumphant summit with local apple brandy and beer with fellow tourists. We will never forget our day up Thorung La!

Acute Mountain Sickness....Rescue

Well, the adventure continues here in Nepal. We have hiked up the same river valley for 10 days and took a rest day in Manang at 11,600 feet. We continued up the valley to a beautiful town Yak Kharka at 13,000 feet on our way to Thorung La Pass at 17,750 feet. We awoke and ate breakfast and noticed that our Sherpa guide and friend Ang Phurba over slept a little and wasn't acting himself. We assumed it was a hangover from the local wine(Raksi). We climbed 600 feet to the village of Letdar and asked Ang if he wanted water. He began shaking and appeared to be having a stroke and feel off a 7 foot embankment into a garden near the town. We were quite alarmed and ran down to get him to his feet. He was completely in delirium and forgot all of our names and didn't know where he was. We got him some soup and water and walked about a hundred meters and he was almost falling over. We decided it was imperative to get him down to the clinic in Manang and decrease elevation immediately. Paul and our porter Pasang went down with Ang and tried to keep him from falling off 1000 foot cliffs into the massive river valley below. Seth ran ahead to Thorang Phedi(7km) at 14,700 feet to inform Bogue that Ang was sick and we needed help getting Ang down safely. The brothers ran down from Thorang Phedi to Manang(15km) and picked up Logan, Nima, and Minh on the way who were waiting at Letdar. After a brutal descent with a full pack of about 22 kilos we arrived at Manang. Paul informed us that the doctors diagnosed our guide with Acute Mountain Sickness and could have easily died if he stayed at elevation any longer. They ran diagnostics on him and gave him diamox and other medications for stabilization. The doctors concurred that we made the correct decision and saved his life. Doctors orders were to have him rest for the night and then head back down the river valley to Beseshar and then to Kathmandu....his trek was over. It was one of the craziest and grueling days of our lives with our guide almost dieing and group members traversing over 23kilometers. In the end Ang had passed out 4 times, almost swallowed his tongue, and went into delirium on many occasions. Luckily, Ang is doing fine now and is back in Kathmandu running more tests at an altitude clinic there. Unfortunately, it put the trek back 2 days, but we are all healthy and safe and we our proceeding with caution up to Thorung La Pass. The Fellowship started with 8 members and is now down to 7......Hurry you fools!

Traffic Jam, Monsoon....3 miles from Tibet!

Well, after our departure from Kathmandu we left the Kathmandu Valley and dropped into another river valley on our way to Beseshar to start our trek. We hit a massive landslide stretching around 40km in total. We were in an ideal location and spent two days at a rafting resort and stayed in beautiful bungalows on a raging monsoon river. After, two days it opened and we had an amazing drive through canyons and river valleys to begin our trek at 2,400 ft. We started in the lowlands and rice fields which was incredibly humid and wet with monsoon rain. After, trekking through the lowlands we ran into some massive river gorges and landslide areas. We finally hiked out of the river gorge that we hiked in for 7 days and are now in the highlands viewing some of the biggest mountains in the world(Annapurnas). We are now at 11,600 ft and enjoying a rest day that consisted of a glacial lake swim, coffee, curry, workouts, and apple pie. Tomorrow we are off for Thorung La Pass which will take us two days to reach. We will start early at High Camp and cross the 18,000 foot pass and then drop 5,000 ft into the 2nd largest river gorge in the world. Thanks for following and we will post photos and blog updates from the other side of the pass. Cheers from the other side of the world!

Namaste

This is the last internet access that we will have for several days. We have loaded our gear in our vehicle to Beseshar near the Annapurna Circuit. We are very excited to see the mountains of Nepal. Holy Shit........One month in the Himalayas and then R and R before our next trek. Stay tuned for blogs from the Himalayas!

Logistics and Beer!

The jetlag has officially wore off and we are all feeling comfortable here back in Kathmandu. Typical days include morning breakfast followed by coffee and workout sessions on the roof early in the morning. Throughout the day we have been exploring Kathmandu and eating incredible food. The afternoon has been consisting of a few beers and wine and talking about logistics for our first trek on Friday. We hit the town in the evening for food, rickshaws, and maybe a couple of bars. There is an incredible conglomeration of different people here and it is very exciting talking with everyone. Today and tomorrow will consist of organizing our gear and arranging for porters, pemits, rentals, and flights. More posts to come!

Kathmandu!

After 53 hours of traveling we have arrived at Kathmandu and are recovering quickly from the jet-lag. The city has certainly not lost its character. Walking the streets of Kathmandu is an experience that cannot be put into words. We met with our sherpa guide and friend Ang Purba yesterday and drank several beers and warm whiskey discussing our trekking logistics. We laughed and talked for the afternoon at their apartment in Kathmandu. The group ate at a restaurant that you most definitely will never see on the Travel Channel. The restaurant was in the basement an we all ate spicy food and sweated in the humidity(under 10 dollars for all 8 people). We also went to the famous Buddhist Stupa and sent prayers for safety on our journey. We spun the prayer wheels and walked 3 times around the Stupa for proper Buddhist tradition and prayer. Everything is in order and leave for the Annapurna Circuit on Friday near Pokhara. That gives us a nice work week to explore the city of Kathmandu and be well rested and ready for the trek to come. Everyone is in good spirits and very excited about the adventure to come!

2 days!!!

We have officially entered the last phase of preparation, which is packing our bags at the ranch house in Nebraska. A great number of family and friends attended the send-off celebration for the sojourn. Great food and cheer accompanied by family, friends, the outdoors, and even a Nebraska football game have left us all full in our hearts and ready for the journey. Thank you to all for the great weekend.........Next post will be from Kathmandu!

One Month!

We are now almost one month away from our incredible adventure to the mighty Himalayas! All members of the contingent are preparing with rigorous exercise and spirtual centering. The excitement is boiling, with a rendezvous at the ranch house in order, IT'S GO TIME!