Among Giants – Tengboche Ridge
Acclimatization day in Deboche! We hiked back up past the monastery, and up a steep mountain side, winding through more stupa’s and prayer flags. The top of the ridge gave us an unbelievable 360 view of the Himalayas. Again, the team was in cadence with one another as we reached 13,700 ft. After numerous videos and photos, a snack and a couple helpful hints form Casey, we made our way back down to the tea house to, yes, you guessed it, EAT AGAIN! Ha!
Next up for the afternoon… MOUNTAINEERING ARTS AND CRAFTS! Felt like it anyway. We all brought in our harness, careeners, ascenders, repel device, rope, slings and duct tape. Casey walked us through the set up for our gear we will be using on Lhotse and above Everest Base Camp. One of the reasons I selected CTSS is because Casey has got a system dialed in. This man knows his shiznat and I am honored to be on his team. There are a million little things that add time to your transitions on the mountain. Streamlining your system increases your speed on ascent and improves your chance of summit. We will try things out on Loboche in a few days, and make any adjustments needed for the big day.
Per usual, our teahouse hosts are delightful. One of the gentlemen running the dining room and serving us our tea has summited Everest 7 times. What the? I believe the Rivendell is owned by his sister in law and he is just helping out. Just goes to show you, do NOT underestimate anyone around you. There are hidden gems all around us. Pre dinner activities could include a super quick rinse off, a little cat nap or for most, snacking on popcorn and struggling with spotty WiFi, trying to get small notes and photos out to the rest of the world.
Today, I think it finally set in that this is really taking place. We are finding a good rhythm, pushing our bodies daily and mentally preparing for the remaining 6-7 weeks. I feel strong. I am thankful for the hours, days, weeks put into training. All 9 of us took this expedition seriously and have put in the work. It is paying off!
Dinner was great, especially delicious French fries, and there were double orders of “Chicken Chili” (looks like a spicy sweet and sour type dish). Per usual, most turned in at 8 for bed. However, the Khumbu Valley Social Club recruited a new member, Mario, and everyone retired around 9:30. Tomorrow, we load up and head for Pheriche.
New nicknames inducted today:
1. Valerie is now the “Crystal Snake” – named after an ice climbing route in the Khumbu Valley, Valerie just loved this name and did NOT want to be “momma bear”, even though she really IS a wonderful momma bear. Valerie makes sure everyone is taken care of. But, we will call her Crystal Snake because it DOES sound cooler
2. Scott is now “Gaston’ “- Yes, from Beauty and the Beast. A fireman, Scott slammed down the Sucha (which made me throw up in my mouth) with a smile and a chiseled chin. No one hikes like Gaston, no one powers through like Gaston’….
3. Mario is simply “Super Mario” – He is our international team member, all the way from Ecuador. He speaks a little English, a few of the team speaks enough Spanish to get by, and I downloaded Google translator, so its all good. Mario is a grandfather, extremely strong and simply SUPER
About the author : Kim
