I’ve yet to decide if I shall write a book about the expedition. It seems like such a book would be a time consuming proposition. On the other hand there is plenty to say. If any book does exist in the future, my loyal reader(s) will be the fifth to know.
Did you make it to the top?
You will have to read the book should it ever exist. If I eventually give up on the book idea then I will likely write a blog post or two.
What is the food like?
In our case it was absolutely dreadful. Every expedition is responsible for its own food so it is possible to have pleasant meals. But nobody goes up Mt Everest for the dining experience.
The point of eating is to make up for all of those calories lost whilst climbing and to keep you from starving to death. Snacks and sweets are easy to carry and very useful. Meals are very utilitarian. We ate a lot of rice.
Did you get altitude sickness?
Yes. Almost everybody in our party had at least some symptoms. None were fatal and we all got over it quickly enough. Water, oxygen and analgesics are wonderful things.
How do you go to the bathroom?
Very carefully. At base camp it is just like any outdoor wilderness endeavour. Higher up but below the Death Zone it is a simple case of whipping it out and letting it go. There is a simple device for women to urinate man style. Beyond the Death Zone you are better off holding it in. Some people even use incontinence products or simply wet themselves.
How do you bathe?
That is best done at base camp. Beyond that it is difficult and not entirely necessary. When you spend days in a very clean mountain environment you don’t get as dirty as you do in a city environment.
Why does a trip to Everest take so long?
Mt Everest is very high up and nowhere close to where anybody lives. It takes time to get into Nepal and get all of the paperwork approved. It takes time just to get from Kathmandu to your base camp. Those of us who live at lower elevations have to adjust in Kathmandu and then slowly head up to base camp. A fast trip can actually kill people. You are really not supposed to go any higher than 1000 feet per day.
A climb like Everest is also not a simple process of going up and coming down. It requires several ascents and descents at different rates and altitudes to acclimatise. Most of us can do it in two or three months. Very few people can make the trip in one month.
There is also an issue of weather which cannot be ignored. There was a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal which obviously never reached Nepal but it did briefly affect our weather and internet access, which we needed to check the weather.
Some climbs seem like you are at the top but you are really not. Are there any false summits on Mt Everest?
You definitely know when you are not at the top.
18 August 2013
17 August 2013
Catching Up
I was out of town for a bit. I am back.
What happened while I was gone?
On the international stage Syria and Egypt were in the midst of civil wars, terrorist organisations were playing their part, Zimbabwe was looking forward to some illegal election antics, Iran was denying building nuclear weapons while increasing their production of nuclear weapons, the American president was under fire for taking a holiday while his people were complaining about drone attacks.
If you look at a newspaper from the day I left and another from the day I returned, you would see very little difference.
Domestically, the UN is “warning” Israel not to undermine “peace talks”. Why do they never send such warnings to Palestine? Ask Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman.
Far more interesting, but with little to no coverage from CNN, my mother was married in a quiet little ceremony in Jerusalem. She married her rabbi, whom she had been dating for only a few months. Much can be said about their brief courtship but I think at their age there is very little point in taking your time about things. They were both previously married to people with whom they thought they would live for the rest of their lives. But not everybody lives the same amount of time.
Somebody told me that it was amusing that my mother married before I did. That seems pretty normal to me. The point is supposed to be that I have been dating my intended off and on for about seven years whilst my mother and her new husband probably only hit the sheets on their wedding night. As far as I know.
I have no problem with my mother being married. She was married throughout my entire childhood. It is a different man with whom my sisters and I have a completely different relationship but she is still a mother, daughter and wife.
We’ve yet to set a date for my wedding. We are still looking at locations and where we do it will determine when. Our families vote for Jerusalem. The city is full of history and culture and is very important to our people. It is also centrally located and easy for everybody to get to. The groom votes for Tel Aviv. There are plenty of parks, beaches and five star hotels that would work and the Mediterranean is an excellent backdrop. I vote for Yam HaMelach. It is one of my favourite places and significant to our relationship. Time will tell.
In sadder news, my beloved sister crashed my beloved car. She was not injured but the car was destroyed. The cause of the accident was the simple fact that Israelis drive like idiots. The effect is that my beautiful black Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 is no more. I bought it in America when I moved to Israel and had it shipped at great pain and expense. It was a fine automobile that did everything I asked of it and provided years of comfort, style and serious horsepower.
The future husband suggests I get a more family orientated car. With any luck and a great deal of practise we should have children in the near future. He thinks said children should not ride around in a sports car. I think any biological children of mine would loathe a Volvo V70.
2004-2013
RIP dear friend
What happened while I was gone?
On the international stage Syria and Egypt were in the midst of civil wars, terrorist organisations were playing their part, Zimbabwe was looking forward to some illegal election antics, Iran was denying building nuclear weapons while increasing their production of nuclear weapons, the American president was under fire for taking a holiday while his people were complaining about drone attacks.
If you look at a newspaper from the day I left and another from the day I returned, you would see very little difference.
Domestically, the UN is “warning” Israel not to undermine “peace talks”. Why do they never send such warnings to Palestine? Ask Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman.
Far more interesting, but with little to no coverage from CNN, my mother was married in a quiet little ceremony in Jerusalem. She married her rabbi, whom she had been dating for only a few months. Much can be said about their brief courtship but I think at their age there is very little point in taking your time about things. They were both previously married to people with whom they thought they would live for the rest of their lives. But not everybody lives the same amount of time.
Somebody told me that it was amusing that my mother married before I did. That seems pretty normal to me. The point is supposed to be that I have been dating my intended off and on for about seven years whilst my mother and her new husband probably only hit the sheets on their wedding night. As far as I know.
I have no problem with my mother being married. She was married throughout my entire childhood. It is a different man with whom my sisters and I have a completely different relationship but she is still a mother, daughter and wife.
We’ve yet to set a date for my wedding. We are still looking at locations and where we do it will determine when. Our families vote for Jerusalem. The city is full of history and culture and is very important to our people. It is also centrally located and easy for everybody to get to. The groom votes for Tel Aviv. There are plenty of parks, beaches and five star hotels that would work and the Mediterranean is an excellent backdrop. I vote for Yam HaMelach. It is one of my favourite places and significant to our relationship. Time will tell.
In sadder news, my beloved sister crashed my beloved car. She was not injured but the car was destroyed. The cause of the accident was the simple fact that Israelis drive like idiots. The effect is that my beautiful black Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 is no more. I bought it in America when I moved to Israel and had it shipped at great pain and expense. It was a fine automobile that did everything I asked of it and provided years of comfort, style and serious horsepower.
The future husband suggests I get a more family orientated car. With any luck and a great deal of practise we should have children in the near future. He thinks said children should not ride around in a sports car. I think any biological children of mine would loathe a Volvo V70.
2004-2013
RIP dear friend
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