Tomorrow I fly from Kathmandu into Lukla, onto a paddock, I mean runway inclined at 18 degrees, which should make for an interesting start. From there Ill make my way up through the villages to The Mt Everest base camp, sitting at 5400m. Hopefully the weather will be clear and I'll be able to stand at the bottom of the Top of the World with a decent view of the surroundings.
From there, (hopefully fully acclimatised), I'll stroll back down the hill to Dingboche and hook a left to Chhukung, where I get to strap on the big boots, sharpen up the crampons and ice axes, and practise my knot tying in preparation for Imje Tse, better known as Island Peak. The name Island Peak was given as the mountain sits as a land mass surrounded by glaciers from larger surrounding mountains, including Lhotse and Nuptse.
We will have one practice run up to the top of Chhukung Peak, which is around 5700m, before moving through a couple of camps to the base of Island Peak. Then a 3am start will have us trenching through the dark to hopefully reach the summit (that sound so cool) by around 9 or 10am. 6166 metres above sea level should give us a clear view of Pumori, Ama Damblam, Nuptse, Lhotse, and maybe Everest. The photo below is the final 100 mtres on the South Ridge.
This will be my first taste of proper climbing, and though I've been assured it's 'an easy one' by my sherpa, (a real sherpa!) I'll still be taking my time. Harnesses, ropes, carabinas, sharp things on my hands and feet, pitching tents in the snow, teas brewing on a propane stove, endless amounts of Gore-Tex, -20 degrees on a clear night: should be fun?
I'll be back in kathmandu between the 18-22 of November, depending on the weather. Again, wish me luck!
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