Big Dipper and Everest

Everest can be barely seen just below the bottom star in the Big Dipper.  The photo was taken from Tengboche around 9 pm.  The afternoon fog had just lifted allowing us to see the mountain for the 1st time.  M Koss

Everest and the South Col

Mount Everest in the middle and the South Col (the low area to the right and the site of the famous Camp 4).  Mark Koss

Pumori in the morning

This is Pumori in the early morning. A mountain above Gorak Shep, west of the Khumbu Icefall. Mark Koss

Island Peak Summit

Here is a photo of Island Peak summit . . . The conditions couldn't have been better. Mark K

Chillin' in Kathmandu

We enjoyed a pretty low key day today in Kathmandu, getting laundry done, gear re-packed and airline reservations re-booked. Three people left successfully for home today and are in various cities tonight in the course of their homeward journeys.

I will stay until Monday, the 14th, by which time everyone should already be home or well on their way there.

It has been a wondrous trip, despite the frustrations of the last several days. With the invaluable aid of our sherpa guide, Kami Sherpa, and in spite of various illnesses and maladies, all of us made it to Gorak Shep (17,300'); most of us made it out to Everest Base Camp (17,600'), and up Kala Patthar(18,200'), establishing new altitude Personal Records in doing so.

Six of our ten were fortunate enough to achieve the summit of Imja Tse (20,305'), the first real Himalayan peak any of us had ever successfully climbed. I suspect that for some in our group, there will be others yet to come.

Last, in bad weather and uncomfortable conditions we made a rapid descent all the way from Imja Tse Base Camp to Lukla, engineered our own Yak-assisted extraction from that travel choke point, then arranged our own helicopter rescue from a make-shift LZ 15 miles off the main Khumbu trekking route.

Today, nine days after the weather initially clamped down on the Khumbu, at last report well over 1000 Trekkers still await succor from Lukla.

In the course of doing all that, over the 24 days we spent in the Khumbu, we logged over 41,000 vertical feet of ascent. I haven't yet scaled off the total mileage, but I suspect it will be somewhere north of 100 miles. No one was lost, no one was hurt, and illness, though present, did not for the most part prevent us from accomplishing our goals.

Truly, it was Good Fun in the Himalaya.

Namaste,
Jim Ronning

Our next evac

A Nepali military transport plane took five of us off the airfield at Lami Danda a couple days later.

At last, the final evac to KTM

After three days on the airfield at Lami Danda, finally glad to be choppered back to KTM!

Happy evacuees

Five of us jammed into a four seat chopper, but happy!

Evac from Kharakhola

Namaste,
Jim Ronning

Back together again in Kathmandu

Good morning, everyone! I've just awakened from a full night's sleep, my first in about four days. I've bathed (not showered-the shower head blew apart as soon as I pressurized it) and we had a nice group dinner last night of pizza, beer and wine, at Fire and Ice in the Thamel district.

Today Mark (K), Sue Dimin and Marie Gibson go home; Dick Durant left last night. Today will be a day of re-organizing packs, getting laundry done, and confirming airline reservations for those stragglers who arrived here yesterday. These are pleasant chores in comparison to the uncertainties and anxieties of getting out of the mountains, and I look forward to them with anticipation.

It appears that we may have left some gear behind in the confusion of our various evacs. A full bag of climbing gear can't be located this morning, and I seem to have left my trekking poles in Lami Danda, but in perspective, those seem to be relatively manageable issues.

Expect more later, as I have time to absorb it all, but right now I can't seem to concentrate on much except the plate of fried eggs and black coffee that was just put in front of me.

Namaste,
Jim Ronning

Lukla, Day...something...4, maybe??

There has been little change in the weather forecast or prospects for getting out of here today. The latest forecast shows no improvement in the outlook until mid-next week. We believe our best bet may now be to descend, village by village, hoping for helicopter pick-up along the way. Failing that, we will walk out to Jiri, a 5-6 day trek.

Mark Koss opted to leave for Jiri today, hooking up with another party of high-speed hikers aiming to do the 58 mile, six day trek in three, hoping to be in Kathmandu by Monday. The rest of us still do too, but by aircraft rather than on foot. We'll see who wins that bet, but either way, it's good fun in the Himalaya.

Once below Lukla, access to Internet and e-mail will be very unreliable. I will post whenever possible, but may not have the opportunity until late next week. We are healthy, well-funded, and there is no reason to have concern for our safety. Many other stranded Trekkers are doing the same, so we will not be alone on the trail.

Namaste,
Jim Ronning

Lukla, Day 3

No change today in this persistent weather pattern. Nothing is flying at all, whether fixed-wing, helicopter or hot-air balloon. We hear that Nepal authorities are considering allowing a military evacuation effort, as this weather pattern is now being projected to last until Monday. By my rough estimate, as many as 1600 trekkers and climbers may be stuck here already, that number increasing by as many as 400 per day as they conclude their activities in the higher elevations and begin to make their way here for flights out.

Please keep us in your thoughts and the kharma flowing east. (-:

Namaste,
Jim Ronning

A full house at Starbucks

Waiting out the weather...in relative comfort...at Starbucks - Lukla

Night 2 in Lukla

Still raining. No flights in or out all day today. Tension is rising and the town is filling. Word is spreading up the Khumbu to stay put and not try to come down here.

We have lined up a Russian 24 seat transport helicopter for tomorrow, but it too is weather dependent. At least we will now be first in queue for the helicopter instead of 800th or so in queue for a seat on a fixed- wing aircraft when they start flying again.

On the plus side: we have rooms in a lodge (some don't, already) and food is still plentiful (though Starbucks ran out of chocolate chip cookies tonight - I had to make do with coconut); we are dry, and we have a couple more days to wait before we are in danger of missing our international airline connections.

So, things could be worse. We continue to hope for a break in the weather tomorrow, at least enough to get our chopper in. Keep the positive thoughts coming.

Namaste,
Jim Ronning

Lukla street scene - after closing time

"you don't have to go home, dude, but you can't stay here"

The last night in Lukla for our porters

For our porters, the trek ended last night, with pay-off, goofy two-language speeches, and LOTS of handshakes!

Lukla, Nepal

We are now back in Lukla, following a seven hour trek from Namche in a mild drizzle all the way. Lukla has been socked in for two days now, with no planes getting in or out, so the place is pretty crowded with frustrated trekkers trying to make connecting flights in KTM.

Our scheduled flight is tomorrow, so we can only hope for a break in the weather tonight so planes can land in the morning. Please send us your best wishes - can't hurt, might help.

Namaste,
Jim Ronning